Stockholm.
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Overview

Stockholm is Sweden's capital and largest city, with nearly a million inhabitants in the city, and 2.4 million within Stockholm County (as of 2021). The inner city is made up of 14 islands across Lake Mälaren and three streams into the brackish Baltic Sea, with the Stockholm archipelago with some 24,000 islands, islets and skerries. Over 30% of the city area is made up of waterways, and another 30% is made up of green areas. Air and water are said to be the freshest of any European capital. Stockholm hosts the Nobel Prize ceremony and has around 70 museums.

Stockholm is the hub of most Swedish rail and bus traffic and has two of the country's busiest airports nearby, so it is a good starting point for visiting other parts of Sweden.

Districts

Stockholm's suburbs sprawl out across most of Stockholm County. Stockholm's administrative division may be perplexing - municipal borders might cut right through neighbourhoods.

This article describes areas that are geographically close and easy to visit together as districts; the administrative borders of districts and municipalities may differ. The outer parts of the county consist of Norrtälje, Sigtuna, Norrort, Stockholm Archipelago, Södertörn and Södertälje.

Understand

Due to the post-glacial rebound, Stockholm is slowly rising from the sea. Mälaren was a bay of the Baltic Sea throughout the Viking Age of the 9th and 10th centuries; today's Stockholm was the waterway for the first Swedish cities; Birka, Uppsala, and Sigtuna. As Sigtuna was sacked by pirates in AD 1187, the Swedes needed to fortify the strait.

As the rising land cut off Mälaren from the sea in the 13th century, Stockholm became an important trading post. The city is said to be founded by Birger jarl (jarl is a title corresponding to British earl), who had a fortress built on an island later known as Gamla Stan. The first known written records that mention Stockholm date from 1252; this is the considered year of foundation. In the 15th century Stockholm replaced Uppsala as the effective capital. Stockholm was an associate of the Hanseatic League, and since its liberation from Denmark by King Gustav Vasa in 1523, Stockholm has remained Sweden's most important center of commerce, although Gothenburg later became the largest international port. During the 17th century, Stockholm was the base of the Swedish Empire, with a land area twice the country's current size, nearly encircling the Baltic Sea.

Much of the inner city plan was laid out in the 19th century, and the inner city still contains buildings from all ages since the 15th century. Like the rest of Sweden, Stockholm was largely untouched by the World Wars, but, particularly between 1955 and 1975, hundreds of old buildings in Norrmalm were demolished in a large-scale modernization process, emulating similar projects in other European cities.

Since 1901, Stockholm has hosted the annual Nobel Prize ceremony for all categories except the peace prize, which is handed out in Oslo. In the 20th century, metropolitan Stockholm sprawled out across most of Stockholm County, with the development of the Stockholm Metro, famous for its contemporary art. 1950s suburbs such as Vällingby became a model for suburban development in other cities. While most of the attractions are in the inner city, a majority of the citizens live in the suburbs.

Otherwise a safe and calm city, Stockholm is also known for the term Stockholm Syndrome, which was coined to describe a hostage's sympathy for a captor during a bank robbery in Norrmalm in 1973.

Sustainable technology As of 2023, Stockholm is striving to become a world-leading city in sustainable engineering, including waste management, clean air and water, carbon-free public transportation, and energy efficiency. Lake water is safe for bathing, and in practice for drinking (though not recommended).

Some new neighbourhoods with state-of-the-art technology in this field are Hammarby Sjöstad, Norra Djurgårdsstaden and Hagastaden. See Stockholm environmentalist tour.

Despite its northern location, Stockholm has fairly mild temperatures throughout the year. The city sees a dramatic seasonal variation in sunlight, from more than 18 hours of daylight around Midsummer (03:30–22:00), to around 6 hours of daylight around Christmas (08:45–14:45). Stockholm has an average of nearly 2,000 hours of sunshine a year. Average yearly precipitation is 539 mm (21.2"), with July and August slightly the wettest months. Snowfall can occur from late November to early April, but the amount of snowfall and snow on the ground varies greatly from year to year, and through the winter. No date is a safe bet for snow in Stockholm; for real Scandinavian winter, visit Dalarna or Norrland.

In other words, May to September tend to have the most comfortable weather. From Midsummer to the end of July, most inhabitants leave the city, and some venues close for summer, making the city more dominated by tourists. Summer temperatures average around for lows and for highs. Some warmer and hotter days can see temperatures rise to above during the day.

Stockholm Tourist Center. The official tourist centre has a lot of information in several languages and helpful staff. They also sell local transport cards and tickets to museums and sightseeing tours.

Get in

By plane Stockholm is served by several international airports; Stockholm-Arlanda Airport (; near Sigtuna) being the dominant one. Stockholm-Bromma is the only airport within the city. The airports in Skavsta (; near Nyköping) and Västerås also receive some international flights.

40 km north of the city is Sweden's largest airport, and the destination for most flights to Sweden.

There is a dedicated train every 15 minutes from the Arlanda terminals to Stockholm Central Station (20 min; 175–350 kr/person depending on group size, youth 160 kr).

The cheapest ride – unless you have an SL day card and don't use the airport's train stations – is by the FlixBus buses (45 min; 79–99 kr, cheaper in advance). With SL, you can take the commuter train or a bus to a station with more frequent services to the city. There are also airport coaches (45 min).

Taxis and rental cars are available.

Bromma Airport , in Västerort is a smaller airport 8 km west of central Stockholm. Bromma has been under threat of closure for many years and as of 2025 the only remaining operator is NyxAir to Trollhättan–Vänersborg Airport near Göteborg.

From Bromma, it's easiest to take tram 31 from to . At , you can change onto the green line of Stockholm's metro, which will connect you to T-Centralen, the central hub of Stockholm's public transit. Alternatively, to get to Sundbyberg and Solna, you can change trams at heading towards Solna station with line 30. Getting to T-Centralen takes just shy of 30 minutes, with tramline 31 departing from Bromma every 20 minutes.

Skavsta Airport is 100 km (62 mi) southwest of Stockholm, at the outskirts of Nyköping, making this airport's branded name "Stockholm-Skavsta" rather far-fetched. As of 2023, the airport is only used by Wizzair and Norwegian, with flights from Tirana, Sofia, Budapest, Skopje, Gdansk, Kraków, Warsaw, Bucharest, Belgrade, Alicante and Malaga. Budget air travellers landing here might find the transfer costing more time and money than the flight.

The most practical option is the airport coaches to the City Terminal in Stockholm (80 min; 229 kr online). A sometimes cheaper option is to take the local bus 515 or 715 to Nyköping's rail station (alight at Nyköping Centralstation), from where SJ regional trains (timetable, direct services run to stations marked in white) on the Norrköping–Nyköping–Stockholm route connect to Stockholm (from 100 kr, cheaper on select days). Tickets can be bought the following two ways: Buy an SL combined ticket from Skavsta to Stockholm, valid on both the local bus and the regional train. Pay for the local bus on board with your VISA or MasterCard (cash is not accepted) and buy the train ticket at Nyköping's railway station.

Travel time to Stockholm Arlanda Airport from Skavsta is 100 minutes.

Västerås Airport is 100 km west of Stockholm in Västerås, and serves Ryanair flights to/from London (Stansted). Like Skavsta, Västerås can be reached in two ways: Airport coaches go to/from the City Terminal in Stockholm. 139 kr one way, 249 kr round trip, takes about 80 minutes. Alternatively you can take the public taxi shuttle (order can be made online, but the site is as of 2016 in Swedish only) that runs between the airport and Västerås rail station in 6–7 minutes, departing from outside the terminal 20 minutes after each flight arrival and costing 50 kr one way. Total travel time Västerås Airport - Stockholm is 65 minutes, but this option is as much as 25 minutes faster, since the airport coach departs 10 minutes later from the airport and arrives there 10 minutes earlier.

The main station, (Norrmalm), serves both commuter and long-distance routes. It is in lower Norrmalm, connected to T-Centralen, the central hub for the Stockholm Metro, and Cityterminalen, the long-distance bus station. The national rail company SJ, has a store inside the station and a travel planner with ticket booking service on its web page. The train companies Snälltåget, VY and Flixtrain serve the city.

Internationally, there are services from Copenhagen (Denmark) (5 hr) and Oslo (Norway) (4½-5 hr) with several direct connections daily. A daily sleeper train is available from Narvik (14 hr). From Trondheim, a quick change in Storlien and Sundsvall is needed (10 hr). Both the national railway company SJ as well as the private Snälltåget seasonally operate daily overnight trains from Berlin and Hamburg taking 12–14 hours.

There are direct domestic services to Stockholm from most major cities. There's high-speed SJ 2000 and SJ 3000 services from Gothenburg (3 hr), Malmö (4½ hr), Sundsvall (3½ hr) and Östersund (5 hr); conventional trains mostly follow the same routes running slightly slower and can slash prices considerably. Most other mid-sized cities have a train connection with Stockholm. Malmö has an overnight service, as do the northern cities of Luleå, Kiruna and Umeå, the latter service originating in the far northern Norwegian town of Narvik and offering spectacular views of Lapland along its journey to Stockholm.

By bus The is the main bus terminal, wall to wall with Stockholms Central, and the T Centralen metro station. There are multiple daily departures to most other cities in Sweden, as well as a few international routes. FlixBus operates routes to Copenhagen and Oslo with several daily departures, and a twice-weekly service to Berlin. FlixBus also offers connections with Hamburg, Hannover, Cologne, Wuppertal and Berlin among other cities. NetBuss has a route to Oslo. Tapanis Buss has a route between Tornio, Finland and Stockholm running through road E4.

Stockholm is served by international luxury cruise ships (see cruising the Baltic Sea), and the local Baltic Sea ferries ("ferry" is quite a misnomer, most are giant ships). The Baltic Sea ferries link Stockholm to Helsinki, Mariehamn and Turku (these ships are locally known as finlandsbåtar, "Finland boat"), Riga and Tallinn every day. They are by far the cheapest way to travel between these cities. Even if you intend to use the boats to travel to or from Stockholm, it is almost always cheaper to book a round-trip cruise (kryssning), which can be as cheap as 80 kr (!) for a full 4-person cabin and rarely (even for a weekend cruise in high season) exceeds 400 kr for the cheapest 4-bed cabin. A one-way ticket for a cabin, in comparison, usually exceeds 1000 kr.

There are three cruise ship terminals:

In northern Östermalm there are and , one kilometre to the east from the former. These two are used by Tallink; Frihamnen for ships from Riga, Värtahamnen for ships from all other destinations (Turku, Helsinki, Tallinn, Mariehamn)

Värtahamnen is 400 metres from the Gärdet metro station; the route is signposted. You can also use bus 76 from Kungsträdgården. For Frihamnen, go to T-Karlaplan, take bus 72 from the avenue to Filmhuset, and then bus 76 to Magasin 3, which is outside that terminal. If you have a lot of luggage, or if your cruise ship is docked at Magasin 9, you may want to consider other means of transport.

, Stadsgården, is in Södermalm, with an astounding view of the inner port area. Most importantly, it's used by Viking Line for ferries to Mariehamn, Helsinki and Turku and their 22-hour cruises to Mariehamn. If you travel on a "real" cruise ship, such as Holland America Cruises you will probably also dock here.

There are direct bus lines from Stockholm centre to Stadsgården, lines 53 from nearby T-Centralen and line 2 from Kungsträdgården. To get there from the city centre by subway, go to T-Slussen and go for the bus terminal. Take the 401–422, 442–449 or 471 bus one single stop to Londonviadukten and the port will be on your left. Alternatively normal town buses 53 and 71 link Slussen and the Viking Line terminal, albeit via the backstreets. Public transport tickets are not sold on board buses, but the tourist office in the terminal sells them (at least day passes). Alternatively, you can walk to Slussen (it's little more than a kilometre) and buy the tickets you need there.

Yet another convenient but more expensive alternative is the shuttle buses operated by Flygbussarna that go directly from the terminal to the central bus station (Cityterminalen) in the city centre. There are multiple departures from the port 15–60 minutes after the ferry arrives and from the station 1–3 hours before the ferry departs. If you are driving to the boat, follow the signs to Slussen, then Stadsgårdsterminalen (Slussen is confusing even for locals, so don't feel embarrassed if you end up spinning in the intersection a few times) and then Finland/Viking Line.

Some cruise ships call at Nynäshamn 50 km south of Stockholm. The ferry terminal is served by SL commuter train line 43. There are also buses which are slightly faster, costing 109 kr for adults.

By car European routes E4, E18 and E20 converge in Stockholm. The few north-south bridges across lake Mälaren tend to be congested around rush hour. Roads in and around Stockholm are a toll zone (more exactly, "congestion tax"), and also foreign-registered vehicles are required to pay it – see more in By car below.

Get around

Stockholm is easy to access by public transport, and on bicycle during the warm season. Travelling by car is suitable outside built-up areas.

SL (Storstockholms Lokaltrafik) runs an extensive metro, commuter train and bus system, as well as some light rail and ferry services. They serve Stockholm County, with Sigtuna and Norrtälje in the north, and Södertälje and Nynäshamn in the south, with extensions to Uppsala, Gnesta and Bålsta for an extra fee (see below).

The simplest way to pay for tickets is to simply use your credit card to pay for tickets, by tapping at entry gates and electronic readers. Tickets cannot be bought on buses by cash. As you board a public transport vehicle (most prominently this applies to buses), you will be required to validate your trip every time by swiping the payment card at the rectangular validators in the vehicle (you should hear a beep and see a green light). The same principle goes for the underground and commuter rail, with the main difference being that this procedure is done as you're entering the platform part of the station. For light rail, there are validators on the platforms.

All SL services use an integrated ticket system with an RFID card (SL-kortet), which triggers entry gates and other electronic readers.

There are two forms of ticketing, passes and coupons. Passes and coupons can be bought at any metro or commuter rail station, at SL Center (located at Sergels torg, close to the central station/T-centralen), at all convenience stores (such as Pressbyrån or 7-11), most supermarkets and some smaller kiosks. Passes are available for 24 hours, 72 hours, 7 days, and 30 days, and allow unrestricted rides on all buses, trams, metro, and commuter trains (outside of Arlanda Central and stations north of it), as well as the Djurgården ferry. A coupon ticket allows unlimited travel for 75 minutes including changes. A discount is offered if tickets are purchased for two or more passengers travelling together.

There is an SL app which can be used to buy single tickets and passes, which must be validated before use in the app (once validated the ticket appears as a large QR code). Alternatively coupons can be downloaded to the SL Access card, reskassa., as well as paper tickets from vending machines, ticket booths and rail conductors.

Children under 12 travelling with adults travel free from mid-day Friday to midnight Sunday. Children under 7 ride for free with a paying adult.

SL tickets are not valid on airport coaches, Arlanda Express and regional trains.

Stockholm has a rapid transit system called the Tunnelbana [ˌtɵnəlˈbɑːna] (sometimes abbreviated T-Bana or just T on signs). With 100 stations, it serves most of the inner city, as well as many inner suburbs. Trains run from 05:00 to 01:00 on weekdays, and around the clock on weekends. Night buses replace the trains on weeknights. It is in most cases the fastest mode of transportation.

Stockholm's metro system is known for its art installations, with nearly all stations offering some form of artwork on display. The art on the blue line in particular is of note.

Directions in Stockholm are often accompanied by the name of the closest metro stop, using T as an abbreviation for "Tunnelbana", e.g. "T Gamla Stan". This practice is followed below when appropriate.

Commuter rail Stockholm has a commuter rail network, pendeltåg, reaching 53 stations, including Uppsala, Knivsta and Bålsta in Uppsala County, plus Gnesta in Södermanland County. Stations are marked by a J sign. All city centre-bound trains now pass through the Stockholm City station which is across the street from the main Central Station.

Stockholm has several tram lines: Tvärbanan running between the western suburbs (Västerort) and sothern suburbs (Söderort). Lidingöbanan connects Ropsten in Östermalm to Lidingö. Several archipelago ferries call at Gåshaga brygga at the eastmost terminus. Nockebybanan in Västerort connects the district of Nockeby to Alvik on the green line of the Tunnelbana. Spårväg City is a city tram connecting the Central Station to Waldemarsudde (Djurgården).

Buses Buses serve most populated areas where metro, rail or tram does not reach. Four inner city main lines numbered from 1 to 4 are operated by large blue buses (weekdays every 3–10 minutes), the other, generally less frequent lines (weekdays 7–20 minutes), by red buses.

The blue bus lines are: line 1 - from Frihamnen in Östermalm via Hötorget in Norrmalm and through Kungsholmen to the island of Stora Essingen in the latter district. line 2 - from Vasastan through western Norrmalm and the Gamla Stan to Sofia on eastern Södermalm line 3 - from Karolinska Sjukhuset in Västerort through eastern Vasastan, Kungsholmen, eastern Norrmalm and the Gamla Stan to Södersjukhuset on western Södermalm line 4 - from Radiohuset Vasastan through Kungsholmen, continuing through Södermalm to Gullmarsplan in Söderort line 5 - from Liljeholmen in Söderort through Kungsholmen to Karolinska Sjukhuset in Västerort line 6 - from Karolinska Institutet in Västerort through Vasastan terminating at T Ropsten on Östermalm

Apart from those six, several lines running through outer districts and suburbs of Stockholm are designated as blue buses - apart from the colour, they are distinguished by the middle 7 in their three-digit line number.

Passenger ferries There are also ferries to Djurgården and Skeppsholmen. Travel with the Djurgården ferry is included with any 24- or 72-hour pass, 7-day pass as well as the monthly pass.

SL passes are good on these passenger ferries: Sjövägen (80) : Nybroplan–Allmänna gränd (Djurgården)–Saltsjöqvarn–Finnboda hamn–Kvarnholmen–Nacka Strand–Blockhushudden (Djurgården)–Dalénum–Frihamnen – hourly rides from Nybrokajen (Norrmalm), calling at several docks in Nacka, and Lidingö, ending in Ropsten (Östermalm). Some tours carry on to the small suburban islands Tranholmen and Storholmen. The ferry has a cafeteria with tea, coffee, snacks, beer and wine, and gives a great view of the inlet of Stockholm. Djurgårdsfärjan (82): Slussen (dock at southeast Gamla Stan)–Skeppsholmen–Allmäna gränd (Djurgården) – short ride between the old town and the garden island. Pendelbåt (83 and 83X): Strömkajen–Slussen–Nacka strand–Vaxholm–Grenadjärbryggan: long route (1.5 to 2 hours, 83X is faster) to Stockholm archipelago. Wi-Fi and café, possible to carry cycles if there is enough space. Pendelbåt (89): Klara Mälarstrand–Lilla Essingen–Ekensberg–Kungshättan–Tappström (Ekerö): long ride, return by bus 176 or 177 and metro 17, 18 or 19, stopping over at Drottningholm Palace.

By bicycle Cycling is an attractive option during warm seasons, and there are many bike lanes. A bike ride across the inner city takes no longer than 30 minutes, and can be faster than travelling by metro or car. There are cycle paths along most major streets and drivers are generally considerate towards cyclists. In winter, when paths can be covered by ice, extra care should be taken. Bike paths may have a bicycle painted on the ground instead of the ordinary sign. Make sure you bike on the right hand side of the street, just as the cars.

BikeSweden AB. BikeSweden offers a variety of high quality bikes in the center of the city. From mountain bikes to children's bikes and city bikes. Child carriers and child seats are available. The bikes have at least 7 gears and are maximum of two seasons old.

Djurgårdsbrons Sjöcafé. Also rents roller blades and kayaks.

Servicedepån - Cykelstallet. Rents 3-speed city bikes, 21-speed mountain/hybrids (200 kr/day), and racers. They have metal-stud snow tyres for winter ice use, but you will have to ask in advance. Helmets are free with the bike, other accessories like panniers can also be rented. Rental period is from 10:00-18:00, full 24 hours, or several days.

By electric kick scooter It is possible to rent Swedish Voi, German Tier, American Lime, American Bird and Estonian Bolt electric kick scooters for use in the centre. The scooters have a top speed of , which is plenty; acquaint yourself with the scooter and its controls somewhere safe. Rules are the same as for bikes, but minimum age (imposed by the companies) is 18. In some areas the scooters enforce a lower speed (5–6 km/h). The companies aim to keep the scooters available also in winter, conditions permitting, but the vehicles are not ideal in snowy or slippery conditions.

In 2023 Italian RideMovi offers rental of electric kick scooters and e-bikes.

Taxis are rather expensive. Even worse is the fact that some small dodgy operators charge even higher prices. The taxi market is deregulated, making it considerably easier to find a taxi, but the downside is that the rip-offs aren't even illegal, just "supply and demand"! Taxis aren't exempted from the congestion tax and add it to your fee when applicable.

As long as you check the sticker you'll be fine, but if you're still nervous choose the major companies TopCab , Taxi Kurir Taxi 020 ( and Taxi Stockholm .

Authorized taxis have yellow license plates. Late at night in the city centre, you may be offered a ride with an illegal taxi, svarttaxi (literally "black taxi"), usually by discreet whispering of "taxi". Illegal cabs are associated with other crime and don't save you a lot of money, and legal cabs are usually available.

Cabonline. Offers TaxiKurir, Taxi 020, Sverigetaxi and TOPCAB taxis.

As central Stockholm has good public transit, a car is only needed for freight, or for visiting outer suburbs, or the countryside.

Cars driving into or out of central Stockholm between 06:30 and 18:29 are charged a congestion tax of 11 to 35 kr. Foreign-registered vehicles are not exempt from tax (you'll receive an invoice). Taxes are not charged in most of July, on holidays (such as Sundays) or on the day before a holiday (such as Saturdays).

Parking is restricted and expensive in the inner city, and free parking is scarce even in the suburbs, except at external shopping centres.

The congestion tax, parking fees and fuel prices make driving costly around Stockholm.

While traffic congestion is not as bad as in other cities of similar size, the north-south divide is a chokepoint at rush hour; especially the Slussen area between Gamla Stan and Södermalm. In general, commuting south to north is slowest in the morning, while north to south is slowest in the afternoon.

As of 2019, many streets (especially in Norrmalm) are under reconstruction, with rerouting and limited capacity.

Remember to yield for pedestrians, who often cross smaller streets in front of cars even when they have red light.

By boat For SL ferries, mostly serving the city itself, see Passenger ferries above.

For the city area, there are two hop-on/hop-off boat tours that run loops between various sites in Stockholm.

The larger Stockholm archipelago is served by two major shipping companies: Waxholmsbolaget runs inexpensive public transit ferries, slowed down by stops at several different docks. Waxholmsbolaget also runs two steamboats, that offer even slower, but genuine, round-trips with classical Swedish cuisine. Strömma is a private company, aimed at international tourists, with fast boats and audioguides.

By foot Stockholm is a walking-friendly city if snow is not present and getting from one place to another by foot is safe and otherwise hassle-free, at least in the inner city. Stockholm's suburbs, on the other hand, are rather spread out.

Drottninggatan, Västerlånggatan and Götgatan is a shopping and dining walk through the city. Stockholm history tour tells the history of Stockholm from Vikings to tech startups. Södermalm hill tour provides the greatest panorama photo views, as well as the arts and crafts scene.

See

Untouched by wars for a long time, Stockholm has some great old architecture to see. The exception would be Norrmalm, where much was demolished in the 1950s and 1960s to give place to what was then more modern buildings. Looking at it the other way around, if interested in this kind of architecture this is the place to go.

Stockholm's Old Town (Gamla Stan), is the beautifully preserved historical center, best covered on foot, dominated by the Stockholm Palace (Stockholms slott). Other highlights include Storkyrkan, the cathedral of Stockholm, which has been used for many royal coronations, weddings and funerals, and Riddarholmskyrkan, a beautifully preserved medieval church, which hosts the tombs of many Swedish kings and royals, surrounded by former mansions.

As a matter of fact, there's not only one royal palace in and around Stockholm but several others, Drottningholm (on Ekerö) and Haga (in Solna) being the most famous. Here visitors can get in close contact with traditions of the Swedish monarchy. The Drottningholm palace, a , is where the royal family lives; still much of it is open to the public. The surroundings are well worth a walk as well. In summer, there is a regular boat service from Stadshuskajen (the City Hall Quay) to Drottningholm.

Stockholm has several interesting churches, from medieval times to the 20th century. Most of them are in active use by the Church of Sweden. There is also a synagogue in Östermalm and a mosque on Södermalm. The Woodland cemetery, Skogskyrkogården, in Söderort is one of few UNESCO World Heritage sites from the 20th century. Also in Söderort is Avicii Arena, known as Globen ("Globe"), a white spherical building used for hockey games and as a concert venue. Occasionally, at least at game nights, it is lit by coloured lights. The Globe is the heart of the Sweden Solar System, the world's largest scale model of any kind. With the Globe as the Sun, models of the planets are displayed at Slussen (Mercury), the Royal Institute of Technology (Venus), the Natural History Museum (Earth and Moon), Mörby Centrum (Mars), Arlanda Airport (Jupiter) and Uppsala (Saturn).

Viewpoints The heights of northern Södermalm give a great view of central Stockholm, especially from the street Fjällgatan, the Fåfängan mountain just east of to Stadsgårdshamnen, and bars and restaurants such as Gondolen, Herman's, Himlen, and the penthouse lounge of Sjöfartshotellet. Further south in Söderort there's Hammarbybacken, a semi-artificial ski slope, walkable around the year, great during summer and Skyview on the top of the Ericsson Globe (130 kr).

On Skansen there's the 19th century tower of Bredablick offering views. The Stockholm City Hall (Stockholms stadshus) on Kungsholmen is famous for its observatory tower, and for the Nobel Prize dining hall.

Drones are prohibited above Gamla stan, Norrmalm, and parts of Östermalm and Kungsholmen. Södermalm and Djurgården are recommended for drone flight.

Stockholm has more than 70 museums, ranging from those large in size and scope to the very specialized, including the Butterfly Museum, the Spirits Museum, and the Dance Museum. As of 2016, many of them have free entrance. A brief selection:

Östermalm: The Natural History Museum at T-Universitetet has extensive exhibits for all ages, and an Omnimax cinema. The Army Museum displays Sweden's military history, with frequent wars from the Middle Ages until 1814, then followed by two centuries of peace. The Swedish History Museum features an exhibition on Vikings. The Museum of Modern Art (Skeppsholmen).

Djurgården: The Vasa Museum displays the Vasa, a 17th-century warship that sunk in Stockholm harbour on its maiden voyage, and authentic objects from the height of the Swedish Empire. Skansen is an open-air museum in Djurgården, containing a zoo featuring Swedish fauna, as well as displays of Sweden's cultural heritage in reconstructed buildings. Nordiska Museet displays Swedish history and cultural heritage. The Swedish Music Hall of Fame features ABBA The Museum. Millesgården, Lidingö an open-air sculpture museum. Fotografiska Södermalm a photo gallery opened in 2010. Birka (Ekerö) – For the real Viking buff, there's Birka, the site of a former Viking city on Björkö. A replica of the old city has been built up. Boats to Björkö are operated by Strömma Kanalbolaget. Birka can also be reached by public transport to Rastaholm, and boarding a boat.

Beyond the art museums mentioned above, Stockholm has a vivid art scene with many art galleries, exhibition halls and public art installation. Some of the galleries are Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Fredsgatan 12 (Norrmalm), Lars Bohman Gallery, Karlavägen 9 (Östermalm), Galerie Nordenhake, Hudiksvallsgatan 8 (Vasastan) and Magasin 3, Frihamnen (Östermalm).

The Royal Institute of Art (Skeppsholmen) and the University College of Arts, Crafts and Design (Söderort) hold regular exhibitions.

The Stockholm Metro has plenty of artistic decoration in its stations, and promotes itself as "the world’s longest art exhibition". Some stations worth to mention are the moody dark blue cave of Kungsträdgården (Norrmalm), the giant black and white "drawings" by Siri Derkert at Östermalmstorg (Östermalm) and the celebration of science and technology at Tekniska Högskolan (Östermalm). Rissne (Solna) has a fascinating timeline of human history on its walls. A written description in English to the art in the Stockholm Metro can be downloaded for free from the SL website. See public transportation in Stockholm County for more information.

Stockholm has been the setting of many books and films, including some of Astrid Lindgren's works and Nordic Noir works such as Millennium and Beck.

Do

There is a wide selection of guided tours available, by boat, by bus and on foot.

Hop On - Hop Off Boat. Audio track in 11 languages. Two of the most frequented stops are at the Palace, and at the Gamla Stan, right across the canal from T Slussen. The recordings on this loop service are reasonably informative.

Under the bridges of Stockholm. Departing from Strömkajen by Grand Hôtel and opposite the Royal Castle (T Kungsträdgården), this tour on both the sea and on lake Mälaren passes under 15 bridges and through two locks. Several departures every day, depending on the time of year. 1 hour 50 min.

Royal Canal Tour. Departs from Strömkajen and takes you around the eastern parts of the city, passing through the lush Djurgården canal. 50 min.

Historical Canal Tour. Departs from Stadshusbron next to the City Hall (T T-Centralen), and passes Kungsholmen and other western islands of the city. 50 min.

Stockholm Grand Tour. Combines a boat and a bus tour. 3 hours 30 min, 450 kr.

By bus City Tours and Open Top Tours (also divisions of the Strömma group) offers bus tours:

Stockholm Panorama. A tour of some major sights that departs from Gustaf Adolf Torg (T T-Centralen). 1 hour 30 min, 300 kr.

The Hop-on Hop-off Bus is a tour with open top double decker buses that allows you to get on and off the bus as often as you want at bus stops along the route. The tour passes some major sights, but only in the central and eastern part of the city. 24-hour travel pass from 270 kr.

Stockholm Excursions also has a few specialized bus tours.

By bicycle Talk of the town offers self-guided bike tours in six languages.

Talk of the town. Rent by hour, 30 kr or day 125 kr.

BikeSweden. BikeSweden offers several guided cycling tours and a variety of high quality bikes in the center of the city. Daily guided drop-in biketours form may-september). BikeSweden offers mountainbikes, children's bikes, racing bikes, trailers, child seats and city bikes.

There are several beaches in inner Stockholm, as well as in the suburbs. The water in central Stockholm is mostly clean, even though it looks dark. The quality of the water is monitored by local authorities, and the reports for all the beaches in the city are available online. If there is a problem with the water, signs will be posted at the beach. During summer, the inner town beaches are rather crowded.

The Stockholm archipelago has enough beaches and rocks for everyone, and the right to access allows bathing nearly everywhere, unless there is a notice of the opposite. As in the rest of Sweden, public adult skinny-dipping is not explicitly illegal, but frowned upon. The only sanctioned nudist beach is in Ågesta (Söderort)

If the open water is too cold for your tastes, Stockholm has several outdoor and indoor swimming pools and spas. Besides the public baths, the more luxurious ones are Centralbadet (Norrmalm), Sturebadet (Östermalm), Eriksdalsbadet (Södermalm) and Yasuragi spa (Nacka).

Spectator sports The most popular spectator sports are football (soccer) and ice hockey. Also, bandy has a cult following. Tickets for games are best bought at each club's official website.

The Swedish National Men's football (soccer) team plays international games on Strawberry Arena (formerly Friends Arena) in Solna. The Swedish top football league, Allsvenskan, is weaker than most of its Western European sister leagues, but the fans are very faithful. The season runs from April until October. AIK plays on Strawberry Arena. Tele2 Arena (Söderort) hosts Djurgårdens IF and Hammarby. These three clubs are in constant rivalry, and the decision to share one stadium was not easy.

The Swedish top ice hockey league is the Svenska Hockeyligan (SHL; "Swedish Hockey League"), and the season goes from September to April. Stockholm has had no team in the SHL since the 2021–22 season; the city's two main clubs, AIK and Djurgårdens, play in the second level, HockeyAllsvenskan, as of 2023. Both clubs play home games at Hovet (Söderort).

Bandy is played from November to February. Dress warm, as the game is played outdoors in two 45-minute halves. Stockholm has only one team in the top men's bandy league: Hammarby. The final of the Swedish League takes place on Strawberry Arena (Solna) or Tele2 Arena (Södermalm).

These stadiums also host frequent concerts and stage shows; see Stockholm Live for calendar and tickets.

There are many opportunities to do sport in Stockholm.

Stockholm has many short slopes for downhill snowsports: Hammarbybacken (Söderort), Ekebyhovsbacken (Ekerö), Ekholmsnäsbacken (Lidingö), Flottsbrobacken (Södertörn), etc. with lifts and equipment rental when weather allows. The height is modest, but most hills have a great view, well worth a hike any season. Tracks for cross-country skiing are available throughout Stockholm; the ground is usually, but not always, covered by snow in January–February.

There are many open fields in Stockholm. Gärdet (T Karlaplan or T Gärdet) is good for outdoor sport. There are also horse riding venues and many golf courses open for visitors in the inner region.

If you would rather compete in an event, one of the most visible sporting events is the Stockholm Marathon, held annually on a Saturday in late May or early June, when some 18,000 participants run two laps around the inner city. Another one is the Lidingöloppet, a 30 km cross-country race branded as the world's most attended, and a part of the Swedish Classic Circuit, on Lidingö in early September. For hardcore swimmers, Ötillö (literally island to island) is an all-day swim-run race where teams of two swim between and run across many islands in the Stockholm archipelago.

Stockholm's national stages, the Royal Dramatic Theatre and the Royal Opera stage classic and modern plays, operas and ballets. There are many other playhouses, such as the Stockholm City Theatre. The theatre season generally runs from late August until the beginning of June. In the summer the Parkteatern stages free-entrance plays and monologues in the parks of Stockholm. During September–May, a range of international and local musicals, as well as other shows, are provided at the many theatres.

Cinema films are not dubbed, but subtitled. Except the multiplexes (most of them THX certified), a few classic cinema theaters remain: Rigoletto, Grand Sveavägen, Saga, and Skandia (Norrmalm) Park (Östermalm) and Victoria (Södermalm). While SF has a de facto monopoly for mainstream film, there are some independent cinemas.

A couple of large cultural events are arranged every year. Culture Night Stockholm takes place annually in springtime, with free admission to several museums, special performances around the city, from 18:00 until midnight. In August the Stockholm Culture Festival takes place, in tandem with the Ung 08 youth festival in Kungsträdgården. During this time of the year, the Stockholm International Film Festival also hosts an open-air cinema in the Tantolunden park during one week in August. The major Stockholm International Film Festival takes place in November, and draws large international crowds.

Stockholm has a growing scene for standup comedy in Swedish and English. The Big Ben Bar (Södermalm), Folkungagatan 97, has a free-entrance comedy club in English each Thursday at 20:00. Skrattstock is an annual comedy festival organized every summer.

The live music stage in Stockholm is something else. There are never any signs of anyone playing but a few posters in specific areas. Although a lot of the cities bars have live music, the most common place to find it is around Södermalm. There you will find places like Debaser, Hornhuset and Trädgården. Besides Södermalm both Norrmalm and Vasastan have a few interesting venues.

On Sunday evenings from September to May at Skeppsholmen there is live Swedish folk music at Folkmusikhuset. Go to listen or to dance Swedish folk dances. Free entrance.

Stockholm hosts many expos and conventions. The two largest facilities are Stockholm International Fairs (Söderort) and Kistamässan (Västerort).

Amusement park and children's activities

Stockholm's main amusement park, Gröna Lund is on Djurgården (accessible by Spårväg City, by the ferry to Djurgården or by bus 44). There are all sorts of rides including rollercoasters and during the summer the park hosts a large number of concerts by famous artists and groups, as well as popular dancing evenings. Opening times for the amusement park vary across the year. Check the website before visiting. The park generally is very crowded during weekends and concert days.

On Djurgården you can also find Junibacken, a theme park centered on children's books, especially Astrid Lindgren's stories. Skansen, Stockholm's zoo, is also on the island.

Gambling There are regular horse races at Solvalla (Västerort).

Attitudes towards homosexuality and transgender expressions are generally tolerant. In the summer (generally late July/early August), there is an annual LGBT pride festival, Stockholm Pride, which is the largest in Scandinavia. The national LGBT organization, RFSL, can provide information on other events and venues.

There are many forests and lakes within commuting distance of Stockholm, with good chances to see wild animals such as moose, deer and boars. Much of outer Östermalm consists of forest and farmland within a walk from the metro.

In Södertörn, one can find Nackareservatet, Tyresta National Park and Bornsjön.

Learn

With about 80,000 university students at more than 20 universities and university colleges, Stockholm is the largest Nordic university city. The largest institutions of higher education are Stockholm University (Stockholms universitet), the Royal Institute of Technology (Kungliga tekniska högskolan), and Södertörn University College (Södertörns högskola). Karolinska institutet is a world-class medical university. There are also several fine arts university colleges. Study in Stockholm has information about university studies in Stockholm.

Buy

As in the rest of Sweden, VISA and MasterCard are accepted by nearly all stores, and ATMs are readily available. Stockholm, like the rest of Sweden, is very much a card-oriented place and quite a few smaller venues do not accept cash. Even fewer accept foreign currencies, such as euros or US dollars.

In contrast to many other European cities, most shops in Stockholm (except the small independent ones) are open all week, including Sundays; only closed down for a few major holidays a year. Closing time tends to be rigid, though.

Fashion Popular Swedish clothing brands that you can find in several major stores include Acne Jeans, WESC, Cheap Monday, J Lindeberg, Whyred, Tiger and Filippa K. There has been an explosion of young designers starting their own small labels. Many of these can be found in the small shops in the SoFo area on Södermalm (see below). Examples are Nakkna, Jenny Hellström, Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair and The Stray Boys.

Glassware The large department stores Åhléns and NK in Norrmalm all have a wide selection of glassware. Duka, several locations: Västerlånggatan 78 (Gamla stan), Sveavägen 24-26 and Kungsgatan 41, (Norrmalm). Duka is a Swedish chain selling both cheaper household items and a limited selection of glassware in several stores in central Stockholm. Nordiska Kristall, several locations: Kungsgatan 9 (Norrmalm), Österlånggatan 1 (Gamla stan), also in Strand Hotel, Grand Hotel and City Hotel. Nordiska Kristall is a high-end shop for crystal design glass. The Kungsgatan store has an art-glass gallery.

Furniture and design Sweden is internationally known for its design, and Stockholm has many stores where you can find Swedish-designed clothes, textiles and interior decoration items. Hand-made and hand-painted glassware is also a famous Swedish speciality.

DesignTorget at Sergels Torg (Stockholm/Norrmalm) and Götgatan 31 (Stockholm/Södermalm), a design store specializing in smaller items, ranging from the beautiful to the useful to the downright eccentric. Asplund furniture store, is an upscale store with world-class design. T Östermalmstorg. Room is another great furniture and design store locaded in the Pub mall, T Hötorget. Illums Bolighus is a high-end furniture, home decoration and glassware store specializing in Danish design. (T Centralen, Hamngatan 27) Many antiquities shops are close to T Odenplan. Good place to stroll around. If second-hand is an option many Stadsmissionen and Myrorna (The Salvation Army) have fun vintage products, and contribute to a good cause. Especially Stadsmissionen Stortorget (T Gamla stan) has hand-picked design and classical furniture.

Drottninggatan is dominated by major brands down at the Sergels Torg end before giving way to smaller and more specialised shops further north. Tourist shops occupy the southern end.

Also connected to Drottninggatan is the square of Hötorget (T-Hötorget). Here is a daily fresh food market outside as well as Hötorgshallen, an indoor food market.

Mood Stockholm on Norrlandsgatan opened in 2012. This mall contains a lot of interesting boutiques not represented elsewhere in the city. Hamngatan, Biblioteksgatan and Birger Jarlsgatan have a collection of high end shops including Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton among others. NK, is a classical department store on Hamngatan (Norrmalm).

Östermalmstorg has a well-reputed grocery hall, Östermalmshallen. Sturegallerian is an upmarket shopping mall at Stureplan, with some eateries. Fältöversten is a shopping mall at Karlaplan.

Suburban malls There are a number of shopping centers and malls in the major suburban centers – see the district articles for details. While different in size, they all have a similar profile, with cheap restaurants, supermarkets and major fashion, electronics and interior design chain stores, as well as some smaller shops. Kista Galleria in Västerort has generous opening hours; from 10:00 to 21:00 all week. It is reached by the blue metro line with destination Akalla, get off the train at Kista.

Eat

Stockholm features a large variety of restaurants, and the dining scene has markedly improved since the turn of the century, both in terms of quality and variety. However, dining in Stockholm can be expensive if you aim for something else than the fast food bars, the run-of-the-mill British-style pubs or the ethnic restaurants that dominate the budget bracket. Be prepared to pay around 175–250 kr or more for most main courses at quality restaurants. If you are on a tight budget, self-catering is a good option.

Most hotels and hostels have a good breakfast buffet, in many cases included with the room.

A lot of restaurants have "dagens rätt" – a lunch offer, normally including a lower- or non-alcoholic drink, bread, butter, salad and coffee – usually M–F 11:00–14:00. Expect to pay around 100–150 kr, generally more in the centre and less in the suburbs. Many Asian, Indian and fast food restaurants offer rather cheap "all you can eat" lunch buffets.

Many restaurants' kitchens close at 22:00 even on weekends, so don't get out too late. Sweden has enforced non-smoking in all bars, pubs, restaurants and enclosed areas.

Quite a few restaurants are closed for vacation for a few weeks in July or early August. In December, many restaurants offer a Christmas buffet (julbord), a variation of the classic Swedish smörgåsbord with traditional Christmas dishes, including Christmas ham, pickled herring and stockfish from cod or ling, prepared with lye (lutfisk). This is a great way to sample a traditional Swedish festive meal for about 300–600 kr; you need to book in advance.

In this cosmopolitan city, traditional Swedish cuisine, known as husmanskost ("every man's food"), can be hard to get by. Many fine diners have a not-too-expensive husmanskost course: some other places to eat Swedish are the Nystekt strömming wagon on Kornhamnstorg (Gamla stan), Ät gott (S:t Göransgatan 74, (Kungsholmen)) and Tennstopet (Dalagatan 50, (Vasastan)).

Guide Michelin recognizes ten Stockholm restaurants: three-star Frantzén, two-star Oaxen Krog, Ekstedt, Gastrologik, Operakällaren, Sushi Sho, Restaurang Volt , Aloë and Agrikultur.

Large supermarkets and restaurants have a good range of fresh seafood.

While the traditional Nordic cuisine is heavy on meat and fish, Stockholm has a strong vegetarian and vegan community. For vegan food, look for Indian, Thai and Vietnamese restaurants. The convenience chains Pressbyrån and 7-Eleven dotted around the city centre stock vegan sandwiches.

As of the 2020s, food trucks are mostly restricted to festivals and public events.

Cafés Taking a break for coffee and a biscuit is a Swedish tradition, commonly called fika in Swedish, and there are many coffee-bars around the city. You also have a great number of the more traditional pasttiseries.

Traditional Swedish filter coffee is relatively strong when compared to American, but a far cry from the Italian espresso. Espresso, caffè latte, cappuccino and other varieties of Italian coffee are generally available. If you prefer tea, many cafés only offer a few flavours, but generally some black, red and green teas.

Don't miss the traditional Swedish cinnamon bun with your coffee. If you visit in January–March you also will have the possibility to try a semla, a popular local pastry with wheat bread, almond paste and cream. In November–December you can try one of the saffron buns, known as lussebulle.

While Espresso House is a dominant café chain, the small local cafés offer a more personal experience, and often better coffee. Expect to pay 35 kr and upwards for a cup of regular black coffee.

Don't hesitate to ask for a refill (påtår) at self-service cafeterias, as it is often free.

Drink

Drinking retail alcohol is allowed in most public areas. Among the exceptions are schools, playgrounds, indoor malls, some city squares, and public transport areas. In some parks, drinking is prohibited from 22:00 or midnight. Map of dry areas

Systembolaget. Systembolaget is the government monopoly chain for selling alcohol. The stores have a wide assortment and helpful, knowledgeable staff. Tax makes beer and hard liquor expensive. Surprisingly, high-end wines can be a bargain. Central locations include:

Regeringsgatan. The largest Systembolaget store in Stockholm, with a special selection of exclusive wines

Expect to pay around 30 kr in the cheapest pub (55-75 kr in a trendier club or pub) for a beer or cider, and at least 95-150 kr for a long-drink or cocktail in a club. Bars usually have no cover charge, but may have an arbitrarily set (and arbitrarily enforced) minimum age limit (usually 21 or 23, sometimes as low as 18, other times as high as 27), while clubs usually charge 50-200 kr at the door (or more at special performances). Long, and very slow moving lines tend to form outside most popular clubs - expect having to wait as much as 1 hour or more if going to a trendy place after midnight, even if raining or snowing. Don't forget to bring an ID, as bouncers will (almost) always ask for identification at the door in both pubs and clubs.

Stureplan is a district dominated by dancefloor nightclubs, at the crossing of Birger Jarlsgatan, Kungsgatan and Sturegatan, (T Östermalmstorg). The mushroom-shaped rain shelter is a common meeting point. High entrance fees (200 kr or more) and long lines.

Södermalm is a district with many smaller bars and nightclubs focusing on art and electronic music. Look in nightlife magazines for places around Hornstull (such as Strand), Mariatorget (such as Sidetrack, Marie Laveau), Slussen (such as Debaser, Kolingsborg), Skanstull (such as Trädgården, Under Bron).

Major bar streets are Götgatan (where most places are rather cheap pubs) and Bondegatan (with a younger and more trendy crowd), both on Södermalm, Rörstrandsgatan in western Vasastan (also rather trendy, but drawing a slightly older crowd) and the area around the Rådhuset and Fridhemsplan metro stations on Kungsholmen (with many small and relaxed places). Beer is usually really cheap in suburban pubs.

Most restaurants and bars close at 01:00, larger clubs usually at 03:00, and a handful at 05:00. More trendy clubs might have a long queue from midnight till closing time. Get out early (at least before midnight). Most late-night clubs (especially at Stureplan) have an informal or outspoken dress code, vårdad klädsel. Loudness and drunkenness are other common reasons to reject waiting guests. Drinking in the queue is a no-no, bribes are even worse.

If you can read Swedish, you can get more information about Stockholm's nightlife in the free monthly magazine Nöjesguiden, the newspaper Dagens Nyheter on Thursdays, the free QX gay magazine for LGBT events and the free Metro on Fridays.

Sleep

Stockholm is primarily a business city, so beside the Grand Hôtel (Norrmalm) and a few other luxury venues, Stockholm has several business (typically 4-star) hotels, which charge 900-1200 kr for a single room. They usually have vacancies during weekends and summers, and might give special offers for tourists.

Many hotels have basement rooms without windows, often smaller and more austere than the regular rooms, and significantly cheaper, especially the singles. The hotels make no secret of the fact that this room category has no window, but do make sure to read the description of your room carefully before you book to avoid unpleasant surprises.

The cheap bunks are in short supply. Look for hostels at Svenska Turistföreningen and SVIF. Advance booking is usually needed, especially in summer, and for those in the inner city. Stockholm has some spectacular hostels, such as af Chapman (Skeppsholmen), Långholmen (Södermalm) and Jumbostay at Arlanda.

Hospitality exchange and home exchange options can be useful for Stockholm. The apartment rental market is strictly regulated, with waiting times over a decade.

When it comes to long-time accommodation, Stockholm has a harsh housing situation, with several years' waiting time for a rental apartment. Newcomers are dependent on the unreliable second-hand rental market. For consultants and other business visitors, a long-time hotel stay might be the most practical option.

Respect

When using escalators, stand on the right and reserve the left side for walking. Standing still on the left side might annoy people. On train and metro platforms, passengers should be allowed to leave the car before passengers who want to board. When waiting in lines, be patient and polite. Swedes never jump queues - but make sure you actually stand in the line. If unsure, ask.

Avoid walking in the cycle lane. Dedicated cycle paths are clearly marked, but sometimes run directly next to the sidewalk. Stockholm cyclists are subject to a comparatively hilly landscape and are unwilling to slow down and lose momentum.

As most other Nordic people, Swedes value privacy and usually do not start unprompted conversations in public, especially in public transport. This means people are unlikely to approach a confused tourist to offer help on their own, but most will gladly help you if you ask for assistance or directions. If you are lucky enough to be invited to someone's home, you will discover that Swedes behave very differently and will be very social.