How to Spend a Long Weekend in Stockholm, Sweden
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Stockholm is Europe’s self-assured big sister. She’s not as big or flashy as Paris or Milan, but she doesn’t need to be. She knows exactly who she is—a city of stately architecture and heady institutions (hello, Karolinska Institute and Nobel Prize!) with a commanding sense of Swedish style, perpetually on trend yet never trendy. She thrives on her water-laced geography, her busy ferries connecting this Baltic port city to the archipelagic wonderland for which Stockholm is dubbed “Venice of the North.” Mostly, though, Stockholm possesses a graceful Nordic nonchalance that is warm and enchanting. She’s Ingrid Bergman—enigmatic, beguiling, gorgeous—but as a city.
For museum lovers, Stockholm is heaven, with more than 50 museums and cultural institutions for all tastes, from the Viking Museum to the Swedish Museum of Natural History, to the ABBA museum, or if you’re a shopper, well, make haste to Bibliotekstan, a pedestrian-friendly haven of haute couture. From the elevated hipster cocktail-and-cuisine scene in Sodermalm to Michelin-rated chefs in Ostermalm, the city is a sure palate pleaser, just save room for sweets—the licorice here is next level. To help you make the most of 72 hours in Scandinavia’s cultural capital, here’s our curated guide for where to stay, explore, shop, eat and indulge in Stockholm.
Thursday Morning
We love a hotel that’s a destination unto itself, and for 150 years, The Grand Hôtel Stockholm has been exactly that—unquestionably grand and THE place to stay for tourists, royalty and visiting politicians, rockstars, Nobel winners and movie stars. It opened in 1874 as Scandinavia’s first international luxury hotel, and has offered its signature high-touch hospitality every day since.
The hotel offers 70 spacious suites, including nine designed by Scandinavian notables including Susanne Josephson and Martin Brudnizki, but the standard rooms are beautifully comfortable too, and service across the board is five star. Honestly, given its century and a half of Stockholm history, you can absorb much of the city’s flavor without ever leaving the hotel, but with the best shopping, sight-seeing and dining all in easy walking distance, why not venture out?
Thursday Afternoon
Drop your bags then stroll across the bridge to Gamla Stan, where the Vikings first set up shop in 1000 CE. Today “Old Town” is Europe’s best preserved medieval city center, thanks to the small island becoming the Baltic shipping and trading hub in the 13th century, and home of the Royal Palace and Royal Chapel. Wander around its enchanting warren of narrow cobbled streets and 16th-century buildings in hues of ochre, rust and weathered green.
Not surprisingly, there’s excellent antiquing—Brinken Antik has a lovely collection of silver, bronze candelabras, plus carved wood toys—and a plethora of gift shops and local craft stores (fabulous yarn/wool at Makeri14), especially along Västerlånggatan. Up your IQ with a quick stop at the Nobel Museum, then reward your hard-working brain with licorice tastings at Lakritsroten.
Friday Evening
Before leaving Gamla Stan, savor an apothecary-esque cocktail at the Pharmarium, then head back to the Grand Hotel for a traditional Swedish smörgåsbord dinner—an elaborate spread of all things pickled herring and smoked fish, boiled potatoes, fresh salads, and traditional meatballs and sweets, at Veranda.
Evidently there’s a science to how one smörgåsbords, and thankfully your server will guide you through, including the traditional shot of Aquavit with lager chaser, which we highly recommend.
Friday Morning
Grab breakfast at the hotel's Veranda restaurant, which will fortify you for a morning of museum-going. Before heading out, ask the concierge if you can peek into the hotel’s regal, Versailles-inspired Hall of Mirrors, site of numerous galas and the first 29 Nobel Ceremonies.
Walk 20 minutes down the Strandvagen to Djurgården, where you can get carried away by museum after museum—the Viking Museum, the Spritmuseum (hello Absolut and spirits galore!), the Nordiska Museet, to name just a few. But if you’re a mere mortal and need to pace yourself, start with ABBA The Museum, because Mama Mia, you’re in Sweden. Even if you’re not a die-hard ABBA fan, you’ll enjoy learning how these four Swedes took the rock world by storm 50 years ago, winning the 1974 Eurovision award with their breakout hit, “Waterloo.” It’s interactive, informative, and a blast. Warning, take the museum’s tagline to heart: “Walk in. Dance out.”
Next, dance on over to the Vasa Museum, where you can time travel from 1970s-era rock stadiums to a 17th-century maritime marvel, and one of the world’s most remarkable discovery stories. Imagine a four-story tall, massive wooden ship—think Titanic, circa 1628—that sank on its maiden voyage right in Stockholm harbor, and sat 100 feet underwater for 333 years. Now here it is, fully restored, including its elaborate carvings. Truly, you have to see it (and smell that old wood smell) to believe it.
For lunch, walk back down the Strandvägen toward Ostermalm’s Saluhall, Stockholm’s historic farmers' market and food hall, where you can find a bit of everything, from healthy wraps and juices to decadent seafood entrees, to smørrebrød, pizza and confectionaries.
Friday Afternoon
Now it’s time for serious Scandi design indulgence, which means one thing: Svenskt Tenn. This mecca for Swedish home interiors is chock-full of furniture, fabrics, jewelry, home accessories and more, so plan to spend some time here, especially if you’re a fan of color. The legacy of design pioneers Estrid Ericson and Josef Frank remains vivid as you wander the two-story showroom where tabletop arrangements, classic Frank textile designs and bold new patterns entice. Before you leave, enjoy fika (Swedish custom of sweet treat and warm drink) at the Café Svenskt Tenn, in honor of Ericson, a tea aficionado.
Be sure to return to the hotel in plenty of time to cap your afternoon off with the full Nordic sauna and cold plunge experience in the Grand Hôtel’s luxurious spa.
Friday Evening
Begin your evening with cocktails at the hotel's Cadier Bar, where bar manager Anton Windmar’s imaginative menu, created anew each year, distills the essence of Sweden’s unparalleled natural beauty (archipelago, Northern Lights, meadow flowers…) into drink. Everything here is art, from the original watercolors accompanying each concoction, to the custom-created sculptural glassware designed for each drink, to the bar’s see-and-be-seen ambiance.
Then options include checking out what’s on offer at the stunning Kungliga Operan, Stockholm’s performing arts center, a few steps away from the hotel, or enjoying the intrepid culinary offerings at Ekstedt, home of award-winning wood-fired cuisine. If you prefer something more casual, Olli is a spunky neighborhood restaurant equally beloved for its playlists and satisfying Northern Italian food.
Saturday Morning
Today it’s back over to Östermalm and neighboring Norrmalm (both a 15-minute walk) for the ultimate Scandinavian shopping experience. First stop, Acne Studios, where you’ll find tastemaker Jonny Johansson latest men’s and women’s ready-to-wear styles in a showroom that was formerly a bank where a robbery/hostage crisis in 1973 gave rise to the term “Stockholm syndrome.”
Nearby, Rodebjer’s flagship studio offers playfully eccentric fashion for the woman “who wants to get on with her life while still looking and feeling good,” according to designer Carin Rodebjer. All Blues is a must for artisanal jewelry with distinctly Swedish clean lines and shapes. Totême, along Bibliosteksgatan, is sublimely sleek and chic, while Houdini, another Swedish brand, is a go-to for activewear (especially if it’s cold!).
To refuel after all that high fashion, how ‘bout down-to-earth hot dogs at the famed Stockholm Hot Dog Stand? Alternatively, Restaurant Hantverket has a well-rounded menu for a more upscale midday meal. Or if you power through past lunch and can hold out until the delightful Tyge & Sessil opens at 4 p.m., treat yourself to wine and small plates from celebrity chef Niklas Ekstedt (especially if you didn’t go to Ekstedt for Friday dinner).
Saturday Afternoon
If you’re up for another 30-minute stroll, walk back through Gamla Stan, or take the ferry from the hotel’s waterfront to the near shore of Södermalm, where along the water and looking back to the Grand Hotel, the Fotografiska is Stockholm’s ode to contemporary photography.
Rotating exhibits feature world-class fine art photography from the likes of Cindy Sherman and Kary Lasch (on view through April 2024). The museum feels like an expansive, edgy gallery—easy to maneuver, with artwork presented in informative, engaging context. Save time for the gift shop, which has great gifts and souvenirs at good prices.
Saturday Evening
For your final night, indulge in either of Michelin-starred chef Mathias Dahlgren’s restaurants, Matbaren or Seafood Gastro, both culinary destinations in and of themselves yet conveniently located within the Grand Hotel. Matbaren offers a seasonal seafood-forward menu in a modern, casual bistro atmosphere, while Seafood Gastro is a multi-course tasting experience centered around aquatic ingredients, that will, frankly, blow you away.
The custom-crafted plateware from Norway’s Odd Standard is as much a delicacy as the dishes themselves. Add wine pairings and you’ll have an evening beyond compare, not to mention a new-found appreciation for Sweden’s shining culinary moment.
Sunday Morning
After so much shopping, eating, and museum-going, spend your last hours in Stockholm taking in the nearby parks and green spaces, including the Kungsträdgården, also known as Kungsan or Stockholm’s central park. Watch ice skaters if you visit in the winter, or enjoy coffee at an outdoor café on warmer days.
The city’s slightly off-the-beaten path green oasis, Skeppsholmen, is a small islet just to the east of the hotel, where you can meander around the perimeter and take in incredible views of Gamla Stan and Strandvägen across the water. If you’ve got the stamina for one more museum, the contemporary art at Moderna Museet is certainly worth seeing.
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