SantoriniDave.com

Where to Stay in Stockholm

By Santorini Dave

Our Favorite Stockholm Hotels

• 5-star: Grand
• 4-star: Hobo
• 3-star: Haymarket
• For Couples: Bank
• For Families: Freys
• Best Pool: Sandhamn Seglarhotell
• Near Airport: Radisson Blu
• Near Train Station: Radisson Blu

Colorful buildings and boats on Skeppsbron embankment in Stockholm old town (Gamla Stan), Sweden

Skeppsbron embankment in Gamla Stan, one of the best areas to stay in Stockholm.

Stockholm is one of Europe’s most beautiful capital cities, not because of one grand monument or postcard view, but because of the way the whole city sits on the water. Built across 14 islands and linked by bridges, ferries, and metro lines, it has long been called the “Venice of the North” and, for once, the comparison feels deserved. The city is elegant without being showy, historic without feeling frozen, and surrounded by enough water, parks, and forested islands to make it feel far more spacious than most European capitals.

The Baltic Sea and Lake Mälaren shape daily life here. In summer, Stockholmers head for the waterfront, swim from city jetties, and escape into the archipelago, a vast chain of around 30,000 islands and islets stretching east from the city. Some are little more than smooth rock and pine trees; others have guesthouses, walking trails, swimming spots, restaurants, and boat piers that make them easy day trips or peaceful overnight escapes.

For most visitors, the best place to stay depends on how you want to experience the city. Gamla Stan is the most atmospheric base, with cobbled lanes, historic buildings, and easy access to the Royal Palace and waterfront. Norrmalm is the most practical choice, especially for first-time visitors arriving by train or airport express, with excellent transport links, shopping, restaurants, and a wide range of mid-range business hotels. Östermalm is polished, upscale, and close to some of the city’s best dining and shopping. Södermalm is more creative and local-feeling, with independent shops, bars, cafés, and some of Stockholm’s best nightlife. Kungsholmen and Vasastan are quieter, more residential, and better value, while Djurgården is ideal for museums and green space but has very limited hotel choice.

Stockholm is spread out, but it is not a difficult city to navigate. I consider every neighborhood to be walkable, and the metro, buses, trams, and commuter boats make it easy to move between islands without needing a car. In good weather, walking and ferries are the most enjoyable way to get around.

Stockholm Neighborhoods

Many visitors first arrive in Norrmalm, Stockholm’s modern commercial center and the city’s main transport hub. This is where you’ll find Stockholm Central Station, the Arlanda Express airport train, major metro connections, department stores, shopping streets, theaters, casual restaurants, and plenty of practical hotels. It is not the city’s most charming district, but it is the most convenient, especially for short stays, early trains, or anyone who wants easy access to the whole city.

West of Norrmalm, Kungsholmen is a calmer, mostly residential island with waterfront promenades, parks, local restaurants, and some excellent swimming spots in summer. It has a more everyday Stockholm feel than Gamla Stan or Östermalm, and hotels here can be better value. The area around Norr Mälarstrand is especially good for walks, water views, and easy access back into the center.

Just south of Norrmalm is Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s old town and the most historic part of the city. Set on its own compact island, it is a maze of narrow lanes, medieval squares, ochre and rust-colored buildings, cafés, restaurants, and small shops. The Royal Palace, Stockholm Cathedral, and Stortorget, the old main square, are all here. It is touristy in places, especially during the day, but early mornings and evenings are still wonderfully atmospheric. For a first visit, this is the most romantic and visually memorable place to stay.

Cobbled pedestrian square surrounded by colorful Swedish buildings

Stortorget, the old town square in Gamla Stan.

South of Gamla Stan, Södermalm is Stockholm’s former working-class district, now one of its most interesting neighborhoods. It is less polished than Östermalm and less tourist-focused than Gamla Stan, with a strong mix of vintage shops, design stores, cafés, casual restaurants, cocktail bars, music venues, and independent galleries. The area around SoFo is the best-known pocket, but the whole island has character. Fotografiska, one of Europe’s best photography museums, sits on the waterfront, and the northern edge of Södermalm has some of the finest views back toward Gamla Stan and the city center.

Southeast of Norrmalm, Djurgården is Stockholm’s museum island and one of the best areas in the city for families. It is home to several of Stockholm’s major attractions, including the Vasa Museum, ABBA The Museum, Skansen, Gröna Lund amusement park, and the Nordic Museum. It is also green, quiet, and ideal for walking or cycling. The downside is that there are very few hotels here, and dining options thin out in the evening compared with Norrmalm, Östermalm, or Södermalm.

Just beside Djurgården, Skeppsholmen is a small, peaceful island with a strong cultural focus. It is home to Moderna Museet, one of Scandinavia’s leading modern and contemporary art museums, as well as waterfront paths and excellent views across the harbor. It is not a major hotel district, but it is well worth visiting, especially for art lovers or anyone who wants a quieter break from the busier central neighborhoods.

East of Norrmalm, Östermalm is Stockholm at its most refined. This is the neighborhood for elegant apartment buildings, designer boutiques, high-end restaurants, cocktail bars, and the city’s grand food hall, Östermalms Saluhall. It is a good choice for travelers who want a polished base close to shopping, dining, and the waterfront. It is also one of Stockholm’s more expensive areas, though the location is excellent.

Further east, Ladugårdsgärdet, usually just called Gärdet, is spacious, green, and less obviously touristy. It has wide open parkland, embassies, apartment blocks, walking paths, and several worthwhile museums nearby, including the Swedish History Museum, the Museum of Ethnography, the National Museum of Science and Technology, and the maritime museums around Djurgården and Gärdet. It is not the best base for nightlife, but it works well for repeat visitors, families, and travelers who want more space.

North of Norrmalm, Vasastan is an attractive, well-heeled residential neighborhood with late 19th-century architecture, leafy squares, bakeries, wine bars, and a strong local dining scene. It is less dramatic than Gamla Stan and less fashionable than Södermalm, but it is comfortable, practical, and good value. The area around Odenplan has excellent public transport and plenty of restaurants within walking distance.

The Stockholm Archipelago begins close to the city and stretches far into the Baltic. In summer, regular boats make islands such as Vaxholm, Grinda, Sandhamn, and Fjäderholmarna easy to visit from central Stockholm. Some are best for a simple lunch and stroll; others are better for swimming, kayaking, hiking, or staying overnight in a guesthouse or small hotel. July and August bring the most frequent boat connections and the liveliest island atmosphere, but late spring and early autumn can be quieter and just as beautiful if the weather cooperates.

The Best Places To Stay in Stockholm

Golden sunlight of sunset illuminating the historic stone and modern glass additions of the Riksdaghuset, home to the Swedish Riksdag parliament.

Stockholm’s beautiful Riksdaghuset, home to the Swedish parliament, is on the tiny islet of Helgeandsholme, between Gamla Stan and Norrmalm. The best hotels near Riksdaghuset are the Grand and the Lydmar.

Best Neighborhoods in Stockholm for…

  • Best Neighborhood in Stockholm for Sightseeing: Gamla Stan, Djurgården & Skeppsholmen, Östermalm
    If you’re into sightseeing, some of Stockholm’s biggest attractions include the Royal Palace (Kungliga Slottet) in Gamla Stan (allow at least half a day and don’t miss the on-site Museum Tre Kronor in the basement, the Royal Treasure, King Gustav III’s Antikmuseum, and the impressive Changing of the Guard at noon, complete with marching band). Gamla Stan’s other big draw, apart from wandering its cobbled lanes, is the Nobelmuseet, dedicated to the Nobel Prize and its winners.

    Djurgården is home to a handful of Stockholm’s best museums, as well as a couple of big kid-friendly attractions (see below). Highlights include the Vasa Museum – Sweden’s most famous shipwreck brought to life; Viking Museum, the high-tech ABBA The Museum (for fans of Swedish pop royalty), Skansen (an open-air, condensed version of traditional Sweden), and the engaging Spiritmuseum – dedicated to the history of alcohol. Due to the popularity of ABBA The Museum and Vasamuseet, it’s worth buying tickets in advance online.

    Cross over to Skeppsholmen to visit the Moderna Museet – Stockholm’s best contemporary art museum. In Östermalm, there are three excellent museums: Historiska Museet (a wander through Swedish history), Etnografiska Museet (devoted to world cultures) and Armémuseet (a thoughtful look at the impact of war). Sightseeing is not limited to these neighborhoods: catch the best of Sweden’s photography at Fotagrafiska in Södermalm; take in some of the city’s most striking architecture in Norrmalm, Kungsholmen, and Vasastan, or venture out to Ladugårdsgärdet to check out the works of one of Sweden most famous sculptors at the Millesgården sculpture garden.

Pedestrians stop to talk on a corner surrounded by large ornate buildings

A corner on atmospheric Sturegatan street in Östermalm, looking toward Norrmalm.

  • Best Neighborhood in Stockholm for Nightlife: Södermalm, Östermalm, Norrmalm
    Söder has a particularly high concentration of microbreweries and bars. Start your night out at the bustling Medborgarplatset square and its appealing terrace bars, then head out to check out more bars along nearby Nytotorget and leafy Mariatorget. Street food kiosks and food trucks provide late night snacks for revelers coming back from a night out.

    In Östermalm, night owls meet up at Svampen – the mushroom-like 1980s rain shelter on the main square – before hitting the terrace bars and nightclubs along the streets branching off from Östermalmstorg. The rooftop bars around Norrmalm’s Brunkebergstorget is where Stockholmers hang out after work, and there are decent views of Gamla Stan from some of them.

  • Best Neighborhood in Stockholm for Food and Restaurants: Södermalm, Östermalm, Vasastan, Norrmalm, Gamla Stan
    There is no shortage of excellent restaurants in Stockholm, serving everything from old-school Swedish classics such as meatballs with lingonberry sauce to Michelin-starred tasting menus (for popular restaurants, make reservations well ahead). Most global cuisines are also well-represented in Stockholm, from Ethiopian and Italian to Thai and French, and four neighborhoods in particular stand out for their edible offerings.

    Head to SoFo in Södermalm for its espresso bars, organic delis, hip cafes and restaurants specializing in global cuisines (as well as Modern Swedish restaurants), many of them dotting the streets around Nytorget Square. In Östermalm, besides the varied food stalls and cafes at the Saluhall food market, numerous restaurants and award-winning brasseries that dot the surrounding streets range from classic Swedish and Italian to South American and Thai.

    Norrmalm features several of Stockholm’s Michelin-starred restaurants, as well as wide range of ethnic cuisines, while Vasastan is particularly good for international flavors, such as Iranian, Indian and Japanese. Gamla Stan’s restaurants are aimed primarily at tourists (you won’t find many Stockholmers here), but there are some excellent options, from high-end Scandinavian (Aifur) to wallet-friendly burgers (Barrels).

    Grand arched corner entrance of a large Swedish food hall

    Saluhall food market in Ostermalm.

  • Best Neighborhood in Stockholm to Stay for First Timer: Norrmalm, Gamla Stan
    If it’s your first time in Stockholm, and especially if your vacation time is limited, it’s hard to go wrong with either of these neighborhoods. Norrmalm is as central as can be, with excellent public transportation connections to all of the city’s neighborhoods, and you can walk to the museum-heavy Djurgården from there (there is only one hotel in Djurgården, so it’s not a very convenient base). Gamla Stan is also walkable from Norrmalm, but it’s well worth staying overnight, both for the atmosphere and proximity to the Royal Palace.
  • Best Neighborhood in Stockholm for Families: Kungsholmen, Djurgården, Gamla Stan
    If you’re looking for a quiet neighborhood to stay with your family while still being within easy reach of Stockholm’s attractions, Kungsholmen fits the bill: it’s right near Norrmalm and its excellent public transportation connections, it’s quiet and largely residential, with a handful of family-friendly hotels, and there are plenty of parks and playgrounds for younger kids. Gamla Stan is a good choice if you want to be centrally-located in a scenic neighborhood that’s pretty quiet at night, and if you don’t want to walk far to reach the Royal Palace (the Changing of the Guard is particularly fun for kids, along with the Armory with its swords and suits of armor).

    Kid-friendly sights are concentrated in Djurgården, where you’ll find the Gröna Lund amusement park, Junibacken (children’s museum), the Aquarium, plus the Vasa Museum and Viking Museum, both of which are great for older kids. While Östermalm is not ideal for family-friendly accommodations, it’s worth a visit during the day for the kid-friendly Tekniska Museet (Techology Museum) and the Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet (Natural History Museum) – for learning made fun.

    View over the water toward a colorful amusement park

    Djurgården’s Grona Lund amusement park.

  • Most Romantic Neighborhood in Stockholm: Gamla Stan, Stockholm Archipelago
    No contest: Stockholm’s most romantic place to stay is Gamla Stan. Its centuries-old, narrow, cobbled lanes are particularly atmospheric first thing in the morning, before the crowds arrive, or around dusk. If you’re here around Christmas, look out for live music performances and check out the Christmas market in Stortorget. Otherwise, take your loved one for cocktails at Le Rouge before treating them to a traditional Swedish spread at Den Gyldene Freden. Alternatively, head out into the Stockholm Archipelago for an overnight stay on a tranquil, forested island in a traditional cottage or guesthouse, fund secluded spots to sunbathe on rocks or maybe even go skinny-dipping in the Baltic Sea.
  • Best Neighborhood in Stockholm for a Local Vibe: Kungsholmen, Södermalm, Vasastan
    These neighborhoods each have a distinct character. Kungsholmen is particularly interesting if you want to delve deeper into Stockholm’s history and industrial heritage and see how a former working-class slum with smoke-belching factories has been transformed into an appealing place to live, with plenty of green spaces and the factories creatively converted into bars and restaurants.

    Södermalm is Stockholm’s most creative neighborhood, with a high concentration of independent and vintage clothing stores, vinyl shops, tiny art galleries, and on-trend bars and restaurants – particularly in the SoFo (‘South of Folkungagatan’) district. And if you want to see how middle-class locals live, there’s no better place than Vasastan (a.k.a. “Stone City”), with its wide streets and boulevards lined with handsome Neo-Renaissance architecture (so that they resemble a German city), and its clutch of cafes and restaurants.

  • Best Neighborhood in Stockholm for Walking: Gamla Stan, Kungsholmen, Djurgården, Ladugårdsgärdet
    Much of Stockholm is walkable, with the city made up of well-designed neighborhoods that are easy to explore on foot. It’s hard to beat Gamla Stan for the atmospheric cobbled streets and waterside views from Skeppsbrokajen Street. Kungsholmen has a wealth of green spaces, including one particularly long park along the south side of the island, ideal for long strolls by the water. Much of Djurgården is one massive, wooded park – the remains of a royal hunting ground – and it’s a pleasure to take the footpaths between its many museums. Ladugårdsgärdet is home to Stockholm’s largest park, and you can combine stretching your legs with visiting Stockholm’s botanic garden, as well as the Millesgården sculpture garden.

    Old Greenhouse Dome, Bergianska garden in Stockholm, Sweden.

    Greenhouse dome in Bergianska Trädgården, Stockholm’s botanic garden.

  • Safest Areas of Stockholm
    Stockholm is a very safe city, and apart from some opportunistic pickpocketing in touristy places, like the busy streets of Gamla Stan and around the main train and bus stations in Norrmalm, there are few safety concerns. All neighborhoods frequented by visitors are safe to walk around at most times of day, with Kungsholmen and Vasastan being the quietest. Alcohol-fueled revelry in the city’s nightspots, such as Södermalm and Östermalm, very occasionally result in fights breaking out.
  • Unsafe Areas of Stockholm
    Stockholm’s neighborhoods with higher crime rates are mostly residential, on the outskirts of the city, and not places where visitors are likely to find themselves. These include Jarva in southern Stockholm, and Huddinge and Tensta suburbs in the north of the city.

The 8 Best Neighborhoods in Stockholm for Tourists

1. Norrmalm

View down a street lined with grand Victorian buildings

Stockholm’s commercial hub, where you’ll find the city’s main train and bus stations, Norrmalm is a bustling grid of streets lined with major department stores, retail chains, business hotels, and countless cafes and restaurants. The neighborhood got a facelift in the 1960s, when many of its buildings were bulldozed, and today it features some of Stockholm’s most controversial architecture, such as the five-tower domino spread of Hötorget. Norrmalm is a large neighborhood, and there are three main reasons to stay here: it’s as central as Stockholm gets, the dining scene is excellent, and there are two cultural sights not to miss: The Royal Swedish Opera and the National Museum.

2. Kungsholmen

Stockholm City Hall on the eastern tip of Kungsholmen island on a sunny summer day.

Stockholm City Hall (Stadshuset) on the eastern tip of Kungsholmen island.

West across the bridge from T-Centralen, Norrmalm’s main train station, Kungsholmen is mainly residential, having long shaken off its 19th century nickname, ‘Starvation Island’, earned when it was a poverty-stricken neighborhood filled with grotty factories during the Industrial Revolution. Today it’s the Brooklyn to Norrmalm’s Manhattan: a laid-back place with kid-friendly green spaces, such as Râlambshovsparken, great places to eat, red-brick apartment blocks and former factories reincarnated as buzzy bars. There’s ample scope for tree-lined waterfront strolling, cycling, or running just south of Norr Mälarstrand, and it’s home to one of Stockholm’s architectural must-sees: Stadshuset (City Hall), located on the island’s easternmost tip.

3. Gamla Stan

Narrow cobbled street lined with tall buildings

Prastgatan street on Gamla Stan island.

Just south of Norrmalm and connected to it via three bridges, compact Gamla Stan is Stockholm’s historic and geographical heart, overlooked by the vast Kungliga Slott (Royal Palace). Its centuries-old, razor-narrow, cobbled streets have born witness to royal processions on horseback, mass beheadings, and Nobel Prize winners; today they are well-trodden by thousands of visitors, since this is the most popular part of the city. Its busiest streets – Västerlånggatan and Stora Nygatan – are not short of eateries, souvenir shops, and galleries, but as you explore the quieter side streets, you’ll come across appealing little squares, engaging museums, and even more striking architecture.

There are two tiny islets accessible from Gamla Stan: Riddarholmen, where the royal necropolis sits beneath the Riddarholmskyrken church; and Helgeandsholme, home of the Riksdagshuset (Swedish Parliament). For a truly unique stay, book a night or two at the Mälardrottningen Yacht Hotel, moored on Riddarholmen’s western bank.

4. Södermalm

Colorful buildings on Hornsgatan street in Stockholm, Sweden

Hornsgatan street in Södermalm.


Bisected by bustling Götgatan street, Stockholm’s large southern island is linked to Normalm by the Centralbron highway/bridge and to Gamla Stan by the Slussbron bridge. Known to locals as Söder, Södermalm used to be a working-class stronghold, but is now home to some of Stockholm’s most creative pockets; full of vintage stores, art galleries, music venues, bars, espresso labs, and hip eateries. Bars and restaurants are particularly concentrated along Hornsgatan, a main street running east to west, along the north-south Götgatan, and in the tight grid of streets that make up SoFo, between Folkungagatan and Skånegatan. There are great views of Gamla Stan from its northern shores, the waterfront Fotografiska photography gallery is not to be missed, and from Söder’s west end you can cross the footbridge to the small wooded island of Långholmen where Stockholmers come to hang out in summer.

5. Djurgården & Skeppsholmen

View from the water of The Nordic Museum and Vasa Museums located on Djurgarden island, Stockholm.

The Nordic Museum and Vasa Museums on Djurgarden island.

Cross the footbridge south from Östrmalm and you find yourself in Djurgården, a former royal hunting ground, half of which is still taken up by green spaces and woodlands, criss-crossed by cycling and walking paths. There’s little in the way of accommodation here; instead you’ll find two amusement parks (Gröna Lund and Skansen) and a clutch of Stockholm’s best museums, devoted to everything from art and ABBA to historic shipwrecks. A short ferry hop west of Djurgården and also reachable via footbridge from Norrmalm, compact Skeppsholmen used to be a naval base, but many of its buildings have been converted into museums over the last half-century, the best of which is Moderna Museet – a must for anyone interested in contemporary art.

6. Östermalm & Ladugårdsgärdet

Stockholm Ostermalm district with residential houses, Stockholm, Sweden

Residential buildings in Ostermalm.

Flanking Norrmalm to the east, and centered on the bustling Stureplan plaza with its eye-catching Svampen rain shelter, Östermalm is Stockholm’s glitziest neighborhood, lined with handsome, late-19th century buildings. The plaza is surrounded by long-standing celebrity haunts; nearby the is Östermalms Saluhall – a gourmet food hall in a gorgeous historic building, while Östermalm’s main thoroughfare, Birger Jarlsgatan, is lined with luxe fashion boutiques. Besides numerous excellent places to eat, drink, and party – particularly along Nybrogagatan, Linnegatan, and Humlegårdsgatan, Östermalm is also home to a couple of excellent history museums and Dramaten – the ornate Royal Dramatic Theater.

Directly east of Östermalm, Ladugårdsgärdet (‘field of barns’) is where you’ll find one of Stockholm’s biggest green spaces, home to a trio of excellent museums (concentrating on technology, ethnography, and the Swedish police. Just north of Ladugårdsgärdet, Norra Djurgården is where Stockholm University sits alongside the city’s botanical garden, while just east of Ladugårdsgärdet, the island of Lindgö is worth seeking out for the Millesgården sculpture garden.

7. Vasastan

Ornate teal-colored pergola on a wooded hill

The Temple of the Echo (Ekotemplet) at Hagaparken. Built in the 1790s as Gustav III’s summer dining hall, the structure was specially built so that any secrets whispered at gatherings and parties would be revealed.

To the north of Norrmalm, Vasastan is a well-to-do, largely residential neighborhood that’s densely populated but simultaneously laidback and appealing, with some excellent cafes and restaurants, as well as a clutch of art galleries and fine examples of modern Scandinavian architecture: Stadsbiblioteket stands out. North beyond Vasastan lies Hagaparken – a vast, well-preserved historical park that’s home of one of the royals. Across the E4 motorway from Hagaparken, the Norra Begravningsplatsen cemetery is the final resting place of Alfred Nobel, the creater of the Nobel Prize.

8. Stockholm Archipelago

View over kayak tips to small houses perched over a picturesque harbor

Some are dotted with red wooden cottages, while others are uninhabited rocky islets covered in dense spruce forest; either way, the islands that make up the Stockholm Archipelago are an unmissable summer destination. Of the 24,000 or islands, some are reachable by regular ferry; others by boat day tour with lunch, run by Strömma Kanalbolaget. It’s well worth staying the night on the some of the islands to experience the tranquility after the day trippers have gone back to the city; accommodations tend to be open from July 1 till the end of August, with the exception of Vaxholm island that’s reachable year-round. For day-trippers, sunbathing on the rocks, berrying in the woods, and picnicking aside, Artipelag makes a fantastic art destination, reachable by buses 474 and 468 across several bridges. It consists of a contemporary sculpture trail through the forest, as well as striking building, designed by Johan Nyrén, that looks like the bad guys’ lair in a Bond movie.

Read More

About Santorini Dave

Santorini Dave in Athens, Greece Santorini Dave was started in 2011 when I posted a short guide to visiting Santorini with kids. Now, my site publishes regularly updated guides to Santorini, Naxos, Paros, Mykonos, Crete, Athens, and all of Greece.

Questions? Email me at dave@santorinidave.com.