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Things to do in Gamla Stan

Our most recommended things to do in Gamla Stan

Stockholm: Land and Water Tour by Amphibious Bus

1. Stockholm: Land and Water Tour by Amphibious Bus

Enjoy a tour of Stockholm by land and water on an amphibious bus tour. Learn about the history of the city from a variety of perspectives, seeing notable landmarks like Gröna Lund, the Royal Palace, and the Royal Island of Djurgården Once everyone is aboard, head toward the Royal Theatre. Your guide will give a short introduction about the bus before switching focus to the sights. Drive along the fashionable street of Birger Jarl before landing at the nightclub mecca of Stureplan. Continue to the Royal Library, see the 1912 Olympic stadium, and turn into the street Karlavägen to arrive at the beautiful area of Östermalm. Suddenly the tarmac beneath you turns to gravel and now the real fun begins, it is time for the bus to get wet. Hold on to your phones and cameras and prepare for some butterflies in your stomach. The music gets louder and a big splash of water hits the windscreen. Before you know it, you are floating. After a couple of minutes of cruising on the water, you will also hear the story behind the Royal Island of Djurgården. Pass the Vasa museum and Sweden’s oldest amusement park Gröna Lund. Get your camera ready for a postcard-like view of Stockholm. The striking Old Town facades lie ahead, where the buildings date back to the 16th-century. In the middle are the German church and Stockholm city hall, which is a famous symbol of Stockholm with the three golden crowns mounted on top. Sail alongside the shore of Södermalm, the biggest of the 14 islands that constitute Stockholm. Cruise around the island of Skeppsholmen and get a great view of the Royal Palace, which is one of the biggest palaces in Europe. See the 19th-century ship Af Chapman docked on the island of Skeppsholmen, which was once Stockholm's naval station. Learn about the royal family and also how Sweden became the country that it is today. Hear how one of the poorest countries in Europe become a thriving industrial nation with a capital now considered to be Europe’s equivalent to silicon valley. Feel the current from Sweden’s third biggest lake pushing fresh clean water into the Baltic Sea. Further ahead, get a great panoramic view of Strandvägen, which is probably the most exclusive address in Scandinavia. Pass the ship of the world’s strongest little girl, Pippi Longstocking. It is time to return to dry land. The engine roars for a couple of seconds as the captain hits the throttle to push the bus back to land. Drive towards the starting point, passing the birthplace of the world-famous psychological phenomenon of Stockholm syndrome. Also pass the oldest building in the city and the oldest park in Stockholm, which once belonged to the royal family. To complete your tour, get a photo with the singing captain.

Stockholm: 1.5-Hour Ghost Walk and Historical Tour

2. Stockholm: 1.5-Hour Ghost Walk and Historical Tour

By the light of lantern, be entertained and horrified by tales of poltergeists, plagues, public executions, and murders on this exhilarating walking tour of Stockholm. Watch the past come to life as you visit the sites of a mixture of great and gruesome events.  Start your walking in Gamla Stan and end in the heart of the Old Town. Along the way, hear about Stockholm's beginnings and learn how the city developed. Discover the most important events in the city's history by visiting the locations where they took place. Leave the main streets behind and explore forgotten courtyards, touch the old walls, and let the city's history come alive. Experience the past brought back to life as you smell, taste, and see what medieval Stockholm might have been like.

Stockholm: The Nordic Food Walk

3. Stockholm: The Nordic Food Walk

Starting in the cozy, quaint confines of the classic Östermalmshallen, the old market hall of Stockholm, you’ll enjoy samples of local cheeses and meats, your first tastes on the tour. From here on your 4-hour tour, you’ll walk with your guide through the most modern areas of the city, sampling the best of healthy and classical foods with a twist. At Stockholm’s food market, you’ll sit down with a lunch plate filled with delectable Swedish seafood. No visit to Stockholm is complete without sampling this local specialty! After lunch it’s time for the sweets! In the very heart of the city you'll visit a local chocolate store, where the owners’ romantic story adds an even sweeter flavor to the locally made gourmet chocolate. Hötorgshallen, yet another of the city’s food markets, is also on the route. Stop for a chance to learn about the historical importance of the market and the shops, and for a few quick tastings as well. Continue with your guide to Gamla Stan, or Old Town, where you’ll admire some of Stockholm’s original houses. Stop at a tiny factory that makes polkagris, the most traditional of all Swedish candies. Your final stop is for coffee in a romantic courtyard, where you can enjoy the best cinnamon rolls in town.

Stockholm: Red Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus & Boat

4. Stockholm: Red Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus & Boat

See Stockholm’s most famous sights from along its streets and waterways with this hop-on hop-off tour. Choose to stay on the bus line or take the tour to the water with regular service between Stockholm's islands and city streets. Listen to commentary about Stockholm in your choice of 10 languages. Discover how pleasant and effortless a city trip can be. Choose a 24-hour ticket for the bus tour or the boat tour. A combination ticket gives you full access to both the bus and boat tours. See all the attractions in Stockholm at your own pace and hop on and off at any of the stops throughout the city. Go directly to the sights without any out of the way routes, stopping at attractions such as Skansen, the Royal Palace, Gröna Lund, the Vasa Museum, Fjällgatan, City Hall, the Abba Museum, the Ice Bar, Old Town, and several popular shopping districts.

Stockholm Bike Tour

5. Stockholm Bike Tour

See the highlights of Stockholm on a guided bicycle tour. Go island hopping and see sights like the Old Town, the Royal Palace, and the Parliament. Stay dry on rainy days with the included rain poncho and keep yourself safe with the included helmet. Meet your guide and get fitted with your helmet and bike. Peddle through the cobbled streets and colorful buildings in the Old Town on the island of Gamla Stan. Ride by the Royal Palace and learn about its history from your guide. Move quickly and easily from island to island along the the shores of the sea and the lake. Cruise over bridges and past sights such as the Parliament and the Royal Dramatic Theatre. Admire the city’s beautiful gardens, picturesque 17th-century wooden houses, and the world’s first National City Park. Enjoy rolling down streets that are well-planned for safe cycling with many bicycle paths and green stretches where cars are not allowed.

Stockholm: Under the Bridges Boat Tour

6. Stockholm: Under the Bridges Boat Tour

Book a sightseeing tour and experience Stockholm from the water. Board your sightseeing vessel and listen to the recorded commentary available in 10 languages as you take in the iconic sights of this stunning city. Pass under several bridges and through a lock that connects the Baltic Sea with Lake Mälaren. Along the way see the sights of Stockholm’s inner city, the Old Town, Södermalm Island, Lilla Essingen, and Stora Essingen, the new area known as Hammarby Sjöstad, and the green areas of Royal Djurgården. 

Stockholm: Old Town Walking Tour

7. Stockholm: Old Town Walking Tour

Follow in the footsteps of the city's founding fathers on this enlightening shared or private walking tour of Stockholm's Old Town. This eventful walk reveals colorful stories and legends of early life in the city as you stroll along well-preserved cobbled alleyways.  Admire the grandeur of the Riddarholmen Church, the statue of Stockholm’s founder Birger Jarl, and the 16th-century royal palaces. Your guide will tell stories and legends about the city and the people who have lived here. Enjoy panoramic views of picturesque Lake Mälaren and the surrounding countryside. This is a perfect introduction to Stockholm and its Old Town district.

Stockholm: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

8. Stockholm: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

Explore the Swedish capital by open-top bus. With regular departures at all stops, choose how much time you wish to spend immersed in the history and culture of each fascinating site. Stockholm boasts a 700-year-old history and is the epicenter of Swedish culture, dotted with grand public buildings and palaces. The 24-hour pass grants access to buses that will take you to the highlights of the picturesque city's sightseeing circuit. Visit the vast Stockholm Palace, the official residence of the Swedish Royal Family, and the City Hall where the annual Nobel Prize banquet is held. Discover beautiful gothic churches and explore the city's key museums, including the Vasa Museum, home to the tragic 17th-century warship, and Skansen zoo. Buses cover the Old Town area and the trendy SoFo district at Södermalm, with its many bars and boutiques. Art and literature exhibitions abound, with readings and concerts at the controversially modern-looking Kulturhuset. Participants looking to splash out will enjoy the NK/Hamngatan shopping district. Strändvagen offers leading restaurants to quell the deserved appetites of the intrepid tourist, with regular boat cruises of the scenic archipelago to boot. Bus tour stops: 1. Strömgatan 2. The Royal Palace/Old Town 3. SoFo 4. Viking Line/Stadsgården Cruise Terminal 5. Fjällgatan 6. Medborgarplatsen 7. The Royal Palace / Slottet 8. Kungsträdgården / Shopping District 9. Strandvägen 10. The Vasa Museum 11. ABBA The Museum / Gröna Lund 12. Skansen 13. ABBA The Museum / Gröna Lund 14. The Vasa Museum 15. Museum Park 16. Historiska Museet / Karlaplan 17. Stureplan Entertainment District 18. Kungsgatan/ Hötorget Market Place 19. ICE Bar 20. Central Station / Cityterminalen 21. Rådhuset / Court House 22. City Hall

Stockholm: Top Highlights Bike Tour

9. Stockholm: Top Highlights Bike Tour

Join a local guide for a relaxed and informative bike tour that takes you past Stockholm's most emblematic sights and attractions. Hop on your bike and get some authentic insight into what life in the Swedish capital is really about. Begin your tour at a convenient meeting point located in the heart of the city. Cycle between the city’s must-see attractions, including Gamla Stan (the old town), City Hall, and the Royal Palace. Visit the many islands that earned the city the nickname “Venice of the North.” Ride through the first national part in the world, a natural oasis in the midst of a bustling metropolis.  Make plenty of stops for photos and explanations by your knowledgeable guide. Learn about the city's history, culture, and lifestyle while witnessing it all firsthand. After the tour, chat with your guide to get some helpful insider tips that will benefit you during the rest of your stay.

Stockholm: Old Town & Vasa Museum Skip-the-Line Private Tour

10. Stockholm: Old Town & Vasa Museum Skip-the-Line Private Tour

Discover Stockholm's old town and enjoy priority access to its Vasa Museum on a combined tour. In just 2.5 hours you’ll take in the city’s most popular sights. On your guided walk through the old town you’ll learn how and why the Nobel Prize came to be, and where the Royal Family actually lives. You guide will also tell you what the residents used to do with their garbage, how narrow the narrowest alley in Stockholm is, how many live in the old town, and what the cost of living is there. Next you’ll board a ferry to the island of Djurgården. Enjoy spectacular views of Stockholm from the water, and en route you'll come to understand why Stockholm is sometimes referred to as the Venice of the North. Visit the Vasa Museum and discover how a ship that spent 333 years on the bottom of the sea could be so well preserved, how many people died as the ship sank, who was punished for this failure, and how it was salvaged. Learn all this and more and have your questions answered during a tour of the Museum. Once your tour has finished, you’re welcome to stay on longer to check out the exhibitions and watch a film about the Vasa.

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What people are saying about Gamla Stan

Overall rating

4.5 / 5

based on 6,701 reviews

What a fantastic experience! It was one of the trip's highlights and I cannot recommend it enough! Our guide Callum was a major factor in making this experience so memorable: funny and witty! It is true that a guide can make all the difference in how much you get out of an experience, and Callum went above and beyond to ensure that our Ghost Walk was fantastic. THANK YOU. If you are contemplating whether this experience is worth it - don't think twice and book your tickets right away!

Fantastic tour with handsome Chris No joking; very amusing and entertaining with stunning facts of Stockholm‘s history. Thank you!

Fun way to see the oldest, narrowest etc. parts of town. Calum did a great job! Need to be really fluent in English, though.

Great tour to see a little bit of the city while tasting all kinds of local food. Really good !

This was an amazing tour and the guide was awesome!