Solo travel · Stockholm · Sweden
Solo travel in Stockholm
How to enjoy Stockholm at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Holger Ellgaard, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Stockholm is a safe, easy and English-speaking city for solo travellers, though an expensive one. Fika culture makes cafés comfortable places to sit alone, and walking, public transport and boats make it simple to explore at your own pace. Many solo travellers base themselves in Södermalm.
Key facts
- Base
- Södermalm
- Getting around
- Metro
- Emergency number
- 112 (emergency number)
- Language
- Swedish and English
Solo travel tips
- Stay in Norrmalm or Södermalm for good-value hotels and hostels close to transport.
- Join a small-group archipelago boat or kayak tour to see the islands and meet other travellers.
- Eat a big weekday lunch special and keep dinner simple to manage costs.
- Free walking tours of Gamla Stan and Södermalm are an easy way to meet other travellers.
- Carry a contactless card at all times; cash is almost never accepted.
Where to stay
$$$ · Best for food lovers, nightlife, solo travellers and shopping
Södermalm
Söder, the large island south of Gamla Stan, is the creative side of the city: vintage and design shops in SoFo, cafés around Nytorget, bars at Medborgarplatsen and Hornstull, and the Monteliusvägen clifftop path with views over the water to the City Hall. Fotografiska is on its northern waterfront.
- Good
- Local atmosphere and good-value food; Best views of the city; Lively in the evening
- Watch out
- Hilly streets; A metro ride or a long walk to Djurgården
- Nearby
- Monteliusvägen, Fotografiska, Nytorget, Medborgarplatsen
Great on your own
Neighbourhood · Gamla Stan
Gamla Stan and Stortorget
Explore early in the morning or in the evening, when the cruise and tour groups have gone.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Museum · Djurgården
Vasa Museum
Arrive at opening or in the last hours of the day in summer, and watch the short film first for context.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Museum · Djurgården
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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Palace · Gamla Stan
Royal Palace
Time your visit for the changing of the guard in the outer courtyard, a ceremony with a military band in summer.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Architecture · Kungsholmen
Stockholm City Hall
Climb the tower in the warmer months for a panorama over Riddarfjärden and Gamla Stan.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Architecture
- Views
- History
Gallery · Södermalm
Fotografiska
Stay late; it is open into the evening, and the café view is best at sunset.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Views
- Rainy day
- After dark
Meeting people
- Fika — The Swedish coffee break with a pastry is a daily ritual, not a snack; settle into a konditori or neighbourhood café in the mid-afternoon and take your time.
- Weekday lunch (dagens lunch) — Many restaurants serve a fixed lunch dish on weekdays with salad, bread and coffee included, the best-value way to eat well in an expensive city.
- Stureplan — Upscale clubs and bars in Östermalm with door policies, dress codes and queues on weekends.
- Södermalm — Bars and pubs around Medborgarplatsen, Mariatorget, Nytorget and Hornstull, relaxed and varied.
Sensible precautions
Stockholm is generally safe for visitors. Pickpockets operate around T-Centralen, Gamla Stan and Djurgården in summer, so keep bags closed. In winter, icy pavements are the main hazard, and the Baltic and lakes stay cold even in summer, so swim near others.
- Emergency number
- 112 (emergency number)
- Staying connected
- Free Wi-Fi is widely available in cafés, museums and on many SL services; EU roaming applies to European SIMs, and eSIMs work well for other visitors. A contactless card is essential, as many places are cashless.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Stockholm good for solo travellers?
Stockholm is a safe, easy and English-speaking city for solo travellers, though an expensive one. Fika culture makes cafés comfortable places to sit alone, and walking, public transport and boats make it simple to explore at your own pace.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Stockholm?
Södermalm: Hilly island of independent shops, cafés, bars and cliff-top views.