STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
Scandinavia’s largest city - made up of 14 islands - is home to nearly 1 million residents. It is also one of the greener capitals in Europe making it a great destination even for those who don’t identify as “city people”. Visitors will admire its neoclassical architecture, but what impresses me most is its subway system - commonly referred to as the world’s longest art exhibit! Nearly every station has unique artwork on its walls from Super Mario characters to depictions of climate change. You’ll get your money’s worth when you buy a ticket! Oh, and don’t forget to go for fika (more on this below)!
Attractions:
Free Walking Tour: Free Tour Stockholm offers both a Gamla Stan Tour and Södermalm Tour. They are 2 hours long and cost what you think they are worth at the end. The Gamla Stan Tour (Old Town in Swedish) stops at Stockholm’s oldest city square (Stortorget), Stockholm Cathedral, and more! It picks up twice daily (10:00am and 1:00pm) at the top of the wide stairs by Sergels torg. The Södermalm Tour (Southern Island in Swedish) winds through the streets of Stockholm’s trendiest and most hipster neighborhood. Be sure to explore Monteliusvägen, a half-mile walking path offering a beautiful view of the city! This tour picks up every afternoon at 1:00pm in front of Stockholm City Museum.
Experience “Fika”: Fika can be used as both a noun and verb. This admirable part of Swedish culture allows people to take a mid-day snack, coffee, or tea break to socialize with each other! What you have and where you have it is not important, so as much as you step away from your desk or workplace to sit, breathe, and enjoy life in the presence of others. If you have the option, be sure to try some cloudberry jam!
Rosendals Trädgård: One of Stockholm’s lesser-known but more beautiful green spaces! This park/public garden has a delicious organic café situated inside of it and is incredibly peaceful. You can easily spend hours exploring here! It is free to enter and open Tuesday-Sunday from 11:00am-4:00pm.
Vasa Museum: The most-visited museum in Scandinavia is home to the world’s best-preserved 17th century ship! During your visit, you will learn about life in Stockholm during this time as well as the ship’s history. To be brief, the Vasa ship sank 12 minutes into its maiden voyage in 1628. After sitting underwater for 333 years, it was raised back to land 95% in tact and is now on display. It is open daily from 10:00am-5:00pm and costs 170 SEK ($20 USD) to enter. The museum can be reached by ferry, tram, train, or bus.
Tyresta National Park: A national park just 15 miles outside the city’s center? Yup! The main entrance in Tyresta Village is next to the trailhead of six great hikes ranging from 1.5-9 miles. The commute via taxi takes 30 minutes and costs 450 SEK ($53 USD). The commute via public train and bus takes 1 hour and costs 50 SEK (if you don’t already have an SL-Access travel card, it costs an additional 20 SEK). From Stockholms Centralstation, take commuter train #43 to Handen Station (30 min; 50 SEK). From Handen Station, walk 5 minutes east to Haninge Centrum Bus Stop and board bus #834. Take this to Tyresta By (20 min; free transfer). The park is open 24/7 and there is no entrance fee!
ABBA Museum: There is not much of an argument when it comes to discussing the most successful and best-selling Swedish band of all-time. ABBA ruled the global pop scene in the 1970s and 1980s with hits such as “Dancing Queen”, “Mamma Mia”, and “Take A Chance On Me”. This interactive museum takes you through the history of the group and allows you to perform as a fifth member of the band. It is open Wednesday-Sunday from 11:00am-4:30pm and costs 260 SEK ($31 USD) to enter.
Skansen: Welcome to the world’s oldest open-air museum! With 75 acres to explore, visitors have the ability to time travel through 500 years of Swedish history. Walk along the cobblestone streets to find recreations of homes, villages, and farmsteads from every region of Sweden dating back to the 14th century. Skansen is open daily from 10:00am-3:00pm (closes at 5:00pm on weekends). General entrance costs 160 SEK ($19 USD).
Royal Palace: The official residence of the Swedish monarch has over 600 rooms and is one of the most recognizable structures in Stockholm. It is actually one of the largest palaces in all of Europe as well! It is open daily from 10:00am-4:00pm and costs 160 SEK to enter (guided tours cost an additional 20 SEK).
Kungsträdgården: Just across the water from the Royal Palace, “King’s Garden” is one of Stockholm’s oldest and most lovely public parks. There are plenty of cafés, restaurants, and places to relax in the plaza which is why it is known by locals as “Stockholm’s Living Room”. When the weather is nice, you will find plenty of concerts, gatherings, and performances here!
Other attractions include: Fotografiska, Gröna Lund, Drottningholm Palace, Stockholm Public Library, Millesgården Museum, and Stockholm City Hall.
Accommodation:
City Backpackers Hostel: Kayak tours, open-mic nights, pub crawls, and a Viking sauna experience - what’s not to love? This hostel is located in Norrmalm (20 minutes walking from Gamla Stan) and has been named “Best Hostel in Sweden” for multiple years running. It is also just 10 minutes walking from Stockholms Centralstation and Cityterminalen.
Transportation:
Stockholm’s main train station is Stockholms Centralstation; all trains below leave from here. The main bus station is Cityterminalen; all buses below leave from here.
Gothenburg is 3 hours by train from Stockholm and costs 365 SEK ($42 USD). The bus ride is 7 hours and costs 230 SEK ($26 USD). The flight is 1 hour and costs 610-960 SEK ($70-$110 USD) on Air Leap or SAS.
Copenhagen, Denmark is 5.5 hours by train from Stockholm (indirect) and costs 637 SEK ($72 USD). The bus ride is 15.5 hours (indirect) and costs 445 SEK ($50 USD). The flight is 1 hour and costs 400-525 SEK ($45-$60 USD) on Norwegian Air.
Oslo, Norway is 5.5 hours by train from Stockholm (indirect) and costs 693 SEK ($78 USD). The bus ride is 7.5 hours and costs 362 SEK ($41 USD). The flight is 1 hour and costs 530-1,500 SEK ($60-$170 USD) on Norwegian Air or SAS.
Helsinki, Finland is 17 hours by ferry from Stockholm and costs 1,050 SEK ($127 USD). The flight is 75 minutes and costs 870-1,500 SEK ($55-$100 USD) on Finnair or SAS.
Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) is 40km (25 miles) north of the city center. Below are the five options - from cheapest to most expensive - for getting to downtown Stockholm, Stockholms Centralstation, and/or Cityterminalen.
FlixBus: This bus does not run often, only every few hours; be sure to check the schedule beforehand. The ride is 50 minutes and costs 62 SEK ($7 USD).
City Bus & Commuter Train: This is the only route of the five that is indirect (requires a transfer from bus to train). From the airport, take bus #583 to Märsta Station (15 min). From here, transfer to commuter train #41 to Stockholm Central Station (45 min). The total commute is 1 hour and costs 70 SEK ($8 USD).
Flygbussarna Airport Coach Bus: The airport bus runs every 10-15 minutes to and from the City Terminal. The ride is 50 minutes and costs 119 SEK ($14 USD).
Arlanda Express: This high-speed electric train, which reaches speeds of up to 200 km/hr (125 mph), runs to and from Stockholm Central Station every 15 minutes. The ride is 20 minutes and costs 299 SEK ($34 USD).
Taxi: The 40-minute taxi ride costs 550-600 SEK ($60-$70 USD) depending on the time of day.
Thank you, Igor, for being such a wonderful host during my stay in Stockholm!