48 HOURS IN STOCKHOLM

If you only had 48 hours in Stockholm and this is your first time in the country’s capital, here is how I would spend my time:

Day 1

Start your day off with carbs and coffee at Komet. As you walk with your pastry, head to Gamla Stan, the city’s Old Town. This is the most touristy part of the city, so I like to walk the cobbled streets and duck into the shops early. Don’t miss Stockholm Cathedral, or Storkyrkan, Stockholm’s setting for many coronations, royal weddings, and Swedish Parliament openings.

If you are a black licorice fan, head to Lakritsroten to indulge your sweet tooth. Salty black licorice, known as “salmiak,” is a very popular candy in Sweden. Then head to Old Town Polkagriskokeri AB, a candy store with many different Swedish candy canes and fudge. If you are here on a Saturday, you are participating in Lördagsgodis, the Swedish (and Norwegian) tradition of children eating candy mainly (or only) on Saturdays! This candy store is unique in that you can have a hand in making candy canes. Read my article here for more information.

Then head to The Royal Palace to explore the official royal residence. Next from the palace, just a five-minute walk over the Riddarholm Bridge, is Riddarholmen Church, the resting place for almost all of the Swedish rulers. After that, enjoy a traditional meal of Swedish meatballs at Bakfickan. The restaurant only has seating around it’s U-shaped bar and a few tables along the walls, and they do not take reservations. However, it is absolutely worth the wait!

Spend the early afternoon at the Nationalmuseum, a lovely fine arts museum. Then enjoy late afternoon at sea with a 90-minute Stromma cruise to see Stockholm’s inner archipelago and circle around Fjäderholmarna, the closest archipelago island to Stockholm. End your day with dinner at Restaurang Hantverket, a truly delicious culinary experience!

Day 2

Begin the day with a quick bite at Svedjan Bageri. Then walk over to the Vasa Museum, a maritime museum that contains the world’s best preserved 17th century ship! Once you have explored the many levels of the museum to see the ship from every angle, walk down the road to the ABBA museum.

Have lunch with beautiful views of the harbour at Glashuset Restaurant & Bar. Then head back over towards the Vasa Museum and the ABBA Museum, but this time walk over to Skansen, an open-air museum and zoo that showcases different Swedish houses, animals, and traditions.

After you have had your fill running around Skansen, spend the remainder of the afternoon in Royal Djurgården, a serene national park. Rent a bike and enjoy the park’s bike paths, walk around, or lay in the grass! End the day at a lovely little German restaurant called Restaurant Liebling before heading in for the night.

For more detailed information on the places I have talked about in this article, read my article on Stockholm Must Sees here. Lastly, if you have more time, consider spreading the activities out amongst more days and perhaps add a longer archipelago ride or a visit to Drottningholm Palace. Enjoy Stockholm!

STOCKHOLM MUST SEES