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🇸🇪Things to Do in Sweden
From Stockholm's old town to the Ice Hotel above the Arctic Circle - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.
Travel guide - last updated September 2026
Stockholm, built across 14 islands, is compact and walkable enough to feel manageable despite being spread over water - it anchors most first trips to Sweden. Beyond the capital, the country splits between the archipelago just offshore and the far north, where the Ice Hotel and reindeer country offer a completely different kind of trip. Here are 8 places worth building a trip around.
Top attractions
The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.
Gamla Stan (Stockholm Old Town)
Stockholm's medieval old town, on its own small island, with the Royal Palace and narrow cobblestone streets that date back to the 13th century.
📍 Stockholm
🚉 Nearest station: Gamla stan on the red and green tunnelbana lines, in the middle of the island, with Slussen and Kungstradgarden a short walk at either end.
Vasa Museum, Stockholm
Home to a nearly intact 17th-century warship that sank on its maiden voyage in 1628 and was recovered from Stockholm harbor 333 years later - one of the best-preserved ships of its age anywhere in the world.
📍 Stockholm
🚉 Take tram 7 from Kungstradgarden to Nordiska museet/Vasamuseet on Djurgarden, or the Djurgarden ferry from Slussen, which is the nicer approach in summer.
Stockholm Archipelago
Around 30,000 islands and skerries east of the city, reachable by ferry - Vaxholm and Sandhamn are two of the more accessible islands for a day trip.
📍 Stockholm Archipelago
🚉 Waxholmsbolaget and Stromma ferries leave from Stromkajen, beside the Grand Hotel, for Vaxholm, Grinda and Sandhamn - the outer islands take two to three hours.
ICEHOTEL, Jukkasjärvi
A hotel rebuilt from ice and snow every winter near Kiruna, above the Arctic Circle - both a place to stay and a walk-through art installation, with rooms designed by a different artist each season.
📍 Jukkasjärvi, Swedish Lapland
🚉 Fly or take the overnight train to Kiruna, then bus 501 for the 20-minute run to Jukkasjarvi; the hotel is rebuilt each winter and the ice rooms open in December.
Swedish Lapland & Reindeer
Home to the indigenous Sámi people and their reindeer herds, and one of the more reliable places in Europe to see the Northern Lights, roughly September through March.
📍 Swedish Lapland
🚉 The night train from Stockholm to Kiruna and Abisko takes about 16 hours and is the classic way north; Abisko Turiststation has its own halt on the Iron Ore Line.
Gothenburg
Sweden's second city, on the west coast, known for its canals, the Liseberg amusement park, and a more laid-back pace than Stockholm.
📍 Gothenburg
🚉 Nearest station: Goteborg Centralstation, with trams running from outside to Haga, Liseberg and the archipelago ferry terminal at Saltholmen.
Gotland & Visby
A Baltic island with Visby, a walled medieval Hanseatic town so well preserved it's a UNESCO World Heritage site - reachable by ferry or a short flight from the mainland.
📍 Visby, Gotland
🚉 Destination Gotland ferries sail from Nynashamn, an hour south of Stockholm by commuter train, and from Oskarshamn - the crossing takes three hours to Visby harbour.
ABBA Museum, Stockholm
An interactive museum dedicated to Sweden's best-known pop export, including a recreation of the group's recording studio and a virtual 'fifth member' stage experience.
📍 Stockholm
🚉 The museum is on Djurgarden beside the Grona Lund funfair: tram 7 to Liljevalchs/Grona Lund, or the ferry from Slussen, both about 10 minutes from the centre.
Mark Sweden, get the stamp
In MyPassportStory, every country you mark - visited, lived in, or still on the list - becomes a stamp like these in your own travel passport. Add the cities you stopped in, draw the route between them, and turn the whole trip into a shareable passport-style image.
Open MyPassportStoryPlanning questions
How many days do you need in Sweden?
4-5 days covers Stockholm and a day trip into the archipelago well. Adding Swedish Lapland or the Ice Hotel is worth treating as a separate multi-day extension given the distance north.
What's the best time to visit Sweden?
June-August has the mildest weather and, in the far north, nearly constant daylight. The Ice Hotel operates roughly December-April; the Northern Lights are best viewed September-March.
Is Sweden good for a first-time visit?
Yes - Stockholm is walkable and English is very widely spoken, though it's one of the pricier European destinations, particularly for dining out.
Do I need a visa to visit Sweden?
Sweden is part of the Schengen Area, so citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa arranged in advance. Check the official visa information for your nationality: swedenabroad.se.
What are some things to do in Sweden on a tight budget?
Walking Gamla Stan's streets and many of Stockholm's parks and waterfront paths cost nothing, Sweden's right-to-roam laws (allemansrätten) allow free access to most nature and wild camping, and grocery-store self-catering cuts significantly into the country's high restaurant prices.
Can I rent a car in Sweden, and what licence do I need?
Yes, though the trains reach Lapland and the main cities perfectly well. EU and EEA licences are valid as issued; licences from most other countries are accepted for visits, with an International Driving Permit if yours is not in English, German or a Nordic language. Minimum age is usually 18 to 20 by law but 21 to 25 at rental desks. Winter tyres are mandatory from December to March, headlights must be on at all times, and elk and reindeer on the road are a genuine hazard at dusk in the north. The Transport Agency publishes the rules at transportstyrelsen.se; cars come from Hertz, Sixt and Europcar.