Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm had been on my travel bucket list for ages, so it was the natural choice for this year’s Euro trip final destination! Normally I can get a general sense of a city within a short time, but Stockholm felt like a place where I would need to spend a month to truly fall in love with it. I instantly bonded with Oslo and Copenhagen, but Stockholm and I still need a bit of time together. The good news is that it gives me another reason to visit in the future.
Sightseeing
What to do in Stockholm?
Most of our Stockholm trip involved walking aimlessly around neighborhoods and just generally catching a vibe of the city. There are loads of things to do in Stockholm and we barely scratched the surface. Some highlights included:
Skinnarviksberget - Great park to watch the sunset in Södermalm. There were loads of people with food and drinks picnicking while the sun went down and it had just a really pleasant vibe.
Djurgården - This beautiful island is kinda like Stockholm’s version of Central Park or Hyde Park. It has loads of museums (Skansen, Vasa, Abba), but is worth a visit even if you’re not museum hopping.
Stockholm Metro Art - One of the best places to see art in Stockholm is actually in the metro stations! Great incentive for using public transportation there. See this helpful blog post for doing a self-guided Metro art tour.
Archipelago day trip - We opted for the art-heavy Artipelag for our archipelago visit (see full Artipelag review here). Vaxholm is also a really popular spot for an archipelago day trip but we ran out of time to visit both!
Södermalm - A trendy neighborhood with lots of vintage shops and cafes. Strangely enough, certain parts felt just like downtown Santa Cruz.
Moderna Museet - Modern art museum on Skeppsholmen, outdoor sculptures (including a Picasso!) are free. Cute lunch or fika spot Cafe Blom nearby. Check out the epic Ai Wei Wei Arch sculpture on your walk over to Skeppsholmen!
Dining
Where to eat in Stockholm?
One adorable and delicious Swedish custom is called FIKA, where you take a break during your day and have a pastry + coffee and visit with friends. We had some great fika times at Drop Coffee in Södermalm (great espresso), Stora Bageriet in Östermalm (amazing almond croissant), Gast in Norrmalm (Stora’s sister cafe, with solid avocado toast), and Cafe Frankfurt near City Hall (with bagels that rival LA’s famous Courage Bagels).
For non-fika treats, we enjoyed Il Tempo in Södermalm for dinner which we found on Google Maps one night to satisfy a pasta craving. What a treat! We had a kale salad, cacio e pepe with crab, and a pappardelle ragu and they were DIVINE. We also enjoyed Sweden’s take on Mexican food at Chelas in Hornstull — their chorizo quesadilla tasted like gourmet Taco Bell.
I really wanted to check out the stunning Ett Hem hotel and found out they offered a 7-course fixed menu for non-hotel guests. While I don’t usually indulge in such elaborate dinners (OK, just Aira and this one, I swear!), I really wanted to experience a bit of Ett Hem so we signed up. And it was so worth it! It felt like eating in someone’s hip home and the menu felt like someone had been reading my diary (ceviche! tomato and pesto pasta! lamb! fish!). J.J. had a couple different types of their homemade beer and I enjoyed a couple of types of sparkling apple cider. It was one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had.
Cold plunge pool at Hotel Reisen
Lodging
Where to stay in Stockholm?
I booked Hotel Reisen in Gamla Stan (Old Town) using Hyatt points that I transferred from Chase. Shameless plug: use my referral link to earn up to 75K Ultimate Rewards points by signing up for a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve card.
Gamla Stan was super touristy but conveniently located in the middle of everything we wanted to see. The hotel is near the Royal Palace so you get to see the guards all dressed up everyday which is cool. The major plus to the hotel was the beautiful sauna and cold plunge pool in the basement, open daily until 10pm. I had only tried my first cold plunge just a month ago, but am now slightly obsessed.
Transportation
There are local buses that go to Arlanda Airport in Stockholm but I appreciated the convenience of the Arlanda Express train. It takes 18 minutes from the airport to Stockholm Central Station. You can buy Arlanda Express tickets online or at a kiosk. You get a solid discount if you buy 2 or more, so aim to buy tickets together if traveling with someone else.
Stockholm has an extensive bus and metro system that is very user-friendly (with the added bonus of cool artwork in the metro stations). We found tap-to-pay to be convenient but purchasing an SL travel card might be worthwhile if you’re planning to use the train loads. Uber is also readily available in Stockholm.
Sweden Info
Tipping: Not mandatory, though rounding up the bill or adding 5-10% for good service at restaurants is appreciated
Water: Safe to drink
Outlets: Plug type C and F (2-prong European one); 230V
Credit Cards: Widely accepted
Language: Swedish but English is widely spoken and understood
E-Sim: I bought one from Airalo that covered 39 countries in Europe. Shameless plug: use my referral code HANNAH8604 to get $3 USD off your first eSIM purchase.
Our lunch at Aira in Stockholm was a culinary adventure! This Michelin-starred experience was both memorable and delicious. The 15-dish meal was perfectly paced, with each dish beautifully presented and full of unique flavors.