Stockholm is a great place to spend a few days exploring. Out of all of the cities that I visited in Scandinavia, Stockholm was the city that I didn’t quite manage to squeeze everything into. I visited a lot of museums, but left with a list of sights to see on my next visit to Stockholm. But even with all those museums and sights to see, there’s some great day trip options that you should look into. These Stockholm day trips all show a slightly different side of Sweden, so it helps to add some variety to your trip.
The Best Day Trips from Stockholm
As with all of my lists, this is not an exhaustive list of every Stockholm day trip that you can do. Quite honestly, the possibilities are endless. So instead, I’ve narrowed it down to what I consider to be the five best day trips from Stockholm. You’ll find something for everyone on this list. There’s charming islands, university towns, and castles.
Grinda
The traffic free island of Grinda can be an option if you’re looking to take a step back and relax. The island of Grinda is actually a nature preserve and few families actually live here, but it can make another great day trip from Stockholm. This tiny island is only one mile across, making it easy to manage on a day trip.
Grinda is more focused on walking in nature than on historical sight seeing, so get on the path and enjoy the nature and a break from city life. Or if you’re sick of walking, rent a kayak to explore around the island.
Vaxholm
Vaxholm is another island in Stockholm’s archipelago and it’s one of the easiest to visit, so much so that it’s known as the “Gateway to the Archipelago”. While Vaxholm is a stop on several ferries, you could actually reach the island via traditional public transportation (ie a bus) since a bridge connects Vaxholm to the mainland. For this reason, Vaxholm is a bit more developed that some of the other islands in Stockholm’s archipelago, but since its easy to visit, it could be added to your day trip itinerary. Head out to a further island, then stop in Vaxholm on your way back to Stockholm.
Wander the main shopping street, head to the main square, and explore the fishermen’s quarters on your visit. Plus, you can also tour the Vauxholm Fortress and Museum. Originally built in the 1500s to serve as protection of Stockholm, this fortress did eventually do its job and prevent two invasions. Once it was proven that the islands could provide a strategic defense system, Stockholm slowly expanded into the islands.
Sandhamn
Located on the edge of Stockholm’s archipelago, the island of Sandhamn takes a bit of time to get to. For those wanting to visit, expect two take a two hour ferry ride (that’s two hours each way, for four hours total on the ferry). Before you write it off as too far, keep in mind that those two hours are spent sailing through Stockholm’s archipelago so the journey can be part of your sightseeing for the day.
In the summer months, Sandhamn can be crowded with tourists, but if you’re willing to brave the crowds, you’ll still find some fun things to do. Stroll the island (or rent a bike) and take in the nature. Relax on the beach (the island of Sandön, where Sandhamn is located, literally translates to “sandy island”). Trouville Beach is the most popular, so if you’re here in summer and want to avoid crowds, you may want to try another beach. And if you’re sick of nature, you can tour the Old Town.
Uppsala
Let’s finally talk about a day trip that I did when I visited Stockholm. Uppsala is an easy day trip from Stockholm and offers the chance for visitors to explore a University town. While it may not sound like much, there are a handful of sights that make the town of Uppsala an interesting day trip from Stockholm.
The Silver Bible at the Uppsala University Library Museum is what helps to keep this town of the tourist map. The Silver Bible is a bible written in the extinct Gothic language. It’s one of two bibles to ever be found written in this language and it’s from these bibles that scholars have learned much of what they know abut the Gothic Language. The Silver Bible is just one of the treasures at the University Library Museum.
Also in Uppsala, you’ll find one of my favorite cathedrals in Scandinavia, the University of Uppsala’s oldest surviving building (complete with an anatomical theater), and the Linneaus Garden and Museum (which created the formal system for naming and identifying plants).
To get to Uppsala, you can use one of the frequent trains that depart from Stockholm’s central station. You’ll find fast trains and slower, commuter trains.
Drottningholm Slott
Drottningholm Slott is another easy day trip from Stockholm. If you were underwhelmed by the Royal Palace in Stockholm, consider a visit to Drottningholm Slott instead. Here, you can tour the Royal Palace (open daily in the summer, limited hours during all other seasons), the Court Theater, and its gardens.
I popped over for a quick visit to Drottningholm Slott on my visit to Sweden. I say quick because I could only see the castle from the outside and wander the gardens (since the palace itself was closed that day). The exterior is great and I would have loved to tour inside if given the chance, but it just didn’t quite work out on my trip.
To get to Drottningholm Slott, you’ll need to take the metro from central Stockholm to Brommaplan. There, you’ll transfer onto a local bus which will take you to Drottningholm Slott.
Which Stockholm Day Trip Should You Do?
During my trip to Stockholm, I really wanted to visit one of the islands and to see Stockholm’s archipelago. However, I visited in Stockholm in mid April, and it was just too early in the season for that kind of sightseeing. Instead, I visited both Uppsala and Drottningholm Slott. I spent the morning in Uppsala, retuned to Stockholm and then headed out to the gardens of Drottningholm Slott in the afternoon.
My recommendation for which Stockholm day trip you choose is based on the time of year you are traveling. If you’re traveling during the summer months, pick one (or more) of the islands in Stockholm’s archipelago. If you’re visiting outside of shoulder season and the ferries are not running, I’d visit Drottningholm Slott if the palace is open for tourists (typically on weekend dates, but check the schedule in advance) or Uppsala.
More in Stockholm
Stockholm itself has a lot to offer, so when in doubt, I’m sure you’ll be able to find another museum in Stockholm that piques your interest. Even though I crammed four major sights into one day in Stockholm, I still had more museums that I wanted to visit. So while I do think day trips are a great way to see more of a country, make sure you give yourself plenty of time in Sweden’s capital city of Stockholm.
When to Visit Stockholm
Winters have the fewest visitors and therefore you can expect a slightly lower price. However, winters have the worst weather (expect it to be cold) and have limited daylight. For example, in Stockholm, the sun rises around 8:30 am and sets at about 3:30 pm in January.
Summers have long days with the sun not setting until 9:00 or 10:00 pm. You’ll also have the best weather. However, crowds are at their highest.
Typically, shoulder season can offer the best mix between daylight hours, weather, and tourist crowds.
But I personally would recommend traveling very late spring to very early summer or very late summer into very early fall. Basically, try to catch that cut over between spring and summer or summer and fall.
I traveled in mid April and it was a bit chilly, especially in the mornings. I did ok, but I definitely would have preferred it to be just a little bit warmer. Plus some sights still had limited hours. If I were to do this trip again, I’d aim for mid to late May.
Final Thoughts
Stockholm itself offers a lot of interesting museums and sights for tourists, but for something a little different, consider venturing beyond Stockholm for a day. No matter which day trip you choose, you’re sure to have a great time.
Continue Your Adventure
More in Sweden: Stockholm is the capital city and deserves at least one day. For day trips from Stockholm, consider Uppsala and Drottningholm Slott. Don’t miss Gothenburg, Sweden’s second largest city.
Sweden Travel Guide: Start planning your trip with my Sweden Travel Guide.
Scandinavia: Start planning your trip to Scandinavia with this 10 Day Itinerary, featuring stops in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Check out my Scandinavia Budget for a realistic look at travel costs and budgeting tips. Plus, here’s my top tips for traveling Scandinavia.