Little boy exploring Stortorget square in Stockholm's old town

Things to do in Stockholm for Families and Kids

Stockholm is a fine family destination with oodles of attractions of kids, many of which are great fun for adults, too! Think viking museums, interactive science centers, cool city beaches and good old-fashioned amusement parks. You won't go short of family-friendly restaurants either where, if all else fails, succulent Swedish meatballs are a guaranteed hit from ages three to 103.

Getting around with kids is also a breeze, with a compact city center and an efficient public transport system that includes buses, trams, ferries and subway trains. Better yet: parents with strollers ride buses for free. Read on for our guide to the best things to do in Stockholm for families and kids.

Djurgården: Stockholm’s Great Green Playground

Image of Nature, Outdoors, Scenery, Pond, Water, Lakefront, Grass,

The city center island of Djurgården has more than enough going on to keep kids entertained for days at a time. Chief among the many attractions here is the extraordinary open-air museum that is Skansen, a sprawling living history park with a zoo and a full-scale replica of a 19th-century Swedish town. Arrive in style aboard the 19th-century funicular railway that climbs Skansen hill and drops you more or less at the entrance, and prepare to be transported back in time as you encounter traditional craftspeople in period costume. Kids will adore the cute critters in the zoo, which include Nordic otters, moose and brown bears, and there’s also a small petting area with domestic farm animals.

Skansen’s seasonal fairs are the stuff of legend. There’s live jazz and traditional folk dancing in summer, a traditional 18th-century-style harvest festival in September, and a popular annual Christmas market, where stalls festooned with stripy candy canes and the delicious aromas of roast chestnuts are sure to get kids young and old into the festive spirit.

Image of Nature, Outdoors, Sky, Person, Child, Female, Girl, Sunlight, Amusement Park,

There’s a superb duo of amusement parks nearby. Gröna Lund, Sweden’s oldest, combines old-fashioned attractions like the haunted house and tunnel of love with terrifying 21st-century thrill rides, while Junibacken (mostly for younger kids, aged around 4–8) brings classic Swedish literary characters to life, particularly those of celebrated author Astrid Lindgren. Ride the fairytale Story Train, enter the wacky world of Pippi Longstocking and explore the Moominvalley. There are also fun singalong theater shows (in Swedish) and a treasure trove of children’s books (including many in English) in the store.

And that’s not all. Djurgården is also home to – deep breath – the fabulously immersive Viking Museum, the Vasa Museum, which features the world’s best-preserved 17th-century warship as its centerpiece, and a museum dedicated to all things ABBA. Mamma mia!

Image of Person, Boat, Vehicle,

However, if there’s one thing Djurgården does lack, it’s affordable eating options. We recommend packing a picnic and all the kiddie snacks you’ll need for a full day out, and enjoying your al fresco lunch on the picture-perfect waterfront behind the Vasa Museum, or on any number of grassy lawns along the island’s walking trails.

Hit the Beach

When you think of Stockholm, it’s likely your mind wanders to fairytale lands of cobbled lanes, medieval churches and colorful gabled townhouses. Maybe even twinkling fairy lights, warm ginger cookies and steaming mugs of hot glögg (mulled wine) at a traditional Christmas market. And yes, Stockholm has all of that in spades. But did you know it also has some fine beaches, including several in the city center?

On the southern shores of Södermalm, Tanto strandbad is one of the city’s most popular summer swimming spots. Get there early to beat the crowds to the limited sands, or stake your claim to a particularly comfortable rocky patch or lawn behind. It’s great for families with kids and just a short walk from the lush Tantolunden park with its playground, mini golf course and steep slopes for winter tobogganing.

Image of Beach, Coast, Nature, Outdoors, Sea, Shoreline, Water, Boy, Child, Male, Person,

Golden sands, clean waters and a long jetty with diving platforms promise hours of fun at Flatenbadet beach in southern Stockholm, while sandy Ängbybadet in Bromma – just across the water from majestic Drottningholm Palace – is a local favorite, with good wheelchair access and a small ice cream shop.

If rain stops play (or you simply refuse to countenance those chilly Baltic Sea waters), take the kids to Eriksdalsbadet instead. This huge swimming complex (Sweden’s largest) boasts several pools (only one of them outdoors) with balmy water temperatures of around 80°F, plus an aqua park with water slides for the kids and hot tubs for the grown-ups.

Best of the Rest

Image of Food, Meat, Meatball,

It would be remiss to visit Stockholm without introducing your little 'uns to some of the gourmet delicacies Sweden has to offer. Meatballs from Stockholm institution Meatballs for the People are a must: delicious little orbs of bear, boar or reindeer meat doused in rich meat gravy or tangy lingonberry sauce. Sticky cinnamon buns (kanelbullar) still warm from the oven are another guaranteed hit. Top tip: use these sugary treats as a pacifier when the kids start getting fidgety on your must-do exploration of the old town; you’ll find them in any bakery worth its salt.

Djurgården isn’t the only place in Stockholm to find fab family-friendly museums. Head to tiny Skeppsholmen to explore over 40,000 vintage toys and comics at the Stockholm Toy Museum, located underground in a former Navy bunker. Get your fix of nostalgia with stacks of familiar toy cars, cartoon characters and action figures from the 20th Century, as well as an extensive doll collection with exhibits dating back as far as the 1400s!

Image of Photography, Face, Head, Person, Portrait, Child, Female, Girl, Accessories, Goggles, Glasses,

Tom Tits Experiment is a little off the beaten track in Södertälje, around 30 minutes by train from Stockholm, but boy is it worth the effort. The country’s biggest science center, it contains hundreds of experiments over four floors, all of which you’re encouraged to get involved in. Become a human yoyo, cycle along a tightrope, see your shadow change color, find out what an earthquake feels like and stare into infinity in this mind bending experience that has the power to fascinate and educate whatever your age.

Our final recommendation (though, believe us, there are LOADS more things for families to do in Stockholm than we can fit in here) is a bus ride with a difference. The Ocean Bus takes you on a whistle-stop tour of Stockholm landmarks including the Royal Palace and Royal Swedish Opera before whizzing along the prestigious Strandvägen waterfront then dive-bombing into the canal from the leafy Nobel Park. From here it bobs around the islands of Djurgården and Skeppsholmen before returning to dry land. You can be sure that this hour-long amphibious adventure is the one thing the kids will still be talking about weeks after your holiday.

Save on things to do in Stockholm for families and kids

Save on admission to Stockholm attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.

Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Freelance travel writer

Stu caught the travel bug at an early age, thanks to childhood road trips to the south of France squeezed into the back of a Ford Cortina with two brothers and a Sony Walkman. Now a freelance writer living on the Norfolk coast, Stu has produced content for travel giants including Frommer’s, British Airways, Expedia, Mr & Mrs Smith, and now Go City. His most memorable travel experiences include drinking kava with the locals in Fiji and pranging a taxi driver’s car in the Honduran capital.

Continue reading

Stockholm's island archipelago
Blog

Stockholm Airport to City Travel Options

Stockholm is the kind of magical place from which dreams are woven. This fairytale archipelago of 14 islands packs in a mind-boggling variety of attractions and activities, making it ideal for a city break in just about any season. We’re talking one of Europe’s most colorfully picturesque old towns, medieval cobbled lanes perfect for getting lost in, great swathes of picnic-perfect parkland, plus baroque palaces, great gothic cathedrals, world-class museums (ABBA, anyone?) and traditional Swedish spas galore. With so many great things to do here, you’ll naturally want to get to the heart of the action fast.  Most visitors arrive here by plane via Stockholm’s international Arlanda Airport, so we’ve put together a guide to the travel options that will get you into town as quickly, cheaply and efficiently as possible. Read on for everything you need to know about Stockholm’s airport to city travel options… Stockholm Arlanda Airport in Brief There are four airports serving Stockholm, of which Arlanda is the biggest and most used, serving as a major hub for flights operated by Scandinavian Airlines and processing around 3.5 million passengers every year. In fact, Arlanda is the largest airport in Sweden and third-largest in the Nordic countries (after Copenhagen and Oslo, fact fans). Stockholm’s other airports are Bromma (closer to the center, but mostly for domestic flights), and Skavsta and Västerås, both of which are geared more towards low-cost airlines and are located around 60 miles from Stockholm proper. Back to Arlanda, then, which lies around 23 miles (40 kilometers) north of Stockholm and is well-connected to the city center by bus, train and taxi. Just clear passport control, grab your luggage, and you can be indulging in the Swedish art of fika in Gamla Stan (Stockholm’s old town) in less than 20 minutes. How? Here’s how. Stockholm Airport to City by Public Transport By Train Want to get into Stockholm from the airport fast? The Arlanda Express is your friend. Hands down the quickest and most comfortable way of traveling into town, it takes just 18 minutes to reach Stockholm Central. It’s also very convenient: the service runs every 15 minutes throughout the day, breaking for a few hours between around 1AM and 4AM, meaning you’ll rarely have to wait long for a train to come along. It’s certainly not the cheapest travel option though. An adult ticket costs 340 SEK (around $30) one way, and it’s 640 SEK for a return. In short, this may well be the best option for solo travelers, but for groups of two or more, a cab is likely to be more cost-effective. Top tip: buy online in advance or from airport ticket machines for the best prices; you’ll pay a premium for purchasing on board. Slower commuter trains also depart Arlanda Airport twice hourly, taking 38 minutes to reach the city center. These are of course cheaper than the Arlanda Express and tickets can be bought at the station desk, via ticket machines or, perhaps most conveniently, using the SL smart phone ticket app.  By Bus Arlanda is well served by bus services. Both Flixbus and Flygbussarna run services to central Stockholm every 15-20 minutes during peak hours, with a journey time of just under 50 minutes. Prices start from 75 SEK ($7) one way, with discounts for return trips and group bookings. Top Tip: SL Travelcards  Commuter train travel from Arlanda Airport is covered by an SL travelcard, which also includes travel on underground trains, trams, buses and some ferry routes within the Greater Stockholm area. Passes are available in 24-hour, 72-hour and 7-day increments and will save you money (and time) if you plan to use public transport a lot while in town. Note that while you can also use the Arlanda Express with the SL travelcard, it carries a fairly hefty supplement of around 130 SEK ($12). Stockholm Airport to City by Private Transfer If, like many, all you want to do after your flight is flop into the back of a cab and be chauffeured through the unfamiliar city to the door of your vacation digs, you’re in luck. There are two cab ranks – one at terminal 2 and another at terminal 5 – where you can easily pick up a ride. Cab firms that operate here are contracted to Swedavia, the state-owned company that owns most of Sweden’s airports. That means peace of mind for you, thanks to regulations that include fare-capping within a designated zone. You should pay no more than 800 SEK ($75) for journeys with up to four people within the zone, and a maximum of 1,275 SEK ($120) for larger vehicles. That said, it always pays to agree a fare with your driver before you depart, especially if you’re going to be traveling beyond the designated zone. You can of course also use ride-hailing apps like Bolt and Uber, both of which operate in Stockholm, though these are unregulated and, as such, may end up costing you more, especially during ‘surge’ periods. Either way, the journey will generally take around 45 minutes in normal traffic, heading south into town straight down the E4 highway from Arlanda Airport. Stockholm Airport to City by Rental Car You’ll find several reliable car rental companies operating out of Stockholm Airport, including Sixt, Europcar, Hertz, Budget and Thrifty. Driving into and around Stockholm is relatively undaunting, with wide roads, straightforward signage and a populace that (largely) obeys the rules of the road. Some hotels will offer parking and there are plenty of parking garages around town if yours does not, though the cost of daily parking – around 300 SEK ($28) per 24 hours – can be high. It’s also worth noting that the city operates a congestion charge on weekdays, so the cost of having your own set of wheels will soon mount up, especially for stays of more than a couple of days. Our recommendation? Unless you have plans to take a scenic road trip to Sundsvall, Dalsland or even Oslo, you’ll likely find the city’s public transportation system more than sufficient for your needs. Save on Attractions, Tours and Activities in Stockholm Save on admission to Stockholm attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Woman sitting on a rock overlooking the water and Stockholm's old town
Blog

Things to do in Stockholm in Summer

Saint-Tropez, Santorini or St Lucia it ain’t, but Stockholm offers a pleasant summer alternative to all those traditional sunshine vacations, with blue skies, balmy breezes, fun festivals, parks, gardens and, yes, even beaches to keep sun-worshippers happy. It’s little surprise then that the months of June, July and August are among the city’s most popular. Read on for our guide to the best things to do in Stockholm in summer, including theme parks, island hopping and ice cream! Plus all of these: Stockholm Old Town Skansen open-air museum Rosendal Garden Party Stockholm Pride Djurgården island Crayfish parties Visiting Stockholm in Summer Now, don’t get us wrong… Sweden’s capital is a fine place to visit at any time of year – think spring cherry blossoms, burnished autumn leaves (and warm cinnamon buns), and those epic Old Town Christmas markets. But summer, when skies are an azure blue and the sun shines on those fairytale Old Town rooftops, is difficult to beat. Stockholm’s summers are pleasantly balmy, with average highs topping out in the mid-70s in July, and in the low 70s during the months either side. Rainfall is a little higher than in spring, but lower than autumn and winter – a small umbrella or pocket poncho should suffice for protection against the occasional summer shower. In short, this is a time for outdoor activities, but you may want to pack layers for the long (sometimes very long!) and slightly cooler evenings. June-August is peak tourist season here, and that’s true for Stockholmers, too! So you may also find that a few shops and restaurants are closed, especially in August, because this is traditionally when Swedes take their own summer vacations. Things to do in Stockholm in Summer Stockholm is an adventurer’s paradise, a compact cluster of 14 islands connected by 57 bridges – perfect, in other words, for exploring on warm, sunny days. And where better to start your adventure than Gamla Stan, the picturesque Old Town? This fairytale jumble of cobbled squares, candy-colored townhouses and medieval towers is even more beautiful in the sunshine, when bright blue skies (and a giant gelato from the legendary Skeppsbro ice-cream parlor, natch) make for those Insta-perfect selfie moments. Don’t miss Stockholm Cathedral, a 15th-century gothic confection complete with copper-green bell tower, and the eye-popping carving over the entrance to Skeppsbron 44. Commissioned by a cuckolded husband it depicts his distraught face sobbing over his cheating wife’s, um, lady bits. Summer is also a great time to rent a bike and explore the islands at your own pace. Pedal your way to bucket-list isles like Tantolunden, with its colorfully painted wooden cottages and plentiful picture-perfect picnic spots. Hike up the mound in the park’s center for panoramic views across the water to Liljeholmen. Or hit up Djurgården, Stockholm’s great green playground, and home to perhaps the greatest concentration of top Stockholm attractions on the archipelago! We’re talking Skansen, a huge open-air living history park that features a full-scale replica of a 19th-century Swedish town, and a zoo.  Djurgården is a fine location for long walks through fairytale woods and picnics by glassy lakes. It’s also where you’ll find attractions including (deep breath) Rosendal Garden, museums dedicated to everything from viking ships to ABBA, and the legendary Gröna Lund, Sweden’s oldest amusement park, which comes complete with a rickety old-school wooden roller coaster. Believe it or not, Stockholm also boasts some ace city-center beaches, with fine sandy stretches to be found on the islands of Långholmen, Södermalm and Kungsholmen. Or you can dodge the summer crowds and strike out for fabulous Flatenbadet beach in the south of the city, or Ängbybadet in the north, with its stunning views of opulent Drottningholm Palace. Entry to many of the above attractions is included with a Stockholm pass from Go City, which can save you up to 50% if you plan to visit multiple sights. The pass also comes packed with other fun summer tours and activities, including cruises of the canals and archipelago, Swedish fika experiences, kayak rental and more! Find out more about the Go Stockholm pass and bag yours here. What’s on: Stockholm Summer Events There’s plenty going on in Stockholm during summer, with festivities kicking off in earnest on National Sweden Day, June 6. This public holiday is marked by celebrations of the country’s rich heritage and culture, most notably at Skansen which (usually) features an appearance from the King and Queen themselves, with satellite events taking place at Drottningholm Palace Park, Haga Park and elsewhere across the city. Midsummer is celebrated around June 20 with traditional folk costumes, music, dancing, and plenty of pickled herring. Festivities continue late into the night – this is the longest day of the year after all, with a little over 18 hours of daylight, so you might as well go ahead and make the most of it. The Rosendal Garden Party is another major early highlight of the summer calendar. Taking place on ever-popular Djurgården every June, this three-day music festival has attracted big names including Florence and the Machine, Grace Jones and The Cardigans down the years. Pride has been a flamboyant fixture of the Stockholm summer events calendar since 1998, usually taking place across the first week of August and bringing with it a colorful cavalcade of events in celebration of LGBTQ+  culture. Most of the action takes place in and around the Östermalms IP sports ground, but there will be events taking place across town, culminating in the epic Pride parade, which sees hundreds of thousands of revelers marching through the city streets to bring the week’s festivities to a suitably celebratory close. Meanwhile July’s Stockholm Street Food Festival is set up to satisfy appetites for all kinds of things, from international gourmet snacks to craft beer and live music. Last but by absolutely no means least, August sees Swedes everywhere celebrate the end of summer the only way they know how: by donning bibs and party hats and consuming copious amounts of local crayfish and Swedish snaps, accompanied by great big bonfires and much boisterous singing. In fact, in many way crayfish parties are the perfect end to Stockholm’s most perfect season. Dive in! Save on Things to do in Stockholm in Summer Save on admission to Stockholm attractions, tours and activities with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak

Have a 5% discount, on us!

Sign up to our newsletter and receive exclusive discounts, trip inspiration and attraction updates straight to your inbox.

Thick check Icon