Sweden has been pretty high on our list for quite some time, mainly for nature-related reasons. We hadn’t really prioritized visiting Stockholm, though, having always heard that it’s really expensive.
For travelers that like to stick to shoestring-style getaways, it’s true that Stockholm is certainly not a budget destination!
However, one of the biggest perks of being expats in Europe is the ability to go on spontaneous weekend trips! When we saw Elton John was set to perform in Stockholm (and the tickets were super cheap!) we thought, “why not?”
Well, funny story… poor Sir Elton ended up hurting his hip and was unable to do the concert. However, flights and hostels being nonrefundable, we were going regardless!
Ultimately, it is absolutely true that Stockholm is very, very pricey. We find Amsterdam pretty expensive as it is, and still had major sticker-shock in Stockholm!
Our usual hacks (buying groceries, taking advantage of bundles or free excursions, etc.) didn’t necessarily go as far as they usually do, and we mainly took advantage of exploring the city on foot. We had gorgeous autumn weather to enjoy, and the city is super easy and navigable.
However, don’t let the costs deter you from visiting Stockholm for a weekend! The city is absolutely stunning, and there are so many different neighborhoods, parks, and cool spots to explore.
Below, we’ve mapped out a 2-day itinerary for you, as well as a budget hotel recommendation and some tips for a great visit that won’t break the bank.
- Explore the historic Gamla Stan and Stortorget Main Square.
Tip: arrive early for the best light and conditions for photographs! - Get your fill of Scandinavian architecture through the ages and cuddly Nordic critters at Skansen outdoor museum.
- Get the best city views at the Monteliusvägen overlook in hip Södermalm.
Getting There:
There are lots of budget flight options from a variety of European cities, from providers like Norwegian Air or Scandinavian. While Stockholm has 3 airports, most international arrivals land at Arlanda Airport.
A few things to note:
- You may notice that Arlanda is quite far from Stockholm’s city center, and you would be right– it’s 40 kilometers away.
- Once you arrive, the best way to get into the city is via the Arlanda Express train, a high-speed train that gets you from Arlanda to Stockholm Central Station in 20 minutes.
- Tickets are very expensive (ranging from 379 SEK to 579 SEK, or 38 to 58 euros round-trip), but this is actually the cheapest way to get into the city. We checked Uber just for comparison, and it was about 150 euros one-way.
Speaking of money… Note that while Sweden is in the Schengen Zone, it is not on the euro.
- Don’t worry about exchanging cash, though– Sweden is one of the most cashless societies in the world. But do make sure you have a credit card that doesn’t charge foreign exchange and transaction fees.
- An easy rule of thumb is that 1 Swedish krona (SEK) is about 1 euro, so just divide everything by 10.
The Arlanda Express drops you off on the ground-floor of Stockholm’s Central Station. From there, it’s easy to exit the station and walk around the Norrmalm neighborhood or head over to your lodgings.
We opted to stay super close to the train station, at the First Hotel Kungsbron. This hotel was a steal, especially considering the massive buffet-style breakfast included in the stay.
This breakfast was the real deal… it had delicious coffee, a huge assortment of fresh fruit, jams, breads, and breakfast meats, pancakes, eggs, and beyond. The rooms are tiny, but you can’t beat the location, free breakfast, and price!
That being said, one of our top tips for Stockholm is to stay in a hotel that includes breakfast.
Food is so expensive that it is definitely worth it to have one meal already spoken for. Eating a big breakfast also allows you to stay comfortably full until late in the afternoon, so you can skip lunch or dinner and not be too hungry.
Anyone who knows us knows that we love to eat and exercise on our travels, so skipping meals is not usually part of our strategy for saving money. In this case it worked out perfectly to have a huge breakfast and then buy some light fare at the grocery store for dinner later.
Weekend Guide to Stockholm
Day 1:
If you’re staying near the Central Station, it’s an easy 20-minute walk to the Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s “Old Town.”
We urge you to arrive here early! We took advantage of the empty streets and beautiful early-autumn light to take absolutely gorgeous photos, and loved exploring around the cobblestoned streets before it got too crowded.
The Gamla Stan is actually one of the biggest and best-preserved medieval city centers in Europe, dating back to 1252. It’s still quite compact and navigable, though, so you’ll be able to explore to your heart’s content.
Most of the buildings date back to the 1700s and 1800s, and have been lovingly preserved and maintained in a striking palette of warm yellows, russet reds, and other jewel tones. You’ll love peeking into its narrow alleys and admiring the quaint storefronts.
The main square area is called Stortorget, which is very close to the Royal Palace (Kungliga Slottet) and Royal Chapel (Storkyrkan.) There is a changing of the guard at the Royal Palace every day at around 10AM, and the Palace is open to visitors. Tickets cost 140 SEK (14 euros.)
While the Royal Palace is often hailed as the #1 thing to visit in Stockholm, looking back, we don’t feel super strongly about recommending it.
Admission is pricey, and it’s architecturally very similar to many other Baroque-style or period buildings– see above. Truth be told, we found it a bit underwhelming for the price, but if you’re a fan of royal lodgings, you are sure to enjoy it.
Other museums to consider in the area are the Nobel Prize Museum, the Royal Armory, and the Postmuseum.
From there, we took a lovely stroll along the Strandvägen, one of the city’s most exclusive boulevards, heading towards the Djurgården island area, about a half-hour walk.
Here, if you’re in the mood for another museum, you have many to choose from! The ABBA Museum, Vasa Museum, and Viking Museum are all near each other, and situated in a gorgeous, green part of town. You can also explore parts of the interconnected Royal National City Park system, connecting Djurgården, Haga, and Ulriksdal parks.
We opted instead to spend the afternoon at nearby Skansen, an open-air museum all about Swedish life through the centuries.
Skansen was the highlight of our weekend, and, believe it or not… we almost missed it! Here is our cautionary tale:
When planning our weekend, we were well aware that Stockholm is a city that would take years to explore adequately, and we reasoned that we had to choose a few attractions (due to both time and budget constraints.) After reading from several reviewers online that Skansen is “just for kids,” we decided to skip it.
Thank goodness we changed our minds!
We happened to be walking by, debating which museum to visit, and it was such a beautiful day that it seemed a shame to spend more of it indoors. After a somewhat lackluster experience at the Royal Palace, we figured walking around an outdoor museum was a good way to spend the afternoon in lieu of the Elton John concert.
Skansen was hands-down the coolest place we’ve visited in a long time, and we spent almost 4 hours exploring– not even coming close to seeing everything spread across its 75 acres. Part amusement park, part zoo, and part museum, Skansen is a must-see when you’re in Stockholm.
As the story goes, there was a concern by the end of the 1800s that industrialization and encroaching modernity would lead to a loss of the “old ways.” With so many advances and changes, traditional architecture and lifestyle was beginning to be considered old-fashioned.
Artur Hazelius, who also founded the Nordic Museum, traveled all over Sweden and as far as Telemark, Norway, ultimately collecting over 150 traditional Nordic houses. They were mailed back to Stockholm and painstakingly reassembled, piece by piece.
Opening in 1891, Skansen is the world’s oldest open-air museum.
Today, Skansen is home to a full replica of a 19th century town, complete with docents dressed as blacksmiths, bakers, shoemakers, and homesteaders, doing live demonstrations of their crafts. The rebuilt Skogaholm Manor house dates back to 1680, and the Älvros farmhouses date back to the 1500s. All of the architecture is splendidly decorated (inside and out) and feels like stepping into a time capsule. Truly, truly marvelous!
In case that wasn’t fun enough, there’s also a zoo! While we usually avoid zoos, we were impressed with how much space the animals had to roam. In fact, some of the enclosures were so big that you couldn’t see the animals– a sacrifice we were totally fine to make if it meant the animals were happy and well-adjusted.
Among others, there are several types of seals, otters, moose (meese?), bison, lynxes, brown bears, reindeer, and wolves. The seals in particular were totally hamming it up for the visitors, playing peek-a-boo under the water and splashing around. Despite having lived 4 years in New England, Tegan had sadly never seen a moose in real life, and was suitably impressed.
Again, we spent hours here— staying until we were almost frozen solid and the sun was very low in the sky. We cannot recommend Skansen enough. Even though it’s surely a lot of fun for kids, we truly believe it’s just as fun for adults! You’ll learn so much about architecture and history, and see some adorable animals to boot– a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.
Meandering back to Norrmalm, it’s nice to wander a bit around Östermalm, a chic and elegant neighborhood to the east of the city center. If you’re seeking some traditional fare, perhaps check out Östermalms Saluhall, a food hall known for its Swedish fare.
We ended up grabbing some croissants, cheese, and deli meat from the grocery store for a quick and easy dinner, and spent the rest of the evening exploring the Norrmalm area, including a visit to the intriguing Stockholm City Hall. We were pretty appalled by how expensive our grocery trip was (almost 14 euros), but the restaurants we peeked into were much more expensive.
Recommended Reading
Day 2:
After another world-class breakfast, we were ready to burn some calories! One option to do so is a hike at one of the numerous wilderness options just a short train ride from the city center, or a boat ride along the water.
There are loads of options for boat rides depending on the time of year. By the time we visited in October, the options had dwindled down to 2 or 3, but this definitely seems like an amazing way to spend a half or full day in the summertime. Next time!
Ultimately, we decided to spend the day exploring the Södermalm area of the city. Södermalm felt very different to other parts of Stockholm. While Östermalm felt very chic and Norrmalm felt rather traditionally “city center”-esque, Södermalm felt very hip (or even hipster!)
Starting out, we explored the Monteliusvägen overlook path, a narrow, 500-meter long footpath tracing the Mariaberget’s rocky cliffs to the Skinnarviksberget park.
Another scenic cliffside walk nearby is the Fjällgatan. In front of you, you have more gorgeous, wraparound water views. Behind you are restored row houses dating back to the 18th century, when the neighborhood was considered a slum.
As it often happens… today it’s one of the most exclusive areas in the city. You can end your walk with a cinnamon pastry or a cup of coffee at the quaint Kaffestuga café.
Don’t miss the stunning views of the Gamla Stan and Stockholm City Hall across the water. Below, you can check out the Fotografiska, a contemporary photography museum housed in a super-neat warehouse-style building.
It’s easy to spend several hours exploring the area, and then doubling back to check out anything you missed the day before. If you have some spare time prior to heading back to Arlanda, consider adding another museum– in particular, the Vasa Museum is supposed to be one of the best in all of Sweden.
Stockholm exceeded our expectations in so many ways. Despite having visited many of Europe’s biggest cities, including other Nordic capitals like Copenhagen and Oslo, Stockholm’s unique vibe, walkable streets, and mega-cool vibe has definitely elevated it to our top 5 favorite cities!
While this post only covers a small fraction of what Stockholm has to offer, we hope it can help show you that a weekend in Stockholm doesn’t have to break your bank account. Lucky for us, the Elton John concert has been rescheduled to July of 2023, so we are really excited to have an excuse to go back to Stockholm then.
We hope you found this helpful! If you’re looking for more Scandinavia content, be sure to check out our winter weekend guides to Bergen and Ålesund, Norway, as well as the step-by-step guide to Norway in a Nutshell we wrote for Europe Backpacker Magazine.
You can also pin this guide to Stockholm for later here, or click on either of the photos below:
