Sweden is one of those countries that seems to excel in absolutely everything it offers - be that the foodie scene in vibrant Stockholm, the pristine beauty of the coastline or the adventurous activities on offer in the countryside. And the best part? There really isn’t a bad time to visit. A warm summer’s day can be spent joining in with the midsummer festivities in the heart of the countryside, while an icy winter’s day can be enjoyed dog sledding through the frozen forests of Swedish Lapland. Read on to discover our roundup of the best tourist attractions in Sweden to keep you busy, whatever the time of year.
Bustling Stockholm and the Colourful Old Town of Gamla Stan
Stockholm is home to a perhaps unfair share of the best tourist attractions in Sweden, so it’s understandable that countless travellers flock to this culture-packed capital every year to bask in the beauty of medieval architecture, tuck into creative high-end gourmet food and to get a culture hit in the city’s many museums. The colourful historic centre, Gamla Stan, is the city’s crown-jewel of ancient architecture and a place you’ll want to visit with an empty camera roll. We can even whisk you up onto the rooftops of the old buildings, for a guided walk above the hustle and bustle on the cobbled streets below. Foodies are spoilt for choice in this culinary haven of a city - you can enjoy freshly-made Skagen toast (Swedish shrimp toast) at the huge food market of Ostermalms Saluhall, classic köttbullar (meatballs) at the charming beer hall of Pelikan and contemporary Nordic-Asian fusion cuisine at the three-Michelin-starred restaurant, Frantzén. When it comes to museums, the Vasa Museum is the star of the show. The museum is purposefully built around a huge warship of the same name, which sunk in the harbour on its maiden voyage in 1628. And you can easily cleanse your cultural palette with a dose of nature. We can arrange for early-bird travellers to enjoy a spot of morning kayaking around the Stockholm Archipelago and night-owl adventurers to head into the forest for a night safari with a naturalist guide.
The Winter Wonderland of Swedish Lapland
The icy northern regions of Sweden are tucked under a blanket of snow for the majority of the year, making it possible to enjoy a wintery escape beyond the Christmas season. The snowy landscapes call for adventurous spirits to delve into Arctic culture by taking part in a host of enticing activities. From the coastal city of Lulea, we can whisk you into the frosty forest for a dog sledding safari before you enjoy a good night’s sleep in an a stylish tree cabin; in the Abisko National Park we can arrange for you to experience a guided snowshoe outing before tucking into a well-deserved gourmet dinner at the exclusive Aurora Sky station, where, if you’re lucky, you can catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights; and in Jukkasjärvi, you can take part in a traditional Scandinavian ten-step sauna ritual before checking into the Ice Hotel to spend a once-in-a-lifetime night surrounded by tonnes of, you guessed it, ice.
Island Hopping in Western Sweden
The wild western coast of Sweden and its collection of 8,000 islands is a treasure trove of scenic delights. It is a place where classic red-wood cottages huddle in clusters on rocky outcrops surrounded by bright blue waters and undisturbed emerald pastures. And while it’s not possible to visit thousands of islands in a singular trip, we can help you narrow them down to the best and most beautiful. As the sixth largest island in Sweden, Tjorn is a great place to start your island-hopping adventure and also the perfect place for art enthusiasts to head out with one of our local guides on a kayak tour that winds in and out of tranquil coves, before arriving at the charming Nordic Watercolour Museum. From Tjorn it is a quick and easy trip to the island of Dyron, which is home to a gorgeous three-mile coastal path overlooking the ocean. From here, you can head to the neighbouring island of Marstrand to satisfy your cultural curiosities. This island has long been renowned as the sailing paradise of the rich, royal and famous, making it the perfect place to tuck into some high-end seafood and indulge in a spot of boutique shopping. Further north, near the Norwegian border, lies the serene, car-free archipelago of the Koster Islands, where we can arrange for you to enjoy everything from a boat trip around the Weather Islands to a lobster safari.
The Scenery and Traditions of Central Sweden
The untouched, undisturbed and wholly underrated landscapes of central Sweden are an ode to the age-old culture and traditions of Swedes and certainly one of the finest tourist attractions in Sweden. The rolling valleys are a place where pristine red-wood cabins sit elegantly on the shores of tranquil lakes, where midsummer days see locals dancing around flower-covered maypoles in their finest traditional getup and where bears, elks and wolves roam freely in the many sweeping pine forests. The huge adventure playground of Glaskogen Nature Reserve, with its vast forests and 80 lakes, is a great place to get active. We can arrange for you to enjoy a spot of hiking, fishing and hunting before spending the night in an elegant mansion surrounded by beautiful gardens. Further east, in Korsan, you can head into the forest at sunset with one of our top local guides to learn the art of building your own fire before tucking into a locally-prepared dinner around the campfire. And finally, the cultural stronghold of Tallberg is a great place to soak in some local culture - be that by admiring the classic red-wood cottages overlooking nearby Lake Siljan or taking part in the summer solstice festivities.