Day trips · Stockholm · Sweden
7 best day trips from Stockholm
Where to go when you want a day away from Stockholm, and how long it really takes.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Holger Ellgaard, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The classic day trip from Stockholm is Drottningholm Palace (About 1 hour by boat, or 30–40 minutes by metro and bus). The closest option is Fjäderholmarna, about 6 km away.
Key facts
- Day trips in this guide
- 7
- Closest
- Fjäderholmarna (6 km)
- Most popular
- Drottningholm Palace
Day trips compared
| Destination | Distance | Travel time | How | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drottningholm Palace | 11 km | About 1 hour by boat, or 30–40 minutes by metro and bus | Summer boat from Stadshusbron, or metro to Brommaplan then bus | Culture, Couples, Families |
| Fjäderholmarna | 6 km | About 25 minutes by boat | Ferry from Strandvägen or Slussen (mainly in summer) | Families, Couples, First-timers |
| Vaxholm | 35 km | About 1 hour by boat or 50 minutes by bus | Archipelago boat from Strömkajen or bus from Tekniska högskolan | Couples, Families, Quiet stays |
| Uppsala | 70 km | About 40 minutes by train | Train from Stockholm Central | Culture, Solo travellers, Quiet stays |
| Sigtuna | 45 km | About 1 hour by train and bus | Commuter train to Märsta, then bus | Quiet stays, Culture, Couples |
| Mariefred and Gripsholm Castle | 65 km | About 1 hour by train and bus; 3.5 hours by steamboat | Train to Läggesta and bus, or summer steamboat from Stadshusbron | Culture, Couples, Quiet stays |
| Sandhamn | 50 km | About 2–3 hours by boat | Archipelago boat from Strömkajen, or bus and boat via Stavsnäs | Couples, Beach, Quiet stays |
The day trips
11 km · About 1 hour by boat, or 30–40 minutes by metro and bus
1.Drottningholm Palace
The UNESCO-listed home of the Swedish royal family on an island in Lake Mälaren has baroque gardens, a Chinese Pavilion and a palace theatre from 1766 that still uses its original stage machinery. Parts of the palace are open to visitors.
- Getting there
- Summer boat from Stadshusbron, or metro to Brommaplan then bus
- Best for
- Culture, Couples, Families
6 km · About 25 minutes by boat
2.Fjäderholmarna
The closest archipelago islands to the city have smooth rocks for swimming and sunbathing, craft shops, a smokehouse and restaurants. They give a taste of the archipelago in an afternoon.
- Getting there
- Ferry from Strandvägen or Slussen (mainly in summer)
- Best for
- Families, Couples, First-timers
35 km · About 1 hour by boat or 50 minutes by bus
3.Vaxholm
A small archipelago town of painted wooden houses, with a 16th-century fortress on its own islet guarding the sea approach to Stockholm. The harbour has cafés and smoked-fish shops.
- Getting there
- Archipelago boat from Strömkajen or bus from Tekniska högskolan
- Best for
- Couples, Families, Quiet stays
70 km · About 40 minutes by train
4.Uppsala
Sweden's fourth city is home to Scandinavia's oldest university, the twin-spired Uppsala Cathedral, the Gustavianum museum with its anatomical theatre and Linnaeus's garden. Old Uppsala's royal burial mounds are a short bus ride away.
- Getting there
- Train from Stockholm Central
- Best for
- Culture, Solo travellers, Quiet stays
45 km · About 1 hour by train and bus
5.Sigtuna
Founded around 980, Sigtuna is one of Sweden's oldest towns, with a low-rise main street of wooden houses, medieval church ruins, rune stones along the paths and a pretty lakeside setting on Mälaren.
- Getting there
- Commuter train to Märsta, then bus
- Best for
- Quiet stays, Culture, Couples
65 km · About 1 hour by train and bus; 3.5 hours by steamboat
6.Mariefred and Gripsholm Castle
Gripsholm, a round-towered Renaissance castle on Lake Mälaren, houses the Swedish state portrait collection. The small town of Mariefred beside it has wooden houses and cafés, and the slow steamboat trip there is an attraction in itself.
- Getting there
- Train to Läggesta and bus, or summer steamboat from Stadshusbron
- Best for
- Culture, Couples, Quiet stays
50 km · About 2–3 hours by boat
7.Sandhamn
An outer-archipelago village on the island of Sandön, famous as the home of the Royal Swedish Yacht Club, with red-painted wooden houses, pine forest and sandy beaches on the far side of the island. It is best as an overnight trip in summer.
- Getting there
- Archipelago boat from Strömkajen, or bus and boat via Stavsnäs
- Best for
- Couples, Beach, Quiet stays
Day-trip tips
- Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
- Buses cover areas between metro lines and run through the night when the metro is closed.
- For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best day trip from Stockholm?
Drottningholm Palace. The UNESCO-listed home of the Swedish royal family on an island in Lake Mälaren has baroque gardens, a Chinese Pavilion and a palace theatre from 1766 that still uses its original stage machinery.
+How long does it take to get from Stockholm to Drottningholm Palace?
About 1 hour by boat, or 30–40 minutes by metro and bus — Summer boat from Stadshusbron, or metro to Brommaplan then bus, about 11 km.
+How long does it take to get from Stockholm to Fjäderholmarna?
About 25 minutes by boat — Ferry from Strandvägen or Slussen (mainly in summer), about 6 km.