Three Days in Stockholm, Sweden

my 32nd country! ft. our first wedding anniversary, kanelbuller, & meatballs.

Apr 13, 2025

Hej, friends! Happy weekend! I hope this post find you relaxing in the lovely spring sunshine and in the mood for some light armchair travelling. I am stopping by today to finally(!) share my first ever Swedish post with you — Three Days in Stockholm, Sweden — and I am so excited about it! Husband and I visited Stockholm at the end of last year for our one year wedding anniversary and fell absolutely head-over-heels for the city - it’s completely stunning! Neither of us had ever been to Sweden before, but we both essentially walked around gawping at the gorgeous-ness of the country for our whole visit! Shall we dive in?

The guide I have compiled below is absolutely jam-packed to the brim with every single thing we got up to during our time in Stockholm — but also with more photos than I’ve ever before shared in any one post. When I mentioned above how gorgeous we thought the city was, I’m not exaggerating; we came home with a ton of photos! And then, when I sat down to edit photos for this post, I found it so difficult to cull the masses because I wanted to share almost every one with you! It sounds insane, but once you see some of the beauty captured in the images below, I’m sure you’ll agree. Stockholm is honestly one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been!

Everything we know and love about Stockholm is listed below, divided into the usual breakdown: fun facts / getting there / where we stayed / where we had coffee & pastries / where we ate lunch & dinner / where we drank / and where we tourist-ed. Before you get into it, a word of warning: she’s a biggie! Such a biggie, in fact, that if you’re reading this in your email inbox, you might notice an abrupt cut-off before you can read to the very bottom where I sign off and have related posts. If that is indeed the case, click ‘view entire message’ to go through to the webpage version.

Enjoy, friends!

fun facts

I know you love a fun fact just as much as I do! You can thank me after you win the pub quiz 😉

the city of Stockholm is actually an archipelago made up of 14 islands! For me, this fact really added to the charm of the city as a whole, because almost everywhere you turn there’s a pretty bridge and gorgeous waterside view.
Sweden is consistently ranked as one of the happiest countries in the world! Coming in at number 4 this year, Swedes are pretty dang happy people!
Sweden has the second highest number of Eurovison wins in history! A close second to our very own 7 wins, Sweden have won 6 times in total, beginning with ABBA’s iconic 1974 win with Waterloo. Fun!
similar to Norway, parts of northern Sweden experience a ‘midnight sun’ during the summer months, where the sun never sets! Stockholm itself is too far south to experience it, but apparently at the height of summer the city gets 18-hours of sunlight. Wild!
not necessarily a fun fact, per se, but interesting nevertheless: Sweden does not use the euro! The currency is the Swedish krona, written as SEK or kr. At the time of our visit in November ‘24, €5 was around 59SEK.

getting there

Here’s how we made the journey to Sweden from Ireland:

we flew direct from Dublin airport to Stockholm Arlanda airport with Ryanair. Our flight took 2-hours 20-mins, and we were treated to the most gorgeous views over the countryside as we were coming in to land!
from Arlanda airport, we took the Arlanda Express train into Stockholm Central Station. The journey was 18-minutes long, and it was so pleasant! The seats are almost as big and cosy as armchairs, the train was spotless, and it was just so efficient! At 460SEK for two adults one way — €40ish at the time of our visit in November ‘24 — it’s not exactly a budget option, but it’s a) the most frequent and b) fastest way to get into the city.
from Stockholm Central Station, we walked a very convenient 9-minutes to our hotel, below.
if you’re reluctant to fork out for the Arlanda Express, there are other options! Flygbussarna buses cost 129SEK one way & take about 45-minutes to get to the city centre, while local SL commuter trains cost 190SEK and take 43-minutes to reach the central station.

where we stayed

Scandic Go // it took us a while to settle on accommodation in Stockholm, trying to find the balance between a decent location, good value, and solid reviews. I’m pleased to report that this hotel ticked all those boxes! Located in the Norrmalm district, this was walking distance to everywhere we wanted to go, yet located on a lovely quiet street slightly away from the main hubbub. Our room was very Scandinavian, compact and somewhat basic, but clean and with many of the ingenious space-saving tricks one associates with Sweden. Added bonus: the Arlanda Express stop is a short 9-minute stroll from the hotel! Would recommend. Address: Upplandsgatan 4, 111 23 Stockholm

where we had coffee & pastries

Keeping in mind that Sweden is the home of fika, you better believe that we enjoyed many a coffee & pastry moment during our time in town! Listed below are the places we loved.

Café Pascal // home to the best pastries maybe ever? We loved it here so much that we came back two days in a row, and we were annoyed with ourselves for not discovering it earlier in our trip! Over the course of our visits, we sampled their kanelbuller, pain au chocolat, and the pistachio croissant; all of which were mouthwateringly crispy, flaky, perfectly filled, and oh so buttery! The noise of the crunch when Husband bit into his first pain au chocolat literally blew our minds, it was like glass! The coffees were also amazing - creamy, strong, and flavourful - and the space itself was very cute. A must-visit. Address: Norrtullsgatan 4, 113 29 Stockholm

Saturnus // widely regarded as home to some of the best kanelbuller in the city, we simply couldn’t leave Stockholm without stopping in here. We visited on a Sunday morning and were super lucky to get a seat; the place was crazy busy! Having caught a glance at the kanelbuller on the way in, we opted for one to share and thank goodness we did — it was almost the size of a baby’s head! The dough was soft and light, with a fantastic cinnamon-y flavour throughout, and plenty of pearl sugar. The cafe itself was also gorgeously designed in an art-deco theme, with colourful tiles and fun art, etc. Would absolutely recommend. Address: Eriksbergsgatan 6, 114 30 Stockholm

Fabrique // obsessed with this chain ever since trying them in Notting Hill, naturally we had to try their Swedish counterpart. Can confirm: they’re still delicious! Not as good as either of the above - it is a chain after all - but still exceptionally tasty, tender, and delightfully cinnamon-y! There are Fabriques on almost every street corner, but we visited this one: Drottninggatan 102, 111 60 Stockholm

Under Kastanjen // a cute little cafe we stumbled across in the old town! We chose a window seat in the quietest nook we could find, and enjoyed our coffees - cappuccino for me, americano for Husband - watching the stylish people of Stockholm stroll past outside. A nice, centrally located spot to refuel! Address: Brända tomten, 111 31 Stockholm

Kaffe // a very nice coffeeshop! We initially sought it out as a location on our movie tourist-ing - more on that below! - but we both actually rather enjoyed our time here! Our coffees came in mini individual cafetieres, we got a great seat at a bar along the window, and the vibe of the place was pleasingly hipster but not overtly so. Would recommend. Address: Sankt Paulsgatan 17, 118 46 Stockholm

where we ate

Obviously Stockholm has a huge culinary reputation for fancy Michelin starred restaurants and the like, but we didn’t really have the budget for that. Thankfully, there are plenty of options for every budget in the Swedish capital - we ate so well during our time there!

lunch

Lilla Gästabud // the most adorable little restaurant, tucked away in a quiet corner of Gamla Stan! This restaurant and its sister joint, Stockholms Gästabud, are, according to the internet, home to some of the best meatballs in town — and, let me tell you, they 100% lived up to the hype! We both ordered the exact same thing: a pint of Melleruds Pilsner and a big plate of Swedish meatballs with lingonberry sauce, nutmeg spiked mashed potatoes, pickled cucumbers, and the creamiest gravy that has ever existed. This was Husband’s first ever time trying Swedish meatballs and I’m so glad because they were absolutely fantastic! Everything was so flavourful and delicious, the meatballs were ridiculously tender, we had a lovely waiter, and the ambience in the space felt so romantic and special! A must-visit. Address: Lilla Nygatan 16, 111 28 Stockholm

La Neta City // we really only wandered in here because we were absolutely starving when we landed and this was located conveniently close to our hotel — but we were very pleasantly surprised by the food! Because we were kind of in between meal times, we opted for a Modelo beer each and their mixed taco plate to share; it came with one al pastor / pork shoulder, one bistec / beef steak, one suadero / chuck steak, one carnitas / shredded pork, and one portobello mushroom taco. Each taco was as delicious as the next, but I was especially impressed by the suadero and portobello mushroom ones! Would recommend. Address: Barnhusgatan 2, 111 23 Stockholm

dinner

The Queen’s Head // so lovely, we ate here twice! On our first night, we were seated at this gorgeous window table overlooking the street below, with a cute gas candle on our table, and even if the food had been horrible, we thought the setting was so beautiful! Thankfully, the food was mind-bogglingly delicious; across our two visits we sampled mac & cheese croquettes on a bed of sriracha mayo, a smash burger with zingy coleslaw, salty fries + aioli, a crispy pork schnitzel with pickled cucumbers, and a side of smashed potatoes with lemon & herb cream sauce. Honestly, everything was amazing — but the mac & cheese croquettes stole the show both times! We also really enjoyed the Bryggmästarens Bästa Pilsner we had on draft, and just generally had all the warm fuzzy happy feelings when we were here. An absolute must-visit. Address: Drottninggatan 108, 113 60 Stockholm

Mäster Anders // our one f*** off fancy meal of the trip, we ate here on the night of our wedding anniversary. After being seated at a gorgeously laid white tablecloth-ed table right in the middle of a buzzy bistro-style space with high ceilings, tiled walls and big mirrors everywhere, we ordered two glasses of house wine - white for me, red for Husband - while we perused the menu. Predictably, we both ordered the meatballs — when in Rome, etc.! — , which came with side dishes of pickled cucumber, potato puree, caramelized onions, & lingonberry sauce. For dessert, we opted to share a slice of kladdkaka and have a cocktail each, a whiskey sour for me and an old fashioned for Husband. Everything was amazing; the meatballs were delicious, the kladdkaka was light and moreish, the drinks were fab, and we both really liked the vibe of the place! Would recommend. Address: Pipersgatan 1, 112 24 Stockholm

Bastard Burgers // we ate here our first night in town and oof it was so good! Kind of like the Swedish version of In-N-Out, I’d read about their smash burgers before our trip and convinced Husband we needed to try them. Spoiler alert: they were totally amazing! We went for a double cheeseburger each, and we shared sides of animal style fries, onion rings, chicken nuggets and chipotle sauce — all of which was fantastic. We also enjoyed a couple glasses of Budvar on tap, which paired so well with the comfort food! If you’re Stockholm bound, there are Bastard Burgers all over the city, but this one was handy for our hotel. Would recommend. Address: Hötorget 2-4, 111 57 Stockholm

where we drank

Not exactly a place where we drank, but we did visit a Systembolaget or two during our time in town to buy a couple beers/a bottle of wine for our hotel room. This is something we also did in Oslo to avoid rip-off alcohol prices at restaurants etc., and even though the cost of alcohol in Sweden isn’t quite as bad as Norway, it was still a little steep. Would recommend!

Old George Inn // our favourite pub of the trip, and one we stumbled across completely by accident on our way to dinner at Mäster Anders! It just so happened to be happy hour when we stepped in, so we were able to avail of a pint - or two 😉 - of local blonde beer for just 59SEK or €5.15-ish each! The space itself was also rather lovely, with a kind of college vibe except without any annoying college students. Would recommend. Address: Scheelegatan 12, 112 28 Stockholm

Crazy Horse Sveavägen // a cool locals only spot with crazy red walls and a kind of saloon style to the place. It honestly seemed like we were the only non-Swedes in here; it seemed especially packed with people meeting up for after-work drinks, which was such a nice vibe/mindset! We ordered a pint of Mariestadt beer each and did our best to blend in with the locals, despite our lack of blonde hair and general statuesque-ness. Address: Sveavägen 60, 111 34 Stockholm

The Liffey // yes, we went to an Irish bar in Stockholm. I know, I’m disappointed in me too. Normally I would never even consider it, but we had a little time to kill before heading back to the airport and this was convenient and cheapish. We had a pint of Falcon each, and I feel like we were both so dejected at having ended up in an Irish bar that we didn’t even really enjoy it. Oh well. Address: Stora Nygatan 40, 111 27 Stockholm

where we touristed

For easy planning, I’ve divided our tourist-ing up into the three different neighbourhoods we explored: Norrmalm, Gamla Stan, and Södermalm. There are, of course, many other neighbourhoods and districts littered across the city, but we focused our energies here.

Catch everything we did below!

norrmalm

Where we based ourselves in the city, Norrmalm is Stockholm’s city centre/downtown area. While we didn’t do any specific tourist-ing in the area, we enjoyed many a stroll along the city’s main streets, admiring the gorgeous architecture, pretty parks, and shops + restaurants aplenty.

gamla stan

Gamla Stan is, without a doubt, Stockholm’s most gorgeous neighbourhood! Dating back to the 17th century, this is the oldest part of the city. Situated on a small island between Norrmalm and Södermalm, Gamla Stan is overflowing with charming cobbled streets, colorful buildings, cozy cafes, and photogenic winding alleyways.

Listed below are some of the tourist highlights we saw within Gamla Stan:

— stortorget

general info: website // address: Stortorget, 111 29 Stockholm

Aka, the main square. I mean, the whole island is gorgeous — but this specific square is probably the most photographed in the area because of the four colourful houses above. They are pretty dang cute! Would recommend.

— the royal palace

general info: website // address: Kungliga slottet, 107 70 Stockholm

We coincidentally stumbled across the changing of the guard here on one of our strolls through town and it was so cool! We, sadly-albeit-expectantly, didn’t manage to spot King Carl XVI Gustaf in any of the windows, but I enjoyed our wander around the grounds nevertheless. If one was so inclined, you can pay to tour the inside of the Palace, but we were happy enough to stroll around and take in the impressive grandness of the building from the outside for the low low price of 0SEK! A must-visit.

PS, for times & info about the changing of the guard ceremony, this website is very informative.

— skeppsbrokajen promenade

general info: website // address: Skeppsbrokajen, 111 30 Stockholm

Just a really lovely spot for views across to the Katarina-Sofia borough. Honestly, we stumbled across this by accident and thought it was pretty — but there isn’t really a corner of Gamla Stan that’s not pretty.

— mårten trotzigs gränd

general info: website // address: Mårten Trotzigs gränd 1, 111 29 Stockholm

The narrowest street in all of Stockholm! At its tightest, part of the alley is only 90cm wide! A quick tourist stop, yes, but a fun one all the same. Would recommend.

södermalm

Just south of Gamla Stan lies the district of Södermalm. The biggest of all the islands that make up Stockholm, Södermalm can unequivocally be described as the city’s hipster district. We only spent a couple hours exploring the district, but it seemed very hip indeed: vintage stores, trendy restaurants, galleries, fashionable locals, etc.

Listed below are some of the tourist highlights we saw within Södermalm:

— monteliusvägen viewpoint

general info: website // address: Monteliusvägen, 118 25 Stockholm

I saw this location pop up on Google Maps and insisted on dragging Husband up to it. And come on, look at those views! An absolutely gorgeous viewpoint overlooking the beautiful Gamla Stan and Kungsholmen neighbourhoods. We got lucky and just happened to arrive at golden hour as the sun was beginning to set — it was so dreamy! A must-visit.

— mikael blomkvist’s house

general info: website // address: Bellmansgatan 1, 118 20 Stockholm

Of course, it’d be rude to go to Stockholm and not do a light bit of movie tourist-ing 😉 Film fans might recognize the above building as a location from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, home to fictional journalist Mikael Blomkvist. I think it’s pretty cool whether you’re a movie tourist or not — just look at that building! The bridge! The peaked windows! The drastic-ness of the steep street! A must-visit.

— kaffe coffee shop

general info: website // address: Sankt Paulsgatan 17, 118 46 Stockholm

Another location from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, this is where Blomkvist aka Daniel Craig is having coffee while the news in the background discusses him being sued for libel. A rather photogenic spot, we also sat in for a quick cuppa and really enjoyed it! Would recommend. See also: where we had coffee, above.

And there we have it: Three Days in Stockholm, Sweden! What did you think? Isn’t it just the most beautiful city you’ve ever seen? I have a feeling this won’t be our last visit!

Uppsala guide coming asap!

Vicki xo

*Date of trip: 7th - 10th November, 2024*