Great Activities in Stockholm

Stockholm is a popular destination for English-speaking tourists. The Swedish capital is easily reachable by plane or ferry as part of a road trip. I love the city, as it is worth visiting again and again for a short city break. There are great museums, culinary highlights, the old town, as well as the surrounding archipelagos and impressive castles to discover.

If it's your first time in Stockholm, you'll discover the stories and highlights best on a city tour. Whether you explore the art of the subway on a walking tour, the Stockholm old town on a ghost tour, or the culinary highlights through a food city tour. Here, I'll show you which tours you can take besides the classic city tours to the sights in Stockholm.

By boat, bus, bike, or amphibious bus - anything is possible here. There's something for everyone, whether on foot or by vehicle. Sightseeing makes you hungry, so I have noted my tips for good food in Stockholm.

If you're interested in exploring Gamla Stan along with its stories, myths, diseases, executions, murders, and hidden places, and want to learn about the exciting history of Stockholm, this is the best tour. It's entertaining and well done.

The guide Callum (I hope you get him too) was friendly and very entertaining; the tour could have gone on longer. He told fascinating stories about the plague, the narrow alleys of the oldest part of Stockholm, and sculptures that I had passed multiple times without noticing.

Duration approx. 1.5 hours

The tour is in English (or Swedish)

Be sure to book in advance (often sold out)

When it comes to boat tours in the canals around the center, you have two options, both of which I have tested and can recommend. If you have time for one, I wouldn't know which I would classify as "better." They are both worth it.

Exploring Stockholm from the water is always worthwhile. I've taken this tour three times now (finally, a friend has his own boat in Stockholm, so I can get private tours in the future).

During the ride, you pass some sights and receive audio commentary (also in German) with helpful details and information. You glide through the locks on Lake Mälaren to the Baltic Sea (an experience), pass through the Stockholm Old Town, Djurgården, the modern houses in the new district of Hammarby Sjöstad, and various city blocks. You pass 15 bridges - sightseeing in Stockholm at its finest.

My insider tips for Stockholm: Did you know that you can ski in Stockholm during winter?

Duration: approx. 2 hours (depending on how long the process at the lock takes)

Included free with the Stockholm Pass

You can book the tour on-site (often with long lines) or play it safe by reserving in advance here.

Another tour worth taking is the tour through the royal canals. Through the Djurgården Canal and around Djurgården National Park, you will pass historical and famous buildings from a different perspective. The Vasa Museum, Junibacken, Skansen, Prince Eugen's Waldemarsudde Museum, and the skyline of Stockholm from the water are the highlights.

This tour is shorter and lasts only 50 minutes. If your time for sightseeing is limited, you should book this boat ride.

Duration: 50 minutes

Included free with the Stockholm Pass

You can book the tour on-site (often with long lines) or play it safe and reserve in advance here.

I spent four hours on this culinary city tour through market halls, food stalls, and restaurants.

Have you always wanted to taste Swedish delicacies of the finest quality, some of which you didn't even know existed? Among them is bear sausage? Yes, in Sweden, there are so many bears that an annual quota for hunting has been released since August. To my shame, I have to admit that the sausage was really delicious. Without this tour, I would never have tasted bear in my life (By the way, there is also bear in Finland).

Additionally, there's reindeer and moose sausage, meat, fresh fish, and the classic Swedish "Prinsesstårta" - really everything a foodie desires. I don't want to spoil all the stops on the tour, so here's my tip: Take the tour yourself; you'll be surprised what Stockholm has to offer in terms of food, I promise.

Discover Nordic specialties on a food tour.

Duration: About 4 hours

Meeting Point: Östermalmshallen

When you ride the Stockholm Subway (Tunnelbanen), you quickly notice: It's very creative and colorful. More than 90 subway stations have been creatively designed by artists. Stockholm likes to refer to its 110 km subway network as the longest art gallery in the world, for which you only need a valid ticket.

The most beautiful can be viewed on a guided tour through the most stunning subways or you can explore it on your own. You only need a valid ticket for that.

Here you can find my tour through the most beautiful subway stations in Stockholm to replicate (without a guide)

Download the Art Walk app to your phone to take a guided free tour through Stockholm's subway. If you don't feel like that, you can book a art tour of the most beautiful subway stations in Stockholm (duration about 2 hours, I also needed 2 hours for this tour on my own since I had to look for certain stations).

Don't feel like the classic hop-on hop-off bus? Then the 60-minute tour with the amphibious bus is just the right thing for you. The tour starts at Strömgatan between the Royal Opera and the Grand Hotel (almost where the boats for Stockholm Sightseeing depart).

You will pass all the top sights of Stockholm and learn all the information and history from the accompanying guide. The Royal Palace, the Royal Library, Stureplan, Gröna Lund Amusement Park, Vasa Museum, Junibacken, Skansen, Old Town, Djurgården, Skeppsholmen, and the Parliament are highlights that you will pass. You are about 40% on land and 60% in the water.

In contrast to the hop-on hop-off buses, you cannot get on and off here. The tour starts and ends at the same place on Strömgatan. Anyway, this ride is a special experience that I have never had before.

Duration: 60 minutes

Cost: SEK 295 (about 28 Euros)

Book in advance on Get Your Guide

Start: Strömgatan (you can't miss the bus)

The Millennium Trilogy is a series of internationally renowned books written by the unfortunately already deceased Swedish author Stieg Larsson. The trilogy (with more than 82 million copies sold) has led to a Hollywood adaptation. The Millennium Tour is a walking tour through Stockholm to the locations of the books "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", "The Girl Who Played with Fire", and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest".

The tour lasts about 2 hours on the island of Södermalm at Bellmansgatan 1, the home of the main character Mikael Blomkvist. You will go to places from the books: bars, cafes, and of course to Lisbeth Salander's apartment. The tour ends at the Stockholm City Museum, where there happens to be a Millennium exhibition.

Due to COVID-19 you can only book this tour here currently. Otherwise, the offer was available on the City Museum's website.

Do you have a fear of heights? Then this tour might not be suitable for you. It leads you over the roof of the former parliament building (now the courthouse) in Riddarholmen. Of course, you will be secured and provided with a helmet for protection. The view of the Old Town, city center, and Södermalm is really cool!

Once you are up there, you will circle the roof with the group to get a 360-degree panoramic view. On 3 to 4 platforms (depending on the weather), you will learn stories about Stockholm from a different perspective.

You walk on a secured walkway about 300 meters high at 43 meters. A truly extraordinary experience.

Currently, this tour is not available due to COVID-19. Generally available from the beginning of spring (March) to October.

Check the provider's site anyway, maybe you can plan ahead anyway.

The "Classic" among city tours and an excellent walk in Stockholm's Old Town. On this 1.5-hour tour, you will take a walk through the alleys of the historic Old Town.

You will explore historical landmarks, the Royal Palace from the outside, the German Church Riddarholmskyrkan, and learn a lot about the legends that once circulated.

You will also walk through the narrowest alley of the Old Town. I won't tell you where it is; find it out yourself and

The good thing about this tour: You can book it in a group or as a private tour. Additionally, it is one of the few tours available with a German guide.

Even I learned a few facts about Stockholm after many city trips.

Duration: approx. 1.5 hours

Available in German and as a private tour

Book the tour here on Get Your Guide

Note: Book the tour in combination with a guided tour in the Vasa Museum including transfer

Do you not feel like exploring Stockholm on foot? Then I have the best tip: Book a bike tour to the highlights. To get an overview of the Swedish capital, this 3-hour bike tour is ideal. Besides the most significant sights, your guide will also show you some hidden spots that aren't in the guidebook.

Since you have a larger range with the bike than with a walking city tour, I highly recommend this tour.

Duration: 3 hours

Book your ticket here (also in German)

The classic among city tours is the bus sightseeing tour. I (thanks to the Stockholm Pass and a lot of rain) finally took the opportunity to test the sightseeing tour for you. Ideal for Stockholm to also reach Djurgården, the ABBA Museum, and Skansen. Because the distance on foot is a bit further, and not everyone wants to rush through the city on an e-scooter.

Tickets are included in the Stockholm Pass (that's why I hopped on the green bus) or are available in advance on Get Your Guide (red bus). The two providers are actually the same, just differing in color and stops (sometimes these differ by just a few meters from the other providers).

Depending on how much time you have, you can choose from several ferries and excursions to the archipelagos. I can recommend the following tour:

Are you in the mood for a trip to the idyllic Stockholm archipelagos? Then I recommend a trip to Fjäderholmen and Sandhamn. Especially Fjäderholmen is popular since you can reach it in just 30 minutes by boat. Stockholmers love to come here at sunset with their own boats. It's a truly special experience in Stockholm.

You can walk around the island in less than half an hour. On the hill of the small island, you will find Röda Villan, where you can grab a snack at the restaurant (there's both cake and crabs, fish, and grilled food). There are more restaurants on the island that I have not tested. Plus, there are artists' studios and a boat museum.

Sandhamn is a bit more upscale and larger. The journey there takes longer, and you should plan the trip as a day trip.

In summer, the boats operate regularly and more often than after the Swedish summer holidays. Then there are often only 1-2 departures per day, which makes things more limited. So be sure to check the times.

The top 5 most popular and best activities in Stockholm are:

1. Vasa Museum
2. ABBA Museum
3. Boat tour "Under the Bridges"
4. Ghost Tour in the Old Town of Stockholm
5. Photography Museum Fotografiska

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