Day 2: Stockholm: City Hall - Royal Tour cruise - Crown Bridge - Gamla Stan: Järntorget, Stortotget Square, Storkyrkan, Royal Palace - Sodermalm: Millennium Route, Monteliusvagen Park
Today this trip to Stockholm really begins for free that we had so much to come and that since we returned from our trip to China we already had that traveling monkey That so often shakes us. The alarm sounds at 7 in the morning and a few minutes before 8 we are in the breakfast room of the Comfort Stockholm Hotel charging energy to start visiting all the things we have what to see in Stockholm.
With the stomach already toned we go straight to the Sergelstorg Square, 3 where we have to pick up the Stockholm Pass that Visit Sweeden has given us for this getaway.
As soon as we go out, we notice that it is colder than we thought, although the day is very clear and the sun shines. The jacket we have brought and the closed shoes are not at all too much.
While we walk towards the Tourist Office, 500 meters from the hotel, we already sense that we will like this city a lot.
A good alternative if it is your first time in the city and you want to know its history better is to book a free tour of Stockholm with a guide in Spanish or this private tour with a guide.
Square where the Tourist Office is located
We collect our Stockholm Card and we set off to what will be our first visit of the day: The Stockholm City Hall, but before we explain a little more of the Stockholm Card.
This card, which will be interrupted for sale on December 31, 2015, we recommend that if you go later check the website of the Tourist Office to see what other options they have, it offers us a free visit to more than 75 museums and Stockholm attractions, including the City Hall and its tower, the Vasa Museum, Skansen, the Nobel Museum, the Gröna Lund Amusement Park, the Royal Palace and many more.
The price is as follows:
Stockholm Card 2 days (48h) Adults 765 crowns Children 335 crowns
Stockholm Card 3 days (72 hours) Adults 895 crowns Children 385 crowns
Stockholm Card 5 days (120 hours) Adults 1150 crowns Children 435 crowns
Apart, with the Stockholm card, you are also entitled to unlimited free travel on all public transport in Stockholm.
Another highlight is the possibility of a free round trip by boat in the Royal Canal tour or the Historic Canal Tour.
Apart from these that we mentioned there are free guided bike rides and discounts at several Stockholm attractions such as the tourist bus.
Stockholm Card
We continue with the travel diary. We arrived at the Town Hall in just over 10 minutes, located on the Kungsholmen Island, and from where we are only 500 meters from the Tourist Office, where at 10 in the morning there is a visit in Spanish that is what we want to do. All visits are guided, and at this time of year there are no reservations, so it is worth coming a little earlier to not run out of seats.
More practical information to prepare your trip to Stockholm
- 10 essential places to visit in Stockholm
- 50 things to see and do in Stockholm
- 10 essential tips for traveling to Stockholm
- 10 essential places to see in Sweden
- The best free tours in Stockholm for free
This guided tour, like the entrance are free with the Stockholm Card, if not the price is 100 crowns per person.
Upon entering we find a charming building that we know will take a while to get to know after the visit.
Punctual as a clock at 10 in the morning we are with a group of 10 more people who will do the guided tour, 50 minutes by the Stockholm City Hall or Stadshuset, one of the most emblematic places of the city.
Blue room Interior of the City Hall with the famous Nobel ladder
Among the several rooms we visited, the most prominent is the Blue Room, which is actually brick, but it remained with this name since it had been announced like this, long before the architect changed his mind and left him with The brick seen.
Here is celebrated every year the Nobel Prize delivery and the subsequent banquet.
Another of the rooms we visited is the Golden Hall, this one that corresponds to the name, decorated entirely by gold-coated glass mosaics.
Golden Hall Stockholm City Hall
Another of the rooms we visited is that of the council, where the officials meet, in Viking style.
Town Hall
When we finish the visit we take the opportunity to buy a bottle of water in the store and to be able to pay in euros, we do not doubt it very much and we pay with a 50 euros ticket and thus we get some change for the small purchases that we are doing these days, since that yesterday when we arrived at Skavsta airport the offices were already closed.
With the water and the change in the pocket we go straight to the Town Hall tower, where reservation is needed to enter. The next visit is at 11: 55h in the morning, so we take the opportunity to take the tickets, with the Stockholm Card they are free, if they are not 50 crowns per person.
As we still have half an hour left for that hour, we take advantage of the time we have left to enjoy the views of Stockholm from the surroundings of the Town Hall, which are certainly impressive.
Views of Stockholm from the City Hall. What to see in Stockholm
Stockholm City Hall
At this time of the morning we begin to see that many organized groups arrive, we would say that 80% of those who are here now come in a group, especially in excursions of the cruises that stop here in Stockholm.
Gamla Stan from the City Hall
At 11:55 we are on time at the door of the tower and they explain that we have 35 minutes to go up, be in the area of the upper part, that is, the viewpoint, and go back down.
You have the option of making the first section, up to the sixth floor by elevator, so we do not doubt it much and there we go. From where you leave the elevator to the viewpoint we have about 5 minutes climbing ramps and stairs, which take us to one of the Stockholm's most beautiful viewpoints with stunning views of the city.
Views of Stockholm from the Town Hall tower
The truth is that at the beginning we thought it would be a totally discovered viewpoint, but we found some gates that prevent us from having the sensation of a viewpoint proper, although we have to say that the views are unbeatable. We assure you that it deserves and much, the visit.
Gamla Stan from the City Hall. What to see in Stockholm
After enjoying a good time here, accompanied by a beautiful sky, we go back down and we go to Gamla Stan, the historic center of Stockholm, passing through the administrative assembly of Sweden in search of the place from where the boats that make the Royal Tour route depart, which is the option we have chosen to get to know the city from another perspective.
As we mentioned before, this tour enters the Stockholm Card next to the Historic Canal Tour, although only one can be made, and from what we have read the Royal Tour It's more complete, so we've decided on this one.
If you do not have the card, a good option is to book in advance this 2-hour cruise that crosses the bridges of Stockholm with audio in Spanish and save you the wait.
If you have more time it is advisable to book in advance the 3-hour cruise around the Stockholm archipelago that includes breakfast or this one that includes breakfast or dinner.
The ticket offices are right in front of the Grand Hotel and the truth is that quite long queues are formed, so if you are in the area and want to take some time in particular, it is better to come a little earlier and take them in advance to avoid having no place.
In the end we are lucky and we can get 2 tickets for 1:30 pm which, as we mentioned before, is free with the Stockholm Card, if they do not cost 185 crowns per person.
After queuing for 10 minutes, by the way with free Wi-Fi that we take advantage of to update social networks, we enter punctually at 13:30, with the luck of being at the beginning of the queue and thus being able to take place at the end of the boat, which is discovered and from where you have better views, since inside the boat the rows of seats are long and there are no windows for each seat or every two.
In front of each seat we have headphones with which we can discover all the places we are going through, and place them on a map that also leave us next to the headphones.
Vasa Museum from the Royal Tour cruise. What to see in Stockholm
The journey is 50 minutes that fly by while enjoying the explanations in Spanish that we have with the audio guide.
Views of Skansen from the Royal Tour cruise
Views of Stockholm from the cruise
If you have a while, we highly recommend this experience to see the city from a different perspective than we are used to. We arrived again at the Grand Hotel area, where we embarked 50 minutes ago, at 2:30 p.m., and since we are so close to the Crown Bridge we approach a moment to make the photo of rigor, with the city in the background.
Book Stockholm's top rated tours and excursions by travelers:
- Stockholm walking tour
- 3h brunch cruise in the Stockholm archipelago
- Tour of the Royal Palace and the Vasa Museum
- Spectacular Stockholm: 3-hour walking tour
- Boat and bus tour with free stops
- More excursions and tours here
Book Stockholm's top rated tours and excursions by travelers:
Crown Bridge
It's almost 3 in the afternoon and being already the time and with the stomach calling us attention, we decided to go to Gamla Stan to Stockholms Gastabud restaurant located in Osterlanggatan number 7, where we ordered a plate of Swedish meatballs or kotbullar and a plate of grilled salmon plus a couple of waters for 357 crowns.
Eating kotbullar and grilled salmon in Stockholm
The salmon dish is 198 crowns and 159 meatballs, plus the water that is free. Think that if there is something they have in Stockholm it is water, so if you ask for it to eat it is free 😉
All great and in the most pleasant atmosphere! 100% recommended!
We leave almost at 4 in the afternoon and we go straight to get lost by Gamla Stan, one of the prettiest neighborhoods we've ever been to.
Streets of Gamla Stan. What to see in Stockholm
Gamla Stan is the neighborhood that makes up the Stockholm Old Town and it is located on the island of Stadsholmen although it also covers the islands of Riddarholmen and Helgeandsholmen.
Streets of the Gamla Stan neighborhood
During the walk through Gamla Stan we pass by the narrowest street in Sweden, Marten Trotzigs Grand.
Narrowest street in Sweden. What to see in Stockholm
We arrived toJärntorget and we see some terraces in the middle of the square that seem to call us shouting, so we listen to them and sit down to enjoy the sun, with coffee and ice cream for 60 crowns that are the best desktop we could imagine.
Desktop in Järntorget
After a while enjoying watch life go by, one of the things we like to do in our trips for free, we continue the walk through the historic center of Stockholm, heading to Stortotget Square, where is the Nobel Museum and we found one of the typical postcards of Stockholm with the colorful houses.
Stortotget square. What to see in Stockholm
After being in this area for a while, which is the place where we find the most tourists, we keep walking until we reach Stockholm Cathedral, Storkyrkan, the oldest church in the city, losing us through the most scenic streets that have just fallen in love with this area of Stockholm. The price of admission to the Stockholm Cathedral It's 40 crowns per person, but for us, for carrying the Stockholm Card, it's free.
Interior of the Stockholm Cathedral. What to see in Stockholm
Impressive this visit, so if you are in the area, do not miss the interior.
From here we go to the Royal Palace, which is right next to Storkyrkan where in the morning they make the changing of the guard, from what we have read, very similar to that of Buckingham Palace in London.
We continue with the visits of everything we have what to see in Stockholm this afternoon heading to a viewpoint, right in the back of the Royal Palace, from where we have fantastic views of the town hall.
Stockholm views
We pass through the pantheon of the kings of Sweden and follow the street until we reach the first of the viewpoints.
Arrived in this area and it is time to sit in a small square to rest for a while, with incredible views of the city where we regain strength to continue our way again.
Town Hall views
After this break, we continue until we reach Södermalm in the southern part of central Stockholm, which is another of the islands of the city.
Here we will see one of the points of the Millennium route, where we can see what was the scene of the last scene of the first film and also the apartment of the protagonist Mikael Blomkvist.
A good option to explore this neighborhood and know its history is to book this free tour for free!
Road to one of the points of the Millennium Route in Södermalm
Mikael Blomkvist apartment in Millennium
From here we go, going up the street, until we reach Monteliusvagen Park, one of the viewpoints recommended by Visit Sweeden, when days before we noticed that the Katerina elevator was closed and that it is a marvel.
Views of Stockholm from Monteliusvagen Park
Another precious perspective of the Stockholm city that we love We enjoy a while sitting at one of their picnic tables, the truth is that the place is priceless to eat here, and when they spend several minutes at 7 in the afternoon, we undo our way to the Mariatorget Park, another point of the route Millennium, where we continue to find that environment that we like so much about this city.
Stockholm views
Cafes and bars super special and with a super cool atmosphere that makes you want to stay in the city for a few more days.
From here there are several more points of the Millennium Route, which in the end we chose not to see, since they are less locations "interesting"for us, like a cafeteria, a 7Eleven or a bookstore.
It's almost 8 in the afternoon when we finish with the route we had prepared with all the places what to see in Stockholm This first day of the trip and since it has not been so long since we have eaten and we do not have too much appetite we decided to give ourselves a tribute of sushi, which is not a meal that fills us too much, at the Akki Sushi, a restaurant that we saw recommended.
As it turns out that after the walk we take, the restaurant does not exist and instead there is a kind of japo-chino, that although it does not attract much attention, it is closed, so there is no option but to abort the mission and go in search of another place to have dinner.
After several laps and see that at this time everything is up to the limit, do not forget that here you eat and have dinner before, so it is better to anticipate the Spanish schedule with which we came (dinner about seven and lunch on 1) and we decided to go directly to the Vapiano, an Italian food chain that we met on our trip to Tallinn for free and that is also only 50 meters from our hotel in Stockholm.
We had a Caesar salad, a bruschetta, plus a pasta dish and two soft drinks for 270 crowns that make us finish the day in the best possible way.
We are entering our room at the Comfort Stockholm Hotel when it is almost 11 pm. Today has been a most complete day and we don't lie to you if we tell you that we need to lie down and rest for a few hours. Tomorrow Stockholm is still waiting for us.
Day 3: Stockholm: Vasa Museum, Skansen, Stockholm Metro: Kungsttadgarden, Radhuset, Solna Centrum, Stadium and Tekniska Höskolan
