Where to stay · Stockholm · Sweden
Where to stay in Stockholm
7 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: ArildV, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Gamla Stan. Medieval island old town of cobbled lanes, the Royal Palace and Stortorget. Best alternatives — families: Östermalm; budget: Norrmalm; nightlife: Östermalm.
Key facts
- First visit
- Gamla Stan
- Families
- Östermalm
- Budget
- Norrmalm
- Nightlife
- Östermalm
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Gamla Stan | Medieval island old town of cobbled lanes, the Royal Palace and Stortorget |
| Families | Östermalm | Elegant boulevards, a historic food hall and the waterfront of Strandvägen |
| Couples | Gamla Stan | Medieval island old town of cobbled lanes, the Royal Palace and Stortorget |
| Budget | Norrmalm | The modern centre: Central Station, department stores and Kungsträdgården |
| Luxury | Östermalm | Elegant boulevards, a historic food hall and the waterfront of Strandvägen |
| Nightlife | Östermalm | Elegant boulevards, a historic food hall and the waterfront of Strandvägen |
| Food lovers | Östermalm | Elegant boulevards, a historic food hall and the waterfront of Strandvägen |
| Solo travellers | Södermalm | Hilly island of independent shops, cafés, bars and cliff-top views |
| Shopping | Norrmalm | The modern centre: Central Station, department stores and Kungsträdgården |
| Quiet stays | Kungsholmen | Residential island west of the centre with the City Hall and lakeside promenades |
Stockholm neighbourhoods in detail
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, couples and culture
Gamla Stan
Stockholm's old town fills a small island between the city centre and Södermalm, with ochre and red merchants' houses, narrow alleys such as Mårten Trotzigs gränd and the Royal Palace on its northern edge. Hotels occupy historic buildings, and Gamla Stan metro station links it to the rest of the city in minutes.
- Good
- Historic atmosphere; Walk to the palace and museums; Metro and ferries close by
- Watch out
- Crowded by day in summer; Small, expensive rooms and many tourist shops
- Nearby
- Royal Palace, Stortorget, Nobel Prize Museum, Riddarholmen Church
$$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping and budget
Norrmalm
Norrmalm is the commercial heart, with Stockholm Central and T-Centralen, the Arlanda Express terminal, the Drottninggatan shopping street, the NK department store and the Kungsträdgården park. It has the widest choice of hotels and the best transport links, and Gamla Stan is about 10 minutes away on foot.
- Good
- Direct airport train; Every metro line; Huge choice of hotels and restaurants
- Watch out
- Busy and commercial; Less character than the islands
- Nearby
- Stockholm Central, Kungsträdgården, Drottninggatan, Nationalmuseum
$$$$ · Best for luxury, food lovers, families and nightlife
Östermalm
Östermalm is the city's most affluent district, with grand 19th-century apartment blocks along Strandvägen, designer shops on Biblioteksgatan, the Östermalms Saluhall food hall and the Stureplan nightlife hub. Djurgården is a short walk over the bridge, which makes it a convenient base for the main museums.
- Good
- Walk to Djurgården's museums; Excellent restaurants; Calm, attractive streets
- Watch out
- Among the most expensive areas; Stureplan is loud on weekend nights
- Nearby
- Östermalms Saluhall, Strandvägen, Djurgården, Stureplan
$$$ · 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
$$ · Best for quiet stays, families and budget
Kungsholmen
Kungsholmen is a mostly residential island, with the City Hall at its eastern tip, the Norr Mälarstrand waterfront promenade and the Smedsuddsbadet beach on Lake Mälaren. Neighbourhood restaurants line Hantverkargatan and Sankt Eriksgatan, and the centre is one metro stop away.
- Good
- Calm and local; Waterfront walks and a city beach; Good-value hotels
- Watch out
- Few headline sights; Quiet at night
- Nearby
- Stockholm City Hall, Norr Mälarstrand, Rålambshovsparken
$$$$ · Best for families, quiet stays and couples
Djurgården
Djurgården is mostly parkland, home to the Vasa Museum, Skansen, ABBA The Museum, Junibacken, the Nordic Museum and Gröna Lund. Only a few hotels and inns are on the island itself, but staying here means quiet evenings by the water once the museums close. Trams and the ferry from Slussen link it to the centre.
- Good
- Major museums on the doorstep; Parkland and water views; Peaceful at night
- Watch out
- Very few hotels; Few restaurants open late
- Nearby
- Vasa Museum, Skansen, Gröna Lund, Rosendals Trädgård
$$$ · Best for food lovers, quiet stays and solo travellers
Vasastan
Vasastan is a lived-in district of late-19th-century apartment blocks, small bistros, bakeries and wine bars around Odenplan and Sankt Eriksplan. Gunnar Asplund's Stockholm Public Library and the Vasaparken park are here, and the metro and commuter trains at Odenplan reach the centre in minutes.
- Good
- Excellent neighbourhood restaurants; Good transport at Odenplan; Local, relaxed feel
- Watch out
- Few hotels compared with Norrmalm; A ride to Djurgården and Södermalm
- Nearby
- Stockholm Public Library, Odenplan, Vasaparken
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Gamla Stan | $$$$ | Royal Palace, Stortorget, Nobel Prize Museum, Riddarholmen Church |
| Norrmalm | $$$ | Stockholm Central, Kungsträdgården, Drottninggatan, Nationalmuseum |
| Östermalm | $$$$ | Östermalms Saluhall, Strandvägen, Djurgården, Stureplan |
| Södermalm | $$$ | Monteliusvägen, Fotografiska, Nytorget, Medborgarplatsen |
| Kungsholmen | $$ | Stockholm City Hall, Norr Mälarstrand, Rålambshovsparken |
| Djurgården | $$$$ | Vasa Museum, Skansen, Gröna Lund, Rosendals Trädgård |
| Vasastan | $$$ | Stockholm Public Library, Odenplan, Vasaparken |
Getting to your hotel
Stockholm Arlanda (ARN) is about 40 km north of the city. The Arlanda Express train reaches Stockholm Central in about 20 minutes; commuter trains take about 40 minutes and airport coaches about 45. Bromma (BMA), about 8 km west, handles mainly domestic flights, and Skavsta (NYO), used by low-cost airlines, is about 100 km south, around 80 minutes by coach.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Stockholm for first-time visitors?
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.
+Where should families stay in Stockholm?
Östermalm: Walk to Djurgården's museums.
+Which area of Stockholm is best for a budget stay?
Norrmalm ($$$): The modern centre: Central Station, department stores and Kungsträdgården.