Last Minute Stockholm Weekend Itinerary. Luxury for Less (2024)

Home » Destinations » Europe » Sweden » Stockholm itinerary without breaking the bank

This website uses affiliate links which may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Updated: 22nd August 2016

Stockholm is a city that is famous for its high prices, especiallyin the summer months. The summer, however, is a time when it is well worth visiting.

With a little creativity and by latching on to some of its more unique attractions, enjoying a weekend escape here luckily does not need to cost a fortune.

#LuxuryForLess – A weekend for under £200

I teamed up with Travelex and their newLuxuryForLess search engineto build a weekend away that wouldn’t cost a fortune as well as trying to capture my idea of Luxury experiences in this city….

MONEY SAVING TIPS FOR STOCKHOLM

Accommodation:When booking your hotel you might be shocked at how expensive some of the central options are, but given the fantastic underground and tram networks you can get some great bargains a little further afield. I opted for the Mornington Bromma which comes with a rooftop sauna to ease away the day (you can’t get much more Swedish than that) and at only £50 a night it was a bargain. Book as far in advance as you can if you are visiting during any peak seasons.

Getting There:Stockholm actually has four airports, the two main ones for budget airlines are over an hour from the city and will involve an expensive bus transfer so take this into account when booking your flights. If you are planning on discovering some of the othertopplaces to visit in Sweden, you may want to consider flying into Gothenburg or Malmo. There are usually cheap flights to be found to these cities and you have the bonus of being able to explore more of the country onroute to Stockholm.

Getting Around:Whilst Stockholm has Uber like most big cities the public transport pass is a great call, I’ll get onto that in a minute…

Eating Out:Stockholm also excels when it comes to food. Great quality, luxury dishes don’t have to mean the top end of fine dining with most restaurants offering a fresh, high standard of food. For example, after the Ice Bar, Hearts restaurant next door offers a fresh lobster and chilled glass of wine for £30 which for the nordic capitals is not bad at all.

The Underground:When it comes to luxury travel, public transport certainly isn’t the first thing that springs to mind but the maze of carved out underground train lines in Stockholm is a surprise to many. With around 90 stations uniquely decorated and housing a whole range of art and artefacts you can easily spend a few hours making full use of your transport pass to take in this impressive underground world.

Brunch with a difference:Brunch is a big deal in Stockholm as is the huge expanse of rivers linking the city. If you want to bridge them both together for a luxury experience which is both different and not as expensive as a top end restaurant grab some local danishes, fresh fruit and a bottle of fizz and head to the Vasa Museum bridge for a Kayak. At around £13 an hour you can take to the water, get a different vantage point of the city and find the perfect spot to relax and brunch all to yourself.

The ICE Bar:Given the temperature of the Nordic region settling in to sip a co*cktail at the ICE Bar may seem like freezing madness but this unique attraction, where all the glasses, walls, tables and seats are constructed from ice is a unique stop you can’t miss. With £19 entry including a free co*cktail, it is certainly a different way to start the night.

Stockholm: The Usual Must See Suspects

Stockholm has heaps of museums and they are actually rather good. If you are planning to cram as much into your weekend as possible then theStockholm Cardmight be a good investment to save some money overall.

The Vasa Museum:The warship Vasa sank on its very first journey back in 1628. This huge custom built museum houses a perfect restoration after being found and dug up in 1961. If you are lucky enough to be in town for a themed night you can take a candle lit dinner in the museum itself.

The Abba Museum:Well, for a country that has IKEA and ABBA to its name you might want to swing by this bright, loud and energetic museum complete with Karaoke and stages to get your own groove on… Can’t say I am the number one fan but for some this could be the perfect ticket.

The Royal Palace:This grand building dating back to the 18th century gives a great insight into the past of the royal family as well as the current monarchy. With over 600 rooms in the palace, it is an architectural wonder.

Canal Tour:Whilst I opted to take to the waterways of Stockholm by Kayak for those less energetically inclined taking one of the regular canal cruises is the perfect way to see this city from a river perspective.

Fotografiska Museums:As a photographer, I was truly impressed with the extensive collection here, both the permanent displays but also the smaller more modern collections from visiting artists. If you have an interest in the visual arts I highly recommend dropping in here.

Gröna Lund Tivoli:This historic theme park is a great bet for families looking to keep the kids entertained for a few hours in the city.

Gamla Stan:The old quarter of Stockholm, Gamla Stan, is a colourful maze of narrow streets, boutique shops and artwork. Taking a stroll from the Royal Palace through to the quaint streets behind is a perfect way to get a feel for this city. Dip into one of the coffee shops to enjoy a Swedish tradition, Fika – literally, to coffee and cake (these guys know how to make cinnamon buns!) before getting your shopping fix on something special.

Rooftop Bars:When it comes to rooftop bars you are not left short of choice. For a mid-afternoon weekend glass of fizz, I took to the Scandic rooftop near central station. Enjoy the panoramic views of the boats coming and going and the dark, pointed rooftops as you sink your bubbles without a care in the world.

*Big shout out to the team atTravelexfor letting me create my ‘Last Minute Weekend itinerary’ in Stockholm and my random ideas of what ‘Luxury’ is for me :P