Is 2 Days Enough to See Stockholm? Just About. Here Is Why!

Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, my hometown and also a top travel destination known for its beautiful architecture, fika culture (coffee and a sugary pastry), ABBA, and much more. A common question many travelers ask is, “Are two days enough to see Stockholm?”

The short answer is: you can see a lot in 2 days, but not everything. In 2 days, you’ll get a taste of the city’s history, culture, and beauty, however you can easily spend 3-4 days in Stockholm without running out of things to do.

This blog post aims to answer that question by breaking down what you can realistically see and do in 48 hours in this amazing city. I’ll go over a suggested itinerary for two days, covering key attractions and activities, so you can make the most of your short stay.

The Scale of Stockholm

Stockholm is a big city, but the city is very walkable and many of its key tourist spots are close to each other. Stockholm is made up of 14 islands connected by bridges, and it also has a good public transport system that makes it easy to get around, you don’t want to walk. In terms of major tourist spots, you have the Old Town, museums like the Vasa and Skansen, and the Djurgården Island, among others.

To fully experience each attraction, you’ll need a couple of hours at least. So while you can see quite a bit in two days and cover the main tourist site, you won’t be able to see everything Stockholm has to offer and no off-the-beaten-path sites.

In the next sections, I’ll go over a two-day itinerary that covers some of the must-see spots in the city. This will give you a good sense of what Stockholm is all about, even if it’s a quick trip.

Day 1 Itinerary

Morning: Old Town (Gamla Stan)

Start your day in Stockholm’s Old Town, also known as Gamla Stan. This is of course an area where most tourists go and is famous for its narrow streets, old buildings, and the Royal Palace. Plan to spend about 2-3 hours here. You can walk around, take photos, and maybe even catch the changing of the guard at the palace.

Afternoon: Vasa Museum and Djurgården Island

After Old Town, head to the Vasa Museum, which is one of Stockholm’s top attractions. The museum is located on Djurgård Island and within walking distance from the Old Town, roughly 30 min along the beautiful Strandvägen, one of the most prestigious addresses in town. The Vasa Museum is home to a well-preserved 17th-century ship, that sank shortly after it was inaugurated on the 10th of August in 1628. After sinking the ship fell into obscurity and was later located in the 1950’s and later salvaged in 1961 largely intact. Personally, I rarely visit museums when I travel but when it comes to the Vasa museum it is one of a few that I highly recommend it to everyone even if you don’t usually like museums. It truly is an incredible sight to see such a well preserved 17th century ship.

You’ll likely spend around 2 hours here. As mentioned the museum is on Djurgården Island, which is also worth exploring. There are other museums and green spaces where you can relax. Count on spending a total of 3-4 hours for both the museum and the island.

Evening: Södermalm District

Wrap up your first day in the Södermalm District, this area is more hipster when compared with other parts of Stockholm such as Östermalm which in general are more posh. Södermalm District is great for shopping and eating. There are lots of cool shops, cafes, and restaurants. Plan to spend about 2-3 hours here. Grab dinner here at Meatballs for the People, a great place for some traditional swedish meatball. If you want to catch the sunset with a view over Stockholm consider visiting Skinnarviksberget or Mariaberget.

Day 2 Itinerary

Morning: Skansen Open-Air Museum

Kick off your second day at Skansen, an open-air museum that shows what life was like in Sweden in the past. However Skansen is not your ordinary museum, this place is packed with cafes, stores and old buildings where you can learn about traditional crafts, the museum is integrated with a zoo so you will even meet some Swedish animals. If you are visiting Stockholm in December, Skansen has a lovely Christmas market which really gets you into the Christmas mood. Plan to spend about 2-3 hours to get a good feel for the place.

Afternoon: Moderna Museet and Fotografiska

After Skansen, take a break and enjoy a Swedish fika.
A visit to Stockholm or Sweden is not complete without enjoying a traditional fika (coffee & a sugary pastry). There are loads of great places to enjoy a fika, here are a few of my recommendations:

1. Vetekatten
2. Tössebageriet
3. Petite France

Evening: Archipelago Cruise

For your final evening in Stockholm, take short cruise to Fjäderholmarna. Fjäderholmarna is a group of small Islands near Stockholm. Its a popular spot for a day trip from Stockholm with restaurants, stores and craft studios to explore. Take the short 30 minute cruise to the island and eat dinner at one of the islands restaurants while enjoying the scenic surroundings. Tickets can be booked here.

What You’ll Miss

Even with a packed two-day schedule, there are things you won’t have time for. For example, the archipelago, sights outside the city center of Stockholm, day trips to neighboring cities, and other islands and neighborhoods like Kungsholmen.

With two days in Stockholm, you’ll only scratch the surface, but you’ll still get to see a good mix of what the city has to offer.

Conclusion

So, is two days enough to see Stockholm? The short answer is: you can see a lot, but not everything. In 48 hours, you’ll get a taste of the city’s history, culture, and beauty. My suggested itinerary will however give you a good experience of Stockholm and you will hopefully be wanting to come back for more.

However, if you have more time, spending additional days would allow you to explore more and maybe even take some day trips outside of the city. But if you’re short on time, two days will still give you a solid experience of what makes Stockholm special.

In summary, while two days isn’t enough to see it all, it’s definitely enough to make your trip worthwhile and memorable.