Whether you are on a cruise docking for one day in Stockholm or traveling amongst several Scandinavian cities, you can easily get a good start on Stockholm in one day. We tried out this one day itinerary for Stockholm and feel like it’s a perfect introduction to this beautiful city. We were visiting family in Finland and we had just one day available to see everything we could in Stockholm. My main reason for making the trip was to visit the Abba Museum. I’ve been a lifelong fan of Abba so being so close, just a country away, made it an easy decision to make this side trip.
Your starting point may vary – ours started at the Arlanda Airport.
We caught a cheap early flight on Norwegian Airlines and the one hour flight was quick. From the airport, we took the train into the city center. Very easy. The trip is about 20 minutes and costs about 500 Krona (Sweden is not on the Euro) which is about $48 (45 euro).
Stop One: Old Town (Gamla Stan)
Since we were early, the city was just waking up and it wasn’t crowded. We walked approximately 20 minutes from the City Center to Old Town also known as Gamla Stan which dates back to the 13th century. It’s a pedestrian historical city that you think of when you think of Europe – cobblestone narrow streets that lead you in various directions to find hidden gems and courtyards. We walked through Old Town twice during our trip because we enjoyed it so much.
Stop Two: Royal Palace (Kungliga Slottet)
You can easily walk from the Old Town to the Royal Palace. We ate breakfast in the square before entering the Palace when it opened at 10:00am. Included with your entrance ticket you can visit the Royal Apartments, the Hall of State, The Treasury and the Museum Three Crowns. My teenage daughter enjoyed our visit as it was her first palace. While it would not compare to a Palace like Versailles it was still a highlight for her.
Stop Three: Abba Museum
Now to be fair, this was the main reason for our visit. So if you aren’t an Abba fan, you may want to skip this one. But if you enjoy their music and the movie series Mamma Mia then you are in for a treat. This is about a 35 minute walk from the Royal Palace so you can decide if you want to walk and see more of the city or grab a taxi. If your time is limited, you may want to grab a taxi. We opted to walk and enjoyed the sites along the harbor..
We arrived around lunchtime at the museum and ate a quick bite at the “Visitors Bistro” located at the museum. There was so much to do at the very interactive museum you could spend several hours. We saw their concert costumes, sang their songs in the music booth, listened to recordings of their personal stories and even become the 5th member of the group while performing on stage with their holograms. I did it all and thoroughly enjoyed it! Recommend purchasing your tickets ahead of time which you can do here.
Stop Four: The Vasa Museum
A quick 8 min walk from the Abba Museum gets you to the Vasa Museum. The Vasa is a wooden ship from the 17th century that sank on her maiden voyage in the Stockholm Harbor. In the 1960’s it was recovered and restored to its splendor we can see today. A visit to the Vasa should absolutely be on your list to see. A couple of points to note. Children under 18 are free. They have to keep it around 65 degrees Fahrenheit (20 C) for preservation so it may be chilly in the museum. There are guided tours available and films available about the Vasa in several languages.
Depending on how much time you have left, you may want to stroll back by the harbor or have dinner back in Old Town. We chose to have dinner in a square in Old Town and people watch. We eventually took the train back to the airport and caught our flight back to Helsinki. A wonderful day and I hope to come back to Stockholm soon to see more of this beautiful city. Let us know how you spent your one day in Stockholm and if you tried out this itinerary.
