The 9 best Nordic city breaks for 2025

Best for: hipster vibes

Oslo has really come into its own as a city with bags to offer long weekenders. From its rejuvenated waterfront, where people jump off sauna boats and sunbathe on the roof of the Opera House, to the secret beaches of its archipelago, reachable by electricity-powered commuter ferry, it embraces the water in all things. In the evening, natural wine bars and charcuterie joints welcome hipsters with vinyl nights and pizza parties. The definition of Nordic cool? We think so. 

Where to stay: The eco-themed Oslo Guldsmeden Hotel

Best for: giving back

Copenhagen reverts to its former status as a coastal village when the sun’s out: everyone relocates to the harbour for a dip or a boat ride. With three sandy beaches within an easy metro ride, a beach day is also easy to pair with a stay eating your way around the exceptional food and drinking Copenhagen offers. This summer, CopenPay is bringing volunteering to tourists again, asking visitors to participate in eco-friendly and community activities – like solar powered boat rides where you’re asked to collect litter along the way – and rewarding them with drinks, lunches and free entry to a range of places. It’s an inspiring idea.

Where to stay: The central Villa Copenhagen.

Best for: midnight sun

Midnight sun worshippers could do worse than head to Iceland for the summer, where literally endless days – the sun dips into the horizon for a brief moment around midnight and then is back again – mean you can maximise the fun. Volcano hikes take place a short drive from the city (for the brave – new eruptions have just taken place), and a new geothermal spa, Laugaras Lagoon, promises great food and waterfalls. You can keep it low-key too: pool hopping around the city’s great value open-air pools will give you a taste for life in the city. 

Where to stay: CityHub Reykjavik is a new pod-style capsule hotel

Best for: sailing

This rapidly gentrifying port city is the third-largest in Sweden and has not only a theme park, Liseberg, in its city centre, but also some great museums – especially the brilliant Museum of World Culture. Summer in Gothenburg means only one thing: a trip to its romantic and rocky sea-splashed archipelago, ideally by sailboat. Also reachable by ferry, the car-free islands in the south offer great seafood and surprisingly edgy modern hotels. Spend your days fishing, hiking or just dangling your feet into the water. 

Where to stay: Clarion Draken Gothenburg is next to the city’s central culture hub

Best for: fjords

If you’re feeling dehydrated, Norway’s second city is for you: known for its rain as well as its culture, Bergen is set amid seven mountains on the coast, so waterproofs are a must. It’s a glorious city with a historic and colourful waterfront and family-friendly hiking trails, along with a cable car and funicular up its mountains. Take a day tour from the city to explore the fjords, before returning to drink cocktails in its retro-styled bars.

Where to stay: Home Hotel Havnekontoret is just off the most historic street

Best for: art and design

Finland’s capital is a vibrant, design-led city. Yes, you can and should sauna here, and enjoy a range of blockbuster buildings, from the imposing, copper-domed St Nicholas Church to the Church of the Rock, a chapel built into natural granite walls, but there’s more to the city than that. August brings the annual Helsinki Festival, the largest arts festival in the region, where you can enjoy a diverse range of theatre, art, circus and music events, from Kruder and Dorfmeister to the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Where to stay: Hobo Hotel blends boutique hotel style and hostel sociability.

Best for: foodies

The tiny capital of the Faroe Island makes for a unique option when it comes to city breaking. The former Viking town turned fishing village turned capital of this 18-strong island group is known for its outrageously good seafood. Spend a day hiking jaw-dropping mountains, marvelling at waterfalls and spotting the best-looking sheep before dining at one of the city’s fine dining restaurants. PAZ is the hottest ticket right now, run by Poul Andrias Zizka, former chef of fabled Faroese-Greenlandic restaurant KOKS. His new restaurant opened this spring and gained two Michelin stars faster than you could say ‘seaweed and sea urchin tart.’

Where to stay: Hotel Føroyar has a unique Nordic spa.

Best for: hikers

Do you go on a city break to go hiking? Maybe you should. Stockholm’s archipelago hiking trail opened last year, giving access to its rocky and beautiful islands on an easy-to-follow route connected by commuter ferries. It pairs well with a day or two in the city, browsing extravagant interiors boutiques like Svenskt Tenn, stellar galleries like Fotografiska and new-to-the-city LGBTQI+ hub House of Q, before lacing up hiking boots for a wander across shorelines, pine forests and quiet sandy beaches. 

Where to stay: Stockholm Stadshotell is the city’s most hyped new opening.

Best for: fashion

Aarhus is a killer spot for those who want to catch the best Danish trends before they hit Copenhagen. The cobbled Latin Quarter is alive with coffee shops and boutiques, and there’s something a lot more playful about the small, young, student-led population that makes it more creative than the capital. Some of the best things to do in the city are year-round hits, like walking around the rainbow at the top of ARoS art museum, while others, including swimming in the harbour pool, and Friday night concerts at local theme park, Tivoli Friheden, are summer-only.

Where to stay: Villa Provence is the city’s chicest boutique hotel.