Maddy Savage

One of the most densely populated capital cities in Europe packs in attractions galore. Stand on the quayside of Stockholm’s historic central island Gamla Stan, or ascend to one of the many elevated viewpoints stretched out along the northern clifftops of Södermalm, and you can see many of the best things Scandinavia’s biggest metropolis has to offer all in one awe-inspiring eyeful. Everything from the elegant tall spire of Stadshuset and the sky-scraping rollercoasters at amusement park Gröna Lund to the stately geometric mass of the Royal Palace. Stockholm’s best attractions are even better seen and experienced close-up. Not least because many of them, including the sprawling green oasis of Djurgården park and the extraordinary Stadsbibliotek public library (closed for renovations until 2027), are completely free to visit. And while you’ll have to pay to access others, they’re well worth the entry fee. Try watching feeding time for the seals at open-air museum and zoo Skansen, or singing with digital versions of Swedish pop legends at ABBA The Museum, or marvelling at the breathtaking remains of a rescued 17th-century warship at The Vasa Museum, and tell us your money and your day in Stockholm weren’t well spent. 📍 RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in Stockholm Malcolm Jack is a writer based in Stockholm. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by locals and travel experts who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our ed

Stockholm is pretty much great all year round, but depending on which trip you want, you might want to think a little bit about the time of year you’re visiting. Come in summer for your boat trips, and in winter for your cosy bar crawls. That sort of thing.  So we’ve laid out the ultimate guide to when to visit Stockholm, including everything from when festivals are on to when it gets dark. Whether you’re a winter, summer, spring or autumn kinda person, read on for when to visit Stockholm.  RECOMMENDED: 📍 The best things to do in Stockholm🛍 The best places to go shopping in Stockholm🏞 The best day trips from Stockholm

Stockholm is a visitor’s dream when it comes to public transportation. The city’s subway network is intuitive and efficient and runs through the night on weekends. Buses, trams, commuter trains and ferries also connect the capital’s 14 islands – and all their top attractions. Almost all these options are operated by the same company, Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL), so you can easily switch between different transport modes. Paper or mobile tickets cost 44 SEK for a 75-minute journey. But it’s usually better value to buy a plastic SL card for 20 SEK and top up with credit, or buy a 24-hour, 72-hour or weekly pass if you’re planning frequent trips. Whether you’re finding your way to your hotel or just want to get lost in the city – and then find a great bar or restaurant along the way – we’ve got you covered. RECOMMENDED: Your essential Stockholm travel guide

What’s the vibe? Embrace the Nordic ritual of sweating out your stresses in a sauna, by making the 15-minute bus journey from Slussen in the city centre to Hellasgården, a recreation area inside Nacka nature reserve. Here you’ll find separate male and female saunas, and yes, it is compulsory to strip off completely in both. Outside, there’s a jetty from which you can jump (or for the less brave, gingerly ease yourself) into the waters of Lake Källtorp to cool off. Locals make the leap year-round, with a hole drilled into the ice once it freezes over. What are the prices like? At 110 SEK (around $12), entrance is cheap, and you can rent towels and padlocks for the changing room lockers if you don’t have your own. Time Out tip It’s worth combining a trip to Hellasgården’s sauna with one of the easy hiking trails around the lake. Check the giant map at the main entrance for inspiration. This review was fact-checked and updated in 2025. 📍 Discover the best things to do in Stockholm

What’s the vibe? Often described as the Swedish capital’s playground for adults, no trip to Stockholm between May and September is complete without a visit to the mother of outdoor party spaces, Trädgården. Sprawling beneath a giant concrete bridge, it’s home to a massive courtyard dance area, a burger shack, table tennis and boules areas and a jigsaw of smaller terraces and bars that burst into life during peak season. At Trädgården, when the sun is shining, Stockholmers rip out of their stereotype as a closed and shy bunch, and embrace connecting with strangers. Book ahead for the popular Daytime Sessions, which draw respected EDM, garage and house DJs. What are the prices like? Prices vary depending on the event and your arrival time, with most events costing around 250 SEK. Check the website for a complete list of times and prices. Time Out tip Entry is often free before 8pm; check Trädgården’s social media for the latest information. The vibe here is very casual, but beware temperatures can drop quickly if you’ve turned up in your favourite summer shorts. This review was fact-checked and updated in 2025. 📍 Discover the best things to do in Stockholm

What’s the vibe? One of the best ways to tackle a weekend hangover in Stockholm is to nestle into the soft red velvet seats at the iconic 1940s movie theatre Bio Rio in Hornstull. On Sundays at 10:30am it hosts breakfast screenings, where you can catch a retro or newly-released indie movie while snacking on a simple smorgåsbord of yoghurt and muesli, fruit and an open Swedish sandwich, and knocking back as much coffee as you feel like. It’s almost always packed, so be sure to book ahead. Still hungry? The adjoining American-style diner has an affordable vegetarian menu. You can also grab a beer or wine here before an evening screening. What are the prices like? Individual tickets start at 100 SEK, and various discounts are available for the usual suspects (students, seniors, children, and others). Time Out tip Many of the films shown are in English or have English-language subtitles, but check in advance to make sure you don’t end up trying to make sense of an obscure Japanese arthouse offering via a Swedish translation. This review was fact-checked and updated in 2025. 📍 Discover the best things to do in Stockholm

What’s the vibe? In the heart of Stockholm’s Brooklyn-inspired SoFo district, the legendary basement venue Ugglan is where locals literally seek out fun and games during gloomy winter evenings. Packed with twentysomething vintage-clad creatives, Ugglan is the place to indulge in table football, darts, boule, shuffleboard and air hockey, play the arcade machines or join in with a game of round-the-table ping pong. What should I order? There’s locally brewed beer on tap and street food to soak it all up with.  What are the prices like? There are heaps of package prices on offer, so it all depends on how many people and how long you plan to stay. Package prices come in hourly blocks (starting at 449 SEK), and drink tickets start at 88 SEK. If you just want one match without committing to the buffet, prices start at 199 SEK, with an extra 100 SEK per match. Time Out tip If you’re in a big group and keen to stay for the whole evening, the food and activity package deals are worth the money, giving you fixed time slots for up to three games and access to an all-you-can-eat buffet. This review was fact-checked and updated in 2025. 📍Discover the best bars in Stockholm

What is it? With views sweeping over the glistening waters of Lake Mälaren, the spires of Stockholm’s medieval Old Town and one of the city’s prettiest, tree-lined boulevards, Norr Mälarstrand, this scenic trail offers perhaps the best panorama in the Swedish capital. Is it worth visiting? It’s a plum spot for watching the sunset and is a favourite haunt for local snappers when the Northern Lights are visible from Stockholm. The wooden path can be tricky to find, tucked above the charming cobbled streets that link the Slussen and Mariatorget neighbourhoods. But breathing in the cityscape from one of the benches dotted along the cliff path is an unforgettable experience well worth the effort. Just watch out in wintertime when sections can get scarily icy.   Time Out tip Evenings in Stockholm are chilly, even during summer, so bring up a hot drink from one of the indie coffee houses in nearby Slussen. This review was fact-checked and updated in 2025. 📍Discover the best things to do in Stockholm

What is it? More than a hundred allotments and brightly painted tiny wooden cottages tucked away on Tantolunden’s hillside make this one of the city’s most colourful parks year-round. Is it worth visiting? The plots, called kolonilott, are a world away from the make-do-and-mend vegetable patches and ramshackled sheds that can typify community gardens in other parts of Europe. Instead, think perfectly-manicured flower beds and terracotta-red miniature homes that you can even cook or nap in. Elsewhere in the park there’s mini golf, two outdoor gyms and plenty of benches from which to watch passing boats during summer. In winter, it’s a well-trodden spot for a Sunday stroll, or even a toboggan ride when the snow falls.   Time Out tip Hike up the mound in the centre of the park to get some great panoramic photos over the water towards the shiny new Liljeholmen development. This review was fact-checked and updated in 2025. 📍Discover the best things to do in Stockholm

What’s the vibe? Off the beaten path for many travellers, this former industrial wasteland turned award-winning urban eco-district is worth a visit to check out its impressive energy-saving modern architecture (designed to reduce heat consumption) or to bike along its pristine waterfront cycle lanes. If you don’t hire a city bicycle (note they’re only available during the summer), pick up the three-minute free ferry over from Södermalm or jump on a tram from Gullmarsplan station to get there. What should I order? To quench your thirst, make a stop at craft beer bar Nya Carnegiebryggeriet. Run by a team trained by the iconic Brooklyn Brewery in New York, it specialises in seasonal releases and limited-edition experiments. What are the prices like? Snacks and small plates cost between 45kr and 155kr, while main meals range from 205kr to 255kr. A guided tasting tour of the brewery costs 395kr (450kr on Fridays and Saturdays). Time Out tip If you’re not in the mood for a beer, soak up the atmosphere for free with a stop on the curved wooden seating deck on the waterfront next to Lugnets Allé. This review was fact-checked and updated in 2025. 📍 Discover the best things to do in Stockholm

What is it? For most people, Stockholm doesn’t immediately conjure up images of tanning on an idyllic beach followed by an afternoon dip. But you can, in fact, do both, right in the city centre. Just a 15-minute stroll from urban Hornstull’s bustling coffee shops and bars is Långholmen island, one of the Swedish capital’s most frequented swimming spots. Is it worth visiting? With a modest sandy front, it’s surrounded by flat rocks and a grassy bank where locals love to picnic. Långholmen used to be the exact opposite of a place to chill out; from the eighteenth century until 1974 it was home to a prison. The buildings have now been converted into a smart hotel and hostel with a shady courtyard café—handy if you need a break from the sun.   Time Out tip There are good-quality outdoor cold showers at Långholmen’s bathing spot if you want to freshen up before heading back into the city. This review was fact-checked and updated in 2025. 📍Discover the best things to do in Stockholm

What is it? Stockholm food hounds delight in hitting Hornstull’s waterfront on weekends between April and October, when it’s chock-a-block with independent vendors dishing up worldly gastronomic goodies from colourful trucks emblazoned with modish logos. Is it worth visiting? The roster changes from week-to-week, but recent seasons have served up vibrant vegetarian curries, gourmet American-style sliders and punchy Burritos. Tuck into your food on the large wooden seating platforms overlooking the water. Once your cravings have been satisfied, explore the rest of the bunting-strung market, which is a quaint mash-up of vintage clothes, knickknacks and vinyl, alongside contemporary arts and crafts produced by local designers.   Time Out tip To avoid the throng around the food trucks, take your pickings for a picnic in neighbouring Tantolunden Park. This review was fact-checked and updated in 2025. 📍Discover the best things to do in Stockholm

What is it? This spacious airy gallery houses painstakingly-curated and frequently-changing exhibitions, inside an imposing red-brick former customs building. Recent collections include street photographer Bruce Gilden, contemporary artist Josèfa Ntjam and a striking exhibition on birthing stories by Emilia Bergmark-Jiménez.  What will I find there? The well-written exhibition guides are a welcome addition for novice photography fans. On the ground floor, the backroom exhibition is easily missed, but this wing frequently contains memorable and sometimes tear-jerking photojournalism, from clandestine images of war to celebrations of joy in the everyday. What should I eat? When you’ve had enough culture, head upstairs to The Bistro, an achingly stylish bar and café area which serves overpriced but very tasty snacks, fantastic coffee and a strong selection of quality wines. It’s open until 11pm most nights. For a proper sit down dinner, there’s also The Restaurant, serving up tasting menus for 650 SEK (£47, $58), excluding alcohol.  Time Out tip Jostle your way into a window seat in Fotografiska’s café for stunning panoramic views over Stockholm’s Old Town and Djurgården’s historic themepark Gröna Lund, open since 1883. This review was fact-checked and updated in 2025.  📍 Discover the best things to do in Stockholm

What is it? While Stockholm’s city skyline is jaw-droppingly beautiful, the wider region’s jewel-in-the-crown is its dazzling archipelago, spilling out into the Baltic Sea. Here you’ll find thousands of islands, ranging from chic tourist spots boasting boutique hotels and sandy beaches, to deserted rocky outposts sprouting with pine trees. What should I see there? Navigating the area can feel overwhelming, and there’s less information in English than you’d expect online (perhaps a hint that Swedes want to keep this beautiful spot to themselves). But don’t feel the only answer is a package tour. Busses from Slussen station connect to the main commuter boat lines (yes, some Swedes are lucky enough to actually live in the archipelago), or you can catch slightly pricier direct ferries to popular destinations including Waxholm, Fjäderholmarna and Sandhamn from the city centre, run by transport companies Waxholmsbolaget and Cinderella Båterna. Time Out tip Head straight to the top deck as soon as you get on any ferry, to ensure you snag an outdoor seat. Booking on to the second crossing of the day can make for a less sardine-like journey in high season. This review was fact-checked and updated in 2025.  📍 Discover the best things to do in Stockholm

What is it? This tribute to the glitziest band in Swedish history is chock-a-block with all the gold discs, chunky platforms and quirky memorabilia you’d imagine. Plus, there are some seriously clever interactive exhibits that give visitors the chance to perform on stage alongside Abba and dress up in virtual versions of some of the group’s famous sparkly outfits. Is it worth visiting? You don’t need to be a die-hard fan to enjoy it, and although entry is pricier than many of Stockholm’s other top attractions, you can easily while away half a day here. Be warned, you’ll probably be humming ‘Dancing Queen’ for hours afterwards. Should I pre-book the Abba Museum? You don’t have to, but you’ll save heaps of queuing time by booking online in advance. Oh, and be aware that there’s no money, money money (see what we did there?) accepted at this cash-free venue.  Time Out tip More contemporary free live music is regularly on offer in the adjacent Pop House hotel bar (open for drinks to non-guests).  This review was fact-checked and updated in 2024.  📍 Discover more of the best things to do in Stockholm