Get the lowdown on how to spend a day in Stockholm from a cruise ship
It’s hard not to fall in love with Stockholm
The so-called Venice of the North is one of the world’s most attractive cities and its rich history has left a photogenic old town and countless cultural treasures. Moreover, it’s the place that those super troopers, Abba, like to call home. Mama Mia!
I had a day in Stockholm as part of a cruise along the Baltic Sea to St Petersburg. Although I had visited the city before on a grey November weekend in 2002 to join wedding celebrations, I was looking forward to exploring Stockholm again in the summer sunshine.
It was also an opportunity to pay homage to Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid.
If like me, you are visiting Sweden’s capital as part of a cruise and have only 24 hours or less to seek out the best bits, you will need to make some tough choices. To help you make the most of your cruise stop in Stockholm, here is an itinerary and essential practical tips. These include how to get from the cruise terminal and my pick of what to see in Stockholm
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Why Visit Stockholm?
Visit Stockholm for its charming historic centre, cool vibe, friendly locals and one of the world’s most alluring cityscapes.
Stockholmers call their city “beauty on water” and it’s not hard to see why. Situated on approximately 20 islands, waterways crisscrossed by 57 bridges and abundant greenery, Stockholm is a stunning city.
A 1-day Stockholm Itinerary from a Cruise Stop
A heads up. You won’t be able to see all of Stockholm in a day. However, this itinerary will help you seek out the best bits and allow you to make it back to your ship on time.
Here’s a map with a suggested route to set you on your way. If you find it easier, you can use it as a Stockholm self-guided walking tour. Simply click on the image for an interactive map and walking directions between the stops.
The total distance covered by this Stockholm walk is 4 km. However, if you want to save time, or give your feet a rest, you can take a tram between Djurgården and Kungsträdgården.
MORNING IN STOCKHOLM
Visit the Abba Museum
Mama Mia! Spend your morning in Stockholm by reliving the Swedish fab foursome’s glory days through this fun and interactive museum.
The first part of the Abba Museum, dedicated to the Mama Mia films, is a little underwhelming. Here you will find props from the films, costumes and testimonies from the cast.
Descending to the main exhibition, you get the real deal.
Learn about Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid’s professional lives before they became an acronym of the first letters of their first names. Watch Abba winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Concert with Waterloo.
A vast collection of their extraordinary costumes are on display in the museum, as are some of their many gold and platinum discs and album covers from across the globe.
Film buffs amongst you will love the interview with the renowned Swedish director Lasse Hallström. Before achieving international acclaim with movies such as My Life as a Dog and The Cider House Rules, he cut his teeth directing almost all of Abba’s videos as well as Abba: The Movie in 1977.
Abba were one of the pioneers of pop videos. Despite a small budget, Hallström managed to put together compelling, and iconic, videos.
The Abba Museum is tremendously interactive.
You can become the fifth member of Abba by performing on stage with Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid, virtually try on their costumes and re-mix their tracks. By scanning your ticket on the adjacent scanner, your visit will be saved for 30 days.
Huge fun.
- The Abba Museum is at Djurgårdsvägen 68
- To get to the Abba Museum from Frihamnen cruise terminal, take bus #76 to Djergården from where it is a 10-minute walk.
- The museum is also served by hop-on-hop-off buses.
- The ticket price for entry is 290 SEK (July 2023).
- The Abba Museum is cashless; only cards are accepted. Small lockers and a cloakroom are available (free).
- To beat the crowds, visit the Abba Museum early in your day in Stockholm
Explore Djurgården
The Abba Museum is located on the royal island of Djurgården, which is well worth exploring further if time permits.
It is home to the expansive Kungliga Park, which occupies the eastern half of the island.
Alternatively, pay a visit to Skansen. This is the world’s oldest open-air museum and showcases how Swedish people lived before the industrial revolution.
Skansen is also the world’s only open-air museum with wild animals and is home to Nordic wildlife, rare breeds, pets and exotic creatures.
If the weather is not kind to you on the day of your Stockholm cruise stop, I recommend the Vasa Museum. Named after its chief occupant, a 17th-century ship that capsized and sank in Stockholm, this is the most visited museum in Scandinavia.
When you have finished exploring Djurgården, walk or take the tram #7 light rail to Kungsträdgården.
AFTERNOON IN STOCKHOLM
Watch life go by in Kungsträdgården
In fine weather, the lovely Kungsträdgården is the perfect spot for a picnic lunch. Alternatively, refuel in one of its cafes.
Originally the kitchen garden for the Royal Palace, this pretty, narrow garden is home to the impressive Fountain of Molin, cast in bronze and surrounded by willow trees from the 19th Century.
DID YOU KNOW?
In springtime, Kungsträdgården is a riot of colour thanks to the 63 Japanese cherry blossom trees planted there in 1998.
When you’re ready, follow Strömgaten west along the riverfront and then cross Norrbro which will bring you to Stockholm’s medieval core.
Walk around Gamla Stan (Stockholm Old Town)
If you have just one day in Stockholm, you should not miss Gamla Stan. It was the most alluring historic city centre that I visited on this cruise, even beating the gorgeous Tallinn.
The best thing that you can do is to allow yourself to get lost in the old town’s tangle of narrow, cobblestoned streets. My suggestion is to make your way first to Stortorget, Gamla Stan’s oldest square.
Stortorget has been the beating heart of Gamla Stan since the Middle Ages and is where the 1520 Stockholm Bloodbath – the mass execution of Swedish nobles by the Danish king Christan II – took place. Today, it is an achingly picturesque cobblestoned square that is flanked by beautiful ochre-coloured patrician houses.
When you have finished admiring Gamla Stan just go wherever your feet take you. Keep your eyes peeled for Mårten Trotzigs Gränd, Stockholm’s narrowest lane.
Vist the Royal Palace (Kungliga Slottet)
I didn’t have time to take a tour of Sweden’s baroque Royal Palace but did enjoy admiring it from the outside.
If you want to switch things around a bit in your Stockholm itinerary, the changing of the guards takes place daily at 11.45 am in the outer courtyard. You do not need a ticket for the royal palace to watch it.
Check out the official website for further information.
- The Royal Palace is at Slottsbacken 1
- The ticket price is 190 SEK which also grants you entry to the Royal Apartments (July 2023)
Recommended tours of Stockholm
With a little forward planning, it’s easy to independently see the best that Stockholm has to offer in one day from a cruise ship. But perhaps you want someone else to take care of the arrangements or you want to benefit from the knowledge of a local guide?
If so, why not pre-book a day tour? These excursions have been highly rated by other travellers and you can cancel your booking without penalty up to 24 hours prior to the start of the activity.
Stockholm Old Town Walking Tour – a 90-minute walking tour of Gamla Stan
>>> CLICK HERE TO BOOK
Private Tour of Stockholm with a Local – if you prefer a more personalised experience
>>> CLICK HERE TO BOOK
Stockholm Sightseeing Tour by Segway – enjoy a 2-hour tour of Stockholm on a Segway
>>> CLICK HERE TO BOOK
How I visited Stockholm on a Cruise
- Cruise operator: Celebrity Cruises
- Cruise ship: Celebrity Silhouette
- Time in port: 8 am – 5 pm
What is it Like to Visit Stockholm on a Cruise?
I loved my day in Stockholm and was utterly seduced by its setting and its medieval old town. With its Baltic Sea archipelago, Stockholm boasts the most spectacular approach of any port that I have visited on a cruise, from the Western Caribbean to Norway’s fjords.
One day in Stockholm isn’t enough to do the city justice. Given more time, I would have liked to have visited the Vasa Museum, taken a look at the metro system – called the longest art gallery in the world by some – and joined a tour of the royal palace.
But don’t let the short time you have in the city deter you from making the most of your visit. Whilst you will need to accept that you can’t do it all, it is possible to explore much of Stockholm before your cruise ship sets sail.
Plan Your Stockholm Cruise Stop
The approach to Stockholm is sensational.
A steady hand from the captain is needed as, over a three-hour period, the ship navigates the archipelago of 24,000 islands that stretch for 80 km east of the city. It’s worth setting your alarm clock to sit on your balcony to take in the view, a mixture of barren rocks circled by seabirds and islets populated by brightly painted wooden summer homes.
But don’t worry if an early start doesn’t appeal. You are also treated to these views as you leave port. That said, there is something magical about waking up to this sight.
Stockholm has two major cruise terminals: Frihamnen and the more central Stadsgården. Some ships may also park up at Nynashamn, 36 miles south of Stockholm, and smaller ones may dock at Skeppsbron right in the centre of town.
Celebrity Silhouette berthed at Frihamnen.
How to get to central Stockholm from the Frihamnen cruise terminal
Option 1: Walk from Frihamnen to Gamla Stan
It will take you around an hour to walk from Frihamnen to Gamla Stan. Unless you really want to walk off some of those extra calories consumed onboard, this is probably not a feasible option.
Option 2: Use Stockholm’s public transport to get around
Pick up bus #76 from outside the cruise terminal. When you exit the terminal, turn left and you will see the bus stop on the other side of the road. This will bring you to Djurgården in 10 minutes (handy for the museums including the Abba Museum) and Gamla Stan in 15 – 20 minutes.
Bus #76 runs every 6 – 10 minutes.
In Stockholm, single tickets, which are valid for 75 minutes, are available from the driver (when possible) for SEK 50. Cheaper ways of buying a single ticket (SEK 37) are through the mobile app or from a ticket vending machine.
However, I recommend buying a day ticket to get the best out of your time in Stockholm. This costs SEK 155 and you can purchase it from the shop in the cruise terminal. Note that this is NOT the tourist visitor card Stockholm Pass which also grants you access to museums, sights, attractions and boat trips.
More about that later.
Useful information on travel within Stockholm here.
Option 3: Use the Cruise Shuttle Service
When I visited Stockholm on a cruise, a local tour operator provided a shuttle service, running every 20 minutes. In 2018, this cost USD 15 for a return journey.
Option 4: Use the hop-on-hop-off buses
Yes. Ubiquitous hop-on-hop-off (HOHO) buses are available.
They come in two different favours.
Red Sightseeing buses
These open-top double-decker buses serve 22 stops. The duration of the entire route is 1.5 hours and buses are timetabled to arrive every 10 – 20 mins in peak season.
A 24-hour HOHO bus ticket costs €31
Green HOHO buses and boat
If you want to explore Stockholm by bus and boat, this is your best bet. A 24-hour ticket costs €48.
Their open-top double-decker buses serve 20 stops. The duration of the entire route is 60 minutes and the frequency of buses depends on the month of the year.
Is Stockholm really expensive?
Stockholm is one of the most expensive cities in the world.
Expect to pay over 30 SEK for a cup of regular coffee and eating out is pricey. Thanks to taxation, beer and wine could swallow up much of your daily budget.
Fill your face at breakfast on the cruise ship before setting out for your day in Stockholm.
Is The Go Stockholm Pass worth buying for a one-day cruise stop?
The Go Stockholm Pass gives you free entry to over 50 of the city’s attractions, free bus and boat tours and a guidebook thrown in for good measure. But at €66 for a 1-day pass, it is not cheap.
During my day in Stockholm, I knew that I wanted to visit the Abba Museum, which is not covered by the Stockholm Pass, and walk around the Old Town, for which I wouldn’t need admission to any of the city’s attractions. Therefore, it would not have been of value to me.
However, depending on what you plan to do in Stockholm, you might arrive at a different conclusion. Think about where you might be able to visit and how much individual tickets and transport will cost compared with the cost of the Stockholm Pass.
More practical advice for your Stockholm Cruise Stop
Language – Swedish. English is widely spoken … and spoken well.
Currency – Swedish Krone (SEK). However, cards are widely accepted, even as payment for small purchases such as a cup of coffee. Therefore, I did not bother getting local currency and used my card instead.
Tipping – A gratuity is often added to your bill. However, if a service charge is not included in your bill, a 5 – 10% tip is customary.
Getting around Stockholm – Stockholm has an excellent integrated public transport system. Many of the main tourist sights are clustered around Gamla Stan.
Plan your Baltic Sea cruise stops
Packing a good guidebook to allow you to explore the ports of call on a Baltic Sea cruise independently is a wise move. I can recommend the excellent Lonely Planet Cruise Ports Scandinavia & Northern Europe that I used when I was visiting these ports.
