Season guide · Gothenburg · Sweden
Gothenburg in autumn
September–November: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Quieter streets, autumn colours, the book fair and oyster season, with increasing wind and rain from October. Expect highs up to 17°C (63°F) and lows around 3°C (37°F), with about 43 rainy days across September–November.
Key facts
- Months
- September–November
- Temperatures
- 3°C (37°F) to 17°C (63°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 43
- Sea
- 8°C (46°F) to 15°C (59°F)
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in autumn
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | 17°C (63°F) | 10°C (50°F) | 13 | 12.7 h | 3/5 |
| October | 11°C (52°F) | 6°C (43°F) | 14 | 10.1 h | 2/5 |
| November | 7°C (45°F) | 3°C (37°F) | 16 | 7.8 h | 3/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 12°C (54°F) against a yearly 11°C (52°F), and 43 of the year's roughly 155 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 3/5 and hotel prices 3/5 on average.
What's on in autumn
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- September: Gothenburg Book Fair (Bokmässan) — Scandinavia's largest book fair (usually late September)
- October: Cinnamon Bun Day (4 October)
- October: Halloween at Liseberg (usually October)
- November: Christmas at Liseberg — Christmas market and lights (usually mid-November to late December)
Good choices for autumn
Museum · Inom Vallgraven
Gothenburg City Museum
The city museum occupies the East India House, built in the 1750s for the Swedish East India Company on Norra Hamngatan, and tells the city's story from prehistory to the present.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · Vasastan
Röhsska Museum
Combine it with a walk along Vasagatan's central promenade and coffee in Vasastan or Haga afterwards.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · Inom Vallgraven
Maritiman
Moored on the river beside the opera house, Maritiman is a floating museum of historic vessels, including the destroyer HMS Småland and the submarine Nordkaparen.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- History
- Active
Market · Inom Vallgraven
Stora Saluhallen
Come for a weekday lunch at one of the stalls and pick up picnic supplies for the archipelago or Slottsskogen.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Rainy day
- Shopping
Museum · Slottsskogen
Gothenburg Natural History Museum
The museum stands on a hill inside Slottsskogen and fills its galleries with traditional mounted animals from around the world.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Day trips in autumn
- Varberg (About 45–60 minutes by train) — A seaside town south of Gothenburg with a medieval fortress on the shore, the Bocksten Man bog body in the fortress museum and a Moorish-style cold-bath house on stilts over the sea.
- Alingsås (About 30–40 minutes by train) — A small town that promotes itself as Sweden's fika capital, with an old wooden centre full of cafés and bakeries, and a history as the birthplace of Swedish textile industry.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is autumn a good time to visit Gothenburg?
It is a trade-off: Quieter streets, autumn colours, the book fair and oyster season, with increasing wind and rain from October. The best months overall are May–August.
+What is the weather like in Gothenburg in autumn?
Highs of up to 17°C (63°F) and lows around 3°C (37°F), with about 43 rainy days over the season.