Stockholm with kids: how to plan a family trip + need to know

Stockholm with kids cover photo with view and title text

Our family guide to visiting Stockholm with kids: what to do in Stockholm with children, family-friendly museums in Stockholm and fun facts about Sweden for kidsUpdated November 2021

Stockholm is very family-friendly and a great destination for a city break with kids.

We visited Stockholm with the children for the first time when they were tiny and quickly fell in love with this family friendly city.

Since then, we have many more times and thanks to local friends and cousins who now live there, we got that special insider knowledge that brings places to life.

This post is the result of my experience visiting Stockholm as a family and has all the best things to do in Stockholm with kids and tips for visitors.

I hope it inspires you to go! I find it one of the most family friendly cities in Europe!

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View over Stockholm with text 'visiting Stockholm with kids, all you need to know'

The best time to visit Stockholm with kids

The best time to visit Stockholm is the summer, especially with children in tow.

At this time, the temperatures are mild, the city’s green areas are a pleasure to discover and you have long days perfect for sightseeing, thanks to the many hours of light (this is the time of the year for the so-called midnight sun!).

Summer is also the best time to visit Stockholm to truly enjoy its gorgeous waterways.

If visiting Stockholm in summer, I recommend you embrace longer days and stretch the children’s bedtime to a little later, to make the most of all the city has to offer!

Spring and early autumn are also nice months to explore Stockholm while the winter tends to be cold and dark.

The exception to this are of course the weeks around Christmas: the city is beautiful this time of the year and the festive cheer is in the air.

The city is simply magical in December, with the lights and nordic Christmas traditions. I find it one of the best winter destinations in Europe for families!

Where to stay in Stockholm with kids – best areas for families

Stockholm is well served by an efficient public transport network and this means you can consider several areas for your accommodation even outside the historic center.

These are some of the best areas to stay in Stockholm with kids and family-friendly addresses to consider.

Djurgårde: a lovely, quiet area close to Stockholm city center and some of the city’s museums and best green areas, this area is a great place to stay in Stockholm with kids if you fancy a convenient location with a residential feel

Gamla Stan: Stockholm old city is the perfect area to stay for sightseeing

Norrmalm: this area is the center of Stockholm mainland and is exceptionally well served by public transport links, restaurants, hotels, etc.

Because of its central location and convenience, it can be pricier than others and can get busy.

It is, however, one of the best areas to stay in Stockholm with kids for families interested in sightseeing and who need an easy connection to the airport.

Södermalm: South of the historical center, this is a hip neighborhood popular with students and younger tourists.

The area has a cool vibe and can be a good location if you have older kids and or if you want easy access to shops and restaurants – this is a very well served area.

Best family hotels in Stockholm

Some family-friendly hotels in Stockholm to consider:

Radisson Blue Royal Viking Hotel, perfectly located in the heart of Stockholm, the hotel caters to families with kids with well-appointed family rooms, onsite restaurant, free wifi and hotel swimming pool.

Downtown Camper by Scandic: excellent family hotel in Stockholm in a great location with beautiful family rooms, onsite restaurant and swimming pools

Hilton Stockholm Slussen hotel: Located in Sodermalm in a convenient location for sightseeing and transport, this is an excellent family hotel, offering family rooms (some have an extra living area), a restaurant on-site and room service

Hotel Sven Vittanpare: located in Gamla Stan, this family hotes in Stockholm city center is in a fantastic location in the heart of Stockholm’s old city and offers family-friendly rooms (interconnecting rooms are available) and super friendly service.

What to do in Stockholm with kids

Stockholm has very many family attractions and museums, located in different parts of town.

When I visited, I got the Stockholm Pass which I found excellent as it allowed to use the city’s public transport system (Bus, metro and train) and access main attractions with no stress.

When visiting Stockholm with kids, consider buying the Stockholm pass: it helps you save on cruises and attractions.

If you are visiting Stockholm with older kids and teens, you may also want to check these Stockholm itineraries with additional ideas suitable for that age.

View of Stockholm waterfront

The best things to do in Stockholm with kids

Take a walk in Gamla Stan, the old city

Gamla stan (‘The old town’) is Stockholm’s most famous area and the city’s medieval heart.

One of the 14 islands forming the city of Stockholm, Gamla Stan was founded in 1252 and it is one of the best-preserved medieval cities anywhere in the world.

Narrow, meandering alleys are what make this part of town special as well as attractions such as Stockholm cathedral and palace.

Gamla Stan is fun to visit for kids because of its unusually narrow roads and lively shops, but it can also be stressful if traveling with a pushchair or stroller.

If traveling with a baby or toddler, I recommend you check out our top pick for the best strollers for visiting Europe here.

A major tourist attraction, the streets of Gamla Stan are full of tourists and, especially in the summer, there is very little elbow room.

With young kids, my advice is to come early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid peak visitors’ time.

The vast choice of cafes and restaurants makes it a good stop for both breakfast and dinner and there is no shortage of family-friendly places.

If you can, use a baby carrier or get older kids to walk so you can check out the top things to do in Stockholm’s old town with ease.

Gamla Stan Stockholm seen from the water

See the city and its archipelago from the water with a boat tour

Stockholm is nicknamed ‘the Venice of the North’ and with its archipelago of over 30 000 islands, it has water, truly, everywhere!

There is no better way to see the city and its incredible geography than with a boat tour. The choice is endless: some tours cover the inner part of the city, while others are a whole day affair that will make you discover the outer islands (the archipelago proper).

Both are worth doing and the choice depends very much on the time you have in town: with kids, I believe a short tour is the best option.

It is an easy way to get them to rest while seeing beautiful scenery and you can use the opportunity to mark Stockholm places of interest you might later want to explore on foot.

These are some of the best boat tours in Stockholm for you to check out:

Stockholm Archipelago cruise, with guide

2h ‘under the bridges’ boat tour

Stockholm hop-on hop-off sightseeing boat

Explore Skeppsholmen

Just in front of Gamla Stan sits the island of Skeppholmen, famous for hosting museums such as the Moderna Museet and the Swedish Centre for architecture and design.

I made time for it on my second time in town and I find it one of the most pleasant areas of Stockholm for a relaxing walk.

A large park, for the most part, closed to vehicles, it offers great views over the city’s seafront, it has lovely cafes and waterside restaurants and some quaint houses and boats that make for great photo ops.

It is a great place for families with kids and offers lovely views over the boats and the elegant city seafront.

To get an idea of the kind of beautiful architecture you can encounter while strolling in Stockholm, have a look at this stunning photo story by Europe Diaries here

Explore Stockholm’s most famous museums

A short tram ride away from the city centre sits Djurgarden, a gorgeous green island hosting some of the most famous and interesting museums in the whole of Stockholm.

Not all the museums here are attractive for kids but some are truly special and are guaranteed to leave them in awe.

view over Nordinksa in one of the most beautiful areas of Stockholm

The Vasa Museum

The Vasa museum is entirely dedicated to showcasing one ship, the eponymous Vasa.

When I first heard about a ship museum I thought I would find it boring and excessively specialized but the Vasa made sure I changed my mind fast.

It is one of the most impressive museums I have ever seen and, for the kids, a jaw-dropping experience.

The Vasa is a  seventeenth-century boat that sank in Stockholm waters on its maiden trip and sat on the seafloor for 333 years.

Despite being built entirely with timber, because of the very special water conditions of the Stockholm archipelago, with a peculiar mix of saline and fresh water, the Vasa is perfectly preserved and we are faced with a galleon that is very much exactly as built over 3 centuries ago.

As well as interesting the Vasa is beautiful and immense: while too big to be captured in a photo, but I believe the size of the people on the left gives a sense of its scale…

This is a wonderful museum and one of the most peculiar and fun things to do in Stockholm, at any age!

Vasa Museum Stockholm - detail of the Vasa vessel

Junibacken

Rather than a child-friendly museum, Junibacken is a museum for children.

Build around the fairytale world of Astrid Lindgren’s, author of Pippi Longstocking, Junibacken lures children with toys, houses and dens and a magical storybook train.

It is a great place for little kids and a great refuge in case of rain!

If you are looking for what to do in Stockholm with little kids, this is is!

Skansen

Skansen is the oldest open-air museum in the world and it an attraction that will please kids and adults alike.

Spread over a  vast, green area, the park hosts a reconstruction of old Sweden complete with old artisan shops, windmills, and historical buildings.

For the delight of kids, as well as quaint old streets with windows to peek into, Skansen also hosts cute animals such as rabbits, goats and moose!

A visit to Skansen is one of the best things to do in Stockholm with kids especially on a dry day.

Skansen Stockholm, red barn

The Abba museum

An attraction fun for older kids and pop culture fans is the Abba museum, a super colorful space showcasing costumes from Abba concerts, Eurovision contests and Abba memorabilia.

What makes this place fun is the interactive activities it offers: do you want to play on stage with Abba holograms?

Or record your own Abba song? At the Abba museum, you can! Warning: self-irony highly recommended.

This is a fin visit especially for teenagers who are sure to laugh at the elaborate costumes … and at their parents!)

Other museums and attractions for kids

Stockholm has more museums that we were able to visit, but here are some more you might find interesting: the links bring you to their official websites (please note: I have no affiliation with them and the links are for information purposes only).

Explore Sodermalm

Sodermalm, Stockholm with colorful chairs on a terrace overlooking the sea

On the opposite side of Gamla stan lies Sodermalm, an area known for being relaxed, creative and trendy (it is also the home of Fotografiska, one of the world’s biggest museums of modern photography).

It is a buzzing, dynamic place.

Its main street is full of shops and cafes but as soon as you step away from the main road you will find peculiar, quiet corners with a great old Sweden character.

What I loved about Sodermalm is the balance it strikes between trendy and family-friendly.

After a stroll in its old cobbled streets, late in the afternoon,  we sat for an aperitif in an open-air terrace overlooking Stockholm (Sodermalm is on a hill) and to our surprise, we saw many local families doing the same.

Side by side, office workers on their way home, families with strollers, toddlers, and school-age children were all out catching the evening sun, sipping colorful concoctions ranging from juices to Aperol spritz!

To top off the evening, make sure you get the lift to the panoramic terrace of Gondolen (a restaurant, but they will let you have a peek at the view even if you are not dining there), for a birdseye view over the city.

Have fika

Fika is a Swedish food tradition consisting of a drink of coffee, tea or juice accompanied by a baked good.

You will find Fika offered almost everywhere in town and it is a great way to have a snack and feel like you are experiencing local traditions at the same time!

Note for families visiting Stockholm with young children: Stockholm is very family-friendly when it comes to restaurants and cafes’. Most establishments have high chairs and changing stations in the bathroom and in many places, I noticed microwaves for heating up milk and baby food.

How to get around Stockholm with kids in tow

How to get from Stockholm airport to the city center

Stockholm is served by three airports:

Arlanda: for international flights, the biggest and closest airport to the city is Arlanda, by far your best option in terms of convenience of transport and time of journey.

Large and well organized, it is connected to the city centre by bus and train.

You can find information and schedule of buses here and all info about the Arlanda Express here.

Skavsta: Ryanair serves this airport and, while very far from the city (100 km) is a good budget option.

You can reach it from the city center by bus and the journey takes a little over an hour in normal traffic conditions.

Tickets can be bought at the bus station: arrive early as buses tend to fill up quickly.

Bromma airport: of the three, this is the only one I haven’t experienced personally.

It is the city airport and the closest to the centre, but it only serves a selected number of destinations, mostly within Sweden. You can check if it serves your area here.

How to use public transport in Stockholm with kids

Most of Stockholm can be visited on foot and longer distances can be negotiated by public transport.

The city has an excellent network of buses, trams and metro and there are good ticket options including weekend passes and combined transport+museum cards.

Buses and trams are accessible with strollers and pushchairs: most of them have double doors and, at the time of writing, strollers ride free.

Please note: Tickets must be purchased before boarding the bus from one of the many ticketing machines and tills available.

Fun facts about Sweden and Stockholm for kids

  • As well as Swedish, Sweden also has 5 other official languages: Finnish, Yiddish, Sami, Meänkieli and Romani
  • Stockholm archipelago has over 30 000 islands and public transport includes buses, trams, metro and boat
  • Stockholm itself is built on 14 islands and had 57 bridges
  • Sweden is connected to Denmark by a bridge, The Oresund bridge, crossed by a train
  • Because of its latitude, Sweden has few hours of daylight during the winter and exceptionally long days during the summer (up to 24 hours of darkness and/or light depending on the season and exact location)
  • Pippi Longstocking is from Sweden
  • One of Sweden’s most popular animals is moose and Sweden has the largest population of moose in the world
  • One of Sweden’s most popular ice cream flavors is salty liquorice
  • Find out these facts and more is books for kids about Sweden here

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what to do in stockholm with kids

14 thoughts on “Stockholm with kids: how to plan a family trip + need to know

  1. Mel says:

    We are hoping to be in Sweden next summer, so I am definitely bookmarking this! I was in Stockholm in 1996 and loved it. We went to Skansen, and the old town. But we just had a day or two before flying home. I can’t wait to take my kids to Sweden!

  2. Maggie says:

    This looks like the perfect weekend getaway! Love those colorful chairs, we have them here in Disneyland (they are from Alice in Wonderland).

  3. Christine says:

    Absolutely beautiful!!! Stockholm has been on my radar for so many years! It’s also definitely a great place to go with kids.

  4. Debbie says:

    What a fascinating city. I had no idea how wonderful Stockholm is and how
    Much there I to do there. You have captured the place beautiful and I now have added it to my forever growing list

  5. Cat says:

    I really like your practical information part! It is crazy that it gets dark before 3pm in winter!!!

  6. Christina says:

    We have never been to Sweden but it is definitely on our list. I didn’t realize what a kid-friendly town Stockholm is. I would love to explore the museums best especially want to visit Junibacken.

  7. Gabi says:

    Marta, you have the power, the magic wand that ignites my wanderlust. I love reading your posts because they are so insightful and packed with helpful information… and they make me want to book tickets all the time 🙂

  8. Bumble Bee Mum says:

    I’m glad I found your post through Travel Loving Fam. I’ll be in Stockholm with my kids as part of a cruise stopover this June. Thank you for the useful tips (like ditching the stroller at the old town) and Junibacken sounds like so much fun! I’ve pinned this up so that i can revisit it again closer to the date!

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