Getting the most out of Stockholm
Stockholm is one of the few cities in the world where I could see myself living. The trendy design, history, and active culture is right up my alley. Plus, all the people are SO nice! We spent 3 days in Stockholm in August and would go back in a heartbeat. If you like to do these same things, you will love this itinerary!
Where we stayed
First things first, you need to find a place to stay. We spent 3 nights at City Home Apartments Old Town, right in the center of Gamla Stan. We loved the quaint apartment and the fact that we could begin and end our days in Gamla Stan when the majority of tourists had left. My favorite part was the amazing view out our window. Love!
Gamla Stan
Gamla Stan is the old town island in Stockholm.This is where you can find all the iconic sights and all the tourists. We spent hours roaming the streets and getting lost. For the best photos, go in the morning to beat the rush of people (which wasn’t hard with our major jet lag!) We didn’t get around to taking a tour, but I heard amazing things about this free walking tour that takes place each day!
Vasa Museum
Cole and I are huge history buffs, and all our friends told us to visit the Vasa Museum while in Stockholm. Again, we had major jet lag so we were one of the first in line when the museum opened in the morning and almost had the whole place to ourselves! (It gets REALLY busy by late morning). The Vasa is a ship that sunk in 1628, was pulled from the water in the 1960s, and is still under restoration today. It is a true work of art and so cool to see so many relics from hundreds of years ago. This is the best $16 you’ll spend the whole trip!
Skinnarviksberget
Activities that require no $$$ are our favorite. Skinnarviksberget is the best kept secret lookout in Stockholm, and it’s free! Walk across the bridge from Gamla Stan to Sodermalm and take Soder Malarstrand (the prettiest waterfront street) to the trail that leads to the top of the hill. This would be the perfect spot to bring a drink and enjoy the views.
Grandpa
You can’t go to Scandinavia without doing some shopping! The design of the region is major goals for both Cole and I, so we were swooning over every shop we visited. Our favorite was Grandpa. They had so many fun knick knacks, books, clothes, and too many things I wanted to take home to our apartment.
Archipelago day trip
We got out of the city for a day trip to the Archipelago islands right off of Stockholm. We chose to take the 2 hour ferry to Sandham to vacation like the Swedish do! We spent the day getting lunch, walking around the tiny town, and renting mountain bikes that led us to the coolest little beaches and lookouts.
Aifur
Eating at Aifur was one of the most fun touristy things we’ve ever done. Cole loves the show “Vikings” and we both love our Vikings football team, so we had to check out this restaurant that brings you back in time. Everything from the ambiance to the food to the music is authentic and fantastic. The best part: a viking horn is blown and names are announced each time someone new enter the room! This is located in Gamla Stan, just make sure to make a reservation.
More eating and drinking
Eating and drinking is always a huge part of our trips! I did a ton of research on where to find the best Swedish food and drinks for the best prices before we left, so it requires its own post 🙂 Read more about our favorites here!
If you only had 3 days in Stockholm, how would you spend them?
Lindsey, I just love your blog! Thank you for taking time to post about your trips…if I never get there, at least I can say I feel like I was!
Aww thanks!!