Aerial view of Gamla stan, Stockholm's Old Town, surrounded by water, with the Royal Palace in the background
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Stockholm in 2 days

  • 2 days
  • 7.6 km on foot
  • 18 stops
  • Audio guide

Two days is just right for a first visit: you split Gamla stan across two relaxed mornings and give your afternoons to what makes Stockholm special, its waterfront museums and a metro that doubles as an art gallery. Expect a mix of walking, ferries and fika without rushing, with the first evening spent among executioners and ghosts. It fits a long weekend perfectly.

Day 1From City Hall to the Vasa

Kick off with "Stockholm highlights: from City Hall to the Mariaberget viewpoint", running from Stadshuset to Kungsträdgården and Stortorget, where the Nobel Prize Museum fills the old Stock Exchange, and ending at Monteliusvägen. After a toast Skagen, head down to Slussen for the Djurgården ferry; tram 7 from Norrmalm gets you there too. Vasa first, then Skansen. As evening falls, return to Gamla stan for "White ladies, runes and executioners", from the Kåkbrinken runestone to Katarina Church, and have köttbullar for dinner right there in Södermalm.

  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

    Vasa Museum

    Home to the Vasa, a warship that sank on her maiden voyage in 1628 and was raised almost intact in 1961. It's the most visited museum in Scandinavia, so buy your ticket in advance. It sits on the Djurgården waterfront, a short walk from the ferry pier.

    Directions

    Skansen

    The world's first open-air museum, opened in 1891: farmsteads, houses and workshops brought from all over Sweden, craftspeople at work and Nordic animals such as moose and bears. It covers a hilltop on Djurgården with views over the city. Allow two hours and check opening times, which vary by season.

    Directions

  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

Day 2Kings, parliament and art underground

Today it's "Crowns, blood and power: Swedish history in Gamla stan". Begin at Riddarholmskyrkan, where Sweden's kings are buried, then Stortorget, scene of the Bloodbath, and the Royal Palace: if you want to see the state rooms, go in at this stop and check the times. Break for a wallenbergare in Gamla stan, Den Gyldene Freden being the classic choice, then carry on to Riksdagshuset and Sveavägen. T-Centralen is close by, so drop down to see its painted vaults and take the metro to Slussen to finish at Fotografiska.

  1. Morning

    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

  2. Lunch

    Try Wallenbergare at Den Gyldene Freden. Österlånggatan 51, Estocolmo

  3. Afternoon

    Metro art (T-Centralen and other stations)

    Over ninety of the metro's hundred stations feature artworks, and many are carved straight into the bedrock. Start at T-Centralen with its blue vines, carry on to Kungsträdgården and, if you have time, Solna centrum in red and green. A regular SL ticket is all you need.

    Directions

    Fotografiska

    A contemporary photography centre in a 1906 brick customs house on the Stadsgården waterfront. Exhibitions change often and it usually stays open late. Head up to the top-floor café: the view across to Gamla stan and Skeppsholmen is one of the best in town.

    Directions

The map

Stockholm in 2 days, on the map

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

Mixed Mysteries & legends History Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Stockholm in 2 days

  • Get a 24- or 72-hour SL ticket, or just tap your contactless card at the barriers: it covers the metro, trams, buses and the Djurgården ferry.
  • Slussen has been a building site for years, so entrances to the metro, the boats and the footpaths keep moving; follow the signs and give yourself a few minutes' leeway.
  • Book the Vasa Museum ahead and leave room mid-afternoon for fika: coffee and a kanelbulle in a konditori is as Swedish as any museum.

Questions

Stockholm in 2 days: your questions

Is two days enough for Stockholm?

For a first visit, yes: you see Gamla stan at an easy pace, City Hall, the Södermalm viewpoints and the two big Djurgården sights. What's left out is the archipelago, Drottningholm and museums like ABBA The Museum or the Nordiska museet, all good reasons for a third day.

How do you get to Djurgården?

The nicest way is the Djurgården ferry from Slussen, a short crossing with Gamla stan as the backdrop. Tram 7 runs there from Norrmalm, and from Kungsträdgården you can walk along Strandvägen in about twenty-five minutes. An SL ticket is valid on both the ferry and the tram.

How far will I walk in two days?

The three routes add up to about 7.6 km: 5.5 km on day one and 2.1 km on day two. On top of that comes Djurgården, where hilly Skansen keeps you on your feet. Reckon on 8 to 12 km a day, depending on how much you use the ferry and the metro.

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