48 hours in Stockholm – a weekend guide

The Swedes — rivals only to Parisians in Europe for inherent style — rightly have a reputation for being effortlessly chic, and naturally, their capital matches the brief. Stockholm is built on 14 islands in an archipelago of the Baltic Sea, with a cobblestoned mediaeval centre founded in the 13th century and inhabited ever since. Many of the Gamla Stan’s (or old town) colourful buildings were rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries, but they still have that wonky gingerbread-house charm, perfect for strolling around its narrow streets, spires and squares, ideally with a cardamom bun in hand.

The Venice of the North, a nickname abetted by the city’s many islets and canals, may not be as sunny as its Italian counterpart, but it’s just as storied and scenic. Here’s our essential weekend-break guide to Stockholm…

Friday evening

Ett Hem

Once you’ve touched down in Stockholm, head to your hotel, which you can match to your personality and preferred neighbourhood. Fancy yourself as an edgy trend-setter? Locate Södermalm, which is extra-hip even by Stockholm standards, and specifically Stockholm Stadshotell. This pastel-pink building was built in the 1870s to pay homage to King Oscar I, starting as a refuge for well-heeled widows, becoming a school and lying dormant in the years since. Some of the rooms have a library’s worth of books, the minibars are more like a bodega, and there’s enough voile on the windows of those on the ground floor for privacy and people-watching on the street outside.

For a masterclass in homely hygge, choose Ett Hem, which translates to ‘At Home’, and it won’t take you long to see why. Though it has expanded to the equally historic building next door, in a quiet, residential street in Östermalm, it has managed to retain its cosy, cool-Scandi-friend’s-home feel, with a lounge for laidback check-ins with your pick of the champagne on ice, a communal dining room in the kitchen and snug, stylish rooms you won’t want to leave.

For a more budget-friendly option, try Blique by Nobis between Hagastaden and Vasastaden; or if you want to stay in the thick of the cultural action on Djurgården (Stockholm’s museum island), book a stay at Backstage Hotel.

If staying at Ett Hem, dining might be family-style around the chef’s table in the kitchen or at the communal table in the lounge, tasting the short set-menu scrawled on the blackboard. Across the courtyard, the second restaurant is a little more formal, with more courses and a brilliant atmosphere at weekends. Stockholm Stadshotell also has a buzzy, local-approved bistro, brought to you by the same team behind Babette, a popular Italian restaurant beloved by Stockholm residents and interlopers alike, and the fine-dining Matsalen up a spiral staircase in the former chapel.

But for the ultimate introduction to Stockholm, head to old-school institution Sturehof, a classic seafood brasserie in Östermalm where you can drink champagne over oysters with the after-work crew. Equally storied is Riche Fenix, perfect for pre-dinner drinks in a central setting on Götgatan. And if you want to mix with stylish Swedes, head to Strandvägen 1 on the waterfront and blend in with the Friday-night crowd. If you have the energy or the inclination for late-night revelry, Berns Club is your best bet — or you can stick to Asiatiska (the city’s first Chinese restaurant, opened in the 1940s), in a grand hall on a different floor within the Berns emporium.

Saturday morning

Stockholm Stadshotell

Fresh arrivals in Stockholm should promptly get acquainted with the art of fika, a Swedish tradition whereby coffee and cake is encouraged at any given time of day. Though the breakfasts at Stockholm Stadshotell might throw a spanner in your mid-morning fika plans (especially at weekends, when the brunch service runs until 4pm, and humble egg dishes are replaced with ’nduja, whipped ricotta and hot honey on sourdough; or avocado on rye with feta and zhoug), it’s always best to be ready for a coffee-and-bun pitstop in Stockholm. Stroll through the colourful yellow buildings of the Gamla Stan, leading to the vast Royal Palace complex. There are various bun-dispensing cafés along the main drag, including Café Krans. Other favourite fika spots throughout the city to stop for caffeine and a bun (whether cardamom, cinnamon, saffron or cream) include Lillebrors Bageri, historic chain Vete-Katten, and Café Saturnus.

Another option for your Saturday morning is to visit the National Museum, which holds countless masterpieces by artists such as Rembrandt, Degas and Goya, alongside homegrown heroes Carl Larsson and Anders Zorn, and a particularly fine collection of French works from the 19th century. Handily for your lunch plans afterwards, its restaurant is one of the most acclaimed in the city. Lydmar Hotel is also nearby — it has a terrace for waterfront drinks on a sunny day, and a leisurely jazz-soundtracked brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Or for something quick and casual, grab a hallowed Stockholm hot-dog — popular spots include Günters (66 Karlbergsvägen) and Brunos Korvbar.

Saturday afternoon

Continue with an afternoon of enlightenment at Moderna Museet, home to an impressive collection of modern art and eye-catching exhibitions, as well as a terrace with a view for refreshments afterwards.

Or indulge baser pursuits (relatively speaking) with some shopping in Östermalm, one of Stockholm’s most well-heeled neighbourhoods, with lots of boutiques and the iconic Nordiska Kompaniet department store, founded in 1902. You can stockpile homegrown heroes such as Acne Studios and Toteme in their natural habitat; and attempt a makeover into an insouciant Scandinavian at the JUS concept store.

If your inner hipster wins out, spend the afternoon in Södermalm, Stockholm’s most creative quarter, with the dining and nightlife scene to match. You might spot a tall, blond and handsome family member from a certain Swedish acting dynasty casually cycling around — but be cool, Swedes don’t do hysteria. This is where you can while away a couple of hours at Fotografiska, scour the vintage shops along Mariatorget or rest over coffee at Café Pascal.

Saturday evening

Your next decision is: culture or more food? If it’s the former, make your way to the Royal Dramatic Theatre, in an art nouveau building on Nybroplan — there are five stages and a thousand performances a year, so you’re bound to find something of interest. Or you can enjoy an evening at one of Stockholm’s many noteworthy restaurants, Brasserie Astoria (cocktails, DJ sets and everything with frites) and Asian Post Office (for perfectly spiced sharing plates) among them.

If you spent the afternoon in Södermalm, stick around for dinner. Locally loved eateries make it worthwhile — such as Café Nizza, where the French-flavoured menu might include anchovies on toast, grilled turbot with confit tomatoes or white asparagus with radish and tarragon.

If the night is still young (and you like jazz), locate legendary club Fasching on Kungsgatan and enjoy music till late.

Sunday morning

Just before crossing the bridge over to Djurgården (which directly translates to ‘Animal Park’), linger a while to people-watch at KMK on Strandvägen. The island was established as a royal hunting ground by King John III in 1579 — alongside the deer, elk and reindeer, more exotic lions and bears once inhabited this game park, though it’s said they didn’t survive the harsh Scandinavian winters. One such lion, a gift for King Frederick I from the Dey of Algeria in 1731, is now a famously bad example of taxidermy, on display in Gripsholm Castle, an hour’s drive west of the city in Mariefred.

Today, you can take your pick of Djurgården’s many museums. These include a centre devoted entirely to revered Swedes and global icons ABBA; the Vasa — a battleship built in the 1620s, perfectly preserved after it sank on its maiden voyage; spaces dedicated to alcoholic spirits, vikings and shipwrecks; and the open-air Skansen museum. If the weather’s too nice to be indoors or nothing takes your cultural fancy, just stroll around the forested islet instead (it has a 10-kilometre trail to navigate). Afterwards, you can have lunch (or another fika, naturally) at Rosendals on Djurgården.

Sunday afternoon

Vaxholm

In winter, you’ll probably be content to settle into a cosy café for yet another round of fika with charming company or a good book. Keep an eye out for the royal family in Café Opera; stay warm and snug at Vau de Ville, which is especially wonderful at Christmastime; or grab your boots and join the locals ice-skating on the rink near Kungsträdgården or, if you’re brave, on the frozen-over Baltic Sea.

The warmer months are prime day-trip time. Easily reached from the city is Ellery Beach House over on Lidingö island, and this is where you’ll want to find yourself on a sunny day. If the resort’s many pools, sunloungers and saunas (there’s even a jetty for swims in the Baltic for those of sturdy constitution) aren’t enough to keep you entertained, head to Millesgården Museum, once the home of the Swedish sculptor Carl Mills and his wife Olga, on the other side of the island, with a sculpture park attached.

Other islands just a short sail from the centre of Stockholm include main hub Vaxholm, around an hour’s boat ride away, with traditional pastel wooden houses, cute cafés and a 16th-century fortress. Fjäderholmarna (the ‘Feather Islands’) is an equally charming group of islands 20 minutes out into the archipelago; and Värmdö is home to arts centre Artipelag.

Sunday evening

Start your evening back in the city centre at Bar Nîmes, a cosy wine bar in Östermalm, before heading over to Gigi’s or the more upscale Sushi Sho for excellent raw fish (you can thank the bountiful archipelago for that). Japanese fare is also available at Misshumasshu, an izakaya in an old arcade — or you can switch to Italian at date-night-approved Ciccio’s, or bow out of the city in a carnivorous flourish at smart steakhouse Noema.

Need to know

Transport The main hub is Arlanda, around a half-hour drive north of the city in good traffic. The Arlanda Express will get you into Stockholm Central in under 20 minutes, with departures every 10-to-15 minutes — from here you can hop in a cab to your hotel or take the relevant Metro onwards.

Getting around The Gamla Stan and much of the city centre is walkable, and app-hailed taxis are readily available.

When to go Stockholm (and Sweden generally) are proving ever-popular as the trend for ‘coolcations’ booms, which means the city can be busy with tourists even in January. If you want to explore the archipelago, you’re better off waiting till the spring, when the boat services resume. Autumn sets in by August, and though the winters are dark and long, the cosy candlelight will help to make up for it.

What to buy For edible souvenirs, stockpile salty liquorice, and cinnamon and cardamom buns for the plane home. For cashmere, stop by Soft Goat; for denim, head to Jeanerica; for menswear, Atelier Saman Amel and Rose & Born are your best bet. Bookworms will love a good nose around Konst-ig (for architecture and art books, especially) and Papercut. And for Scandi interiors inspo, call by design store Sekelskifte to pore over the tiles, wallpaper and mouldings.

Good to know There are more than 30,000 islands in the Stockholm Archipelago, and the ferry out to the further-flung ports in the Baltic Sea can take up to six hours. You’ll need to devote more time than a weekend to explore it properly, though there are shorter, day-trip tours available during the warmer months.

Discover our collection of hotels in Stockholm, or read our weekend guide to Copenhagen