Weekend
A weekend in Stockholm: three hotels and a plan for two nights
The Arlanda Express takes 18 minutes to Central Station. Land on Friday afternoon and you can check in and be sitting with a drink above the water before seven.
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In short: a weekend in Stockholm
Two nights are enough for Stockholm if your hotel is central. Spend Friday evening around Kungsträdgården, Saturday in Gamla stan and on Södermalm, and Sunday morning on Djurgården. Our first choice is Ett Hem in Lärkstaden, a town house where you stay as a guest in a private home.
Our first choice: Ett Hem. Check availability and prices at Ett Hem
Stockholm is built on fourteen islands, which is what makes it tricky for a short break. Pick the wrong island and Saturday disappears on bridges and the metro.
So we have chosen three hotels for three kinds of weekend, and a plan that stays within walking distance. Direct flights from London and Manchester take around two and a half hours.
The hotels we choose for a weekend in Stockholm
One for a weekend that feels personal, one for the long dinner and one where Stockholmers go out themselves. All three score highly with guests on Hotels.com.
Ett Hem: a weekend that feels private
Ett Hem is a town house from 1910 in Lärkstaden, a quiet corner of Östermalm. There is no reception in the usual sense, only sitting rooms, a library and a garden where you feel like the guest of someone with very good taste.
Dinner is served in the kitchen, and there is an outdoor pool in the garden. With so few rooms, weekends go quickly, so Ett Hem is best for those who plan ahead.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Ett Hem
The view from the old bank
Bank Hotel is a few minutes from Kungsträdgården. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Bank Hotel: a weekend of dinners and drinks
Bank Hotel occupies an old bank building a few minutes from Kungsträdgården. The former banking hall is now a restaurant, and the hotel has three bars.
From the roof terrace you look out over the city and the water, and in summer it is one of the best places in the centre for a drink. Choose Bank Hotel if you want dinner and a nightcap under the same roof.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Bank Hotel
Hotel Rival: a weekend on Södermalm
Hotel Rival is on Mariatorget and is owned by Benny Andersson of ABBA. It has a cinema from the 1930s, and the bar fills with locals in the evening.
Breakfast is included, and the cafés and vintage shops of Södermalm are right outside. Rival is the place if you would rather have a neighbourhood than a hotel district.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Hotel Rival
More options are in our guide to the best hotels in Stockholm, and the neighbourhoods are explained in where to stay in Stockholm.
Friday: the Arlanda Express and an evening by the water
Take the Arlanda Express to Central Station. From there it is a few minutes on foot to the hotels in Norrmalm and around Kungsträdgården, and the metro takes you on to Södermalm and Östermalm.
Spend the first evening in the centre. Walk along the water towards the Grand Hôtel and the Nationalmuseum, and eat in Östermalm or in one of the hotels. Our suggestions are in the guide to restaurants in Stockholm.
Saturday: Gamla stan and sunset on Södermalm
Be on Stortorget before ten. You will have the alleys of Gamla stan almost to yourself before the cruise passengers arrive. The changing of the guard at the Royal Palace is free and worth seeing.
Walk on to the City Hall on Riddarfjärden and climb the tower. This is where the Nobel banquet is held, and the view over Gamla stan is the best in the city.
Have lunch in Östermalms Saluhall, the food hall from 1888 that reopened in 2020 after years of restoration. Eat herring, skagenröra or fish soup at the counter.
Towards evening, take the metro to Södermalm. Monteliusvägen is a narrow path along the cliff edge, with the City Hall and Gamla stan right below you at sunset. Fotografiska by the water stays open late, so it works well after dinner.
The garden behind the house
Ett Hem is a town house from 1910 in Östermalm. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Sunday: the Vasa Museum at opening time
Sunday is the day for Djurgården. Get to the Vasa Museum as the doors open, because it is busiest in the middle of the day. See the ship from several floors, including right down by the keel.
If you have time before your flight, carry on to Skansen. The elk and bears are most active early in the day, and from the top you can see across the whole city. Leave your bags at the hotel in the morning so you are not carrying them around.
In summer you could take the boat from Strömkajen to Vaxholm or out into the archipelago instead. It takes an hour each way, so allow plenty of time for Arlanda.
Turn a work trip into a weekend
If you are in Stockholm for meetings on Thursday or Friday, stay on for the weekend. You avoid the Friday rush at Arlanda and get the city at its calmest.
Stay around Kungsträdgården or Brunkebergstorg and you are close to both the offices in the centre and Central Station. Ask about late check-out on Sunday, and check whether breakfast is included in the price you are comparing. At Rival it always is.
When is the best time for a weekend in Stockholm?
From late November there are Christmas markets on Stortorget and at Skansen, and an ice rink opens in Kungsträdgården in the middle of the city. January to March is darker but quiet, and hotels often have more rooms to choose from.
February half term, Easter and the bank holiday weekends in May are busier. Summer is high season, with long evenings and boats out to the islands. Book with free cancellation where you can, so you can secure the weekend early and still move it if you need to.
Our first choice for a weekend in Stockholm
Ett Hem
Ett Hem is a town house from 1910 in Lärkstaden, and you feel it the moment you step inside. Instead of a reception desk there is a sitting room with an open fire. Dinner is served in the kitchen, and the pool is in the garden behind. The streets of Östermalm begin just outside. With few rooms, weekends go quickly, so book with free cancellation to secure your dates.
Frequently asked questions about a weekend in Stockholm
How do I get from Arlanda to central Stockholm?
The Arlanda Express is the fastest option and takes 18 minutes to Central Station. From there you can walk to the hotels in Norrmalm and around Kungsträdgården, and the metro takes you on to Södermalm and Östermalm. Airport buses and regular trains are cheaper but slower. If you land late on Friday, the Arlanda Express is the easiest choice.
Is two nights enough for a weekend in Stockholm?
Yes, two nights are enough if you stay central. Spend Saturday in Gamla stan, at the City Hall and on Södermalm, and Sunday morning at the Vasa Museum and Skansen. If you also want a boat trip to Vaxholm or Drottningholm, or both Fotografiska and the Nationalmuseum without rushing, add a third night.
What can you do in Stockholm on a winter weekend?
In winter Stockholm is a city of museums, food halls and long dinners. See the Vasa Museum and Fotografiska, have lunch in Östermalms Saluhall and walk Gamla stan early in the morning. From late November there are Christmas markets and an ice rink in Kungsträdgården. Days are short, so start early and save the evenings for restaurants.
Which hotel is best for a weekend in Stockholm?
Ett Hem in Lärkstaden is our first choice for a personal weekend. Bank Hotel near Kungsträdgården suits a weekend built around restaurants and bars, and Hotel Rival on Södermalm is for those who want a neighbourhood full of cafés, with breakfast included. All three are close to the metro.