One Day in Stockholm Itinerary

Stockholm, Sweden, is one of the most beautiful European capitals to visit. It has all you wish for in a great city destination: stunning architecture, interesting museums, quirky attractions, a vibrant atmosphere, a great culinary and cafe scene, and amazing nature. Fortunately, even if you only have one day in Stockholm during your trip to Scandinavia, you can enjoy it all! 

Recently, I went for a quick trip to Stockholm for an NHL hockey game (which was awesome), which, funnily enough, was my third short trip to the Swedish capital. But even with the very limited time, I managed to see all the best Stockholm attractions, and I had one full day to do so. Sure, there were many more great things to do in Stockholm, but at the same time, I don’t feel like I missed out on something. 

If you are wondering what to see during your one day in Stockholm, here are a few suggestions based on my trip there. I put them in random order so you can adjust your Stockholm itinerary to your interests or accommodation location. Even if it might seem like a lot, it’s perfectly doable to see all these places in one day in Stockholm (I did, and I wasn’t in a hurry to check them all).

Read on and plan your perfect Stockholm trip!

One day in Stockholm itinerary

Start your day with coffee and a delicious pastry

Sweden is known for cinnamon buns (kanelbullar); the average local person eats 316 of them per year! There is no better way to start your day and get the local vibe than with coffee and a fresh bun. If you get it from the bakery or the coffeeshop, the pastry is fluffy, soft, sweet, and so delicious it’s hard to stop at one. Fortunately, there are many places all over the city where you can find tasty cinnamon buns, together with good coffee.

But while everyone is really into cinnamon buns, I actually preferred cardamom pastries (kardemummabullar), which were even better. Of course, taste is very subjective, so you should try both before you start your Stockholm sightseeing.

Here are some of the recommended places where you can get delicious pastries in central Stockholm:

• Komet Café Stockholm
• Fabrique Klarabergsgatan 60 – it’s a popular bakery, this one is close to the central train station but you will find more locations all over the city
• MR CAKE
• PANEM
• Skeppsbro bageri

Wander around the Old Town

The Old Town in Stockholm – Gamla Stan – is relatively small but oh so very charming, with winding cobbled lanes and townhouses in pastel colors. It dates back to the 13th century, but the majority of buildings you can see now are from the 1600s and 1700s.

The place is packed with cafes and restaurants, souvenir shops and small galleries. You will also find a few museums in here, including the Nobel Prize Museum and the Post Museum. The main square of the Old Town is Stortorget, from where it’s only a few steps to the Royal Chapel and the Royal Palace. 

The best way to explore the Old Town is to follow your intuition and wander around with no map. Since it’s not a large area, getting lost here is rather unlikely, but you never know what great spots you might find on your walk. 

You can also take a guided tour of Old Town to learn more about Stockholm and its history, and to see all the highlights of Gamla Stan. It takes around 2 hours, so it should fit perfectly into your 1-day Stockholm itinerary. Here are the recommended tours

• Walking Tour of Stockholm Old Town
• Walking Tour of Stockholm’s Old Town, Gamla Stan
• Best of Stockholm Walking Tour-3 Hours, Small Group max 10 people

Visit at least one museum

Stockholm has some great museums, and even if you have only a short time in the city, you can visit at least one of them. Some of the best ones that are worth considering are: 

• The Royal Palace, which is actually four museums: the Royal Apartments, the Treasury, the Tre Kronor Museum, which showcases the palace’s medieval history, and Gustav III’s Museum of Antiquities. You need around two hours to see them all.
• The Nobel Prize Museum, which is focused on the prize itself as well as those who have won it and their accomplishments.
• Vasa Museum – where you can see the almost intact 17th-century warship, Vasa, that sank in 1628 during its first voyage.
• ABBA The Museum – dedicated to the popular Swedish band ABBA. It’s very interactive, making the whole visit an exceptional experience.
• Skansen – the oldest open-air museum in the world, opened in 1891. You will find around 140 buildings there, from all over Sweden, including the oldest, from the 14th century. It’s a great place to learn more about Swedish traditions, customs, and the old-time way of life.
• Nordic Museum – a large building with over 1.5 million artifacts from Swedish cultural history, starting from 1520.

They are all located in the central part of Stockholm: the Royal Palace and the Nobel Prize Museum are in the Old Town, and the other four are on the Djurgården island (you can walk or take a tram to get there). It’s up to you and your interests which one you will visit during your time in Stockholm.

I went to the Vasa Museum because I’d heard so much about it, and it did not disappoint. The warship is jaw-dropping. It’s enormous, the details are magnificent, and it was so interesting to learn more about the ship itself and why it sank. No wonder it’s the most visited museum in Sweden; it’s worth all the hype. 

See beautiful metro stations

Stockholm attractions can also be found underground. The local metro network is known as the longest art exhibition in the world, spanning over a hundred kilometers. Since the 1950s, artists have decorated new stations as well as added character to the old ones, and now almost all of the hundred stations of the Stockholm metro are like art galleries.

Of course, it’s impossible to see them all, especially if you are short on time, but don’t miss even a few of the most beautiful ones. Seeing art underground was actually one of my favorite things to do in Stockholm, and I can recommend it to everyone.

The local underground network is called Tunnelbana, with “T” in the logo, not “M” like in most places around the world (which might be confusing at first; I was sure “T” stood for trams at first). There are three metro lines with easy connections between them, making exploring the Stockholm metro stations much easier. 

You need up to two hours to see the most beautiful stations. I suggest putting it in your Stockholm itinerary for midday to avoid rush hour. I explored the Stockholm metro between 9:30 and 11:30 in the morning, and it was perfect, with not too many people around. If you start earlier, you can first go to the stations farther from the center, then return to those in the central part of the city when the commuter crowds are already gone. 

Some of the most beautiful metro stations in Stockholm you should see are:

• Solna Centrum (blue line)
• Kungsträdgården (blue line)
• Rådhuset (blue line)
• T-Centralen (all three lines but the station on the blue one is the most beautiful)
• Tekniska Högskolan (red line)
• Stadion (red line)

To use the metro, you need a public transport ticket. You can pay as you go with your card or mobile phone, or you can get a ticket: either a single journey ticket (valid for 75 minutes, so this might not be enough to see all the best stations) or a 24-hour ticket. I recommend the 24-hour ticket so you can also use it not only when exploring the metro but also to get to other attractions (such as museums on Djurgården island). The best way to get the ticket is via the SL App on your phone. You can also get them at the metro stations, but you need to pay 50 SEK extra for the travel card (which can then be recharged).

See the most beautiful view of Stockholm

To end the day, head to Mariaberget for the most beautiful view of Stockholm. It’s best to come here shortly before sunset so you can see the city in soft, golden light, and then again with all the lights on shortly after (there are a few benches to sit on if you want to wait a bit to see the change in the scenery). But even if you visit the Mariaberget viewpoint during the day, you are in for a treat: the city panorama is simply stunning, with all the Stockholm highlights right in front of you. 

The Mariaberget viewpoint is free to visit. You can walk here from Old Town in about 20 minutes. The nearest metro station is Slussen, which is a short distance from the viewpoint. 

Go on the archipelago cruise

Stockholm has a beautiful location, right on the water with numerous small islands all over the place. It makes such a perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, especially if you are visiting Stockholm in the warmer months, when the days are long and pleasant. While you can see more with a boat tour, you can also take public transport ferries for a quick trip around (single-journey and 24-hour tickets are valid here).

There are many boat tours to choose from, but even a shorter one will give you a chance to see the city from a different perspective. Not only will you be able to relax a bit during your busy Stockholm sightseeing day, but you will also get a glimpse of the typical Swedish lifestyle, outside of the busy city.

Here are a few recommended boat tours:

• Stockholm Archipelago Cruise with Guide
• Stockholm: 2 Hour Guided Archipelago Tour
• Stockholm Royal Djurgården Boat Tour

Final thoughts on visiting Stockholm

Even if you only have one day in Stockholm, you can still see all the city highlights. Sure, it will be a busy day as there are so many great and diverse things to do in Stockholm, and it would be a pity to miss any of them. But you are in for a treat: this is one of the nicest and most interesting capitals in Europe, and even with a little time there, you can still enjoy all it has to offer. I bet you will leave Stockholm with a smile on your face and a promise to return. 

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