10 Free Things to Do in Stockholm

The Royal Palace is the home of the Swedish monarchy. It houses more than 600 rooms, 3 museums, and features a daily changing of the guards. Officially known as the Royal Guards Ceremony, the show of pageantry starts at 11:45am and lasts for around 40 minutes. It includes a marching band and a parade of soldiers. The main parade area is on Slottsbacken, which runs along the southern side of the palace. You should arrive early to get a good vantage point.

Kungsträdgården, meaning the King’s Garden, is a beautiful expanse of woodland in downtown Stockholm. It hosts many free festivals and events throughout the year. A particular highlight is the cherry blossom season in late April, when the whole area is swathed in pink. The park contains many cafés and bars, which are great places to sit back and enjoy the surrounding nature.

Katarinahissen is one of Stockholm’s best free vantage spots. Located next to Slussen subway station, this prominent landmark was built in 1936 as a shortcut from Slussen to Södermalm, and though the lift no longer works, you can still climb the stairs up to the top. The views are excellent, right over the waterways of Stockholm on one side and Södermalm island on the other.

Stockholm’s subways are some of the most artistic in the world. Known locally as the T-bana (Tunnelbana network), you will find vibrant art pieces in 90 stations throughout the capital. It took 150 artists several decades to create more than 100 km of art. Locals claim it’s the world’s longest art exhibition. You can pay for a guided tour or simply explore on your own for the price of a single ticket.

Highlights include the cave-like, excavated artwork at Kungsträdgården station, the 1970s Olympics motif used at Satdion station, and the pixelated, computer-game-inspired reliefs at Thorildsplan station.

Stockholm has several beaches in the city center, all of which are packed in the peak summer months. A convenient spot to have a swim and relax on the sand is Långholmsbadet on Långholmen island. The swimming area is marked out in buoys, and there’s a wooden jetty so you can dive straight into the water.

For families, Tanto strandbad is a popular swimming spot. Located further south, on Södermalm island, you can spend the whole day here thanks to activities like mini golf and climbing nets in Tantolunden Park nearby. The prime sandy spots are filled quickly, but people set up on the rocky coastline or on the grassland behind. It’s suitable for the disabled and has public showers.

Stockholm’s origins lie on the atmospheric island of Gamla Stan, where merchants and monarchs occupied the medieval streets around the Royal Palace. Stroll along the ancient, meandering streets to the Nobel Museum (free admission on Tuesdays from 5-8pm), celebrating the achievements of the Nobel Prize winners. To the west is the tiny island of Riddarholmen, home to grand palaces and noble houses. They are so perfectly preserved, the whole area feels like a film set.

This free-to-enter museum contains finds from historical digs that have been used to recreate scenes of life in Stockholm in the Middles Ages. The highlight of the Medieval Museum is a well-preserved 50-meter segment of the city’s original city walls. Other exhibits include remnants of an ancient warship and a recreation of a town square. The museum has free guided tours in English at 2pm in July and August.

Throughout the summer months, Stockholm has a steady stream of events and festivals – and many of them are free! The biggest of them all is Stockholm Kulturfestival, a 6-day cultural event of music, literature and performing arts that takes place every August in Gustav Adolfs Square. Other notable events include Stockholm Pride in July, which brings over 500,000 people together in support of LGBT rights, Stockholm Street Festival, also in July, celebrates the diverse world of street performers, such as jugglers, acrobats and magicians. If you’re in Stockholm in the winter, the Christmas Market in Gamla Stan is a suitably festive alternate that runs throughout December.

Hellasgården is just 30 minutes from downtown Stockholm, but it feels a world away from the bustling streets of the capital. This natural landscape features a crystal-clear lake popular for swimming and fishing, many walking trails, and skiing tracks in winter. Other sports available at Hellasgården include tennis, beach volleyball, golf, and ice skating in the winter. For a small fee, there’s an excellent sauna that’s popular throughout the year.

Sjöhistorika museet celebrates Sweden’s proud naval and shipbuilding history. It’s located in Östermalm, along the waterfront. The exhibits are mostly scale models of important vessels built in Sweden from the 18th century up to the present day. Several archeological finds are also on display. The Maritime museum is completely free to enter. Complimentary audio guides are available in Swedish, Finnish, English, French and German.