Following my trip to Stockholm back in October, I've decided to give you a rough guide on what you can you do if you only have 72 hours in this amazing city. This can obviously be adjusted to suit your needs, but this is most of what I got up to. I've also added some tips for eating out, getting around and budgeting.
Day 1
Once you have arrived in Stockholm, take the public transport route to your hotel as it will save quite a bit of money. I stayed at the Hasselbacken (to find out more about my stay click here.)
You've unpacked, freshened up and now it is time to venture out.
Start out by wandering around the area your hotel is in on foot. Best way to get a feel for where you are and you're less likely to get lost!
First things first, get some food in you! I had lunch at Virda. (burger restaurant)
Head to Gamla stan, also known as the old town. There are tourist shops, restaurants, churches, museums, unique buildings and much more. Making the old town worth more than one visit. Make sure you have comfortable shoes on as it is all cobble stones!
To end the day, you could go on a tube station hunt in the evening after dinner to see the works of art in certain stations - T Centralen, Kungstradgarden, Radhuset, Stockholm City and many more.
I'd recommend dinner at Mowglis Kok, it's a small space so make sure you book in advance.
Day 2
Breakfast at your hotel.
Then head to Abba the museum for 10 am, that way you miss the crowds of people as you're one of the first people in.
Lunch time, I decided to book in at Meatballs for the people.
If it is a rainy day like we had then definitely go check out Fotografiska, a great stop for those into photography and the arts.
If it is more of a pleasant day have a wander around Sodermalm island. It is full of artsy, creative spaces and has a more laid back vibe.
Afternoon tea at Vete-Katten, try some Swedish pastries!
Wind down after a full day of activities.
Venture out for some dinner.
Day 3
Head to a museum of your choice after breakfast or have a lie-in.
Book an Archipelago boat tour in advance. This lasts from 12pm-3pm (you have the option to have lunch included or buy snacks from the bar)
Revisit some of your favourite spots you've been to over the past couple of days.
Explore Djurgården, home to Grona Lund amusement park and many museums including Skansen, an open-air museum. It also boasts beautiful parks like the Royal Djurgården Park.
Do a spot of gift shopping for the family, friends or yourself.
End the day with a nice dinner. We had a lovely meal at Waipo.
Getting around
Getting around Stockholm is pretty easy, with numerous transport links you'll no issue getting from place to place. There are buses, trams, metro trains and the ferry. If you choose to use the transport system you can either by single journey tickets, 24 hour, 72 hour and 7 day passes. There also tourists passes which grant you access into museums. The longer ticket passes are best fit if you will be there for a certain amount of days. Click this link to see the options available to you. Another option is walking, most places are easy to get to on foot.
Money
When it comes to the money side of things it's good to note that, Sweden use their own currency SEK. In Stockholm predominantly everywhere takes card and it very unlikely that you'll need to pay in cash. So this will save you losing money as you would with a typical cash exchange. since everywhere accepts card, it's best to use a bank that doesn't charge you for spending money in other countries. I would recommend Starling, Monzo etc..
One thing I didn't realise until I was there is that it is relatively an expensive country to visit. I would suggest having a set budget on how much you want to spend.
Eating out
Learn from my mistakes and book in advance! When it comes to eating out you want to have done your research and book early! I visited over a weekend so you can imagine how popular restaurants are on the weekend. On my first night (friday) I thought I could just turn up at a restaurant and expect a seat but boy was I wrong. We then had to go door to door to find somewhere to eat and the result was a let down.