Stockholm Old Town
Stockholm Old Town
4.5
About
The Old Town, unsurprisingly, is the oldest part of Stockholm. It's certainly the tourist's go-to destination, but that doesn’t detract from its architectural and otherwise urban beauty.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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The area
Neighborhood: Gamla Stan & Riddarholmen
Gamla Stan is Stockholm’s historic old town and home to the Swedish Royal Palace. It’s the most central island of Stockholm and accompanied by the small island of Riddarholmen, mainly known for its famous Riddarholm Church. Gamla Stan tends to be a bit touristy at times but is definitely worth visiting: take a stroll past the well-preserved buildings and through the small (and also Sweden’s narrowest) alleys, which will make you feel like you’ve travelled back in time. This neighborhood offers a great combination of historical buildings and traditional Swedish restaurants.
How to get there
- Gamla stan • 4 min walk
- Slussen • 8 min walk
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Restaurants
2,863 within 3 miles
Attractions
409 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- Anna BWeigelsdorf, Austria25 contributionsAbsolute delightThe old town (also known as Gamla Ran) make you feel like you step in time. The vibe is chilled and the local cafes are cozy. It is an essential part of any Stockholm visit!Visited April 2023Written June 1, 2023
- WorldTravelerSoCalMilwaukee, Wisconsin283 contributionsVery Good Attraction but nearly impossible to use wheelchairThis is a nice attraction. Next to the Royal Palace. It contains some nice restaurants, shops, and the Nobel Museum. However, the surface is cobblestones and it's almost impossible to wheel around in a scooter or wheelchair. And taxis have a pickup area where you have to walk a ways to get into the main square. Worth a visit but for handicapped, be ware.Visited June 2023Written June 2, 2023
- doppelganger_etThessaloniki, Greece930 contributionsA sense of history..Probably the nicest area to stroll around in Stockholm! A true sense of history all around you. However, in the summer it gets too crowded due to turists and you may find all the nice terraces full..Visited June 2023Written June 20, 2023
- petergoode2Hendersonville, North Carolina520 contributionsA critical place to include on ANY Stockholm itineraryI cannot imagine ANYONE coming to Stockholm and not spending some time wandering the warren of narrow alleys and unpronounceable streets here in the Old Town. Granted, one encounters one silly souvenir shop after another, but there are multiple charming dining options, fascinating architecture, great history...and visits to the Royal Palace and churches are very worthwhile. We did get turned around more than once, having access to Google Maps proved invaluable when we tried to find a desired restaurant for dinner. An absolute MUST DO!Visited June 2023Written June 21, 2023
- Xamot TomaxFort Wayne, Indiana6,812 contributionsCharmingSeeing this area again was a must. Strolling through the cobbled streets, you’ll notice different restaurants and shops. The colorful, 17th and 18th century buildings offer some picturesque views of Old Town and Stortorget. Other nearby landmarks are the Storkyrkan Cathedral Royal Palace, which is the king’s official residence.Visited December 2022Traveled as a coupleWritten July 4, 2023
- syrus vErnakulam District, India79 contributionsTradition of SwedenWonderful experience while watching the Stockholm old town. Very neatly and beautifully maintained with lots of shops and restaurants where we got number of mementos and gift items at affordable price. There was a parade of changing the duties of guards which was awesomeVisited August 2022Traveled as a coupleWritten July 5, 2023
- CBrusselsGermany643 contributionsBeautiful and quaintIt is an island with colourful Swedish old houses, square and a lot of different types of shops, restaurants and cafes. It takes less than 10 minutes walk from Central Station. There are also a lot of important and beautiful buildings such as parliament, palace, churches, Nobel Price Museum and cathedral. It is a must see destination if you are in Stockholm for the first time.Visited July 2023Written July 9, 2023
- doctorfoxtrotTaguig City, Philippines12,810 contributionsHeart and Soul Has Become TouristyCan’t say you have been to Stockholm unless you have visited this segment of Old Town. Amidst the colorful houses and narrow alleys are restaurants with a view serving rather expensive food. Also there are the so called Swedish fika dessert places and numerous souvenir shops. Nearby also are the Royal Palace which seem to be under renovation, the cathedral and Nobel museum .Visited July 2023Traveled with familyWritten July 16, 2023
- Shaun LClanfield, United Kingdom2,580 contributionsLovely old town but avoid the crowds if you canwell worth a walk around the old city of Stockholm. If you can I’d recommend going as early as possible in the day as it’s quite a tourist hot spot. Even if you join a guided tour try and find some time to come back just to wander on your own. The buildings are delightful and the German church is so beautiful. Plenty of souvenir shops if that’s your thing but also some very nice art and craft shops in the back streets.Visited July 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten July 18, 2023
- BalkrishnaShroffMumbai, India23,714 contributionsSimply Awesome !!It is not possible that you go to Stockholm and don't see old town. It's the heart of beautiful city. The pedestrian only small and narrow lanes with colorful old buildings bring out the charm of this historical place. There are a lot lot of souvevenir shops, bars, restaurantsand cafes almost everywhere. It's really fun to sit in any open restaurant over a drink and watch the world go by. During season it's very crowded. It's advisable to take a walking tour and then go around on your own. Not to be missed !!Visited July 2023Written July 25, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
20,665 reviews
Excellent
12,985
Very good
6,365
Average
1,142
Poor
122
Terrible
51
Jason E
London, UK98 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
We caught the metro to gamla stan and started making our way into old town which was very good to see as there was lots of souvenir shops and pubs and restaurants and cafe and coffee shops. We then decided to go and see the royal palace. When we got there the guards was doing a passing out parade and then at the end the king and Queen and there family came out onto the balcony and waved at the crowd. The crowd was singing there native traditional song which was so great to hear even though we didn’t know the words to the song it was great that we was there to see this. We then afterwards decided to walk around and just take in more pictures of this beautiful city. We then decided to go and have lunch we found a great pub and restaurant called The Meat I would highly recommend this restaurant the alcohol wasn’t expensive and neither was the meal in total it cost us £40 and that was for two people. The lady who served us was very friendly and so helpful and she spoke English too.
Written April 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AmarillaArvika
Arvika, Sweden520 contributions
Dec 2020 • Solo
If you like small independant shops, small cafes and restaurants, in a historical setting, then this is the place to go. The only setback in this time of Corona, is that not everything is open, but it’s still good. I recommend going in the afternoon when it is almost dark, and walk up and down the little alleys, and looking into the shops that interest you. A must see and do for Stockholm.
Written December 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ocam R
Czech Republic65 contributions
Jan 2020
Flew in to Arlanda Airport. Very long walk to trains from T2. Bought 72 hr travel card and airport supplement at station, service excellent, transport superb. Metro from Airport to hotel 40 mins, then 5 mins to Old Town, also walked it in 15 mins. Easy to access. Quaint cobbled streets, very clean, lots of small shops, many cafes and bars that have live bands. Also upmarket restaurants like Vapiano Italian. You can get round the whole place easily on foot. Palace 500 m from centre. Note: most places do not take cash, have your money in sek on a preloaded currency card. Prices are very high be prepared for a shock.... One beer, one double JD& coke, one plate of chips no change from £30 at bar, prices published. Overall a good time but would not go again as once seen is enough.
Written January 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marilyn M
Stockholm, Sweden60 contributions
Dec 2019
Is this the most attractive city centre in the world? It would certainly come in any list of finalists. Compressed onto a tiny island (the 'holm' in Stockholm means island), it's crammed full of tiny cobbled alleys, historic buildings, shops, restaurants, music spots... and fabulous waterside views. Any time you tire of its urbanity, you can walk to the quayside at Slussen and take a ferry. Just across the water, or to the lovely nearby Fjäderholmarna, or way out into the archipelago.
Written February 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Diana Varga
Bucharest, Romania233 contributions
Jan 2020 • Business
Lovely city centre and with acces to bars,shops and a bunch of museums.
Check the opening hours for museum online as in the winter a few are closed and open later than usual and for short time... 11am-4pm
Check the opening hours for museum online as in the winter a few are closed and open later than usual and for short time... 11am-4pm
Written January 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Krissy W
Moerkoev, Denmark194 contributions
Feb 2020 • Solo
Old part of the city is a really nice place to go - even during winter time where you can warm up with hot soup or chocolate in little cafe's. Have a nice lunch at the square or enjoy a delicious Swedish Fika (coffee and cake) or do both. Remember to look up during your walk as many of the old buildings are very beautiful.
Written March 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cailin1969
Cork, Ireland35 contributions
Dec 2019
Spent a day walking about the old streets - very accessible from the city centre and worth just exploring on your own with an app or a map. lots of lovely restaurants and bars to choose from. Unfortunately the Nobel museum was closed on the day we visited (Dec 31).
Written January 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Barkan Ç
Ankara, Türkiye3 contributions
Nov 2019
This old town feels like you are in medieval times where once Vikings lived! Successfully preserved, wisely being restored.. A bit expensive what is actually usual in Nordic countries. Yes, the reason is they are rich ! :) In this city, a hard copy paper map (yes, beautiful tech. GPS is confused due to narrow streets and tall buildings) would be super useful to find the way around. Otherwise, you might have hard times.
Go to Nobel Museum and surely the Royal Palace! Most of the museums are on another island called Djurgården.
Go to Nobel Museum and surely the Royal Palace! Most of the museums are on another island called Djurgården.
Written January 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Johan
8 contributions
Jul 2019
When in Stockholm, you can't miss the Old Town. Here you find small alleys, shops, restaurants (take a visit to restaurant 'Gyllene Freden' from 1722 or the nearby pub 'Zum Franziskaner' from 1869) and even the royal castle.
Even thou a lot of the buildings has been torned down it's still the coolest place in Stockholm
Even thou a lot of the buildings has been torned down it's still the coolest place in Stockholm
Written January 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
An American living in Europe
13 contributions
Feb 2020
Do a little advance reading on Gamla Stan. Look at some pictures and familiarize yourself a bit ahead of time. Evening is the time to go to avoid crowds and take it all in undisturbed. Good time to make photos, too.
Most fun is to "get lost," look all around you as you wander then refer to your guidebook for details on points of interest you uncover.
Most fun is to "get lost," look all around you as you wander then refer to your guidebook for details on points of interest you uncover.
Written March 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sabrina
United States25 contributions
Is a 5 hours layover at Arlanda Airport enough time for a quick visit to the city center using the express train in February? How long does it usually take to go through customs in and out?
Hannelore H
United Kingdom280 contributions
It's only 20min from the airport to the city centre by Arlanda express, so 5 hours would be definitely doable and worth it. However, I'm not sure about the customs bit as we were coming from the UK, so didn't have to go through customs.
Tatiana Sigorskaia
St. Petersburg, Russia
Здравствуйте все!)) Будем в Стокгольме семьёй из 9 человек,включая 3 детей от 4 мес до 9 лет, один день в начале марта.
Поделитесь, пожалуйста, советами, как удобно добраться на общественном транспорте от порта Vikingline(паром из Хельсинки) до Старого города. Признательна за подмогу в этом))
Татьяна
ISKANDER72
Moscow, Russia460 contributions
Привет! Конечно, с такой компанией (учитывая возраст детей) лучше заказать трансфер. Например, минивен или 2 легковушки. По финансам будет не очень большая разница. Но, если решили на автобусе, то ходят такие: красного цвета. Маршрут 76. Учитывайте, что доехав до центра, в сам Старый город ещё нужно пройти пешком около 10 минут.
Elchichagt
Guatemala City, Guatemala472 contributions
Hi, we are planning a trip to Stockholm next year 2020. At the end of April. Do you know how maybe the weather will be? Thanks
Atinez
Gothenburg, Sweden31 contributions
Hi I am not from Stickholm but the weather in Sweden in April could be very nice or very rainy and cold. It depends when un April.
Torill E
Son, Norway
Vi ønsker et hotell med underholdning i Stockholm gamla stan i februar en gruppe 10-12 stk
A Traveller F
Dubai, United Arab Emirates22 contributions
I would recommend Sheraton, it is near old town, near central station and good shopping
Ikun B
2 contributions
Hai,saya ingin tau tempat2 yg wajib kita kunjungi selama kita di stockhom,saya menginap 3 hari,hotel yang pqling dekat dengan kota tua hotel apa ya?trimakasih
Находясь всего полдня в Стокгольме,что лучше бесплатно посетить. И рекомендации по бюджетному варианту питания
Hope
New York City, NY9 contributions
I have a 5 hour layover in Stockholm - would it be possible to go from airport into town. If so, how far from the airport? What's the quickest way to get to the centre of town and what should we see? Will we have to go through customs again?
Sightseeing traveler
37 contributions
You can go to the city center by train. It will be 20 min to 30 minutes top to get there! You will be like 5 minutes away from the shopping center but you will need to walk until the old town like 20 or more minutes from the train station. I hope this helps! Enjoy!!!
Do we need to do this by HOHO bus?
Johnsonsouth
Lafayette, LA53 contributions
Walking is the best part of exploring Old Town! Don't miss the opportunity to wander.
We are on a Norwegian Cruise ship which docks at Nynashamm..which means we have to somehow get to Stockholm and be able to see as much as we can in a few hours. His easy is it to get from Nynashamm to Stockholm. We particularly want to walk around the old part.
Madona0035
593 contributions
Hello there,
For my trip to Stockholm, I didn’t go to Nynäshamm. But I think the ideal way to travel is taking the SL train as it will take you directly to the Stockholm City, which is Central Station (T-Centralen in Swedish). From here you don’t even need to take any metro as you can walk to the old town easily. You need a map or just ask people. In case, you prefer to take the metro, it is only one stop away. The old town in Swedish is called Gamla Stan.
For paying the train or metro, you can pay by your credit card. I don’t think it is necessary to have the local currency.
To book the train tickets online, you can google SL train. You may also find other train providers, which may provide the same service. But you had better take these two points into account (1. Compare the ticket prices 2. The train can take you directly from Nynäshamn to Stockholm City in a shortest time)
Hope this helps.
poullubomir
Prague, Czech Republic14 contributions
Lze koupit jízdenku mhd-Stockholm,tbana,bus,tram,lod na letišti Arlanda. Pokud ano,kde.Dekuji.Luboš.
poullubomir
Prague, Czech Republic14 contributions
Ahoj,tak už jsem to konečně,vyčuchal.Jízdenku na 72 hodin,platí na veškerou dopravu ve stocholmu i příměstskou za 230-sek.Dá se koupit na letišti-Arlanda v tzv sky city,SL ticket a můžeš ji hned použít na autobus-Arlanda-Marsta a potom příměstkym vlakem až na T central.Tento tiket nemá slevy na vstupy do musea apod.O tomto řešení ví,velice málo lidí.Ahoj-Luboš.
JG N
1 contribution
Hi i have a 6 hour layover in stockholm going to dubai. Do you think this is enough time maybe to go and see stockholm like old town for a few hours? I dont want to get stuck at the airport if i could still see a little bit of the city since ive never been there before.id appreciate any info!
Jane S
Milton Keynes, UK190 contributions
Hi you definitely would have time to see the old town. We visited Stockholm on a cruise and only had 6 hours and managed to see loads. We chose the old town and then the Vassa museum.
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Claim your listingStockholm Old Town - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Frequently Asked Questions about Stockholm Old Town
- According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Stockholm Old Town:
- Old Town Tour of Stockholm (From $42.39)
- Stockholm Bridges Sightseeing Cruise (From $37.21)
- Walking Tour of Stockholm Old Town (From $21.70)
- Stockholm Old Town and the Vasa Museum, a Small Group Walking Tour. (From $97.05)
- Fika Like A Stockholmare (From $134.75)
- Hotels near Stockholm Old Town:
- (0.02 mi) Golden Goat Hotel
- (0.03 mi) Best Hostel Old Town
- (0.09 mi) Sven Vintappare Hotel
- (0.08 mi) Lady Hamilton Hotel
- (0.12 mi) Victory Hotel
- Restaurants near Stockholm Old Town:
- (0.01 mi) Pharmarium
- (0.01 mi) Bistro Nobel
- (0.01 mi) Grillska Huset
- (0.02 mi) De Svarta Faren
- (0.02 mi) Stortorgskallaren
- Attractions near Stockholm Old Town:
- (0.01 mi) Nobel Prize Museum
- (0.01 mi) Stoccolma con Mary - visite guidate
- (0.01 mi) City Bike Adventures Stockholm
- (0.02 mi) Biblioteca dell'Accademia Svedese
- (0.02 mi) Stoccolma in italiano - Visite guidate