Aerial view of Gamla stan, Stockholm's Old Town, surrounded by water, with the Royal Palace in the background
  1. Home
  2. Destinations
  3. Sweden
  4. Stockholm
  5. 1 day itinerary

Stockholm in 1 day

  • 1 day
  • 7.6 km on foot
  • 18 stops
  • Audio guide

One day in Stockholm goes a long way if you string it together well: three walking routes that meet in Gamla stan, with no boats or metro rides required. It's a full-on plan, built for stopovers, cruise calls or a first taste of the city, covering about 7.6 km on foot with a quick lunch and a proper Swedish dinner. You leave with the postcard views, the history and the city's darker side.

One day in StockholmIslands, crowns and ghosts

Start early with "Stockholm highlights: from City Hall to the Mariaberget viewpoint": Stadshuset, Sergels torg, Kungsträdgården and Stortorget, home to the Nobel Prize Museum, before the view from Monteliusvägen. Grab a toast Skagen for lunch and cross to Riddarholmen for "Crowns, blood and power: Swedish history in Gamla stan", taking in Riddarholmskyrkan, the Royal Palace and Riksdagshuset; it ends on Sveavägen, where Olof Palme was killed. Stop for fika, then head back to Gamla stan as the light fades for "White ladies, runes and executioners", which finishes in Södermalm, close to a plate of köttbullar for dinner.

  1. Morning

    Stockholm highlights: from City Hall to the Mariaberget viewpoint

    Mixed · 3.4 km · 2 h 20 min

    1. Stadshuset, the City Hall of the Nobel banquetEight million bricks, a tower with three crowns and the hall where the Nobel banquet is held.
    2. Sergels torg, the square of trianglesThe modern heart of Stockholm, born from demolishing an entire neighbourhood in the 1950s and 60s.
    3. Kungsträdgården, the King's GardenA royal vegetable garden turned into Stockholm's open-air living room, saved by its people in 1971.
    4. Stortorget, square of the Nobel and of fikaPainted houses, the Academy that picks the Nobel Prize in Literature and the best spot for coffee and a cinnamon bun.
    5. Mårten Trotzigs gränd, the narrowest alleyNinety centimetres wide and 36 steps: Stockholm's narrowest alley.
    6. Monteliusvägen, the balcony over the lakeA wooden path clinging above Lake Mälaren with the best view of City Hall and Gamla stan.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Toast Skagen at Sturehof. Stureplan 2, Estocolmo

  3. Afternoon

    Crowns, blood and power: Swedish history in Gamla stan

    History · 2.1 km · 1 h 45 min

    1. Riddarholmskyrkan, the church of kingsA 13th-century Franciscan friary church that became the burial place of Sweden's kings.
    2. Riddarhuset and the statue of Gustav VasaThe palace where Sweden's nobility met and, in front of it, the king who broke with Denmark.
    3. Stortorget and the Stockholm Bloodbath of 1520Stockholm's prettiest square was the scene of its darkest chapter.
    4. Royal Palace: from the ashes of Tre KronorThe medieval castle burned in 1697, and one of Europe's largest palaces rose on its ruins.
    5. Riksdagshuset, a parliament on an islandA granite parliament built in the shadow of the palace, on an islet that hid the medieval city.
    6. Sveavägen: where Olof Palme was murderedA plaque in the pavement marks the night in 1986 when Sweden's prime minister was shot.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Early evening

    White ladies, runes and executioners: dark Stockholm

    Mysteries & legends · 2.1 km · 1 h 45 min

    1. The ghosts of the Royal PalaceA white lady who foretells royal deaths and a little grey man living in the cellars of the burned castle.
    2. Storkyrkan: suns in the sky and a dragonA painting of six suns over Stockholm in 1535, and a knight slaying a dragon with relics in his chest.
    3. The Kåkbrinken runestoneA Viking stone almost a thousand years old, built into the corner of a house in Gamla stan.
    4. Järnpojken, the boy who looks at the moonSweden's smallest statue is fifteen centimetres tall and receives coins, pats and even scarves.
    5. Mäster Mikaels gata and the gallows hillA street of little wooden houses named after an executioner who was himself executed.
    6. Katarina Church, the church of the prophecyBuilt where the victims of the Bloodbath were burned, its tower has collapsed twice.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Köttbullar at Kvarnen. Tjärhovsgatan 4, Estocolmo

The map

Stockholm in 1 day, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Stockholm in 1 day

  • Almost everything is paid by card or phone, and plenty of cafés, museums and kiosks no longer take cash at all, so there's no need to change money for a day.
  • Check the sunset time: in winter it gets dark mid-afternoon and the mystery walk comes round sooner than you think, while in June it barely gets dark and you can stretch the day out.
  • Gamla stan is all cobbles and Södermalm has its hills, like the climb to Monteliusvägen, so wear comfortable shoes and bring an extra layer: the wind off the water bites even in summer.

Questions

Stockholm in 1 day: your questions

Can you see Stockholm in one day?

The essentials, yes: Gamla stan, City Hall, the outside of the Royal Palace and the best viewpoint are all walkable and fairly close together. What won't fit are the big Djurgården museums like the Vasa or Skansen; if they matter to you, plan two days or swap one of the routes for them.

How far will I walk in a day?

The three routes add up to about 7.6 km: 3.4 km for the highlights route and 2.1 km each for the other two. With the links between them, expect 9 to 10 km, a bit less if you take the metro from Sveavägen back to Gamla stan. It's mostly flat apart from short climbs in Södermalm.

Is it worth going inside City Hall?

Yes, if the timing works: the interior can only be seen on a guided tour, which usually lasts under an hour and covers the Blue Hall of the Nobel banquet and the Golden Hall. The tower is a separate climb and usually opens only in season. Check times and book ahead, as official events close rooms.

Other itineraries for 1 day

Stockholm

More or less time?

2 day itinerary 3 day itinerary All about Stockholm