Discover
Sweden
Scandinavian design, enchanted forests, and a thriving cultural scene.
Top Destinations
Explore our curated selection of landmarks and cities you must visit.
Gamla Stan (Old Town)
Stockholm's medieval old town, built on a small island between the mainland and Södermalm, contains the Royal Palace, the Nobel Museum, and some of the best-preserved 13th-century streetscapes in Scandinavia. The Stortorget (Great Square) is surrounded by colourful facades dating from the 18th century.
Best Time
May to September for warm evenings and outdoor cafés. December for the Stockholm Christmas market in Stortorget, one of Sweden's finest.
Insider Tip
Explore the alleyways away from...
ABBA Museum
The world's most interactive pop music museum, dedicated to the Swedish group ABBA. Located in a purpose-built facility on Djurgården island, it features original costumes, gold records, stage sets, and an extraordinary hologram technology that allows visitors to 'perform' alongside the band.
Best Time
Year-round. Weekday mornings are least crowded. Book tickets online.
Insider Tip
Book in advance — the...
Vasa Museum
The Vasa Museum houses the world's only surviving 17th-century warship — the Vasa, a 69-metre, 1,200-tonne warship that sank on her maiden voyage in Stockholm harbour in 1628 and was raised intact from the seafloor in 1961. It is Sweden's most visited museum.
Best Time
Year-round. The museum is always open, including Christmas Day. Allow 2–3 hours minimum.
Insider Tip
The multiple levels of walkway...
Ice Hotel
The world's first ice hotel, built on the banks of the Torne River in Swedish Lapland every winter since 1990, from thousands of tonnes of ice and snow. Each of the art suites is carved by international artists to unique designs, and every spring the hotel melts back into the river.
Best Time
December to April when the ice hotel stands. The year-round Icehotel 365 facility maintains permanent cold rooms using refrigeration.
Insider Tip
Book an art suite to...
Gothenburg Archipelago
A scattered archipelago of some 8,000 islands and islets stretching south from Gothenburg into the Kattegat sea. The outermost islands are bare granite washed by the open North Sea, while the inner islands are forested and dotted with traditional wooden fishing villages.
Best Time
June to August for swimming, sailing, and island hopping. The long Nordic evenings are magical.
Insider Tip
Take the classic shrimp boat...
Abisko National Park
A national park in Swedish Lapland bordering Norway, known for having the clearest skies in northern Europe for Northern Lights viewing. The Aurora Sky Station at Mount Nuolja (accessible by chairlift) is one of the world's premier aurora observation points.
Best Time
October to March for Northern Lights (the Aurora Sky Station operates nightly). June–July for the Midnight Sun experience and summer hiking.
Insider Tip
Book the Aurora Sky Station...
Drottningholm Palace
The 17th-century private residence of the Swedish Royal Family, located on Lovön island outside Stockholm. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Drottningholm includes the best-preserved Baroque palace theatre in the world (in regular use), a Chinese Pavilion, and extensive formal gardens.
Best Time
May to September. The theatre season runs June–August; summer performances use 18th-century stage effects including original wind and thunder machines.
Insider Tip
Book a theatre performance during...
Stockholm Archipelago
An archipelago of 30,000 islands, islets, and rocks spreading 150 kilometres east from Stockholm into the Baltic Sea. Ranging from wooded island retreats to bare outermost skerries, it is one of the world's most extensive and beautiful coastal landscapes.
Best Time
June to August for ferry island hopping, swimming, and sailing. The ferries run from April to October.
Insider Tip
Buy a multi-day ferry pass...
Visby Medieval City
A UNESCO World Heritage medieval city on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. Visby's 3.6-kilometre ring wall — with 57 towers, the largest medieval city wall in Scandinavia — encloses 200 limestone buildings and 13 ruined medieval churches, all remarkably preserved.
Best Time
June to August for warm evenings among the ruins. August for Medieval Week (Medeltidsveckan) — one of the world's largest medieval festivals.
Insider Tip
Rent a bicycle and ride...
Gamla Uppsala
The ancient religious and political capital of pre-Christian Sweden, where three enormous Viking-age burial mounds (5th–7th century AD) contain the remains of the Yngling dynasty. The site was the heart of pagan Norse religious practice, with temple sacrifice described by Adam of Bremen in 1075.
Best Time
Year-round. The mounds are equally atmospheric in winter snow and summer evening golden light.
Insider Tip
The nearby Gamla Uppsala Museum...
Kungsleden Trail
Sweden's most famous long-distance hiking trail, stretching 440 kilometres through the Swedish Arctic from Abisko in the north to Hemavan in the south. The landscape traverses birch forests, Arctic tundra, glaciers, and the Kebnekaise massif (highest point in Sweden).
Best Time
Late June to mid-September. The first and last sections (Abisko–Kebnekaise) are the most dramatic and most hiked.
Insider Tip
The most popular 3–4 day...
Ericsson Globe
The Avicii Arena (formerly Ericsson Globe) is the world's largest spherical building — 130 metres in diameter and 85 metres high — home to major concerts and the Stockholm home of the Swedish national ice hockey team. The SkyView gondola climbs the exterior of the sphere.
Best Time
Year-round. Book SkyView tickets online.
Insider Tip
Time the SkyView ride for...
Kebnekaise
Sweden's highest mountain at 2,098 metres (southern peak). Kebnekaise sits in the heart of Swedish Lapland and is accessible to fit, non-technical hikers via a 19km trail from Nikkaluokta. The summit plateau offers views across the Norwegian border.
Best Time
July to mid-September when the trail is snow-free. July nights are lit by the midnight sun.
Insider Tip
Stay at Kebnekaise Fjällstation (Sweden's...
Kalmar Castle
One of Scandinavia's best-preserved Renaissance castles, built on an island in the Baltic in the 12th century and extensively rebuilt in the 16th. Kalmar Castle was the site of the signing of the Kalmar Union (1397), which united Denmark, Norway, and Sweden under one crown.
Best Time
May to September. The summer theatrical performances and the castle's active programming bring history to life most vividly.
Insider Tip
Book a guided tour to...
Universeum
A science discovery centre and natural history museum, home to a spectacular five-storey rainforest habitat, a shark tunnel aquarium, a Scandinavian natural environment exhibit, and an extensive science and technology exhibition. Voted one of Europe's best science museums.
Best Time
Year-round. School holidays are very crowded — visit on weekdays during term time if possible.
Insider Tip
Book the early-morning 'Before the...
Skansen Open-Air Museum
The world's oldest open-air museum, established in 1891, covering 75 acres on Djurgården island. Over 150 historic buildings from across Sweden have been relocated here, covering every aspect of pre-industrial Swedish life — farmsteads, manor houses, churches, and workshops — staffed by people in period dress.
Best Time
Summer (June–August) for the fullest programming and craft demonstrations. Christmas is spectacular with traditional Swedish advent celebrations.
Insider Tip
Climb to the top of...
Liseberg Amusement Park
Scandinavia's largest amusement park, with 11 roller coasters including the world-record-breaking wooden coaster Helix, and more than 50 rides. Liseberg is also known for its elaborate seasonal events — summer concerts and the spectacular Christmas market.
Best Time
Summer (May–September) for rides. October–November for Halloween. Late November–December for the Liseberg Christmas market, one of Scandinavia's finest.
Insider Tip
Book the Helix fast-pass in...
Höga Kusten (High Coast)
A UNESCO World Heritage Coast on the Gulf of Bothnia with the highest post-glacial land uplift in the world (800 metres since the last Ice Age). The dramatic landscape of deeply incised fjord-like bays, forested hills, and scattered islands is unlike anywhere else in Sweden.
Best Time
June to September for hiking, kayaking, and wild swimming. The cloudberries ripen in August.
Insider Tip
Take the suspension bridge at...
Nobel Prize Museum
Located in the old Stock Exchange building in Gamla Stan, the Nobel Prize Museum celebrates the achievements of all Nobel Laureates since 1901. The permanent collection includes personal objects from prize-winners, films, and an immersive 'laureates' experience.
Best Time
Year-round. The museum is particularly lively around Nobel Week in December.
Insider Tip
Look under the chairs in...
Ales Stenar
A megalithic monument of 59 sandstone boulders arranged in the outline of a ship, 67 metres long, on the cliffs above the southern Swedish coast. Dating from approximately 600 AD, it is the largest 'stone ship' in Scandinavia — Sweden's Stonehenge.
Best Time
Year-round. Midsummer solstice (June 21) for the astronomical alignment. Autumn for solitary visits with dramatic light.
Insider Tip
Visit at sunset or sunrise...
Travel Tips for Sweden
- 1.
Embrace 'fika' (coffee & cake breaks)
- 2.
Public transport is excellent
- 3.
Tap water is safe and delicious