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Planning a trip to Stockholm, Sweden? Well, you’ve come to the right place!
After multiple trips to this charming Scandinavian city, we mapped out a 3-day itinerary that balances iconic landmarks, cool neighborhoods, and some delicious food stops. Spread across 14 islands, Stockholm boasts one of the most scenic cityscapes we’ve ever come across, and there’s no shortage of things to do here.
Stay tuned to uncover the best of the Swedish capital in just 3 short days, from Viking tales and cobblestone streets to rooftop bars and the world’s oldest open-air museum. We’ve got all the details, so all you need to do is follow along and enjoy. Let’s go!
Don’t Miss Out On Our Top Choice!
The tour we loved the most and suggest booking ASAP is this one!
Our personal favorite activity in Stockholm is this Viking history tour. We explored ancient runestones, burial sites, and old villages while learning all about the Viking Age. We highly recommend this full-day experience, especially if it’s your first trip to Sweden.
Itinerary Overview
Three days in Stockholm is just the right amount of time to dive into the city’s rich history, buzzing neighborhoods, and scenic waterfront views. This itinerary combines iconic attractions, local flavor, and a few memorable tours to help you experience the best of Sweden’s capital, without feeling rushed.
Getting around is super straightforward. Most of the city is walkable, especially areas like Gamla Stan and Södermalm, but Stockholm’s public transit system is one of the best in Europe. Between the subway (T-bana), buses, and ferries, you can easily reach most places in the city.
Here’s how we recommend spending three days in Stockholm:
- Day 1: Today is all about getting your bearings and diving into Stockholm’s history. You’ll hit the must-see sights with a local guide, visit the Vasa Museum, and wind down with dinner and live music in the heart of Old Town.
- Day 2: I think today might be my favorite day of this itinerary! You’ve got a delicious food tour to look forward to, followed by time in trendy Söldermalm and a spooky ghost tour.
- Day 3: We’re escaping the city today and heading out to uncover Sweden’s Viking past on a tour through the picturesque countryside. Then, we’ll end the trip on a high note with stunning city views and dinner at one of Stockholm’s best restaurants.
Day 1
Breakfast – Espresso House
We’ve got a busy day ahead, so start off with food and a caffeine fix at Espresso House. They do good pastries and breakfast sandwiches, and they open at 7 am (8 am on weekends), so you’ll have plenty of time to eat before going to meet your tour guide at 10 am. In fact, the meeting point for this morning’s city tour is just a 5-minute walk from here!
Morning – See Stockholm’s top sights with a local
Whenever we are in a new city, our first go-to activity is taking a walking tour, so that’s how we’re kicking off day 1 of our Stockholm itinerary! In fact, this small group walking tour of Stockholm is one of the best ones we’ve ever done—yes, really!
Book this experience for 10 am so that you’ll wrap up at 1 pm, just in time for lunch. In those 3 hours, you’ll learn so much about Stockholm’s culture and character.
What really made this tour stand out for us was our guide, August. He had a deep knowledge of Stockholm’s culture, and we could tell he truly loves living here, which made us even more excited to explore.
August took us to the typical tourist sights, like Old Town, the Riddarholmen Church, and the Royal Swedish Opera House. Even though there were a few other people on the tour, he was able to accommodate our requests and customize the schedule. He even let us in on where the locals hang out and his favorite restaurant, which we definitely went back to a few times!
This three-hour tour was a great experience all around. It gave us a taste of the city, helped us get our bearings, and ticked off some of the can’t-miss sights. When you only have a short stay in Stockholm, this is hands down the best way to get immersed and make the most of your time!
Book your walking tour of Stockholm here, before it sells out!
Lunch – TRIBOWL STHLM
This popular lunch spot is just a 5-minute walk from where this morning’s tour ends, so head here for one of their delicious and healthy salad bowls–or they’ve even got Bali-style smoothie bowls if you’re in the mood for something sweet. Yum!
After lunch, you’ll want to make your way towards the Vasa Museum, where we’ll start off this afternoon’s cultural deep dive. The tour meets at 2:30 pm, and it’s a 40-minute walk or 20-minute public transit ride from Tribowl to the museum, so see how much time you have after you’ve finished eating. Service at Tribowl is usually pretty quick!
Afternoon – Visit the Vasa and Skansen Museums
The Vasa and Skansen Museums are both total must-visit in Stockholm, and they’re located just 10 minutes from one another on foot. We took a guided tour of the Vasa, and it really helped us to get the most out of our time there, but the Skansen is an open-air museum and best explored at your own pace.
Vasa Museum
You can’t come to Stockholm without visiting the Vasa Museum—and this guided tour makes the experience even better.
It’s genuinely one of the most astounding museums we’ve ever been to. The centerpiece is the Vasa, a massive 17th-century warship that sank just minutes after setting sail. Over three centuries later, it was pulled from the harbor almost fully preserved and now stands on display in this one-of-a-kind museum.
The size of the ship alone is staggering, but what really makes the visit special is the depth of insight you get on the tour. We saw intricate carvings up close, learned about life on board, and even stood next to the original timbers from 1628. It’s rare to see such a complete piece of maritime history and even rarer to feel so connected to it.
The tour meets at 2:30 pm right outside the museum and lasts for two hours—just the right amount of time to take it all in. It includes skip-the-line tickets, so we breezed past the queues and headed straight in with our guide, Katherine, who was a goldmine of knowledge about the Vasa.
She pointed out so many small details we would’ve totally missed otherwise and told us personal stories about the people on board. Honestly, this tour is hands down the best way to experience the Vasa, and almost 200 happy reviewers seem to agree with us!
Book your Vasa tour here with FREE cancellation!
Skansen Museum
When the Vasa tour wraps up at 4:30 pm, make your way over to the Skansen Museum, which is just 10 minutes away on foot. It’s the oldest open-air museum in the world, and it focuses on Swedish history and culture, as well as the country’s famed natural beauty.
To me, it didn’t really feel like a museum but rather like stepping into a miniature version of Sweden itself. We loved wandering through the recreated villages and checking out the farmhouses and workshops, which were staffed by workers in traditional dress! There’s even a Nordic zoo which is home to native animals like moose, reindeer, and brown bears – how cool is that?
Now, Skansen is pretty big and it closes at 6 pm, so you won’t have time to see everything, but even a short visit will give you a sense of Sweden’s rural roots. It’s so much fun to just wander around listening to folk music and seeing traditional crafts like glassblowing and butter-churning in action.
Dinner – See Old Town at Night
After your museum visits, head back toward Gamla Stan, aka Stockholm’s Old Town. Here, take some time to wander its lantern-lit alleys and cobbled streets. This area is especially magical in the evening, when the day-trippers are gone and the historic core feels peaceful and atmospheric.
For dinner, we grabbed a table at Ristorante Paganini, an authentic Italian spot right in the heart of it all. The pasta was excellent, and the friendly vibe was perfect for a relaxed evening meal.
Evening – Live Music at Stampen
Wrap up the night with some live music at Stampen, a lively little jazz and blues club just a few minutes’ walk from the restaurant. It’s been a local favorite for decades, and for good reason! The music is top-notch, and the whole place has a laid-back, vintage charm. If you’ve still got some energy left, we think that this is the perfect way to end your first day in Stockholm.
Day 2
Morning – Taste your way around Stockholm on a food tour
We’re kicking off this morning by tasting our way through the city, because there’s no better way to get to know a place than through its cuisine! This top-rated food tour kicks off in Östermalm, one of Stockholm’s trendiest neighborhoods and takes you through the city to Galma Stan, where it wraps up, so you’ll get a real feel for the city while tasting your way through it.
We loved how much food we got to try on this tour! Starting at the iconic Östermalms Saluhall, we sampled everything from creamy artisan cheeses to smoked reindeer (yes, really!) and a cardamom-infused hot chocolate, all while hearing stories from our guide about Sweden’s culinary traditions.
My favorite thing about the experience was that many of the vendors had been in the same families for generations, so it felt like getting to know the real Stockholm.
The tour starts at 10 am and ends at 2 pm with a proper fika in Galma Stan. It serves as breakfast and lunch for today, so you really get your money’s worth—and with over 400 five-star reviews, it seems we’re not the only ones who think so!
The only thing to note is that the tour doesn’t run on Sundays. If that’s our second day in Stockholm, then you can always switch days 2 and 3 around!
Check availability and book this comprehensive food tour!
Why We Book Tours with Viator
Viator is a trusted online booking system for tours around the world! We almost always book our tours using Viator for a couple of reasons:
- Free cancellation on most tours – Most of the tours on Viator allow you to cancel and get a full refund up to 24 hours in advance. This is handy in case plans change, or if booking an outdoor activity, the weather forecast is looking grim.
- Reserve now and pay later – You can secure your spot on some of the most popular tours well in advance and not pay until closer to the day of the tour.
- Lowest price guarantee – If you happen to find the same tour at a lower price elsewhere, Viator will refund you the price difference.
- Pay in your chosen currency – Avoid costly international transaction fees by choosing to pay in your home currency.
- Peace of mind – When booking with tour operators you find in person on the street or in small booking offices, you are often promised one thing and given another. This online platform holds tour operators accountable with a written description of inclusions as well as the opportunity for customers to leave reviews.
Check out the Viator website here! Or, for more info, read our detailed review about Viator here.
Afternoon – Check out Södermalm & museums
We love spending time in Södermalm. It’s probably Stockholm’s most creative neighborhood and it’s just a 20-minute train ride from where your morning food tour ends in Gamla Stan, so there’s no excuse not to go and explore!
Södermalm offers a totally different vibe from Gamla Stan. The streets are lined with vintage boutiques and record stores, not to mention decorated with colorful street art. We like to head to SoFo (south of Folkungagatan) to check out the trendy shops and cafes, and then walk off the coffee and cake with a stroll along Monteliusvägen for one of the best panoramic views of the city.
There are also some great museums in the area that are definitely worth checking out. The first is the Stockholm City Museum, which takes you on a deep dive into the city’s unique history. The second is Fotografiska, a contemporary photography museum.
We just popped in here on a whim, and we were completely surprised by how thought-provoking and beautifully curated it was! The cafe was lovely, too, with huge windows and views of the water, so it’s definitely worth sticking around for a coffee afterwards.
If neither of those museums tickles your fancy, you can head back to the Old Town to check out the options there. You will have passed the Nobel Prize Museum and the Royal Armoury during yesterday’s walking tour, so if either of those caught your eye, now would be a good time to go back and explore inside!
Dinner – Märtha – Restaurant, Bar and Rooftop
Märtha is a stylish bar and restaurant, but what makes it unique is the fact that it’s set on the roof deck of a boat docked just outside Gamla Stan! It’s the perfect place to stop for dinner before your ghost tour, and the views of Stockholm’s skyline as you dine are just stunning. As for the food, it puts a gourmet twist on local, seasonal dishes. This place really does tick every box!
Aim to get a table for about 5:30 pm so that you have time to enjoy a meal and a drink before heading off to tonight’s ghost tour. The meeting point is a 20-minute walk from the restaurant, so aim to be there by 7 pm to ensure you have plenty of time to get there.
Evening – Go on a ghost tour
In a city as old as Stockholm, you bet that there’s some shady history to uncover! So tonight, go beyond the guidebooks with this ghost walk!
The tour starts at 7:30 pm and lasts for 1.5 hours, so it’s short and sweet—or should that be short and spooky? Either way, what’s great about it is that you get to see a side of Stockholm that isn’t necessarily on the main tourist track.
It was really fun exploring the cobblestone streets after dark, led by a lantern light. Our guide took us through the oldest neighborhood in the city and explained what life was like during medieval times. We heard about shocking crimes, grizzly punishments, and ghostly happenings from that period. Let’s just say I’m happy that I wasn’t born back then!
Children 8 and up are welcome on the tour, and I think some of the kiddos were braver than I was! We were fortunate to have good weather, but this tour does run all year, so be sure to dress accordingly if you’re visiting during the winter.
While some of the stories were spine-tingling, this experience is primarily designed to be fun and entertaining! There are over 800 5-star reviews here that attest to that. Besides, the experience ends in Gamla Stan, so you could always head for a nightcap to steady your nerves on your way back to your hotel afterwards.
Book this ghost tour here and find out how brave you really are!
Day 3
Full day – Learn about Viking history in the Swedish countryside
Did you even visit Scandinavia if you didn’t learn about the Viking Age? I don’t think so! So book this Viking history tour and spend the day exploring the gorgeous Swedish countryside.
It leaves at 9 am and you can either be picked up from your hotel or a meeting point in the city center. Either way, you’re in for an epic day out.
Before this tour, I honestly didn’t know much about Viking history, but we learned so much that I’m practically an expert now! Well, not quite, but thanks to our guide, Gabriel, I did learn a ton in just one day.
One great thing about this tour is that the first site is just a 30-minute drive out of Stockholm, and the rest are pretty close together, so it’s not one of those tours where you spend most of the day traveling. We had lots of time to check out the ancient sites, which include 11th-century Old Norse runestones, ancient villages, burial sites, and the Uppsala Castle.
There was plenty of time to explore each spot, and we had some free time for lunch, too. This was at our own expense, but we had some great recommendations from Gabriel.
You can choose to book a shared or private tour. We went for the shared tour and were lucky to have a small group, but if you want a more personalized experience, the private tour is a great option too.
Read all of the five-star reviews and book this tour here!
Evening/dinner – Ostermalm
After a long (but fulfilling) day out, spend your last evening in Stockholm wandering through the elegant Östermalm neighborhood. Take a stroll along Strandvägen to soak in the last of those stunning city and sea views. When we were here during the summer, there were a ton of open-air pop-up restaurants along the waterfront, so if that’s when you’re in town, pause at one for a drink and to soak in the good vibes!
When you’re ready for dinner, head to Kasten Bistro av Jim&Jacob. This is a low-key but refined Swedish restaurant that puts a modern spin on classic dishes. I loved the oysters! We just walked in, but you might want to make a booking on a Friday or Saturday night.
Related Read: Have a little more time? Check out our guide to the absolute best things to do in Stockholm here to help you make the most of your time in this vibrant, waterfront city.
Where to Stay in Stockholm, Sweden
Now that you have the perfect Stockholm itinerary, you need the perfect place to stay! You have lots of options, as there are tons of fun pockets of the city and a range of price points. To help narrow it down, I’ve picked out three excellent hotels for a luxury, mid-range, and budget stay.
Luxury – $$$
Bank Hotel is a unique but luxurious hotel in a former bank building! The rooms are top quality and have a modern design, with all the amenities you could wish for. And it’s so glamorous that it honestly feels like this hotel belongs in a film! There’s a lovely cocktail and terrace on the top floor, or if you feel like leaving the hotel, the Royal Palace and top sights are just meters away.
Rooms range in size and luxury level, and prices go from €250 to €1,000+. Check availability and book this stay on Booking.com.
Mid-range – $$
Lady Hamilton Hotel is a historic and charming hotel; in fact, the building dates back to the 15th century! But, they’ve kept up with the times and offer comfortable rooms with an antique yet stylish design. It’s located near Old Town and Gamla Stan Metro Station, or you can enjoy the onsite sauna and bistro.
Prices can range from €150 – €400 depending on the time of year and which room category you choose. Check dates and book your stay on Booking.com.
Budget – $
Queen’s Hotel is a high-quality stay at an affordable price – my favorite combo! They offer single up to quadruple rooms, so it’s great if you’re traveling with a family or small group. All the rooms are comfortable and simple, have a desk, and a well-kept bathroom. It’s conveniently located just a 10-minute walk from Stockholm Central Station, so you can get around the city easily.
Prices range from €90 to €140 and can be reserved on Booking.com
Renting a Car in Europe
Exploring Europe by car is a fantastic way to uncover hidden gems—think charming villages, scenic countryside, and off-the-beaten-path spots that trains and buses might miss. Driving here is generally straightforward, but it’s good to be prepared for some regional quirks.
We always use Discover Cars to book our rentals and can’t recommend them enough. It’s super easy to compare prices, check company ratings, find automatic cars (which can be tricky in Europe!), and add affordable full coverage insurance. If you want a full breakdown, check out our Discover Cars review here.
Tips for Renting a Car in Europe
- Know the local rules: Most countries drive on the right, except the UK, Ireland, Cyprus, and Malta. Road signs and driving laws can vary, so do a quick check before you go.
- Practice defensive driving: In parts of Europe, especially in the south, driving can feel fast-paced and a little unpredictable. Make sure you stay alert and keep a safe following distance.
- Insurance is essential: I highly recommend adding full coverage insurance to your rental. Whether it’s a parking lot ding or a chipped windshield on a mountain road, full protection gives you peace of mind. Plus, it’s super affordable through Discover Cars!
- Pick the right vehicle: Most rentals in Europe are manual, and automatic cars are limited, so book early if that’s what you need. A compact car is also ideal for narrow roads and tight parking. On Discover Cars, you can easily filter for everything you need.
- Watch for restricted zones: Many cities have low-emission or restricted traffic zones. Driving into these without a permit can result in fines, so always check local rules if you’re heading into a city center.
- Be prepared for border crossings: While crossing borders is usually easy within the Schengen Zone, some rental companies require you to declare your travel plans in advance. Always check with Discover Cars if you’re planning to drive into another country.
What You Need to Rent a Car in Europe
- A valid driver’s license from your home country.
- If you’re from outside the EU, an International Driving Permit (IDP) is recommended—and in some countries, it’s legally required.
- A credit card in the driver’s name is typically needed for the security deposit.
- Most rental companies require drivers to be at least 21 years old. If you’re under 25, expect a young driver surcharge—and in some countries, the minimum age may be higher.
Ready to hit the road? Book your car with Discover Cars here and discover the freedom of exploring Europe on your own terms!
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance!
If you’re looking to save money on travel insurance, we currently use and recommend SafetyWing. We’ve been using their coverage since 2018 and they’ve had our backs when we needed emergency flights and got sick overseas.
SafetyWing is one of the cheapest providers out there and covers everything from medical costs to lost luggage, travel delays, and emergency flights. A huge difference we’ve found between them and other companies is that they let you take out a policy AFTER leaving your home country. We’ve also found it handy that it’s a monthly payment rather than a lump sum, and you can get a refund for unused time.
SafetyWing has helped us out in some scary situations before and their affordable coverage has given us peace of mind. You can read our honest review of SafetyWing for all the pros and cons.
Thanks for reading!
We packed a lot into three days, but Stockholm made it easy. From historic landmarks to hidden gems and unforgettable tours, this itinerary helped us see so many sides of the city—and we hope it does the same for you!
If Stockholm is just one stop on a bigger European adventure, you’re in for a treat. You can find even more travel inspiration in our other Europe guides here, or check out a few of our favorites below!
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