Stockholm, Sweden was always really high on my bucket list so I finally decided that I was going to visit, and even though my trip was much shorter than I would’ve liked, it was absolutely wonderful. Then, I missed it so much that I decided to visit again! It’s such a lovely city with lots of history and rooted deeply in Scandinavian culture – and one of my favorite places.

A Short History of Stockholm

The origins of Stockholm are more obscure, and even its name meaning “log-islet” is of unknown roots. In the viking era, the main towns were Birka, Sigtuna and Uppsala (all places you can visit today). Perhaps because of failing defense systems in those town, the city of Stockholm was founded by regent Birger Jarl in 1252 on the island known today as Gamla Stan. Like other Scandinavian cities, it is said that the city location was chosen when a man of high ranking placed a log into the water. Wherever the log washed up was to be the location of the city. In any event, Stockholm was the home of both government and royalty and quickly grew to be one of Sweden’s biggest cities within the next 50 years.

Throughout the ages, it continued to be a huge city in comparison to other in both Sweden and Scandinavia. Despite destruction by fires and plague, Stockholm has thrived through the centuries. The last several centuries have seen the city expand beyond the island of Gamla Stan to cover a total of 14 islands in Stockholm city. It also continues to be the biggest Swedish and Nordic city to this day.

Museums to Visit in Stockholm

The city itself is absolutely stunning and there are actually a lot of things to do in Stockholm. The most famous thing to see is the Vasa Ship at the Vasa Museum. The Vasa was a military ship that sank in 1628 in the Stockholm harbor. Pathetically, the ship made it only a few yards because toppling over because of poor weight distribution; tragically, dozens of people died. The ship was found in the 1950s and the Vasa Museum opened a few years later.

The remains of a warship didn’t sound too interesting to me but there was a plethora of artefacts found on board that the museum also puts on display. The Vasa is magnificent to see in person – the craftsmanship is absolutely remarkable – but the whole museum is basically a look in time at Stockholm during 1628, complete with original artefacts, reconstructions, and more. It was actually a huge highlight of my trip and an absolute must-see. When I revisited Stockholm, I revisited it since I loved it so much. And I’d visit it yet again!

If you can do only one thing in Stockholm, let it be the Vasa Museum. Like I said, I wasn’t sold on the idea at first but now it’s one of my favorite places on earth!

You can buy a combination ticket with Vrak – Museum of Wrecks, which is a short walk away. I have to say that particularly in comparison with the amazement of the Vasa, the Vrak was very underwhelming with very little to see. They had a nice exhibition on the Salme ship burial but otherwise there wasn’t much you couldn’t read in a book or someplace else. It might be more interesting for children.

There’s also the Nordic Museum and the Swedish History Museum for history buffs. The Nordic Museum is a nice museum to learn about the history and culture of the Nordic areas specifically, and a lot of it has to do with the present as well. You can learn more about the many Swedish and Nordic holidays at the Nordic museum, complete with the holidays’ origins and festivities.

The Swedish History Museum is also very interesting but more of a history through art and artefacts rather than a look at Nordic culture. There are so many cool things to see in the museum, particularly if you like Viking history – there are just so many remnants of the Viking past there. It’s a fantastic museum and I even opted to visit it again on my second trip to Stockholm. Both places are worth seeing, and I think both can be interesting even if you’re not very into history.

There’s also the open air museum of Skansen, which has buildings from various time periods in Sweden as well as animals, including reindeer. You can’t go into a lot of the buildings in the colder months which was disappointing. However it’s still nice to stroll around. I particularly liked getting a tea and cake there by candlelight. If you find yourself in Stockholm during midsommar, Skansen has an “authentic” midsommar festival. The holiday is usually celebrated at home with family and friends so it’s obviously not that authentic, but it’s a good option to have if you don’t have any Swedes to take you in.

There are still many more museums to see! In terms of history, there is the Stockholm City Museum which is free, a rarity in Stockholm. It’s not completely comprehensive but they have exhibits on certain parts of Stockholm’s history, such as the plague and the industrial revolution, that are quite informative. If you like history and have the time, it’s worth having a look.

I had a visit to the Viking Museum but I did not find it to be that great for adults. It more talks about the Viking era rather than displays artefacts, which is great for people who don’t know much about the Viking era but since I’d read a lot of Viking books already, there was not that much to learn. However, it does have a ride like you’d see at an amusement park that would particularly be fun for kids. So I would 100% recommend this for visitors with children but I’d put it on the backburner for adults.

The Medieval Museum was unfortunately closed for my visit but they will be reopening soon.

One of the more expensive museums to visit is the ABBA Museum. Going alone, it was fun but since the museum is very interactive – which I think is a good thing – it probably would’ve been better with a friend. They obviously tried to make the experience entertaining but lots of the things on display weren’t authentic and I didn’t find that cool. I felt it a bit overpriced – like a money, money, money grab – but would’ve been something fun to do with someone else.

If you’re into art, there is the Nationalmuseet or the National Museum of Fine Arts which is absolutely excellent. They have a collection from about the 16th century onwards and most of it is Swedish art and the decorative arts. The Hallwyl Museum is the former home of art collectors and is now obviously a museum. It is absolutely beautiful and a great way to spend an hour or so if you like the decorative arts. I also absolutely loved their miniature collection (and the fact that they had a shout-out to Baltimore!).

There is also Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde which is in a more secluded part of Stockholm. Prince Eugens was an art collector and here you can see his collection, which is a bit small but focused on the turn of the 20th century which is my personal favorite type of art. There’s also a garden which was absolutely lovely to see when I visited in the summer.

Jumping ahead in time, there is also Fotografiska which is open late and makes a great evening. They are exhibit based and they had exhibits which I was really interested in on Anton Corbijn and Hans Hammarskiold, which have now ended, but I felt it was a bit overpriced for what it is. If you get a Stockholm City Pass (more on that below), entry is included.

Other Things to Do in Stockholm

On the fringe of a museum, the Royal Palace in Gamla Stan is open for visitors. It’s very opulent and beautiful inside, and there’s a lot of historical context to each room you see. Another option is Drottningholm Palace which is a bit out of Stockholm’s city center, but I personally liked the Royal Palace in Gamla Stan more. And it’s closer to everything else so that’s a win-win.

Don’t forget that your ticket includes entry to the Tre Kronor Museum which is underneath the palace. Tre Kronor was the name of Stockholm’s royal castle that burned down in 1697, and it’s here that you can see the medieval and Renaissance history of the royal palace. It’s small but worth a look. “Tre Kronor” means “three crowns” and you’ll see the symbol around Stockholm, which is the national emblem of Sweden that dates to the medieval era.

There are also a few churches to visit. The main church is Stockholm City Cathedral which is in Gamla Stan. It has a lovely colorful exterior but I have to say that the interior is a bit bland compared to other cathedrals I’ve seen, and it makes the price point of entry seem a bit overpriced.

There is also the Riddarholmen Church which I liked a lot better. It dominates Stockholm’s skyline and is actually Stockholm’s most preserved building, dating all the way back to 1270. All the monarchs from 1632-1950, with the exception of one, are buried here. It’s quite a beautiful medieval building and one of my favorite to see in the city.

This is small – but at the corner of Prastgatan and Kakbrinken in Gamla Stan, there is a runestone just chilling in the corner of a building. Much of my time in Sweden involved chasing after runestones so it’s pretty cool to see one just in the middle of Gamla Stan.

If you’re with friends, you might also want to consider Stockholm’s amusement park Gronalund. It’s a place I wanted to go both times I was in Stockholm but didn’t have a chance to because surprisingly, it’s not open that many hours outside of summer. But it looks fun!

One thing I really wanted to do in Stockholm was an archipelago kayaking tour. Unfortunately they are about $100+ for a decent tour and I just didn’t have the budget to do it my second go-around. But when I visited Drottningholm Palace, I took the boat there and it was a lovely scenic ride, so that kind of made up for it.

The architecture is cohesive and spreads throughout the city, making each island a lovely destination in its own right. Of course much of my time was spent in Gamla Stan. It is quite touristy but it’s still quite beautiful and filled with history. If you’re looking for something more authentic, I’d recommend staying in a different part of the city for sure. The city has a fantastic metro with famously unique stations but it’s also very walkable (and bike-able), which I prefer since I can see more of the city that way.

Tip: I use the Sunrise and Sunset Calculator from Time & Date to help plan my trips, which is especially useful for countries like Sweden. You don’t want to get somewhere and find out only then that there’s 4 hours of sunlight.

Stockholm is also known for its food. Even as a vegetarian, I found a tonne of delicious food. One of my favorite places to eat was Verte. I don’t normally recommend restaurants but Verte is a 100% vegan restaurant that serves traditional Swedish food so it was nice to be able to immerse in the culture that way.

What I really liked about this city, though, is that it’s really cozy, and it’s a feeling I can’t quite put into words. After a day out, it was so nice to come in and relax by the heater, and gaze at the lights up against the darkness. Stockholm’s a great city for a young old soul.

Saving Money in Stockholm

For my second trip to Stockholm, I opted to get the Go City Stockholm Pass. I got the 5 day pass on sale for 1949 SEK (~ $209). I was able to use it for 13 attractions, plus a free lunch, which would have cost 2650 SEK otherwise (~ $284), which is a saving of about $75. If you like seeing museums then it’s definitely something to consider looking into. Virtually every museum (except the ABBA museum) is covered in the pass. It was very easy to use since you could download an image of your pass – no internet necessary!

They also have a savings guarantee that will refund you the difference if you don’t save money in the end.

As for public transit, you can pay with your credit card and it’s 43 SEK per ride. They do have SL Travelcards and you would need to use it 6 times a day for the price to cover itself the first 24 hours or 10 times for 72 hours. Stockholm’s pretty big so it’s something to look into.

If you haven’t been to Stockholm yet, it’s an absolutely beautiful city and it should be higher on many peoples’ bucket lists. It’s one of my personal favourite cities and I’d actually love to live there! I was so happy to return and get to see more of the city that I fell in love with so many years before.

Have you ever been to Stockholm? How did you like it?

This post was heavily updated on November 6, 2025, following a second trip to Stockholm.

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