Walking Tour of Stockholm: 2 Free Self-Guided Itineraries
BY JARED DILLINGHAM
WALKING TOUR OF STOCKHOLM ITINERARIES
A walking tour of Stockholm is the perfect way to experience this beautiful, historic city.
There are a number of inexpensive walking tours you can book in Stockholm, but it’s also easy to explore on your own.
These are two great itineraries for walking tours of Stockholm, which will get you around to see many of the main sites in this historic city.
The first itinerary, a walking tour of Gamla Stan, will take you through Stockholm’s medieval history.
The second itinerary will pass by Stockholm’s most famous museums (honoring eras from the vikings through ABBA)!
Where to Stay: Hotels in Stockholm
You’ll find a variety of hotel and rental options in Stockholm. You can check out this interactive map to see what’s available. Any of the hotels in the central part of the city is a great base for a walking tour!
Stockholm Walking Tour #1: Gamla Stan
Gamla Stan translates to “Old Town” in Swedish. It’s a neighborhood on a small island in central Stockholm, which dates back to the 12th Century.
Many of the buildings in Gamla Stan date back to the 1600s and 1700s.
Today, it’s home to beautiful architecture, restaurants, stores, museums, and pedestrian-friendly cobblestone streets.
Total Distance: 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers)
Central Station
Aim for Vasabron, the bridge which will take you over the water to the small islands, which are home to one of the best-preserved “old towns” in Europe.
The islands are linked by bridges, so you can easily walk from one to another.
From Stockholm Central Station, it’s a one kilometer walk to the heart of Gamla Stan. With traffic and crosswalk signals, it’ll take you about 20 minutes.
Stads Island
Stads Island is the largest island to make up the Gamla Stan neighborhood.
It’s home to many of the famous sites people associate with the city, so it’ll be our first stop on this walking tour of Stockholm.
Stortorget Public Square
Stortorget, a public square in the center of Stads Island, is home to one of the most iconic images people conjure up when they think of Stockholm.
It’s the oldest, and most historic square in the city of Stockholm. The brightly-colored six-story buildings on the west side of the square were built on top of medieval walls.
The tallest buildings (the reddish-orange and orangey-yellow, for lack of better description) date back to the late 1400’s. The others were built in the 17th and 18th Centuries.
Several of the buildings are home to restaurants now. Plus, Swedish business owners setup their famous Christmas Market in Stortorget Square each December.
While the square is a cheery, vibrant present-day stop on our walking tour of Stockholm, it was also the site of the Stockholm Massacre of 1520. The king beheaded and hanged 90 nobles, after an archbishop accused them of heresy.
But … back to present-day brighter times in Stortorget Square!
The Nobel Prize Museum is in the Stockholm Stock Exchange Building, which takes up an entire block of the square.
The fountain you’ll see here was once a well, which dried up 150 years ago. Today, it’s connected to Stockholm’s water system.
Following any of the cobblestone streets branching out from the square will lead you to shops and restaurants.
Sweden’s Royal Palace
Stads Island is also home to many government buildings, including the Royal Palace and the House of Lords.
The Royal Palace is open to the public, and is still the King of Sweden’s official residence. As you’d expect, the palace comes with the usual pomp and circumstance and changing of the guard.
It’s colossal, and with more than 600 rooms, Sweden’s Royal Palace is one of the largest in Europe. Today, it’s home to several museums.
One of the main ferry terminals is also based out front. It’s very convenient, but I’d have to assume past kings and queens wouldn’t approve of commoners coming and going from the base of their grand staircase!
Stromkajen
The palace can be best viewed from across the water. Follow the Strombron Bridge north across the harbor toward the historic Stockholm Grand Hotel.
➡️ Click here to check availability and rates at this gorgeous 5-star hotel.
In front of the hotel (which really is grand) you’ll see a line of ferries at the Stromkajen terminal and docks.
This side of the water will give you a spectacular view of Gamla Stan, and it’s worth crossing the bridge on this walking tour just to check out this part of Stockholm’s skyline.
While you’re there, you can hop on a ferry (if the timing is right) and cruise right across the water to the Slussen ferry terminal (Slussen-Stromkajen route).
The ferries don’t require pre-purchased tickets. Just tap your credit card on the payment scanner as you walk on. It was so easy and efficient… I was confused at first!
If the ferry timing isn’t good for you, it’s a one kilometer walk back over to the Slussen terminal on Stads Island, where we’ll continue our walking tour of Stockholm.
The Best Skyline View of Stockholm
Technically, the next stop on our walking tour isn’t actually part of Gamla Stan.
It’s in a trendy, well-known area called Sodermalm, south of the Gamla Stan islands.
From the Slussen stop, you’ll walk south across Slussbron Bridge, and then west on Hornsgatan as you wind your way back toward the water.
You’re heading for a spot called: Mariaberget. It’s a one kilometer walk from the ferry at Slussen.
I think this is my favorite view of Stockholm’s skyline. It’s part of a walking path in a park, which runs along a cliff. The city glows at night.
Riddar Island
From the cliffside viewpoint in Sodermalm, you’ll be looking north at Riddar Island, which is home to Stockholm’s famous Riddarholmen Church.
It’s one of the oldest buildings in Stockholm, and the original structure (built in the late 1200’s) was a monastery.
The iconic spire, which can be seen from most parts of our walking tour of Stockholm, is relatively new. A cast-iron spire replaced the original in the 1830’s, after a lightning strike burned it down.
Most of the Swedish kings and queens from the last 400 years are buried at Riddarholmen Church.
Helgeands Island
The walking tour continues, heading toward Helgeands Island, which will only take you five minutes to get to from the church
Helgeands is so small, you might not realize it’s an island unto itself. It’s primarily home to the National Bank and Sweden’s House of Parliament.
The government building is very pretty, and includes an extensive garden on the east side, which I really enjoyed. The flower boxes on the bridge over were an eclectic mix of plants, flowers, and even strawberries!
This is where I think I’ll end this walking tour itinerary for Gamla Stan. You’re just a few blocks away from the restaurants around Stortorget to the south, or the businesses back up around the central train station to the north.
Stockholm Walking Tour #2: Museums, Ships, & Castles
Total Distance: 3.1 miles (5 kilometers)
A Beautiful View of Stockholm
If you’re stalking this walking tour of Stockholm from the city’s central train station, you could walk the 1.3 kilometers to our fist stop: Stromkajen, or the 5-star Stockholm Grand Hotel.
Or, you could take the Metro line (#10 toward Kungstradgarden) and walk the rest of the way to Stromkajen, which is on the water across from the Royal Palace.
As mentioned in the prior tour itinerary, I think Stromkajen provides a stunning view of the palace and this section of Stockholm’s skyline.
From here, we head south across Skeppsholmsbron. There are walking lanes on both sides of the bridge. Halfway across, you’ll see the bridge’s famous “guilded crown.”
Museums & Military Barracks
Skeppsholmen Island is home to several museums, ranging from the Museum of Modern Art to the Stockholm Toy Museum.
Walking farther south, you’ll come across the old Bostallshusen military barracks.
They date back to 1704, but were initially used to house the poor and homeless during famine.
The buildings were used by the Swedish Navy for centuries, until they were converted into a hotel in 2009.
Kastellet
This walking tour of Stockholm continues south, across a bridge labeled Kastellholmsbron, to an island that’s been a naval base for centuries.
Kastellet is a military citadel built on this tiny island in 1848.
It was built for defense purposes, and during World War II, Kastellet was outfitted with rapid-fire, anti-aircraft guns.
In the 1970’s, the old military citadel was converted into a conference and event venue. On our visit, people were getting married in a tent on the lawn.
Take the Ferry!
This walking tour of Stockholm includes a ferry ride! The city is made of 14 islands, so at some point you should hop on one of the efficient water taxis.
For our purposes on this itinerary, we’re going to leave from the Skeppsholmen dock, on the route that takes you across to Allmanna Grand, which is on Djurgarden Island.
It’ll be the 82 Ferry, and it leaves every 10 minutes during the day.
As I mentioned in the prior walking tour itinerary, paying is simple: A credit card reader will charge your card as soon as you tap it when you walk onboard.
The ABBA Museum
Yes! We enjoyed our hour-long visit to the museum dedicated to these Swedish icons.
You may be looking to liven things up with a change of pace here, in between stops at the other museums.
It includes their history, the group’s old wardrobes from their tours, and an interactive stage/karaoke show I wasn’t brave enough to try.
Stockholm’s Viking Museum
The Viking Museum is just a block north of the ABBA Museum, along Djurgardsvagen.
It’ll take you back in time to the 9th Century, when vikings ruled the waterways.
The Vasa Maritime Museum
The Vasa Museum is also right on the same path, down the street from the Viking Museum.
➡️ Click here for a private tour of the Vasa Museum.
It’s the most popular museum in Scandinavia, and is home to its namesake Vasa warship. It’s the only 17th century ship to be salvaged and preserved to this extent.
We’ll end this walking tour of Stockholm at the Vasa. If your day is done it’s a quick 10 minute Metro ride, on the #7 toward T-Centralen and Stockholm’s Central Station.
Wrap: Walking Tours of Stockholm
Of course, these are just ideas for walking tours of Stockholm. The itineraries on this post can easily be amended or even combined.
The Best Way to Get From Stockholm Airport to the Center City
Hands down, the best, easiest, fastest way to get into the city from the airport is the Arlanda Express.
The trains run every 10 – 15 minutes from the Stockholm Airport terminals to the main train station in center Stockholm.
➡️ JARED’S DETOURS BLOG: The Arlanda Express to Stockholm Airport
➡️ JARED’S DETOURS BLOG: Day Trips from Stockholm: Uppsala & Sigtuna
➡️ JARED’S DETOURS BLOG: Stockholm Ferry Routes for Tourists & Sightseeing
The Weather in Stockholm
The weather can make or break any walking tour. Just beware that it’s often windy and cold in Stockholm. Gloves, hats, scarves, and comfortable boots are all musts for many months of the year.
Unless you get an unseasonably warm, sunny day, the months of December, January, and February are very cold and not ideal for a walking tour.
Expect:
- ☀️ April and May to have highs in the 50’s, along with October.
- ☀️June and September usually peak in the 60’s.
- ☀️ July and August high temperature reach the low 70’s.
Mind the Bikes!
Stockholm is a biking city, unlike most I’ve seen. It’s impressive, and even inspiring to see cyclists out at dawn peddling to work.
That said, you’ll need to be careful as you cross.
Stockholm has cycling lanes built right alongside the lanes used for normal car and bus traffic.
The cyclists know their routes, and confidently zip around. They tend to mind the traffic signals, but as walkers (and tourists) it’s up to us to check twice before crossing any streets.
Add-on: One of Europe’s Longest Shopping Boulevards
Drottninggatan is a stretch of shopping close to the central train station in Stockholm.
It has a festive atmosphere, with flags for the seasons, and it’s only open to pedestrians.
Shoppers could make an entire day of Drottninggatan, which is made of chains, high-end luxury stores, and more localized Scandinavian favorites … BUT … there’s SO much MORE to see in Stockholm 😊
