Season guide · Gothenburg · Sweden
Gothenburg in spring
March–May: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Max Ronnersjö, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Lengthening days, cherry blossom and the restart of Liseberg and the Paddan boats; still cold at night and in March often wintry. Expect highs up to 16°C (61°F) and lows around -1°C (30°F), with about 32 rainy days across March–May. May is among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- March–May
- Temperatures
- -1°C (30°F) to 16°C (61°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 32
- Sea
- 3°C (37°F) to 10°C (50°F)
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in spring
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 6°C (43°F) | -1°C (30°F) | 12 | 11.6 h | 2/5 |
| April | 11°C (52°F) | 2°C (36°F) | 10 | 14.2 h | 3/5 |
| May | 16°C (61°F) | 7°C (45°F) | 10 | 16.6 h | 3/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 11°C (52°F) against a yearly 11°C (52°F), and 32 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 spring
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- April: Walpurgis Night — student celebrations and bonfires, including the Chalmers cortège parade (30 April)
- April: Liseberg's summer season usually begins late April
- May: Göteborgsvarvet — one of the world's largest half marathons (usually May)
Good choices for spring
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
Aquarium · Johanneberg and Liseberg
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 · Inom Vallgraven
Trädgårdsföreningen and the Palm House
This 19th-century park beside the moat, a few minutes from Central Station, centres on the Palm House of 1878, a cast-iron and glass glasshouse inspired by London's Crystal Palace.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Couples
- Rainy day
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Market · Haga
Feskekôrka
Buy a box of freshly cooked shrimp and eat it on the canal steps outside, or order a räkmacka at one of the counters for lunch.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Architecture
- Rainy day
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
Day trips in spring
- Marstrand (About 1 hour by bus and ferry) — A car-free island town of painted wooden villas and sailing harbours, crowned by the 17th-century Carlsten fortress, which offers tours of its ramparts and prison.
- Bohus Fortress in Kungälv (About 30 minutes by bus) — The ruins of a medieval border fortress on a rock above the Nordre älv river, once a frontier stronghold between Norway and Sweden.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is spring a good time to visit Gothenburg?
Yes: May is among the best months. Lengthening days, cherry blossom and the restart of Liseberg and the Paddan boats; still cold at night and in March often wintry.
+What is the weather like in Gothenburg in spring?
Highs of up to 16°C (61°F) and lows around -1°C (30°F), with about 32 rainy days over the season.