Sweden Holidays

Effortlessly cool cities, thousands of islands and coffee breaks elevated to an art form. Sweden is the Scandi city break that delivers stunning architecture, world-class food and that famously relaxed Nordic lifestyle, all just a couple of hours from the UK & Ireland.

Holidays to Sweden 2026/2027 Highlights

• 🏛️ Two brilliant cities with Stockholm spread across 14 islands and Gothenburg serving up west coast seafood and Scandinavia's biggest theme park

• ☕ Fika culture where sitting down for a cinnamon bun and a proper coffee isn't just a break, it's a way of life

• 🌊 Island hopping on your doorstep with Stockholm's archipelago of 30,000 islands accessible by ferry straight from the city centre

• 🎨 Design capital from sleek Scandi interiors and fashion to the ABBA Museum, the Vasa warship and cutting-edge contemporary art

Good to Know

• ☀️ Summers are warm and bright at 20-25°C with incredibly long days (Stockholm gets nearly 19 hours of daylight in June). Winters are cold at around 0°C but atmospheric, with cosy cafes, Christmas markets and the chance of northern lights

• 💷 Sweden uses the Swedish Krona (SEK), not the euro. A pint of beer costs around 70-80 SEK (roughly £6-7), a main course at a mid-range restaurant about 150-200 SEK (£12-16) and a coffee with a cinnamon bun around 80-100 SEK (£6-8). It's not cheap, but almost everywhere takes card, even market stalls

• 🏝️ Sweden has a "right to roam" law (allemansratten) meaning you can walk, cycle and camp almost anywhere in nature for free. Stockholm's archipelago ferries are included in the city's public transport pass

🏨 Top Hotels for Sweden Holidays 2026/2027

💑 Couples

• 🏨 Hilton Stockholm Slussen - in the trendy Sodermalm district with views over the water and Gamla Stan (Old Town). Panoramic restaurant, cocktail bar with city views, gym, sauna and massage services. The Old Town is 150 metres away.

• 🏨 Branno Varv Bed & Breakfast - a charming four-room stay right on the boardwalk in Gothenburg's archipelago. Spa tubs, sauna, bike rental and a restaurant on site. Proper romantic and totally different to a city hotel.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Families

• 🏨 Best Western Kom Hotel Stockholm - a solid 143-room base in central Stockholm with a gym, sauna and a breakfast buffet to fuel a day of sightseeing. Ecolabel certified, with extra beds available on request.

• 🏨 Quality Hotel Waterfront Goteborg - 151 rooms in Gothenburg's historic district with an indoor pool, spa tub, sauna, fitness centre and a complimentary breakfast. Within reach of Liseberg theme park and Slottsskogen park.

✨ Luxury

• 🏨 Best Western Hotel at 108 - a stylish 90-room hotel on Stockholm's iconic Sveavagen street, blending 19th-century character with modern design. Air-conditioned rooms, courtyard terrace dining in summer and two restaurants. Radmansgatan metro is 50 metres away.

• 🏨 Hotel G Gothenburg - sitting right above Gothenburg Central Station with an outdoor pool, spa, sauna, restaurant and even a nightclub. Liseberg is 15 minutes away and Nordstan shopping mall is a five-minute walk.

🎉 Groups

• 🏨 Best Western Hotel Bentleys - a 119-room hotel established in 1905 with a bar and a location right next to a bus/train station. Extra beds available, making it a solid group base for exploring Stockholm.

• 🏨 Quality Hotel 11 - 260 rooms in Gothenburg's port area with a gym, outdoor pool, sauna, hot tub and a restaurant. Big enough to accommodate a group and well connected to the city centre.

💰 Value

• 🏨 Unique Hotel - a 38-room character hotel with early 1900s flair on Drottninggatan, one of Stockholm's main shopping streets. Breakfast buffet included and Stockholm Central is around the corner. Some rooms have shared facilities, which keeps the price down.

• 🏨 Scandic Skarholmen - a 201-room hotel near Stockholm's Kungens Kurva shopping area (home to the massive IKEA store). Restaurant, bar, sauna and a TV lounge. A bit out of the centre, but excellent value and well connected by public transport.

👉 See all Sweden hotels

🏔️ Must-Dos on your Sweden Holidays

Sweden does culture, design and the outdoors brilliantly, and both cities punch well above their weight for things to see and do.

• 🏛️ Gamla Stan, Stockholm - one of Europe's best-preserved medieval old towns, with narrow cobbled streets, colourful buildings from the 1600s, the Royal Palace and plenty of cafes for a fika stop

• 🚢 Vasa Museum, Stockholm - the world's only preserved 17th-century warship, pulled from the harbour after 333 years. It's enormous, incredibly detailed and one of the most visited museums in Scandinavia

• 🎵 ABBA The Museum, Stockholm - even if you're not a fan, this interactive museum is brilliantly done. Record your own music video, sing in a karaoke booth and relive the greatest pop export Sweden ever produced

• 🎢 Liseberg, Gothenburg - Scandinavia's biggest amusement park with rollercoasters, live music and entertainment. Brilliant in summer for thrill rides and even better in winter when it transforms into one of Sweden's best Christmas markets

• 🐟 Feskekorka, Gothenburg - the "Fish Church" is a legendary indoor fish market where you can sample oysters, shrimp sandwiches and smoked salmon straight from the source. A must for seafood lovers

• 🏝️ Stockholm Archipelago - hop on a ferry from the city centre and within an hour you're weaving through thousands of islands. Swim, hike, kayak or just sit on a rock with a picnic and enjoy the silence

🏘️ Where to Stay on your Sweden Holidays

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Families

• Stockholm The bigger city with more to keep kids occupied. Djurgarden island has the Vasa Museum, ABBA Museum, Skansen open-air museum and Grona Lund amusement park all in one area. The public transport is excellent and the city is clean, safe and easy to navigate with children.

• Gothenburg Liseberg theme park is the obvious draw for families, but Universeum (a science centre with a rainforest, sharks and interactive exhibits) and the big green spaces of Slottsskogen park are brilliant too. More compact and relaxed than Stockholm.

💑 Couples

• Stockholm Trendy Sodermalm for hipster cafes and vintage shopping, Gamla Stan for romance and history, and the archipelago for a day trip that feels like escaping to another world entirely. The food scene is world-class, with several Michelin-starred restaurants.

• Gothenburg The Haga district is pure couples territory, with cobbled streets, boutique shopping and cinnamon buns the size of your head. The southern archipelago is gorgeous for a sunset boat trip, and the seafood here rivals anywhere in Scandinavia.

🎉 Groups

• Stockholm More nightlife options, rooftop bars, boat tours through the canals and plenty of quirky activities like the ABBA Museum karaoke booth. Sodermalm has the best bar scene, and the city's escape rooms are a solid group shout.

• Gothenburg A brilliant group destination with Liseberg for thrill-seekers, craft beer bars in the Haga district, and a more laid-back atmosphere than Stockholm. Hotel G has a nightclub on site if you want to keep the party going.

🗣️ Local Lingo

• 🇸🇪 Hello - Hej (hey)

• 🙏 Please - Snalla (SNELL-ah)

• 😊 Thank you - Tack (tahk)

• 🍺 Cheers! - Skal! (skoal)

• 🍽️ The bill, please - Notan, tack (NOH-tan, tahk)

• 😋 Delicious! - Jattegott! (YET-eh-got)

• ☀️ Good morning - God morgon (goo MOR-on)

• 🗺️ Where is...? - Var ar...? (var air)

• 👋 Excuse me - Ursakte (oor-SEK-tah)

👀 Sweden Travel Guide 2026/2027

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Families

• 🏛️ Skansen, Stockholm - the world's oldest open-air museum, with historic buildings, a zoo featuring Nordic animals (bears, wolves, moose) and seasonal events. Kids love it and you can easily spend a full day here

• 🎢 Liseberg, Gothenburg - rollercoasters, gentle rides for smaller kids and live entertainment. It's Sweden's most-visited attraction for a reason, and families can happily spend a full day here

• 🔬 Universeum, Gothenburg - a science centre meets indoor rainforest with sharks, sloths, snakes and interactive exhibits. Brilliant for rainy days and curious kids of any age

• 🚢 Archipelago ferry trip, Stockholm - take a family boat trip out to one of the closer islands like Vaxholm or Fjaderholmarna. Pack a picnic, let the kids run around on the rocks and enjoy the scenery

• 🍦 Fika with kids - Swedish cafes are almost universally child-friendly. Order a kanelbulle (cinnamon bun) and a hot chocolate and let them colour or play while you enjoy the most civilised coffee break going

💑 Couples

• 🌅 Sodermalm, Stockholm - the trendy south island with vintage shops, independent cafes, rooftop bars and some of the best restaurants in the city. Fotografiska photography museum is here too

• 🏝️ Gothenburg Archipelago - hire a boat or take a ferry to the southern islands for swimming, seafood lunches and that amazing Scandinavian light. Couples looking for a slower pace will love it

• 🍽️ Fine dining in Stockholm - the city has a thriving Michelin scene. Frantzeen, Oaxen Krog and Ekstedt (where everything is cooked over fire) are all worth a special occasion booking

• ☕ Haga district, Gothenburg - cobbled streets, boutique shops, and Cafe Husaren, which serves what might be the biggest and best cinnamon bun in Sweden

• 🎵 Live music - Sweden punches way above its weight musically. Both cities have brilliant live music venues, from intimate jazz bars to bigger concert halls

🎉 Groups

• 🎤 ABBA Museum, Stockholm - get the group in a karaoke booth, record a music video and have a laugh. It's interactive, fun and works even if half your group claims they don't like ABBA (they do)

• 🍺 Craft beer tour, Gothenburg - Sweden's west coast city has a brilliant craft beer scene. Brewer's Beer Bar and Stigbergets are good starting points

• 🚤 Canal boat tour, Stockholm - see the city from the water with your crew. Several operators run tours through the canals and out into the archipelago, and some include food and drinks

• 🏔️ Paddan boat tour, Gothenburg - a fun sightseeing trip through the city's canals where you have to duck under low bridges. Funnier after a couple of beers

• 🎢 Liseberg by night - in summer the park stays open late with live music, rides and a buzzing atmosphere. Brilliant for a group evening out

🌍 More Destinations

Swedish Cities

• Stockholm Spread across 14 islands with a medieval old town, world-class museums and an archipelago of 30,000 islands on the doorstep

• Gothenburg West coast charm with Scandinavia's biggest theme park, brilliant seafood and a laid-back atmosphere

More Scandinavian Destinations

• Copenhagen Colourful Nyhavn, Tivoli Gardens, New Nordic cuisine and the most bike-friendly city in the world

• Oslo Fjords on the doorstep, world-class museums and a thriving waterfront food scene

• Helsinki Saunas, design, island-hopping and the gateway to Finnish Lapland

• Lapland Northern Lights, Santa Claus Village, husky safaris and glass igloos under the Arctic sky