Month guide · Gothenburg · Sweden
Gothenburg in May
What May is really like in Gothenburg: weather, crowds, prices, events and what to pack.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
May is one of the best months to visit Gothenburg. Expect average highs of 16°C (61°F), lows of 7°C (45°F), about 10 rainy days and roughly 16.6 hours of daylight. One of the sunniest, driest months, with rhododendrons in the Botanical Garden and long, light evenings.
Key facts
- Average high / low
- 16°C (61°F) / 7°C (45°F)
- Rainy days
- About 10
- Daylight
- About 16.6 hours
- Sea temperature
- 10°C (50°F)
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in May
May is the 5th-warmest month in Gothenburg: days average 16°C (61°F) against a yearly average high of 11°C (52°F), and nights fall to about 7°C (45°F). Rain falls on roughly 10 of its 31 days. Compared with April (11°C (52°F)), May is warmer; by June highs climb to around 19°C (66°F).
- Sunrise (15 May)
- About 04:49
- Sunset (15 May)
- About 21:27
- Daylight
- About 16.6 hours
- Sea
- 10°C (50°F)
Spring (March–May). Lengthening days, cherry blossom and the restart of Liseberg and the Paddan boats; still cold at night and in March often wintry.
Crowds and prices
On a 1–5 scale, May rates 3 for crowds (the peak is July at 5) and 3 for hotel prices (highest in June). Prices sit in the middle of the year's range.
Events in May
- Göteborgsvarvet — one of the world's largest half marathons (usually May)
Dates move from year to year. Check the organiser’s site before booking travel around an event.
What to do in May
With frequent rain, plan around indoor sights and keep outdoor time flexible.
Museum · Slottsskogen
Gothenburg Natural History Museum
Pair it with the free animal enclosures in Slottsskogen for an easy family day out on a showery afternoon.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Aquarium · Johanneberg and Liseberg
Universeum
Next to Liseberg, Universeum is a science centre with a multi-storey indoor rainforest where birds and monkeys move freely, an aquarium with sharks and rays, reptiles and hands-on science and technology halls.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Garden · Inom Vallgraven
Trädgårdsföreningen and the Palm House
Use it as a green short cut between Central Station and Avenyn, and come in July when the rosarium is in full bloom.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Couples
- Rainy day
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Market · Haga
Feskekôrka
Gothenburg's fish market hall, opened in 1874 on the Rosenlundskanalen, looks like a Gothic church, which gave it the dialect name 'fish church'.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Architecture
- Rainy day
What to pack
For highs near 16°C, lows near 7°C and 10 wet days: layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings; a packable rain jacket for showers; comfortable walking shoes.
Is May a good time to visit Gothenburg?
One of the best months to visit Gothenburg, with a notable event on the calendar. The other best months are June–August. Compare every month.
Gothenburg in other months
Questions travellers ask
+Is May a good time to visit Gothenburg?
It is one of the best months to visit Gothenburg. One of the sunniest, driest months, with rhododendrons in the Botanical Garden and long, light evenings.
+How warm is Gothenburg in May?
Average highs are around 16°C (61°F) and lows around 7°C (45°F).
+Does it rain a lot in Gothenburg in May?
Expect rain on about 10 days of the month.