by Holger.Ellgaard / CC BY-SA 3.0   

A. About Stockholm

Nickname:  Capital of Scandinavia

Located on the east coast of Sweden at the mouth of Lake Mälaren, Stockholm with a population of more than 900,000 inhabitants is widely renowned for its natural beauty. The central parts of the city consist of a group of fourteen connected islands in the Stockholm Archipelago.

The capital of Sweden is the most populous city in the Nordic countries. The magnificent royal residence of Drottningholm, consisting of a palace, theatre, gardens, and Chinese pavilion, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It stands on an island in Lake Mälaren, a suburb of Stockholm.

Best Things to do in Stockholm

The Good: 

Other than scoring extremely high for its picturesque situation Stockholm is also very safe and clean. Furthermore, the capital of Sweden offers an excellent transport system.

The Not-So-Good: 

Stockholm is extremely expensive, and few sights obtained high ratings. In addition, in winter it can get very cold.


B. Best Things to Do in Stockholm in 2024 (Detailed List with Photos and Information)

In total, we count more than forty sights in Stockholm. The following sights contribute to a score of 6.75/10 in this most important category.

# Vasa Museum 7 3.6 out of 5 stars

The Vasa Museum displays as a centerpiece the almost fully intact 64-gun warship Vasa that sank in 1628.

Archaeological Museum Gallery Space: ca 12,540 m2 / 134,979 ft2 | Galleries: 6 | Artworks on Display: ca. 150; mainly the Vasa | Established: 1990 | Visitors (2017): 1,495,760

Best Things to do in Stockholm | Best Cities | Stockholm | Vasa Museum

by Javier Kohen / CC BY-SA 3.0

# Skansen 6 3.1 out of 5 stars

Founded in 1891, Skansen is the world’s oldest and most famous open-air museum.

Covering around seventy-five acres (300,000 m²), it features around 150 Swedish traditional buildings from the 18th, 19th, and early 20th, shipped piece by piece to the museum, where they were rebuilt as well as museum employees in period dress.

Open-Air Museum Established: 1891 | Surface: 75 acres / 30.35 hectares 0.3 km2 | Buildings: 150 | Visitors (2016): 1,369,431

Best Things to do in Stockholm | Best Cities in the World | Stockholm | Skansen Open Air Museum

by Holger.Ellgaard / CC BY-SA 4.0

# Gamla Stan (Old Town) 6 3.1 out of 5 stars

Situated primarily on the idyllic island Stadsholmen, Gamla Stan is the picturesque medieval center of Stockholm.

Lined by elegant old Hanseatic houses, here you'll find the scenic large Stortorget (main square) as well as car-free cobbled streets, cafés, restaurants, tourist shops, studios, galleries, and museums.

Historic Area

Best Cities in the World | No. 29: Stockholm | Things to do in Stockholm | Gamla Stan (Old Town)

by Arild Vågen / CC BY-SA 3.0

# Royal Palace 5.5 2.7 out of 5 stars

In this stunning baroque Palace with over six hundred rooms, visitors can tour the Royal Apartments, the Treasury, and the Castle Museum (Tre Kronor Museum). 

Palace Open to the Public: year-round

Best Cities in the World | No. 29: Stockholm | Things to do in Stockholm | Royal Palace

by Christopher Macsurak / CC BY-SA 2.0

# City Hall (Stadshuset) 5.5 2.7 out of 5 stars

Topped by three golden crowns, Stockholm's City Hall from 1911 dominates the city's skyline and is the venue of the Nobel Prize banquet. Visit the lavish Golden Hall and (during the summer months) enjoy a wonderful panorama from the top of the iconic 106-meter-high tower.

Historic Building | Viewpoint (with elevator)

by Lipton sale / CC BY-SA 3.0

# Djurgarden 5.5 2.7 out of 5 stars

This idyllic island in central Stockholm is the most popular recreation area of the city and is home to some of the most important museums in Sweden, such as the Vasa Museum, the Abba The Museum, the open-air historical museum of Skansen, and the amusement park Gröna Lund.

Island

Best Cities in the World | No. 29: Stockholm | Things to do in Stockholm | Djurgarden

by Pjt56/ CC BY-SA 3.0

# Riddarholm Church (Riddarholmskyrkan) 5.5 2.7 out of 5 stars

Located on the island of Riddarholm, this church is the final resting place of the Swedish kings and is Stockholm's only preserved medieval abbey.

Church

Best Cities in the World | No. 29: Stockholm | Things to do in Stockholm | Riddarholm Church

by Alexandru Baboş Albabos / CC BY-SA 3.0

# Modern Art Museum (Moderna Museet) 5.5 2.7 out of 5 stars

Located on the island of Skeppsholmen Moderna Museet is a state museum for modern and contemporary art housing an interesting collection (though no major works) in a building designed by the Spanish architect Rafael Moneo.

Modern Art Museum

Best Cities in the World | No. 29: Stockholm | Things to do in Stockholm | Modern Art Museum (Moderna Museet)

by JRodSilva / CC BY-SA 4.0

# Nordiska Museum 5.5 2.7 out of 5 stars

Housed in a spectacularly ornate building on the Djurgården island, the country's largest museum of cultural history presents life in Sweden's past and present.

Museum Highlight of the collection: Wooden statue of Gustav Vasa, created in 1925 by Carl Milles

Best Cities in the World | No. 29: Stockholm | Things to do in Stockholm | Nordiska Museum

by Johan Fredriksson / CC BY-SA 3.0

# Parliament Building (Riksdagshuset)5.5 2.7 out of 5 stars

Built between 1897 and 1905 in the Neoclassical style with a Baroque Revival style façade, the seat of the parliament of Sweden can be visited by free guided tours.

Parliament Building

Best Cities in the World | No. 29: Stockholm | Things to do in Stockholm | Parliament Building

by Peter Haas / CC BY-SA 3.0

Scoring and Icons Legend (Click here for detailed information)

10 = top-10 sight in the world

9 = world-class  

8 = outstanding

7 = excellent 

6 = impressive

5 = interesting

4 = decent

3 = mediocre

2 = bad

1 = abysmal

= World Heritage Site

= Excursion

C. Other Notable Sights and Attractions in Stockholm

    • ABBA: The Museum 5.5
    • National Museum 5.5
    • History Museum 5.5
    • Museum of Medieval Stockholm 5
    • Thiel Gallery 5
    • The Nobel Museum 5
    • Stadsbibliotek (Stockholm Public Library) 5
    • Fotografiska 5
    • SkyView: The Globe 5
    • Katarinahissen (viewpoint) 5
    • SKOGSKYRKOGARDEN (Cemetery, World Heritage Site since 1994) 5

D. Best Day Trips and Excursions from Stockholm

ROYAL DOMAIN OF DROTTNINGHOLM (World Heritage Site since 1991, 13 km from Stockholm) 6


E. Top 10 List of the Best Things to Do in Stockholm 2024 (including close-by excursions)

To sum things up, these are the ten best sights we recommend to you when visiting Stockholm for at least three entire days:

Vasa Museum 7

Skansen Open Air Museum 6

Gamla Stan (Old Town) 6

ROYAL DOMAIN OF DROTTNINGHOLM (13 km from Stockholm) 6

Royal Palace 5.5

Stadshuset (City Hall) 5.5

Djurgarden 5.5

Riddarholm Church (Riddarholmskyrkan) 5.5

Modern Art Museum (Moderna Museet) 5.5

Nordiska Museum 5.5