Stockholm Old Town
Stockholm Old Town
4.5
About
The Old Town, unsurprisingly, is the oldest part of Stockholm. It's certainly the tourist's go-to destination, but that doesn’t detract from its architectural and otherwise urban beauty.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Top ways to experience Stockholm Old Town
The area
Neighbourhood: Gamla Stan & Riddarholmen
Gamla Stan is Stockholm’s historic old town and home to the Swedish Royal Palace. It’s the most central island of Stockholm and accompanied by the small island of Riddarholmen, mainly known for its famous Riddarholm Church. Gamla Stan tends to be a bit touristy at times but is definitely worth visiting: take a stroll past the well-preserved buildings and through the small (and also Sweden’s narrowest) alleys, which will make you feel like you’ve travelled back in time. This neighborhood offers a great combination of historical buildings and traditional Swedish restaurants.
How to get there
  • Gamla stan • 4 min walk
  • Slussen • 8 min walk
Reach out directly
See what travellers are saying
  • Kityayma
    Sydney, Australia574 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Just gorgeous
    I absolutely love this area with its gorgeous architecture, winding cobbled streets and eclectic array of shops. We stayed in an Airbnb here and found we were able to walk to most of the places we visited. I especially enjoyed exploring the streets of Gamla Stan in the predawn before they filled with tourists. Would definitely stay here again
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 25 October 2023
  • cold and quiet lover
    71 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth a visit
    Beautiful area of the city with lovely cobbled streets. Although historical, a lot was aimed at tourists, but if you go a couple of streets back from the main area you can find some lovely traditional restaurants. I would reccomend spending time in this area if you are in Stockholm
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 23 December 2023
  • Traveller162014
    Leeds, United Kingdom1,685 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Favourite place in Stockholm
    I would say this was one of my favourite places in Stockholm. It is very traditional as you would expect. You could easily spend a few hours here wandering around, visiting cafes, shops and restaurants. There are several attractions such as the Royal Palace, Nobel Prize Museum and German Church. Gorgeous part of the city.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 5 January 2024
  • Mcigrl
    Lawrenceburg, Kentucky140 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful in Winter
    There is a lot to see! The palace, Nobel Prize Museum and many other important attractions are in the area. It was fascinating to see the streets that have been around for hundreds of years. Lots of shops and restaurants in the area. We could have definitely spent the whole day and still not seen everything.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 6 January 2024
  • Chris W
    Naseby, United Kingdom106 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    So cold but lovely to walk round!
    We walked to the Old Town from our hotel over the bridge and it didn't disappoint as it's so pretty and lovely to walk around and explore. Because it was incredibly cold we didn't hang around much as you need to keep moving when it's that cold! The main square is so pretty and the little streets round it are perfectly unspoilt looking, just lovely. I'd like to go again in the Summer and just sit around a while and take it all in!
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 9 January 2024
  • Alexander W
    Bishops Stortford, United Kingdom1,171 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lovely place to wander around
    Most of what’s in the old town is down one street, though it’s worth wandering about a little to explore. The old town is just about big enough to get lost in, though you can soon figure out where you are after a little wandering around. This area isn’t visited by locals, so you’ll likely only bump into other tourists. We spent a few hours here, and after that we felt like we’d seen enough.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 21 January 2024
  • Joanna E
    Hinckley, United Kingdom101 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great to explore
    Great area to walk around, scenic and lots of little shops / streets to explore. Various squares and places to hang out. Easy to navigate and makes you feel like you are seeing the real part of the city
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 18 February 2024
  • Kostas Spyridis
    Athens, Greece74 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Old city!
    Nice area for walk and photos! Get lost inside the small roads with a hot chocolate on your hand! Take photos of the colourful houses and be prepared to travel back in time during the night!
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 23 March 2024
  • Where2next
    Hobart, Australia517 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Stockholm Old Town easy to do self guided tour
    We visited Stockholm Old Town on self guided tour - getting around Stockholm and to Old Town is very easy. The Christmas markets were on when we visited so added additional charm. We travelled in late November when snow had fallen and some areas very icy underfoot - make sure you have the right foot wear!
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 24 March 2024
  • Cristina G
    Santiago, Chile8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Stockholm Old Town, Amazing City!
    Visiting Stockolm in 2017 and 2018 was an experience I'd never forget. Sweden has been an interesting country for me, I love Its language & culture. I definetely would come back. Tack sa mycket... Vi ses snart!
    Visited May 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 15 April 2024
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4.5
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Jason E
London, UK98 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Couples
We caught the metro to gamla stan and started making our way into old town which was very good to see as there was lots of souvenir shops and pubs and restaurants and cafe and coffee shops. We then decided to go and see the royal palace. When we got there the guards was doing a passing out parade and then at the end the king and Queen and there family came out onto the balcony and waved at the crowd. The crowd was singing there native traditional song which was so great to hear even though we didn’t know the words to the song it was great that we was there to see this. We then afterwards decided to walk around and just take in more pictures of this beautiful city. We then decided to go and have lunch we found a great pub and restaurant called The Meat I would highly recommend this restaurant the alcohol wasn’t expensive and neither was the meal in total it cost us £40 and that was for two people. The lady who served us was very friendly and so helpful and she spoke English too.
Written 30 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AmarillaArvika
Arvika, Sweden519 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2020 • Solo
If you like small independant shops, small cafes and restaurants, in a historical setting, then this is the place to go. The only setback in this time of Corona, is that not everything is open, but it’s still good. I recommend going in the afternoon when it is almost dark, and walk up and down the little alleys, and looking into the shops that interest you. A must see and do for Stockholm.
Written 10 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ocam R
Czech Republic65 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Flew in to Arlanda Airport. Very long walk to trains from T2. Bought 72 hr travel card and airport supplement at station, service excellent, transport superb. Metro from Airport to hotel 40 mins, then 5 mins to Old Town, also walked it in 15 mins. Easy to access. Quaint cobbled streets, very clean, lots of small shops, many cafes and bars that have live bands. Also upmarket restaurants like Vapiano Italian. You can get round the whole place easily on foot. Palace 500 m from centre. Note: most places do not take cash, have your money in sek on a preloaded currency card. Prices are very high be prepared for a shock.... One beer, one double JD& coke, one plate of chips no change from £30 at bar, prices published. Overall a good time but would not go again as once seen is enough.
Written 19 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Marilyn M
Stockholm, Sweden59 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
Is this the most attractive city centre in the world? It would certainly come in any list of finalists. Compressed onto a tiny island (the 'holm' in Stockholm means island), it's crammed full of tiny cobbled alleys, historic buildings, shops, restaurants, music spots... and fabulous waterside views. Any time you tire of its urbanity, you can walk to the quayside at Slussen and take a ferry. Just across the water, or to the lovely nearby Fjäderholmarna, or way out into the archipelago.
Written 12 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Diana Varga
Bucharest, Romania233 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Business
Lovely city centre and with acces to bars,shops and a bunch of museums.
Check the opening hours for museum online as in the winter a few are closed and open later than usual and for short time... 11am-4pm
Written 12 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Krissy W
Moerkoev, Denmark194 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Solo
Old part of the city is a really nice place to go - even during winter time where you can warm up with hot soup or chocolate in little cafe's. Have a nice lunch at the square or enjoy a delicious Swedish Fika (coffee and cake) or do both. Remember to look up during your walk as many of the old buildings are very beautiful.
Written 5 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cailin1969
Cork, Ireland35 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
Spent a day walking about the old streets - very accessible from the city centre and worth just exploring on your own with an app or a map. lots of lovely restaurants and bars to choose from. Unfortunately the Nobel museum was closed on the day we visited (Dec 31).
Written 11 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Barkan Ç
Ankara, Türkiye4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
This old town feels like you are in medieval times where once Vikings lived! Successfully preserved, wisely being restored.. A bit expensive what is actually usual in Nordic countries. Yes, the reason is they are rich ! :) In this city, a hard copy paper map (yes, beautiful tech. GPS is confused due to narrow streets and tall buildings) would be super useful to find the way around. Otherwise, you might have hard times.
Go to Nobel Museum and surely the Royal Palace! Most of the museums are on another island called Djurgården.
Written 8 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Johan
8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2019
When in Stockholm, you can't miss the Old Town. Here you find small alleys, shops, restaurants (take a visit to restaurant 'Gyllene Freden' from 1722 or the nearby pub 'Zum Franziskaner' from 1869) and even the royal castle.
Even thou a lot of the buildings has been torned down it's still the coolest place in Stockholm
Written 3 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Do a little advance reading on Gamla Stan. Look at some pictures and familiarize yourself a bit ahead of time. Evening is the time to go to avoid crowds and take it all in undisturbed. Good time to make photos, too.

Most fun is to "get lost," look all around you as you wander then refer to your guidebook for details on points of interest you uncover.
Written 7 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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STOCKHOLM OLD TOWN (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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