- Aug 7

Summer in Stockholm

We had the amazing opportunity to work from Stockholm for the month of July this year. We vacationed in Stockholm a few years ago in December, which was really beautiful, however we were so excited to get to visit in the summer with lots of daylight and gardens and parks full of life. We did more of the typical touristy things during our last trip (see this post). This time we had the luxury of four weeks to get to explore new areas and pretend like we lived there. Here I'll share what we did, where we ate, and our top recommendations.

Packing for Stockholm in July

Even after exhaustive research, I found it really hard to pack for Sweden this time of year. And, after being there, it made sense! It can get fairly cold at night (~50 F) and warm mid-day (~80 F), ranging from sunny clear skies to very rainy, so it's best to pack for a bit of everything.

Bare essentials (quantity dependent on length of trip and laundry access)

1 rain jacket
1-2 jeans
1 shorts
2-3 t-shirts
1 sweater
1-2 comfortable walking shoes (sneakers, sandals)

If you have extra space

1-2 sundresses
1 long-sleeve linen shirt
1 light-weight pants
1 light jacket
1 bathing suit
1 comfortable hiking shoes (if you plan to hike)

Stockholm

We spent the vast majority of our time in the city. One of the many great things about summer in Stockholm is that it stays light out until around 10pm, so even after working during the day we had hours of daylight left to explore.

Getting around: The city is very walkable, but very large, so we ended up using public transit most days. The bus, subway, and tram are all great and you can either buy a pass to use on your phone or just tap your credit card. The city is very safe; I felt very comfortable walking/jogging/bussing/etc. by myself.
Where to stay: We used AirBnB and stayed in an apartment on the north end of Normalm because we wanted a central location without being right in the thick of the touristy spots. I would recommend staying in Normalm or Östermalm.
Dining out: Most restaurants took reservations online, so I recommend booking one in advance when possible.

Djurgården

Our top recommendation! This beautiful park is located on an island just east of downtown. It is the perfect quiet, serene, nature-filled spot to escape the bustle of the city for a few hours. There are a number of walking trails and our very favorite greenhouse cafe, Rosendals Trädgård. There are a few museums and amusement park on the west side of the island, though we decided. to stick to the park and garden. The 7 tram can take you there from central station.

Rosendals Trädgård: Our favorite lunch spot - a greenhouse cafe that offers fresh, veggie-heavy small plates nestled in a flourishing garden and nearby apple orchard. There is also a you-pick flower field and a couple of small, sweet shops with beautiful plant- and food-themed goods.

Herbarium: Rosendals Trädgård recently opened up a dinner + cocktail garden bar. We went twice and loved it!

Botanical Garden

Another favorite spot. The gardens have a couple really lovely greenhouses, a Japanese garden, and beautiful greenhouse cafe, Gamla Orangeriet ("Old Orangery").

Gamla Stan

This is the 'Old Town' of Stockholm, and has very old and beautiful winding cobblestone streets. While on the touristy side, and it can get quite busy in the summer, it's worth a visit. Our favorite spot here is the cocktail bar Pharmarium.

Norrmalm

I would classify Norrmalm as the 'downtown' area. This is where you can find the central station and many popular shops and restaurants. Drottninggatan is a pedestrian-only street with a lot of popular stores.

Urban Deli: One of our favorite spots. It has a really nice food shop and an amazing rooftop bar.

Röda Huset: Cary's top cocktail bar recommendation, which primarily uses local Swedish ingredients for their drinks. Their Vernal Sweet Grass with Good Cream cocktail was Cary's favorite drink of the trip, and recently won the best drink in Stockholm.

Tak: A rooftop sushi bar with a Swedish twist.

Pom Friterie: Gourmet french fries (yes, really). Highly recommend!

Vette-Katen: A chain cafe with yummy treats, bread, and salads.

Gast Cafe: A cozy and trendy spot for a coffee and treat.

Hötorgets Loppmarknad market: A vintage and flea market every Sunday in this perfect little square.

A few other spots that I would recommend:

Beyond Retro: A very cool vintage clothing spot.
Iris Hantverk: Swedish-made brooms, brushes, and other home goods.
Lucy's Flower Shop: A cozy and very cool cocktail bar with vinegar-heavy drinks, recommended for cocktail enthusiasts.

Vasastan

This neighborhood is just north of Normalm and is really beautiful, and has some great shops and restaurants frequented by locals. We didn't make it there for dinner, but the restaurants on the street Rörstrandsgatan was packed and smelled really good when we walked by!

Some other recommendations:

Portal: We ate here on our last trip and it was amazing.
Cafe Pascal: Really cute coffee shop.
20hundra5: Hole-in-the-wall cocktail bar with really creative + quirky seasonal menus and very friendly staff.
Bacchus Antik: A bit pricy but really gorgeous vintage home decor and furniture.
Domino Antik: Was closed when we were there, but the photos online look amazing.
Petit: The cutest kids clothing store.

Kungsholmen

Kungsholmen is one of my favorite areas of Stockholm. It's an island south west of downtown. My favorite part about it is the walking/running trail that goes around the whole island (~6 miles). City Hall is also located here and is really lovely.

Agnes: One of our favorite meals. Highly recommend.

Volcan Coffee Roaster: South American-themed coffee roaster. Lovely!

Other recommendations:

Komet Cafe: Another cozy coffee shop with tasty treats.
Mariedals Trädgårdscafé and Mälarpaviljongen: Two water-front cafes. We didn't end up going but they looked great.

Södermalm

Södermalm felt like the 'casual, hip, up-and-coming' part of Stockholm and has some great shopping and dining options. There is also a trail along the north side that leads. to the highest point of the city with a great view.

Bar Agrikultur: The best meal we had in Stockholm! We recommend the cucumber appetizer, scallops, and desserts.

Woodstockholm: Our second-favorite meal. Extremely friendly staff, a cozy and intimate atmosphere, and really delicious food.

Tjoget: A popular cocktail bar.

Other recommendations:

Drop Coffee: Cary's a coffee snob, and this was his favorite!
L:A Bruket: Really beautiful home scents and skin products.
Tambur: A lovely home decor shop.
Secondhand and vintage shopping on Hornsgatan street.

Östermalm

This is the 'ritzy' neighborhood of Stockholm, with fancy shops, embassy-lined streets, and a number of beautiful parks.

A bar called Gemma: Very low-key cocktail bar with great drinks and snacks.

Black Milk Gastro Bar: Funky (and friendly!) cocktail bar and restaurant.

Ladugårdsgärdet Park: One of my favorite spots in the city - a huge, open park filled with flowy grass and walking trails.

Other recommendations:

ARKIVET: Secondhand clothing, but really nice and well curated.
Re: Deco: Was closed when we were there, but looks like a really beautifully curated vintage shop.
Restaurang Hantverket: We came back to this one because we liked it so much last trip - really good food.

Örnsberg

We ventured out to this neighborhood specifically for Vintervikens Trädgård, another garden cafe, and had a really lovely time walking around. We walked past the shop A Bonnie Place that looked beautiful, though it was closed when we were there.

Stockholm Archipelago: Grinda

If you have enough time for a day trip while visiting Stockholm, this would be our top recommendation. The Stockholm Archipelago is a network of thousands of islands, some of which can be easily accessed by ferries from downtown Stockholm. While there were a few recommended, we landed on Grinda because it was a good balance of nature (hiking trails) and amenities (food and restrooms). There's a wide range of experiences you can choose from, including more remote islands, guided kayaking tours, etc. I would recommend bringing layers, as it was quite cold and rainy once we got out of the city.

Furuvik: Lake Cabin Getaway

Because of work we weren't able to take any longer side trips, so we decided to spend a weekend at an AirBnB on a Swedish Lake a couple of hours from Stockholm. While the water was a bit too cold for us (not true for the Swedes!), we really enjoyed getting out of the city and relaxing by the water.

Uppsala: Viking Burial Grounds

We very briefly drove through Uppsala on our way back to Stockholm, and it was really lovely - would definitely recommend a day trip (easily accessible by train) if you have the time. We decided to prioritize seeing the Viking burial grounds at the Old Uppsala Archaeological Park in Gamla Uppsala, just north of downtown Uppsala. It was really lovely and very doable in a short amount of time.