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If there is one thing that I love, it is the Nordic countries. The cities are clean and beautiful, the food is great, and it rarely gets crazy hot. Stockholm is no exception. So if you’re lucky enough to plan 3 days in Stockholm, Sweden, you’ve come to the right place.
I fell in love with this area of the world when I visited Copenhagen for the first time. But Stockholm made me fall even harder.
Amazing food from their many market halls to sweet shops? Check. Great museums ranging from the ABBA Museum to the Vasa Museum? Check. Amazingly clean (and beautiful) public transportation and overall a great place to wander around? Check.
While Stockholm wasn’t a place I was planning to visit, I’m so glad I did. I desperately tried to get Taylor Swift tickets and couldn’t get any in the US. So I entered my name for presale tickets in a few cities throughout Europe and tried my chances. The only one that came through was Stockholm. So some friends and I made friendship bracelets, bought outfits, packed our bags, and went to Stockholm!
And oh my gosh! Did a long weekend in Stockholm really blow us away! After exploring the ins and outs of the city, and tasting some seriously delicious food, I’m here to talk about all the best things to do in Stockholm in 3 days.
Table of Contents
3 Days in Stockholm Itinerary
Here is a quick breakdown of the best three days in Stockholm itinerary. For more detailed information including hotels, when to visit, and more, keep reading below!
Day 1: ABBA Museum, Fika, and Subway Art
- ABBA The Musuem
- Explore the subway art in Stockholm
- Have a fika at a cafe
- Go shopping
- Lisa Elmqvist for dinner
- Drinks at Tak Bar & Terrace
Day 2: Food Tour, Gamla Stan, and a Delicious Dinner
- Food tour around Stockholm
- Explore Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s Old City
- Dinner at Restaurant Pelikan
Day 3: Vasa Museum and a Local Island
- Vasa Museum
- Djurgardsbron for lunch on the water
- Explore Södermalm Island
- Woodstockholm for dinner
Day 1: ABBA Museum, Fika, and Subway Art
On your first day during your Stockholm 3-day itinerary, you’re going to want to dive into Swedish culture. And what could be more Swedish than ABBA and fika?
So kick off your day by going to the island of Djurgarden. This island has several attractions to check out including the ABBA Museum, Vasa Museum (don’t worry, we’ll get there!), the Grona Lund Amusement Park, Nordiska Museet, an aquarium, and even a zoo.
You could honestly knock off a lot of tourist attractions in Stockholm just on this island alone. But today, you’re going to explore what is my personal favorite museum in Stockholm: ABBA The Museum.
I know, most people will say to go to the Vasa Museum, and I do think you have to do that too, but for music lovers, and ABBA lovers especially, this is the best place to go.
This place is super interactive! You’ll be singing and dancing the whole way through. There are exhibits on their digital concert called ABBA Voyage. There are exhibits showing their history and iconic stage costumes. By the way, did you know that they got world-famous as a band thanks to Eurovision?!
But the coolest exhibits are where you can sing along and perform on stage with ABBA, mix music, and record in a “studio” with friends. Honestly, it was a blast and we spent a good chunk of time just at this museum playing around and enjoying the music. They even have a whole exhibit dedicated to Mamma Mia!
Book your ABBA Museum Ticket here!
After time well spent at the ABBA Museum, you’re going to want to grab a quick lunch and then hop on the subway. Yes, you’ll be spending some time on the subway. Why? Well, while most places around the world’s subways leave little to be desired, Stockholm decided to make them pretty.
Not only are the subways in Stockholm the cleanest I’ve ever seen, but there are murals at stations around the city! You can hop on and wander around to some of the coolest stations. Fun fact: the subway system in Stockholm is known to be the world’s longest art exhibit!
All you need is a 75-minute metro ticket for 42 SEK ($4 USD) and you can see many of them for yourself!
Here are some stations that you’ll definitely want to visit during your weekend in Stockholm itinerary:
- Stadion Station on the Red Line: This is the iconic rainbow mural you’ve likely seen on Instagram. This station is also the closest to where the Stockholm Pride Festival is held, so it is fitting.
- T Centraleen on the Blue Line: There are some really cool blue and white murals both on the upper and lower levels here. The lower level has blue vines and the upper level has people in blue working.
- Solna Centrum on the Blue Line: Nicknamed “The Gates of Hell” for its red and black mural on the escalator, you’ve probably seen this one on Instagram too. However, there are green wooded parts painted in the subway station in various areas too.
- Huvudsta on the Blue Line: This station has pretty green murals.
- Morby Centrum on the Red Line: This station has cool and subtle art that makes it look like an optical illusion and changes color based on where you’re standing. It also has colorful tilework.
- Kungsträdgården on the Blue Line: This station has so much to look at from checkered print to red and green on the floors and walls.
Fika, Shopping, and Dinner
After time spent exploring the many iconic subway stations in Stockholm, you’ve earned a well-deserved break. And the Swedish are lovers of a good coffee break.
In Sweden, fika is a time when you sit down, and have a hot beverage and a sweet treat. So head to a cafe for a coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, grab a pastry (cinnamon buns are popular), and enjoy time with the company around you.
We sat down outside at Cafe Albert for a fika during our 3 days in Sweden. This was a fantastic spot for people-watching, and the hot chocolate and pistachio cake were delicious. Really take your time to chat and people-watch. While sightseeing in Stockholm is a lot of fun, it really is nice to slow down and enjoy the moment.
After your lovely fika, I suggest going shopping. Being a country known for design and fashion, there are plenty of great places to shop in Stockholm.
I recommend just wandering around the Norrmalm area (which is where the cafe mentioned above is at).
Here you can walk along the shopping street of Drottninggatan and spot many popular stores as well as boutiques. There are also several malls and department stores in the area like MOOD Stockholm, Ahlens City, NK Stockholm, Gallerian, and more.
If you want more food than fashion, you can wander to Ostermalms Food Hall (Östermalmshallen) or to shops nearby like Lakrids for some candy-coated licorice or even a Swedish sweet shop for famous Swedish candy.
After all of that shopping, it is time for dinner. And unlike many places in Europe that have dinner at 8 pm, dinnertime in Stockholm is closer to 6 pm.
So it is time to head to dinner. I recommended making reservations at Lisa Elmqvist in the Ostermalms Food Hall, especially since you’ll be in the area anyway.
This restaurant is a phenomenal seafood restaurant! When we went here, we really enjoyed the seafood risotto, lemon sole, and the fresh shrimp served with toast and an aioli.
Once you’ve finished your scrumptious dinner, it is definitely time for a nightcap. But you can’t go to just any bar. When you’re in a city that is comprised of stunning islands and waterways, you need to see a sunset over it at least once at a rooftop bar.
So head to Tak Bar & Terrace. This place specializes in Nordic and Japanese flavors, and the atmosphere is top-notch. Plus, there are several rooftop bars all connected up here, so you can bounce around a bit. Either way, you’ll want to grab a cocktail and take in the sunset.
This is a great way to wrap up your first day of this epic itinerary for Stockholm.
Day 2: Food Tour, Gamla Stan, and a Delicious Dinner
Stockholm is definitely a foodie city, and when it comes to foodie cities, a food tour is a must. I love going on food tours wherever I travel because you get to taste a lot of local flavors in one go.
Plus, most food tours give a fun little tour of the city as you walk along to different tastings. I also love the context you get with the food like whether it is an everyday dish, something for special occasions, how the locals eat it, etc.
This is the food tour that we took and it was great! While I’ll admit I was a little nervous because I hate pickled foods (especially pickled fish), this tour had some delicious tastings and no pickled fish!
But, you do want to be prepared. Because there are some tastings you may not be used to like bear jerky, sliced moose and potentially even reindeer heart.
However, you’ll also get to try things like Swedish meatballs, shrimp toast, and licorice, and end with fika in Gamla Stan with cinnamon rolls.
I highly recommend this tour! We saw and ate so much from fresh seafood dishes to traditional meatballs with mashed potatoes and more.
Plus, you stop in some great food markets like Östermalmshallen and Hötorgshallen for many of your tastings!
This is a 4-hour tour so I recommend doing the 10 am tour that’ll go over lunchtime and end around 2 pm.
Gamla Stan and Dinner During Your 3 Days and 3 Nights in Stockholm
After that, you’ll have the afternoon to explore Gamla Stan, or the Old City of Stockholm. The food tour ends here, so this is a perfect segway into the old town during your Stockholm weekend trip.
Gamla Stan is an island with the most charming and colorful buildings. In fact, when you picture Stockholm, you’re probably picturing the architecture of Gamla Stan.
Explore the Stortorget (main square) with the most iconic colorful buildings before wandering around the beautiful streets and stopping at shops.
A cool place to check out is the Wooden Horse Museum. Carved wooden horses are works of Swedish folk art, and the Wooden Horse Museum continues that tradition with its Dala horses.
I will say that these horses can be pricy, especially the hand-painted ones. These are little works of art and tradition so if you’re looking for a quality souvenir during your Stockholm 3-day trip, this is a great idea.
I ended up picking out a small horse Christmas ornament, but my friend Megan who was with me purchased a horse as she rides horses.
Other things to check out in Gamla Stan if you have the time and want to see them include the Nobel Prize Museum, the Kungliga Slottet (Royal Palace), and Strokykan Cathedral known for being the oldest church in Stockholm, which has the Saint George and the Dragon sculpture.
There is also another Saint George and the Dragon sculpture in bronze outside in Gamla Stan as well.
Aside from tourist attractions in Gamla Stan, it is overall just a cute place to wander around and duck into cute shops or grab a cup of coffee or drink.
After that, you’ll want to hop on the metro and head to Restaurant Pelikan. This place is serving up traditional Swedish cuisine and doing it well. The food here was so freaking delicious.
We had to try the Pelikan’s Meatballs complete with gravy, pickled cucumber, lingonberries, and mashed potatoes. They also served things like seafood dishes, braised ox cheek, boiled pork knuckle, and more. Don’t forget to have some desserts like their baked chocolate with sea buckthorn ice cream, hazelnuts, and salted caramel.
Day 3 in Stockholm: Vasa Museum and a Local Island
Okay, this is probably the most visited museum in Stockholm. So it would be criminal to not go here during your 3-day Stockholm itinerary.
So you’re going back to the island of Djurgarden to check out the Vasa Museum.
The Vasa Museum is a maritime museum that is known for its gigantic 17th-century warship on display. It was actually pulled up from the harbor and restored to what it looks like today.
The museum covers the story of the Vasa, which ended up sinking on its maiden voyage because it was way too heavy with its cannons combined with the cannon doors being open to show off for the spectators.
It was a disaster for everyone involved, both for spectators who witnessed it sinking and for the people who lost their lives on board.
Learn about the ship, the extensive process of claiming it from the harbor, drying it out, and restoring it, and more. It is really cool to see!
After visiting the Vasa Museum, I recommend grabbing lunch at Djurgårdsbron. This is a fun waterfront restaurant where you order up your food and then sit and eat by the water. They have tasty drinks, pizzas, sandwiches, and salads.
Then, it is time to hop on the metro to Södermalm (or Söder for short). This is an island to the south of Old Town and has a more local feel.
We loved exploring this area and checking out the vintage shops and many parks and green spaces. Some vintage shops to check out include Stockholms Stadsmission Second Hand, POP Stockholm, and modern Retro.
After that, it was nice to climb up to the top of the hill at Sofia Kyrka to check out the church but also the views. It is right next to a park called Vitabergsparken which is perfect for strolls.
And if you want a snack and a drink, you can check out Kajsas Parken in the park. We had a little fika here with cinnamon rolls and a beer.
We had a lovely time just exploring this island and walking around. So this makes for a fun afternoon during your 3 days in Stockholm.
Finally, to wrap up your day here, you can make reservations for dinner at Woodstockholm. This is a great place for dinner, especially as it is also on Södermalm.
This place has a phenomenal tasting menu with a theme. The theme changes throughout the year, but when we went it was dedicated to 3-star Michelin chefs and their famous dishes. They also mainly focused on female Michelin chefs which was great.
The menu is always changing based on the theme but they do an impeccable job with their dishes. They can also accommodate dietary restrictions.
After one last amazing dinner, this wraps up your trip to Stockholm. We honestly had the best time wandering around this beautiful city and were sad to leave. I’m sure after this Stockholm weekend trip, you’ll feel the same.
If You Have 4 Days in Stockholm or More
Planning to spend more than 3 days in Stockholm? Luckily, you won’t run out of things to do. There is plenty to keep you occupied during your trip.
For starters, there are a crap ton of museums you can still visit including the Viking Museum, Army Museum, Snuff & Match Museum, Swedish History Museum, Stockholm Toy Museum, and several art museums.
But if you don’t want to go to more museums, you can even visit the amusement park in the city called Grona Lund. We saw the roller coasters from the ferry and it looked so cool!
If you want to do something different or get out of town, you can check out this day trip from Stockholm, which is a wildlife tour with a campfire dinner or even an archipelago islands kayak tour.
We were going to do the kayak tour if we had more time!
What to Do With Just 1 Day in Stockholm
Have only a day in Stockholm? My suggestion would likely be to check out one of the museums I mentioned above like the Vasa Museum or ABBA Musuem and then do a food tour around the city ending in Gamla Stan.
Then, you can explore Gamla Stan. I think that gives you a pretty good idea of Stockholm if you only have 1 day to spare.
Where to Stay in Stockholm
Here are some fantastic hotels to stay in during your time in Stockholm:
Freys Hotel: This is where we stayed during our long weekend in Stockholm and it was great! It is close to the train station and public transport, making it super easy to get around the city. It has a bar/restaurant attached to it, and there are several great bars and restaurants nearby. In fact, it is right in the shopping area of Stockholm. Note that this place doesn’t have AC, but this isn’t a huge issue in Stockholm normally. However, they had fans that they let us use during our stay.
Victory Hotel: This hotel is in Gamla Stan, so you’re in a great spot for exploring on foot. The hotel is adorable with cute rooms that are filled with ship-like decor.
Grand Hotel: This is a 5-star hotel located on the water across from Gamla Stan and Stockholm’s Royal Palace. Enjoy the Nordic spa and restaurants here during your stay.
Getting to Stockholm and Getting Around
The best way to get to Stockholm from anywhere is by flying in. Stockholm Arlanda Airport is the main airport for this city, and several flights come in from airlines like Norwegian Air, Ryanair, Scandinavian Airlines, Air France, Brussels Airlines, British Airways, and more.
For checking the best flight prices, I love Skyscanner.
From the airport, the easiest way to get into the city is to take the Arlanda Express. It goes directly from the airport to the train station in 18 minutes. It departs every 10-15 minutes.
You can also take a bus from the airport called the Flygbussarna Airport Coaches which also departs every 10-15 minutes and ends at the City Terminal. This journey is about 35-45 minutes.
You can also take the commuter trains to/from the airport.
Honestly, though, to save time and energy, just take the Arlanda Express. It is so quick and easy and worth the 340 SEK ($33 USD) per way. For round-trip, it is 640 SEK ($62 USD).
Once you’re in Stockholm, it is a pretty walkable city depending on which area you’re located. However, you’ll likely need to use the metro at some point to get to further away places and islands.
The metro includes the subway, commuter rail, commuter ferries, trams, buses, and light railways. I highly recommend going to/from the island with the museums (Djurgarden) via the ferry at least once. It is a fun way to enjoy Stockholm!
The great thing about the SL metro system is that you can use a contactless card to pay. You can also download the SL App on your phone for tickets. You can also get a physical card at metro and commuter rail stations. This is an SL smart card and costs 20 SEK ($2 USD) and can be recharged.
Single journey tickets are 42 SEK ($4 USD) and are good for 75 minutes, except tickets bought on board tramline 7 to/from Djurgarden.
For a 24-hour pass, it is 175 SEK ($17 USD). For a 72-hour pass, it is 350 SEK ($34 USD). These are full-fare prices. See the SL website for more details on discounted prices.
Best Time to Visit Stockholm
The best time to visit Stockholm for your trip would likely be between May and October. Outside of that time frame, it can be quite cold and darker.
When we visited in May, the sun rose super early in the morning and set well into the evening, which was great for sightseeing during the day and catching a nice sunset after dinner at a rooftop bar.
I will note that while it does get darker in the winter in Stockholm, the holiday season is a great time to visit for the Christmas market. And you could add Stockholm onto a visit to Swedish Lapland up north where you could potentially catch the Northern Lights.
But when it comes overall to the best weather, I’d opt for between May-October for a visit to Stockholm.
Other Tips For Stockholm
Before you jet off to enjoy a weekend trip to Stockholm, here are few key things to note.
What to Pack for 3 Days in Stockholm
This definitely depends on when you visit. And if you’re coming during the winter, I have a whole Europe winter packing guide for you!
But even during the summertime, while temperatures are usually nice during the day, it can get chilly at night. So you’ll want to pack a sweater or light jacket with you even when you come in the summer months.
Always pack comfortable shoes for walking. I love my white sneakers, which are comfortable and great for walking around the city all day.
As far as what to wear in the summertime, it depends on the weather. But when I visited in May, I wore skirts, dresses, jeans, and long and short-sleeved tops.
On warmer days, you can wear shorts too! But if you want to come to Sweden to shop, then leave room in your suitcase! I purchased so much cute stuff during my weekend in Sweden. Between Swedish boutiques and vintage shops, you’ll find so much great stuff here.
If you’re here in winter, then you’ll at least want some warm, waterproof boots to keep your feet dry and warm. Winter is also when you’ll want to pack lots of layers, thick sweaters, and a nice thick parka.
Regardless of when you visit, you’ll definitely want to pack an umbrella. It helps to have an umbrella for days when it may be rainier. This one we’ve taken with us to some pretty windy and rainy places and have been impressed with how well it holds up.
Also, I love carrying around my crossbody from Uniqlo to carry my things and keep stuff secure on my person and prevent pickpockets.
The Language of Sweden is Swedish
While people in Stockholm speak almost impeccable English, it always helps to know some key words and phrases in Swedish to be polite.
Here are a few things to know:
- Hej= Hello
- Hej då= Goodbye
- Snälla= Please
- Tack= Thank you
- Varsägod= You’re welcome
- Ja= Yes
- Nej= No
- Var är toaletten= Where is the toilet
- God morgon= Good morning
- Goddag= Good afternoon
- God kväll= Good evening
- Godnatt= Good night
Sweden is on the Swedish Krona
This is currently valued at $0.097 USD per 1 SEK, $0.13 CAD to 1 SEK, £0.074 to 1 SEK, and $0.15 AUD to 1 SEK.
I like to check the currency exchange on the XE App while traveling to get an idea of how much I’m actually spending.
You Don’t Really Need a Lot of Cash
While it is important to know what currency you’re dealing with, Stockholm doesn’t really take much cash. During our 3-day weekend in Stockholm, I don’t think we ever even got out cash. You can use the SL app or a card to pay for the metro, almost all restaurants took card, and honestly, I don’t remember needing cash for anything.
Stockholm is mostly a cash-free place. In fact, there are many places that don’t even accept cash. So be sure to bring your card on you wherever you go!
Want to Buy Liquor? You’ll Need to Plan Ahead
You can’t just go buy bottle of wine or liquor at any old supermarket like you would perhaps in places in the US or France. Instead, you have to go to the Systembolaget (which is government owned).
However, they close early on Saturdays and aren’t open on Sundays and holidays. So plan ahead! If you forget, the bars still sell drinks!
This wraps up all you need to know to have the most amazing time exploring Stockholm in just 3 days. Between museums and amazing restaurants, you’re sure to fall in love with this exciting city too.
Would you like to visit Stockholm? What would you like to do?
Want more weekend city itineraries? Check out these posts:
- 3 Days in Copenhagen
- 4 Days in Paris
- 2 Days in Lisbon
- 4 Days in Budapest
- 2 Days in Budapest
- How to Spend 2 Days in Prague
- Perfect Weekend in Vienna
- 2 Days in Piedmont, Italy
- Foodie Itinerary for 2 Days in Bologna
- 4 Days in London
- 3 Days in Cape Town
- 2 Days in Quebec City
- Montreal in 3 Days
- 3 Days in Seattle
- Perfect Weekend in Vancouver
- 3 Days in Portland, Maine
- 3 Days in Portland, Oregon
- Perfect 3 Days in Washington, DC
- How to Spend 3 Days in Chicago
- Ultimate Weekend in Austin, Texas
- 3 Days in Asheville
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