Layover In Stockholm: The Ultimate Guide 2024

Stockholm Arlanda Airport is the largest in Sweden and one of the biggest in Scandinavia. With connections throughout Europe and around the world, Stockholm’s airport serves over 26 million passengers per year. If you find yourself on a layover in Stockholm airport, there are better ways to spend your time than shopping duty-free. Arlanda airport is connected to the Swedish capital by the Arlanda Express, a high-speed train that can reach the center of the city in only 20 minutes. So even if your Stockholm layover is quite short, you can still make a trip into the city and back without missing your connection. 

To make things easier on yourself, consider dropping off any heavy bags at a Bounce luggage storage in Stockholm. Traveling light will make it much easier to get around the city and see more of what it has to offer. Make the most of your layover by seeing some of the sites of this charming Nordic city.

6 hour layover in Stockholm

Thanks to Stockholm’s excellent public transit network, even a quite short layover at the airport gives you a chance to explore. Take the Arlanda Express into the city, and after 20 minutes, you’ll find yourself at Stockholm Central Station. As is often the case in European cities, the train station is within easy walking distance of many of the city’s top attractions.

For instance, it’s just under a kilometers walk from the station to Stockholm’s Royal Palace. Still the official residence of Sweden’s Royal family, this massive building has more than 1400 rooms. It houses several museums and the National Library of Sweden, as well as the royal apartments. A tour of the palace will take 45 minutes, but only scratches the surface of everything there is to see here. You could easily spend two hours or more wandering different areas of the palace and the many museums it contains.

Locally, the Royal Palace is right in the heart of the city, so even once you do in exploring the magnificent building, though be lots more to do if you have some time on your hands. Grab a meal or drink in one of the many restaurants in the area and soak up the atmosphere of this Royal city.

• Take the Arlanda Express train to reach the city in 20 minutes from the airport.
• Take a tour of the Royal Palace and explore more in-depth by yourself.
• Grab a meal or drink in the heart of the city and soak up Stockholm’s laid-back atmosphere.

8 hour layover in Stockholm

With a couple more hours at your disposal on your Stockholm stopover, you can branch out to see some of the other major attractions of the city. The part of Stockholm around the Royal Palace is full of museums that range from the classic to the quirky. One of the most interesting is the Nobel Prize Museum. This institution chronicles the story of Sweden’s international prize and reveals more about the winners of this prestigious award over the last century and more. The museum offers an encounter with some of the greatest geniuses of modern history, and explains why the Nobel became one of the world’s top honors. If nothing else, you’ll come away from the museum with a greater appreciation of outstanding human achievement.

• Visit the Nobel Prize Museum to learn more about this prestigious award.
• Explore the stories of previous winners and learn more about what made them so outstanding.
• Take a trip through the intellectual history of the 20th century through this prestigious award.

10 hour layover in Stockholm

To see a more photogenic side of the city, take a short walk out to Riddarholmen. This island is part of Stockholm’s Old Town and contains houses and palaces dating back to the 17th century. The well-preserved buildings offer great photo opportunities, and it’s an extremely atmospheric part of the city to wander around. Plus you’ll find lots of specialty stores. Spend a couple of hours wandering these ancient streets, and you’ll feel as though you’ve gone back in time to Stockholm’s glory days.

• Visit the island of Riddarholmen to see some of Stockholm’s most beautiful buildings.
• Wander the cobblestone streets and take lots of pictures of the impressive palaces in the area.
• Do some souvenir shopping or enjoy a meal in the many restaurants of the area.

12 hour layover in Stockholm

As a national capital and an ancient city, Stockholm is practically overflowing with museums and palaces. You could spend days in the city and still never see them all. Even on a relatively long layover, you’ll have to be selective in what you want to see. And while museums can be fascinating, you can’t spend all day living in the past. Instead, visit Berzelii Park to get a taste of nature in the heart of the city.

Berzelii Park isn’t a huge place. However, its well-manicured gardens make it a lovely location for a relaxing stroll. Plus, the park is home to two theaters and a restaurant, and there’s always something going on here. It’s the perfect place to take a break from the often busy city and recharge your batteries for your next flight.

• Visit Berzelii Park to relax and recharge during your Stockholm layover.
• Enjoy the well-tended gardens and the theater, or have a meal in the park’s restaurant.
• Don’t forget to drop off your bags at a Stockholm baggage storage so you don’t have to carry them around the park.

24 hour layover in Stockholm 

An overnight layover in Stockholm lets you really get to grips with what the city has to offer. To see a more modern side of the Swedish capital, don’t miss the chance to visit the House of Culture. Although it’s a little way out of Stockholm’s historic heart, a 24-hour layover gives you plenty of time to get there, and leaving your bags behind at a Stockholm suitcase storage makes it easy to travel.

This cultural center is the city’s hub for music, dance, theater, and performing arts. No matter when you visit, you’re bound to find something exciting going on here. Plus, this modern area is home to tons of bars and restaurants, so after the show, you can head out to enjoy Stockholm’s nightlife like the locals do.

• Take Stockholm’s excellent public transit to visit the House of Culture.
• This institution is one of the countries leading places to enjoy music and performing arts, and there’s always something going on here.
• Immerse yourself in Stockholm’s lively nightlife before taking your flight the next day.