Sweden · Travel guide
How the country divides, how to choose between the ten destinations, when to go, what it costs and three routes that work.
Photo: Julian Herzog (Website) · CC BY 4.0
Sweden combines elegant cities, an archipelago of islands, folk traditions and Arctic wilderness. This guide explains how the country divides, how to choose between the ten destinations, how to travel, when to go, what it costs and three routes that work.
Sweden is long, stretching from the Baltic coast to the Arctic, and for a visitor it divides into four zones.
The east and capital. Stockholm is the gateway, with Uppsala and the archipelago close by.
The west and south. Gothenburg and Malmo offer seafood, parks and an easy link to Denmark, with Kalmar and Oland on the south-east coast.
The islands. Visby and Gotland lie in the Baltic.
The north. Dalarna is the folk heartland, Are is the mountain playground and Abisko and Kiruna bring the Arctic.
Worth knowing: Most first trips combine Stockholm with one other region.
[[stockholm
[[stockholm-archipelago
[[uppsala
[[are-jamtland
[[dalarna
[[gothenburg
Trains are comfortable and reach most places. The fast X2000 links Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo.
Flights are useful for Lapland and Gotland. Night trains run to the far north.
Ferries link the archipelago and Gotland. Buses cover rural areas.
Rental cars are useful in Dalarna, Oland and the north.
Worth knowing: Book long-distance trains early for the best fares.
Sweden has four seasons, with long summer days and short winter ones.
Summer, from June to August, is warm, with up to 18 hours of daylight in the south and near-constant light in the north.
Midsummer, around the end of June, is the biggest celebration.
Winter, from December to March, brings snow, ski seasons and northern lights in Lapland.
Autumn brings golden leaves and mushroom foraging.
Worth knowing: Check daylight hours when planning winter trips.
Sweden is expensive, but good value is possible. A budget traveller can manage on US$80-120 a day, a mid-range traveller on US$180-280.
Cards are accepted everywhere. Cash is rarely used.
Lunch deals and supermarket meals save money, and the right of public access allows free camping in nature.
Sweden is very safe. Take normal precautions in city centres at night.
Three nights in [[stockholm
Tip Stockholm]], then two in [[gothenburg
One-week route plus [[stockholm-archipelago
Tip the archipelago]] or [[visby-gotland
The itinerary on the country page, from Stockholm to the north.
Tip Fly to Kiruna.
Reference
Every place named above has its own detailed guide — attractions, food, where to stay, how to get around and a suggested day-by-day plan.
Stockholm County, east coast
Sweden's elegant island capital: Gamla Stan, the Royal Palace, the Vasa Museum, Skansen, City Hall, design shops and an archipelago on its doorstep.
Don't miss Wandering the cobbled lanes of Gamla Stan, then a waterside fika in the sun.
Explore Destination — StockholmVastra Gotaland County, west coast
Sweden's second city: Haga, Feskekorka fish market, Slottsskogen, Liseberg, the southern archipelago and some of the best seafood in the country.
Don't miss Eating fresh shrimp by the harbour, then a ferry to a car-free island.
Explore Destination — GothenburgSkane County, southern Sweden
Sweden's third city: Turning Torso, Lilla Torg, the medieval Malmohus castle, Ribersborg beach, Western Harbour and an easy hop to Copenhagen.
Don't miss Taking a cold plunge at Ribersborg then a falafel in Mollevangen.
Explore Destination — MalmoUppsala County, east-central Sweden
A historic cathedral and university city 40 minutes from Stockholm, with the Royal Mounds of Gamla Uppsala, botanical gardens and a lively river.
Don't miss Looking up at the towers of Scandinavia's largest cathedral.
Explore Destination — UppsalaGotland County, Baltic Sea
A UNESCO-listed Hanseatic town with a 3.4 km medieval wall, church ruins, and an island of raukar sea stacks, sandy beaches and medieval churches.
Don't miss Walking the ring wall at sunset, with ruined churches glowing in the light.
Explore Destination — Visby and GotlandNorrbotten County, Swedish Lapland
Swedish Lapland's star attractions: Abisko National Park and its aurora sky, the Kungsleden trail, Kiruna, Icehotel at Jukkasjarvi, reindeer and Sami heritage.
Don't miss Watching green curtains of aurora ripple over a frozen lake.
Explore Destination — Abisko and KirunaJamtland County, central Sweden
A year-round mountain playground: skiing at Are, Aresjutan, Storsjon lake, Tannforsen waterfall and hikes through the Jamtland mountains.
Don't miss Skiing under the lights with Lake Storsjon below, then a hot sauna.
Explore Destination — Are and JamtlandDalarna County, central Sweden
A region of lakes and forests with folk traditions, the Dala horse, Falun copper mine, Mora and Vasaloppet ski race, and Leksand midsummer festival.
Don't miss Dancing around a maypole at midsummer beside Lake Siljan.
Explore Destination — DalarnaKalmar County, south-east coast
A historic castle town linked by a long bridge to Oland, with the Southern Oland UNESCO landscape, windmills, beaches and sunny summers.
Don't miss Cycling past windmills on the limestone plain of Stora Alvaret.
Explore Destination — Kalmar and OlandStockholm County, Baltic Sea
A vast archipelago of around 30,000 islands with Vaxholm, Sandhamn, Grinda and Fjaderholmarna, perfect for sailing, kayaking and island hopping.
Don't miss Jumping off a warm granite rock into the Baltic, then fika on the pier.
Explore Destination — Stockholm ArchipelagoFAQ
Yes, it is one of the pricier countries in Europe, but food from lunch deals and supermarkets and free outdoor access keep costs down.
June to August for long days and warm weather, and December to March for snow, skiing and northern lights in Lapland.
Almost never. Sweden is largely cashless, and cards or phone payments are accepted nearly everywhere.
Yes, almost universally, especially in cities.
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