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I visited Stockholm in August 2023 as part of a larger Toronto / Iceland / Norway trip. I actually did Stockholm solo while my husband went home after Norway. Stockholm is one of the easiest European cities to explore alone — it’s safe, compact, English-friendly, and packed with world-class museums. Here’s how I spent two days exploring Stockholm on my own.
Day 0 — Arrival
I landed at Stockholm Arlanda Airport around 5PM and took the Arlanda Express to the city center. Arlanda Express is a dedicated high-speed airport rail link that connects the airport and Stockholm Central Station in 18 minutes with departures every 12-15 minutes. It’s the fastest and easiest way to get to the city center from the airport.
From the city center, I walked about 15 minutes to my hotel in Gamla Stan (Old Town). I didn’t explore much beyond grabbing dinner nearby since it was already getting late.
Day 1 — Old Town + Djurgården
Gamla Stan (Old Town)
I started the day with a walking tour of Gamla Stan. The medieval vibes, narrow cobblestone streets, and pastel buildings are charming, but learning the hidden details from a local guide made it even better. For examples, the metal decorations are actually structural anchors holding the walls together, and the emblems on the doors are the original property markers and house signs.
Djurgården
After lunch in Old Town, I walked about 30 minutes to Djurgården — a lush, central island that hosts several of the city’s most famous sites. The waterfront walk was scenic, but you can also take a ferry if you want to save time. From the island I explored several attractions:
- Skansen: As the world’s oldest open-air museum, Skansen features over 150 historical buildings relocated from all over Sweden to showcase centuries of traditional culture. Personally, I didn’t find the buildings that interesting, but I did enjoy seeing native Nordic animals like moose and reindeer.
- Vasa Museum: This was easily the highlight of my trip. This museum is custom-built around the Vasa, a massive, nearly fully intact 17th-century warship. It is incredible how well-preserved it is (98% original wood). The included audio guide does a great job detailing its tragic history. In a severe case of “feature creep,” the king kept demanding extra heavy guns and structural modifications. As a result, the top-heavy ship sank a mere 1,300 meters (0.8 miles) from shore on its maiden voyage.
- ABBA The Museum: This interactive museum is dedicated to the Swedish pop group ABBA, featuring costumes, instruments, and exhibits about their career. It was interesting, but might be more fun for someone who is a bigger fan.
Day 2 — City Hall + Royal Palace + Museums
Stockholm City Hall
I started the day with a 15-minute walk to Kungsholmen island to visit Stockholm City Hall. Sitting right at the water’s edge, this iconic building hosts the prestigious annual Nobel Prize banquet. You can only see the interior with a guided tour, but it’s informative and worth it. The tour takes you through the Blue Hall (made of red bricks despite the name) where the banquet is held, and the breathtaking Golden Hall, which features over 18 million mosaic tiles crafted from real gold where the after-party takes place.
You can also climb the City Hall Tower for a panoramic view of central Stockholm, but tickets are separate and limited to 27 people per time slot. I recommend booking in advance since it was sold out when I tried to buy the day of.
The Royal Palace
After City Hall, I walked back to Gamla Stan to catch the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace (12:15PM most days, 1:15PM on Sundays). Unlike quieter ceremonies, the Swedish event features a full, 40-minute display of precision marching, accompanied by a live military band. It was very crowded and I didn’t arrive early enough to get a good vantage point, so I ended up leaving for lunch after only a few minutes.
After lunch, I visited the Royal Armory located in the palace vaults. It’s Sweden’s oldest museum and showcases 500 years of royal artifacts. My favorite piece was Sofia Magdalena’s Wedding Dress. It’s 3 meters (10 feet) wide!
Avicii Experience
I ended the day at an interactive museum dedicated to the late Swedish DJ and producer, Tim “Avicii” Bergling. I actually found this one more interesting than the ABBA museum. Avicii felt more contemporary, and the museum offered a candid look at his mental health struggles that was genuinely moving.
Final Thoughts
While Stockholm may not have as many famous landmarks as Paris or London, it has excellent museums, beautiful waterfront scenery, and a relaxed atmosphere. I love that the museums don’t feel overly crowded, allowing me to just show up and explore at my own pace. The Vasa Museum alone justified the trip. Two days was enough to see the highlights, but with more time I would explore more of the archipelago and the Stockholm subway art, often called the world’s longest art gallery.
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