How To Spend 3 Days In Stockholm: The Ultimate Itinerary

I loved my 3 days in Stockholm, exploring the historic and well-preserved Old Town, cruising around the canals and many islands, and of course, eating Swedish cuisine, the famous meatballs.

And of course, I had Fika every day. Fika is something like a coffee and cake break in the afternoon with friends or colleagues and socialising and deeply ingrained in Swedish culture and many Swedes make time for Fika almost every day and I promise, you will quickly fall in love with this little ritual when you arrive to Stockholm!

No matter if you have only one day in Stockholm or looking for the ultimate 3 day Stockholm itinerary, below, I have put together all of Stockholm's top attractions, so you know exactly where to go in Stockholm and what to visit in Stockholm!

Getting Around Stockholm

If you fly into Stockholm, you are most likely to land at Arlanda International Airport, which is roughly 40km outside of the city centre.

To get from Arlanda Airport to Stockholm, I highly recommend taking the Arlanda Express Train, which takes a short 20 minutes to Stockholm Centalstation (Central Station).

Personally, I made the mistake of taking the bus, which was slightly cheaper and would only take 15 minutes more. However, there was an accident on the highway and I arrived in the afternoon and with all the commute traffic and accident, I ended up spending 2 full hours on the bus getting from the Airport into Stockholm City. The bus ride took just as long as my 2-hour flight from Frankfurt in Germany.

Don’t make the same mistake. I would rather spend a few dollars more and arrive within 20 minutes by train to the Central Station guaranteed!

When you arrive in Stockholm, you will most likely do a lot of walking, so make sure you have comfy shoes.

Other methods to get around the city are:

• Public transport like tram, underground and bus
• Taxi or Uber
• By bike, which you can do at your own pace or join an organised bike tour with a guide
• Stockholm also has Lime scooters, which you can easily find all over the city and unlock through the app on your phone. I love this way of moving around the city but it is more expensive than taking the bus or tram.

Where To Stay In Stockholm

To experience the best of Stockholm, I recommend you stay in either of the below three areas to be close to all the fun things to do in Stockholm:

1. Gamla Stan, which is the Old Town 
2. Södermalm Island, a creative, artsy part of town with a relaxed vibe
3. Norrmalm, the more busy commercial area with lots of shops, the Swedish Opera, exhibitions and Concert Hall

I personally stayed on the border of Norrmalm to Östermalm, which was perfect, as I was close to shopping and all main attractions and could even walk to Gamla Stan, which still being far away from the tourist crowds.

Östermalm is an elegant neighbourhood of Stockholm that is known for great bars, restaurants, boutiques and Östermalms Saluhall, an amazing food market you cannot miss on your Stockholm Itinerary.

Also read my extensive accommodation guide to Stockholm.

Where I Stayed: Story Hotel Riddargatan

Staying at the stylish Story Hotel Riddargatan was a great choice. Set back one street from the main street and yet only 100 metres walk to the nearest Metro Station.

The hotel offers uniquely decorated rooms with beautiful artwork, rain showered and even heated floors (great for winter!).

If you decide to stay at Story Hotels Riddargatan, you have to try the on-site restaurant called Ling Long for lunch or dinner.

Their Asian fusion cuisine and casual setting in the hotel’s backyard is definitely a great choice for a summer night.

Check availability & best rates

Day 1: See Stockholm's Main Highlights

Spend your first day in the capital of Sweden wandering Gamla Stan, the Old Town with all its history and royal buildings, lively squares and narrow streets.

Gamla Stan is very walkable and the best places to visit in Stockholm can easily be explored on foot.

You can either set off by yourself with a map of the main highlights from your hotel reception or alternatively join a walking tour, like this one, with a professional guide who can explain everything about the fascinating history of Stockholm.

Things To See In Gamla Stan

As one of the best and most preserved medieval cities in Europe, there are a few spots you cannot miss in Gamla Stan:

• Stortorget, the oldest square in town with its famous orange, red and yellow buildings.
• The Royal Palace with over 600 rooms and seasonal special exhibits, plus the daily Changing of the Guard ceremony by the Swedish Military right outside the palace. The ceremony lasts about 40 minutes and starts at 12.15 pm on weekdays and at 1.15 pm on Sundays.

• Storkyrkan, the Stockholm Cathedral.
• The Riksdag, the Swedish Parliament
• The Nobel Museum
• Wander the main streets of Prästgatan and Västerlanggåtan as well as the small alley of Mårten Trotzigs Gränd

After so much walking, have a break and lunch at one of the many places in the Old Town. Here are some places I recommend you check out:

• Café Schweizer, great for a sandwich as well as coffee and pastries
• City Sallad, for fresh and tasty salads
• Stockholms Gastabud, for decent Swedish food like salmon, herring and meatballs

If walking is not your thing, I recommend taking the Hop-on Hop-off Bus around the city to see the main highlights and best of Stockholm.

Additionally, The Stockholm Pass is great to avoid wasting time and money, if you want to enjoy a variety of attractions all over the city.

This way, you get to hop on and off sightseeing buses, boats as well as entry to over 60 attractions with the pass. It can be bought for 1-5 days duration.

In the afternoon, head to the Stockholm City Hall, also called Stadshuset in Swedish, which you can also climb the tower during the summer months of May to September for some beautiful views over the city.

Then head to Norrmalm neighbourhood and browse around the fashion and design shops on Drottninggatan, the main pedestrian street as well as surrounding side streets.

Finish your first day in Stockholm with a unique experience and visit the ICEBAR Stockholm, which is open until midnight and serves nice cocktails.

Day 2: Boat Cruise & Östermalm

Built on numerous islands, Sweden’s largest city is perfect for a morning cruise, like this one, to see the city from the water. You will be amazed to learn that the city of Stockholm is actually build on 57 bridges and 14 islands!

A 2-hour cruise is a perfect time to take it all in and get the full commentary about all the city’s main highlights. On board many of the cruises, you will also be able to buy a small fika, which is mostly coffee and a cinnamon bun!

If the weather is good and you feel a bit more active why not try this eco-friendly guided kayak tour to see the city from the waterside?

For lunch, head to Östermalms Saulhall, which is one of Sweden’s best food markets since 1888 and which was also one of my favourite lunch spot in Stockholm. The food is fresh and delicious and you cannot go wrong wherever you eat. Note that Östermalmshallen is closed on Sundays.

In the afternoon, take a tram, bus or ferry and head out to Djurgården and pay a visit to the Vasa Museum, exhibiting the largest and most powerful warship called The Vasa build in the 1600’s.

Alternatively, spend the afternoon at Skansen, an open-air museum featuring Swedish history and a zoo, which might be a better pick for families visiting Stockholm.

Other attractions nearby include the ABBA Museum and Gronalund, Sweden’s oldest theme park that has been around since 1883, which is however rather small.

Day 3: Södermalm

For your last day, explore the trendy neighbourhood of Södermalm.

Head for breakfast or brunch at one of the many beautiful cafes in the neighbourhood. Here are some that are worth checking out:

• Greasy Spoon, for American-style diner breakfasts
• Nytorget 6, a hidden gem with reasonable prices and brunch from 10 am to 4 pm on weekends
• il Caffe, serves up great coffee, cinnamon buns and sandwiches

Make your way to Fotografiska, a trendy photography museum with ever-changing exhibitions that is worth visiting if you’re a shutterbug like me.

Buy your ticket online with instant confirmation and get your mobile voucher here.

For lunch, Urban Deli Nytorget is your place to grab a Swedish dish in a relaxed café setting.

Otherwise, Fotografiska also has a cosy café to enjoy a snack and drink overlooking the Old Town, if you don’t want to walk far after viewing the exhibitions.

Time to wander around Södermalm and explore the many boutique and vintage shops along Hornsgatan and Götgatan, two long streets packed with trendy shops, you might get lost in the boutiques and side streets for a few hours, don’t say I haven’t warned yoU!

Finish your final day in Stockholm with a wonderful sunset from Mariaberget, an observation deck offering sweeping city views.

Feel like Swedish Meatballs for dinner? Head to Meatballs for the People in Södermalm, offering a variety of meatballs from chicken, lamb to deer, moose and wild boar, served with mashed potatoes and lingonberries of course!

Looking for a fancy dining experience on your last night in Stockholm? Head to Gondolen which is a legendary restaurant sitting 33 meters above the city.

Dine while overlooking Stockholm’s lights, enjoying one of the Swedish and international dishes and handcrafted cocktails from the menu.

No matter if you only have one day in Stockholm, 2 or looking to explore Stockholm in 3 day itinerary, I hope my guide has been helpful to find Stockholm’s top attractions.

If you happen to only have 2 days in Stockholm, it makes more sense to pick a neighbourhood with sights that interest you most and stick to that instead of rushing around.

24 hours in Stockholm will cut your time very short, however, it is still possible to explore the best of Gamla Stan in a day while still leaving some time to try a traditional meatball meal or fika.

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