To main content
An old steamer boat lies moored in the waters outside of Stockholm Palace. Evening. The Old Town is visible in the background.

Photo: Jeppe Wikström

Categories: Activities

5 boat trips you don't want to miss

Publish date: 23 August 2024

Stockholm is best experienced from the water, whether you're taking an inner-city sightseeing tour or an Archipelago ferry. These are our favorite trips

We’re not boat people. Not in the sense that we would want to be part of a crew, at least. But we don’t mind spending a couple of hours as passengers on a ferry or sightseeing boat! And a waterlogged city like Stockholm is best experienced from the water.

You could make it easy for yourself and just hop on one of the boats at Stadshuskajen. Any boat will do, you won’t get disappointed. Either you’ll end up on a great sightseeing tour around Kungsholmen, or take a trip along Mälaren on a commuter boat that’ll drop you of at a picturesque jetty or dock. Stadshuskajen is also where boats traveling to Drottningholm Palace depart. A lovely scenic route and the Sjömansbiff served in the restaurant is a given!

If you’re looking for a boat trip to the archipelago, Fjäderholmarna and Vaxholm are two classic day trips. Great atmosphere and lots of things to see while you’re out exploring these idyllic towns. But if you only have time for one archipelago tour, we would choose the evening cruise with a seafood buffet on MS Vindhem. The ship might take the same route every night, but the atmosphere changes from day-to-day. Sometimes it’s folksy, with a troubadour playing easy listening music. Other times it’s a full-on party with loud rock music. We’ve taken it several times and never been disappointed!

About the author

Pehr and Richard Hante are known for having if not the world's, then at least Sweden’s most Christmassy home (during the holidays, that is. Not all-year-round!). Pehr was born in Småland but has lived in Stockholm since 1985. Richard on the other hand was born in Stockholm but has also lived in Uppsala and the small village of Jormvattnet. They live on Kungsholmen, have a daughter (Cornelia) and two grandkids (Wiola and Wide). Together they simply devour movies (watching every Oscar-nominated film is an annual tradition) and love to play miniature golf, arrange board game nights, good food, good wine, and travel. And during their travels, they try out every Escape Room they can find!

Go to profileGo to profile Arrow icon