Outdoors · Stockholm · Sweden
5 best outdoor things to do in Stockholm
Parks, viewpoints and open-air sights for the dry, bright days.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Jacob Shaw, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Skansen, Moderna Museet and Djurgården and Rosendals Trädgård. Together the 5 picks below take roughly 9–12 hours across 4 areas; 2 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 5
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 9–12 hours
- Areas
- Djurgården, Skeppsholmen and Enskede
Outdoors in Stockholm
Museum · Djurgården
1.Skansen
Take the funicular up from the Hazelius entrance and walk downhill through the park.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Kids
- History
- Outdoors
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Gallery · Skeppsholmen
2.Moderna Museet
Walk across the Skeppsholmen bridge from the Nationalmuseum and loop round the island's waterfront afterwards.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- Outdoors
Park · Djurgården
3.Djurgården and Rosendals Trädgård
Walk or cycle the waterfront path round the island, then stop for fika at Rosendals Trädgård.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Nature
- Food
Historic site · Enskede
4.Skogskyrkogården
Take the green metro line to Skogskyrkogården station and visit the free visitor centre for a map.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
- Nature
Garden · Lidingö
5.Millesgården
Visit on a sunny day; the sculptures are set against the sky and water and are best seen in good light.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Outdoors
- Views
- Couples
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Djurgården | Skansen and Djurgården and Rosendals Trädgård | Half a day + 2–3 hours |
| Skeppsholmen | Moderna Museet | 1.5–2 hours |
| Enskede | Skogskyrkogården | 1–1.5 hours |
| Lidingö | Millesgården | 1.5 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 5, 2 free, 1 low cost, 2 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Skansen; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Djurgården): Skansen, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Djurgården and Skeppsholmen): Djurgården and Rosendals Trädgård → Moderna Museet, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Enskede and Lidingö): Skogskyrkogården → Millesgården, at least 3 hours.
The best months to be outside
- July: highs of 24°C (75°F), about 8 rainy days, very busy crowds. Warmest month and peak tourist season; many Swedes are on holiday, so business hotels often discount while sights are busy.
- May: highs of 17°C (63°F), about 6 rainy days, moderate crowds. Light, fresh and often dry, with long evenings; archipelago boats begin fuller schedules.
- June: highs of 21°C (70°F), about 8 rainy days, busy crowds. Near-endless daylight and the start of the archipelago season; the city empties at Midsummer as locals head to the islands.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Djurgården — Green royal park island of museums, an amusement park and waterside walks
More of Stockholm
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Stockholm?
Skansen. Founded in 1891, the world's first open-air museum brings together historic farmsteads, manor houses and a town quarter moved from all over Sweden, staffed by craftspeople in period costume.
+Which of these are free in Stockholm?
Djurgården and Rosendals Trädgård and Skogskyrkogården.