Stockholm Day Trip to Beautiful Swedish Towns: Uppsala and Sigtuna
BY JARED DILLINGHAM
TRAVEL GUIDE: DAY TRIPS FROM STOCKHOLM: UPPSALA & SIGTUNA
Stockholm is one of Scandinavia’s historic, world-class cities, which is full of things to do for visitors.
If you’re looking to escape to a quieter, more peaceful town or two outside the city limits, I’d recommend a day trip from Stockholm to the charming towns of Uppsala and Sigtuna.
Day Trip from Stockholm to Uppsala, Sweden
Uppsala is a sizable city, which is home to around 180,000 permanent residents.
Its influx of students swells the population, and creates a vibrant small city, which makes it a great day trip from Stockholm.
Uppsala University is the oldest university in all of Scandinavia, and was founded in 1477.
How to get from Stockholm to Uppsala
Uppsala is a quick trip from Stockholm. It’s about 70 kilometers, or about 45 miles from central Stockholm.
The drive is easy (a straight shot north up highway E4), but the train is even easier!
The entire train system in Sweden is very user-friendly. The cost of a ticket from Stockholm’s Central Station to Uppsala is about $10.
You’ll have to check the schedule when you go, but typically the trains leave every half-hour on this popular route.
As soon as you arrive in Uppsala and walk outside the train station, you’ll see more evidence of just how much the Swedish people love bicycling around.
Things to do in Uppsala, Sweden
If you’re making this day trip from Stockholm, don’t rush to get to Uppsala too early!
We found: most shops and restaurants don’t open until later in the morning or midday.
In the summer months, you’ll find a lot of events and activities, but even during the slower fall months, we found plenty to do.
The streets in Uppsala are very pedestrian-friendly. A main thoroughfare branches off into cobblestone side streets, lined with restaurants and stores.
You’ll also notice how clean Uppsala is. We saw several street sanitation crews out tidying things up. Some of the bars and pubs can get a bit rowdy with the student life, but the crews were out erasing any evidence of debauchery from the night before!
The Fyris Riverwalk
The Fyris River runs through Uppsala, before turning into Ekoln Lake south of the city.
The river’s banks are beautiful, and lined with sidewalks and parks.
I loved the bridges along the river, and the flower boxes, spilling over with vines and blooms.
Directly down the hill from Uppsala Castle, you’ll find the riverside park known as Stradstradgarden.
It has beautifully landscaped paths, and features concerts and other events through the year.
Visit Uppsala Castle
Uppsala Castle is a giant pink building, perched on the hill in town.
When we arrived, I assumed it was part of the university.
The castle is home to a salacious and bizarre history.
It dates back to the mid 1500s, and was built by the king known as the “Father of Modern Sweden,” King Gustav Vasa.
Touring the castle, you’ll hear stories of the bloodbaths, conspiracies, and murderous plots which played out here over the centuries.
These days, it’s home to the Uppsala Art Museum.
Uppsala Cathedral
Uppsala Cathedral is both the tallest and the largest cathedral not just in Sweden, but in all of Scandinavia.
Construction on the cathedral began in the year 1270, and it was completed and consecrated more than 150 years later, in 1435.
It was a pretty sight through the early morning fog on our visit:
Uppsala Cathedral was where generations of Swedish kings were coronated.
Honestly, I was surprised to hear that it was built centuries ago. At first glance, the exterior looks almost too new! The cathedral went through a major renovation in the 1970s.
The cathedral is open to visitors daily, from 8am – 6pm, and you can check their website to see what events might be going on when you’re in town.
Great Tours and Guides in Uppsala
Uppsala is full of tour options, many of which focus on the area’s viking history and Uppsala Castle.
These are some of the best tours available:
➡️ BOOK: Uppsala History Walking Tour
This is an hour-long walking tour, which focuses on the bizarre lore surrounding the old inhabitants of Uppsala Castle
➡️ BOOK: Old Uppsala Medieval Tour
This is a 90 minute walking tour with a local guide, who will take you to the ancient burial grounds and the medieval church in Uppsala
➡️ BOOK: Uppsala Castle Rooftop Walk
The photos of this look really cool. A guide will take you up to the castle, where you can literally scale and walk along the roof, for the best views of the city.
➡️ BOOK: Photographer for Family Photos
I’ve had family members do this in other cities and love it. In Uppsala, you can book your own private photographer, who will know where the best lighting and backdrops will be to take family photos of your visit!
Travel From Uppsala to Sigtuna
You can spend an entire day (or more) in either Uppsala or Sigtuna, but it’s also very manageable to visit both towns on a day trip from Stockholm.
In our case, the weather wasn’t ideal, and the university wasn’t in session, so Uppsala was a bit slow and rainy for us to spend more time in. We were also in a time crunch, and wanted to make sure to see both towns.
Drive From Uppsala to Sigtuna
Driving is very easy. It’s a 30 kilometer drive, or about 20 miles. Highway 255 will take you south from Uppsala to Sigtuna in about half-an-hour.
There’s no need to rent a car for this trip, because the bus system is very easy to use.
Best Bet: Take the Bus From Uppsala to Sigtuna
I love traveling on trains. When it comes to buses, I’m generally less excited.
But…
The bus from Uppsala to Sigtuna was very easy to use, and provided a quick, efficient ride.
The trip first requires a brief train ride from Uppsala down to Marsta Station.
Get on the train in Uppsala heading toward Stockholm, and make sure it makes a stop at Marsta.
The train should cost around $7, and take about 20 minutes to get to Marsta.
From Marsta, you’ll get on either the 570 or 575 train toward Sigtuna. The station is really easy to use, and each little bus stop there will have a digital board, listing the buses and when they’ll be arriving or departing (see the photo above).
For me, the best part about the bus system is: no ticket needed! You pay when you board, just by tapping your credit card.
The cost is $1 to ride the bus from Uppsala to Sigtuna!
Day Trip From Stockholm to Sigtuna, Sweden
Sigtuna is widely known as Sweden’s oldest town! It was established 1,000 years ago, and is home to many ancient ruins and viking sites.
Sigtuna much more of a small town, compared to Uppsala. It’s home to just around 9,000 permanent residents.
Whether you’re coming to Sigtuna from Stockholm for the day, or traveling down from Uppsala as part of a two-city day trip, the advice on what to do is the same.
Things to do in Sigtuna
From the bus stop, all of the main sites in Sigtuna are very walkable.
You’ll have your choice of several restaurants along the historic main street, called Stora Gatan, which is mostly lined with stores.
I’ll be honest: it was a bit odd seeing some of the more modern stores lining the main street of Sweden’s oldest town, but the quaint local shops are worth checking out.
There’s a bike shop, where you can rent bikes to explore the area, or ride along Lake Malaren.
Sigtuna is only 10 kilometers from Sweden’s Arlanda International Airport. Its construction helped rejuvenate the town and stabilize its population.
St. Olof
St. Olof is perhaps the most famous site in historic Sigtuna.
It’s the ruins of an 1100 year-old church, named after a Norwegian viking.
This is one of seven stone churches which stood in Sigtuna over the centuries. The ruins of St. Olof and two others remain today.
Ruins of St. Per
The ruins of the Church of St. Per are the surviving walls of a church (named after Saint Peter) which was built in the late 11th Century.
St. Per’s was built in the shape of a cross, with a tower as its central feature.
St. Per’s, which was built mostly of granite, was used for several hundred years, until it was abandoned in the 1500s during The Reformation.
The church fell into ruin, and people in town began taking the stones from its construction to use on their own properties.
In the late 1800s, St. Per’s became a protected monument. It continues to undergo restoration work to keep its remaining walls standing.
Bell Tower
A red Bell Tower sits over an ancient viking graveyard on a hill overlooking Sigtuna.
You can hike behind it to search for the old burial mounds.
The site may be historic, but the bell tower is brand new. The old one burned in 2016, and the current tower was built in 2018.
➡️ BOOK: SIGTUNA day trip from Stockholm
This tour will take you from your hotel (or cruise port) to the most famous and historic sites in the oldest town in Sweden. It’s about 5-hours, and a private tour for two people or more.
The Best Tours for a Day Trip From Stockholm
If you’d rather have someone else do all the planning and driving, you can book several great tours for a day trip from Stockholm, to both Sigtuna and Uppsala
➡️ BOOK: VIKING TOUR: Stockholm, Sigtuna, and Uppsala
They’ll pick you up from your hotel (or cruise port) in Stockholm, for a full day tour of viking sites in this region of Sweden. It’s a private tour, which will take you to Sigtuna, Uppsala, and other towns along the way.
➡️ BOOK: UPPSALA DAY TRIP from Stockholm
This is a private full-day tour from Stockholm to Uppsala, which will include a pick-up from your hotel in the city. They’ll take you to the most popular sites in Uppsala, including the castle, the cathedral, and viking burial sites in “Old Uppsala.”
➡️ BOOK: SIGTUNA DAY TRIP from Stockholm
This tour option is a private, half-day tour of famous viking sites in the Stockholm area. They’ll also bring you to the ruins in Sigtuna, and let you walk around the charming town for a while.
As for Stockholm, you can use this interactive map to check out hotel an rental options for your stay:
Check out my other blogs, full of advice on visiting Stockholm!
📍 JARED’S DETOURS Blog: Ferry Routes for Tourists & Sightseeing
