Outdoors · Gothenburg · Sweden
8 best outdoor things to do in Gothenburg
Parks, viewpoints and open-air sights for the dry, bright days.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Rolf Broberg ( Rolf B ), CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Southern archipelago islands, Slottsskogen and Gothenburg Natural History Museum. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 16–21 hours across 7 areas; 5 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 5
- Time to see them all
- 16–21 hours
- Areas
- Saltholmen, Linnéstaden and Slottsskogen
Outdoors in Gothenburg
Island · Saltholmen
1.Southern archipelago islands
Head to Vrångö, the furthest island, for a nature reserve and sandy coves, and pack lunch and swimwear as island cafés keep limited hours outside summer.
- Time needed
- Half a day to a full day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
Park · Linnéstaden
2.Slottsskogen
Time your visit for the seal and penguin feeding at the pond enclosure, and use the Linnéplatsen tram stop for the north entrance.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Museum · Slottsskogen
3.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
4.Universeum
Start in the rainforest when doors open, before school groups arrive, and work down through the ocean tanks.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Garden · Slottsskogen
5.Gothenburg Botanical Garden
Visit in late May or June for the rhododendron valley in flower, and take the tram to the Botaniska Trädgården stop.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Couples
Garden · Inom Vallgraven
6.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
Viewpoint · Norra Älvstranden
7.Ramberget and Keillers park
Take the Älvsnabben ferry to Lindholmen and walk up for an evening view, then return across the river for dinner.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Nature · Eastern outskirts
8.Delsjön nature reserve
Walk the trail around Stora Delsjön for an easy loop, and swim from the bathing area at the north end on warm summer days.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Active
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Saltholmen | Southern archipelago islands | Half a day to a full day |
| Linnéstaden | Slottsskogen | 2–3 hours |
| Slottsskogen | Gothenburg Natural History Museum and Gothenburg Botanical Garden | 1–1.5 hours + 1.5–2 hours |
| Johanneberg and Liseberg | Universeum | 3–4 hours |
| Inom Vallgraven | Trädgårdsföreningen and the Palm House | 1 hour |
| Norra Älvstranden | Ramberget and Keillers park | 1 hour |
| Eastern outskirts | Delsjön nature reserve | Half a day |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 5 free, 2 low cost, 1 expensive. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Southern archipelago islands; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 5 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Saltholmen): Southern archipelago islands, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Linnéstaden and Slottsskogen): Slottsskogen → Gothenburg Natural History Museum, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Slottsskogen): Gothenburg Botanical Garden, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Johanneberg and Liseberg and Inom Vallgraven): Universeum → Trädgårdsföreningen and the Palm House, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 5 (Norra Älvstranden and Eastern outskirts): Ramberget and Keillers park → Delsjön nature reserve, at least 4 hours.
The best months to be outside
- June: highs of 19°C (66°F), about 11 rainy days, busy crowds. Close to 18 hours of daylight; island ferries run more often and terraces fill on Avenyn and Linnégatan.
- July: highs of 21°C (70°F), about 12 rainy days, very busy crowds. Warmest month and Swedish holiday season; the archipelago is at its liveliest, while some city restaurants close for summer.
- May: highs of 16°C (61°F), about 10 rainy days, moderate crowds. One of the sunniest, driest months, with rhododendrons in the Botanical Garden and long, light evenings.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Inom Vallgraven — The old city inside the 17th-century moat, with canals, shops and the main squares
- Linnéstaden — Linnégatan's restaurants and bars between Haga and Slottsskogen
- Lorensberg and Avenyn — The broad Kungsportsavenyen boulevard, Götaplatsen and the main evening strip
- Johanneberg and Liseberg — The amusement park, the Swedish Exhibition and Congress Centre and Chalmers campus
- Majorna — Old harbour-workers' district of wooden houses, craft breweries and flea shops
- Norra Älvstranden — Former shipyards across the river at Eriksberg and Lindholmen
More of Gothenburg
All things to do in Gothenburg · Where to stay · When to go.
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Gothenburg?
Southern archipelago islands. The car-free islands of the southern archipelago, among them Styrsö, Vrångö, Brännö, Donsö and Asperö, have granite rocks for swimming, small harbours and walking paths between wooden summer houses.
+Which of these are free in Gothenburg?
Slottsskogen, Gothenburg Botanical Garden, Trädgårdsföreningen and the Palm House, Ramberget and Keillers park and Delsjön nature reserve.