Stockholm Holidays

Stockholm is a capital city spread across islands, a stunning blend of modern style and historical charm. Whether you're wandering cobbled streets swimming off a rock, or enjoying world class food and drink, this city offers something for every type of traveller.

Highlights of your holiday to Stockholm 2026 and 2027

• Vasa Museum - A 17th-century warship pulled almost intact from the harbour, and the one thing every visitor raves about.

• Gamla Stan - Medieval lanes, the Royal Palace and the painted houses of Stortorget, all walkable and free.

• Djurgården - A leafy island packing in the Vasa, Skansen, ABBA The Museum and Gröna Lund, reached along the waterfront Strandvägen.

• Archipelago boat trips - Some of the 30,000 islands are just a ferry ride from the centre, all year round.

• Södermalm - The cool south island, with the best free view of the city from the clifftop path at Monteliusvägen.

• Sauna and a sea dip - Stockholm's sauna culture is having a moment, from waterside bathhouses to floating saunas in the archipelago.

Good to Know for your Stockholm holidays

• ☀️ Summers are warm and light, with highs around 23-24°C in July and more than 18 hours of daylight at midsummer. Winters hover around 0-2°C, with candlelit cafés and Christmas markets to warm you up.

• 💰 Sweden uses the Swedish krona (SEK), not the euro. A pint is around 75-100 SEK (€7-€9) and a main in a mid-range restaurant 180-280 SEK (€16-€25). Almost everywhere takes card.

• 🏛 Every 10 December, Stockholm City Hall hosts the Nobel Prize banquet, and guided tours take you through the Blue Hall and Golden Hall where it happens.

A holiday in Stockholm is perfect for you if...

• You want holidays to Stockholm that mix a proper city with islands, beaches and boats.

• You think a coffee break should mean EXCELLENT coffee that comes with a giant cinnamon bun and half an hour of doing nothing but looking moody in a jumper whilst consuming it.

• You'd happily spend a whole day on one island of museums (and a roller coaster).

• You like your food seriously good, from market-hall lunches to Michelin stars.

• You want an easy, safe, walkable city where everyone switches to English at the drop of a (woolly) hat.

Where to Stay in Stockholm

Holidays in Stockholm come down to which island you wake up on, and they're all a short metro ride or walk apart.

💑 Where should couples stay in Stockholm?

Gamla Stan, the old town, for cobbled lanes, candlelit restaurants and the Royal Palace on your doorstep.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Where should families stay in Stockholm?

Östermalm, the elegant waterfront district next to Djurgården, so Skansen, Junibacken and the Vasa Museum are a stroll away.

🎉 Where should groups stay in Stockholm?

Södermalm, the cool south island, packed with bars, vintage shops and rooftop views.

💰 Where should I stay in Stockholm on a budget?

Norrmalm, around Central Station, where the Arlanda Express pulls in and the city's main shopping streets start.

🏨 Best Hotels for Stockholm Holidays 2026 and 2027

Every hotel below can be booked as part of a Stockholm package with flights included, and we've picked three for every kind of trip.

💑 What are the best hotels for a couples' city break to Stockholm?

• Ett Hem - A small hotel in a private townhouse, with a garden, a kitchen you can wander into and the feel of staying with very stylish friends.

• NOFO Hotel - A boutique hotel in SoFo, the coolest corner of Södermalm, with a wine bar and a courtyard that turns into a bar in summer.

• Lady Hamilton Hotel - Tucked away in Gamla Stan, with a sauna and a plunge pool set in a medieval well.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Which Stockholm hotels are best for a family city break?

• Hotel Diplomat - A grand Art Nouveau hotel on the Strandvägen waterfront, a short walk from Djurgården's museums, with family packages that include children's meals.

• Biz Apartment Hammarby Sjöstad - Apartments with their own kitchens in a waterside neighbourhood, so there's space to spread out and no need to eat out every night.

• Freys Hotel - A few minutes' walk from Central Station, so you're straight off the Arlanda Express and into the city with the kids.

🎉 Which Stockholm hotels are best for a group trip?

• Downtown Camper by Scandic - A rooftop bar plus a small rooftop pool and sauna (16 and over, book ahead), and free bikes to borrow.

• Haymarket by Scandic - Art deco glamour on Hötorget, in the building where Greta Garbo once worked, with a cocktail bar downstairs.

• Hotel With Urban Deli - A rooftop bar with views over the city and a buzzy restaurant and deli at street level.

💰 Which hotels are best for cheap holidays to Stockholm?

• Home Hotel Tapetfabriken - A converted wallpaper factory in Sickla, about 20 minutes from the centre, with breakfast, afternoon fika and dinner included.

• Hotel Gio - Retro Italian style in Solna, about 15 minutes from the centre and next to the Haga Park, with a gym and sauna.

• Scandic GO Upplandsgatan 4 - Smart, compact rooms near the Arlanda Express, with free laundry and food to grab any time.

👉 See all Stockholm hotels

Cheap holidays and city breaks in Stockholm

Stockholm has a reputation for being pricey, but cheap holidays to Stockholm are easier than you'd think, because so much of the best stuff costs nothing at all: wandering Gamla Stan, picnicking on the rocks, and riding the metro through stations decorated like art galleries.

The biggest saving is where you stay. Hotels a short train or metro ride from the centre cost less, and some throw in meals: at Home Hotel Tapetfabriken breakfast, afternoon fika and dinner are all included, and Hotel Gio in Solna is one of the best-value hotels we sell in the city.

For food, do what the locals do and eat your big meal at lunchtime, when restaurants serve dagens lunch (dish of the day) for around €12-€15, usually with salad, bread and coffee thrown in. A travel card covers the metro, buses, trams and the ferry to Djurgården. Combine all our tips (and with our great deals) and it's entirely possible to have a suprisingly cheap city break in Stockholm.

Local Lingo

Almost everyone in Stockholm speaks brilliant English, but a hej and a tack go a long way.

• Hej (hey) - hello

• Tack (tahk) - thank you

• Snälla (SNEL-ah) - please

• Skål! (skoal) - cheers!

• Ursäkta (oor-SHEK-tah) - excuse me

• Var är...? (var air) - where is...?

• Fika (FEE-kah) - a coffee-and-cake break, and a national institution

• Lagom (LAH-gom) - not too much, not too little: just right

• Tunnelbana (TUN-el-bah-nah) - the metro

Stockholm City Breaks Travel Guide

A city break to Stockholm works for every kind of trip, and plenty of the best bits are free. Here's where to start on Stockholm city breaks.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 What are the best things to do on a family city break to Stockholm?

• Junibacken - A storybook museum where a little train carries you through Astrid Lindgren's books, Pippi Longstocking and all.

• Skansen - The world's oldest open-air museum, with moose, bears and seals, and free entry for under-15s.

• Vasa Museum - Free for under-18s, with a kids' trail around the giant warship.

• Tekniska museet - Hands-on science and tech, the perfect plan for a rainy afternoon.

• Gröna Lund - Waterfront rides from late April to September, plus spooky Halloween weekends in October.

💑 What are the best things to do on a couples' city break to Stockholm?

• Fotografiska - World-class photography exhibitions open until 11pm, with a bar looking out over the water.

• Sunset at Monteliusvägen - A clifftop walk on Södermalm with the whole of Gamla Stan glowing below.

• Sauna and a sea dip - Warm up in a waterside sauna, then brave the Baltic. Very Swedish, very good for you.

• Strandvägen - Stroll the city's most beautiful street, all grand façades and old boats, out towards Djurgården.

• Archipelago dinner cruise - A seasonal evening sailing through the islands with dinner on board.

🎉 What are the best things to do on a group city break to Stockholm?

• ABBA The Museum - Sing in the audition booth and take the stage as the fifth member of the band. Even the doubters crack.

• Avicii Experience - An interactive celebration of the Swedish DJ, one of the city's best-reviewed attractions.

• Canal boat tour - An hour on the water round Djurgården, running from spring to just before Christmas.

• Stureplan - The heart of Stockholm's nightlife, so dress up a bit.

🍽️ What's the food like on a city break to Stockholm?

• Östermalms Saluhall - A grand food hall trading since 1888, piled with gravlax, seafood and deli treats.

• Fika at Mr Cake - Cardamom buns that people queue for, and the queue moves fast.

• Rolfs Kök - A neighbourhood classic for almost 40 years, newly awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand for great food at fair prices.

• Tennstopet - Proper Swedish home cooking in a restaurant that's been open since 1867.

• Gamla Stans Fisk - Herring sandwiches and oysters in the old town, for a cheap and very local lunch.

More Destinations

• Gothenburg - Sweden's laid-back west coast city, with Liseberg and the best seafood in the country.

• Copenhagen - Colourful harbours, Tivoli Gardens and a bike-everywhere lifestyle.

• Oslo - A fjord-side capital of striking architecture and outdoor saunas.

• Helsinki - Design shops, island fortresses and a sauna culture to match.

• Bergen - Wooden harbour houses and the gateway to Norway's fjords.