Scandi Culture, History & Nature: A Stockholm City Break

Today you will meet your expert local guide for a walking tour of Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s historic Old Town. Together, you will explore the cobbled streets and squares – many overlooking the water – and touch on the social and political factors that have shaped the city you see today. You tour will be tailored to what you are interested in. This evening we recommend consulting our detailed destination Dossier for our favourite spots for dinner and drinks. We particularly love Pelikan in Soder, a turn-of-the-century beer hall complete with wood panelling, varnished floors and an eclectic clientele, whose köttbullar (meatballs) were described by the late, great AA Gill as ‘the benchmark against which I will judge all other meatballs.’

If you’re here in summer*, after breakfast you’ll enjoy a tour of Stockholm from a different angle – the water, taking in the archipelago’s age-old architecture and Venice-esque waterways. As you paddle around the archipelago in your kayak, your local guide will take you to hidden spots and explain how the city’s relationship with its watery surrounds has shaped how it has grown. After lunch, our Dossier will suggest some out-of-the-way local haunts and secret gems to explore. After your kayaking tour comes to an end, we recommend spending the afternoon poking around the hipster-filled boutiques around the city or spend time wandering through the Vasa Museum, before tucking into another delicious Nordic meal.

(*if visiting in winter, Stockholm is equally magical, but the activities on offer will - for obvious reasons - differ. You might want to swap kayaking for ice skating on the city's frozen waterways, and the evening wildlife safari through the snow-clad forests would be by snow-shoe instead.)

The bridges that connect Stockholm’s 14 islands make for the ultimate cycling playground, lined with rainbow-hued buildings and Swedish sights. Don your helmet and explore the city that has been aptly coined a ‘a paradise for cyclists’. This morning your guide will reveal the city’s true riches on this three-hour guided bike ride around some of the main attractions, including the historic Gamla Stan island, with its colourful houses and narrow streets, the artistic Södermalm district and finally the Kungsholmen district. When legs are weary, enjoy yet another delicious smorgas or traditional Swedish feast before watching evening roll in from one of our Concierge-suggested bars. For one final treat, enjoy a frosty drink at Icebar, draped in thermal ponchos and surrounded by ice sculpture art installations.