Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
nouncing the Changing of the Guard and turning even the most dignified tour-
ist into a scampering kid.
On a two- to three-week trip through Scandinavia, Stockholm is worth two
days. For the busiest and best two- to three-day plan, I'd suggest this:
Day 1:
10:00—See the
Vasa
warship (starting with video and tour);
12:00—Visit Nordic Museum; 13:00—Tour Skansen open-air museum and
grab lunch there; 16:00—Ride boat to Nybroplan (summer only) and follow
my self-guided walk through the modern city from Kungsträdgården;
18:30—Take Royal Canal boat tour (confirm last sailing time, no boats Jan-
March).
Day 2:
10:00—Catch 1.25-hour bus tour from the Royal Opera House, or
take the City Hall tour; 12:15—Catch the Changing of the Guard at the palace
(13:15 on Sun); 13:00—Lunch on Stortorget; 14:00—Tour Royal Palace Mu-
seums and Armory and follow my Old Town self-guided walk; 18:30—Free
evening (could take a harbor dinner cruise).
Day 3:
With an extra day, add a cruise through the scenic island ar-
chipelago (easy to do from Stockholm), visit the royal palace at Drottning-
holm, take a side-trip to charming Uppsala, or spend more time in Stockholm
(there's plenty left to do and experience).
Greater Stockholm's two million residents live on 14 islands woven together
by 54 bridges. Visitors need only concern themselves with these districts,
most of which are islands:
•
Norrmalm
is downtown, with most of the hotels and shopping areas, and
the combined train and bus station.
Östermalm
, to the east, is more residen-
tial.
•
Kungsholmen,
the island across from Norrmalm, is home to City Hall
and several inviting lakefront eateries.
