For couples · Stockholm · Sweden
Romantic things to do in Stockholm
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: En Dum En, CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answer
Stockholm is made for couples who love water and light: long summer sunsets over Lake Mälaren, island dinners in the archipelago and candlelit winter evenings in Gamla Stan. Couples tend to stay in Gamla Stan.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 5
- Couple-friendly sights
- 3
- Area for couples
- Gamla Stan
- Best months
- May and September
Romantic ideas
1.Sunset at Skinnarviksberget
Watch the late sun set over Lake Mälaren and the City Hall from the rocks of Södermalm.
2.Archipelago island dinner
Take an evening boat to Fjäderholmarna or Vaxholm for dinner by the water and return as the sky glows.
3.Fika at Rosendals Trädgård
Share cardamom buns among the fruit trees and glasshouses of the organic garden on Djurgården.
4.Gamla Stan by candlelight
Walk the lanes after dark and dine in one of the old town's vaulted cellar restaurants.
5.Lucia concert
In December, a candlelit Lucia concert in a historic church is a magical seasonal evening.
Sights couples love
Park · Djurgården
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
Viewpoint · Södermalm
Monteliusvägen and Skinnarviksberget
Bring a drink to Skinnarviksberget on a summer evening and watch the late sunset over Lake Mälaren.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
Garden · Lidingö
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
Where couples should stay
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, couples and culture
Gamla Stan
Stockholm's old town fills a small island between the city centre and Södermalm, with ochre and red merchants' houses, narrow alleys such as Mårten Trotzigs gränd and the Royal Palace on its northern edge. Hotels occupy historic buildings, and Gamla Stan metro station links it to the rest of the city in minutes.
- Good
- Historic atmosphere; Walk to the palace and museums; Metro and ferries close by
- Watch out
- Crowded by day in summer; Small, expensive rooms and many tourist shops
- Nearby
- Royal Palace, Stortorget, Nobel Prize Museum, Riddarholmen Church
Romantic day trips
- Drottningholm Palace (About 1 hour by boat, or 30–40 minutes by metro and bus) — 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.
- Fjäderholmarna (About 25 minutes by boat) — The closest archipelago islands to the city have smooth rocks for swimming and sunbathing, craft shops, a smokehouse and restaurants.
- Vaxholm (About 1 hour by boat or 50 minutes by bus) — A small archipelago town of painted wooden houses, with a 16th-century fortress on its own islet guarding the sea approach to Stockholm.
- Sigtuna (About 1 hour by train and bus) — 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.
- Mariefred and Gripsholm Castle (About 1 hour by train and bus; 3.5 hours by steamboat) — Gripsholm, a round-towered Renaissance castle on Lake Mälaren, houses the Swedish state portrait collection.
- Sandhamn (About 2–3 hours by boat) — 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.
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Swedish meatballs, Gravlax and Pickled herring. Book dinner at popular restaurants a few days ahead, especially from Thursday to Saturday.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Stockholm romantic?
Stockholm is made for couples who love water and light: long summer sunsets over Lake Mälaren, island dinners in the archipelago and candlelit winter evenings in Gamla Stan.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in Stockholm?
Sunset at Skinnarviksberget: Watch the late sun set over Lake Mälaren and the City Hall from the rocks of Södermalm.
+Where should couples stay in Stockholm?
Gamla Stan: Medieval island old town of cobbled lanes, the Royal Palace and Stortorget.