Take a day trip from Stockholm to visit palaces, islands, Viking sites and more

15.08.2024 - 19:53 / lonelyplanet.com

Aug 15, 2024 • 6 min read

There’s a profusion of exciting things to see in the city of Stockholm. And once you expand your radius from Gamla Stan, you can add country palaces, windswept islets, dynamic towns and Viking culture to the mix, via easy day trips.

The Stockholm region is easy to drive around and even easier to explore on public transport. Conveniently, SL Travelcards allow unlimited travel on all buses and local trains in the area, making exploring the region a seamless breeze.

From Drottningholm Slott to Vaxholm in the Stockholm Archipelago, here are the best day trips from Sweden's capital city. 

Travel time: 40 minutes to 1 hour each way

A lively college town that's rich in history, Uppsala is one of Sweden’s oldest cities, dating back to the 3rd century. It’s also next-door to one of the most important pre-Viking sites in the country.

The city’s 40,000 students create a youthful buzz that’s you’ll quickly feel in the numerous stylish-but-unpretentious cafes and bars. Cobblestone pathways thronged with bicycles lead to the banks of the river Fyris, which flows through the center of town. A squat, pink castle tops a hill above, with a royal garden stretching out below. Budding scientists will enjoy the Linnémuseet and adjoining botanical garden, a replica of famed botanist Carl von Linné’s workspace. History buffs will have plenty to absorb, starting with the treasure-filled Museum Gustavianum or the skyline-defining Domkyrka (Cathedral). But the big draw is Gamla (Old) Uppsala, just up the road. 

A gorgeous, 2.5-mile (4km) bike ride north, this fascinating archaeological site was once a flourishing 6th-century religious center where – allegedly – human sacrifices took place. Its 300 mounds from the 6th to 12th centuries make it one of Sweden’s largest and most important ancient burial sites. You can learn more in the adjoining Gamla Uppsala Museum, or wander on your own, reading the informative plaques throughout the site.

If you feel like a strolling or cycling further, Eriksleden is a 3.75-mile (6km) “pilgrims path” between the cathedral in Uppsala and the church in Gamla Uppsala. Its namesake, Erik the Holy, become King of Sweden around 1150 – until the Danes beheaded him 10 years later. The story is that his head rolled down the hill; where it stopped a spring rose up. The main trail also provides access to a ridged wilderness hiking area called Tunåsen, with a panoramic viewpoint (follow signs along Eriksleden just south of Gamla Uppsala to “Utsiktsleden”).

How to get there from Stockholm:

SL commuter trains run frequently (every 30 minutes or more) from Stockholm’s Central Station and City Station to Uppsala’s central station, taking 40 minutes to an hour. Bus 801 goes frequently from