When planning our 2025 trip to England, John and I decided to add another country to our itinerary. We tossed around several options—Italy, Greece, Monaco, Spain, Portugal, and then the Scandinavian countries. After lots of flight searching and schedule considerations, we agreed on Sweden and booked an open jaw from Atlanta to Birmingham and Stockholm back to Atlanta, with a one-way flight in between.

READ my England trip recap here.

For this trip, we spent two full days in Stockholm and stayed in a hotel on Södermalm, a large, trendy island in Stockholm’s archipelago, located just south of Gamla Stan (Old Town).

Whether you’re planning a trip to Sweden or you’re curious whether its capital city is worth your time, here’s a look at everything we did during our 2.5 days in Stockholm.

Traditional Swedish Food in Södermalm, Stockholm

Wherever we travel, John and I love trying the local food. For me and my dairy intolerance, that is sometimes an issue—yet I found Stockholm to be fairly accommodating for a dairy-free diet.

Blacktornskällaren, Södermalm

Serving traditional Swedish cuisine, this restaurant also offers a few vegan options that worked for me. The weather was so nice that we chose to eat outside along the sidewalk, under a covered and heated porch. The food and service were fantastic!

Timmermans 1857, Södermalm

Another more traditional Swedish restaurant, Timmermans 1857 is a classy spot with historic charm. Thankfully, we dressed up a bit for this dinner, because we would have felt out of place in our casual street clothes.

The menu also features a few vegan options, and the food was delicious.

Quick Food and Drink Options in Stockholm, Sweden

Söders Marley Cafe

John stopped at this cafe for a green tea break while I shopped at a nearby retro clothing store. After browsing, I joined him and ended up ordering a pot of roiboos tea. If you’re not familiar with roiboos, I’m honestly not an expert myself. In fact, this was only my second time drinking it.

Not only does Marley Cafe serve organic teas and coffees, but the owner also toured with Bob Marley as his DJ many decades ago. He shared a few stories and photos, and could not have been more hospitable!

Holy Greens, Södermalm

Looking for a more fast casual option? I’ve got you.

If you’re familiar with Sweet Green in the U.S., Holy Greens feels similar. Although you can’t fully customize a bowl or salad, you can make ingredient swaps for anything on the menu.

The food is fresh and fast and ideal for a quick lunch or dinner near the water between Södermalm and Gamla Stan (Old Town).

What Not to Miss in Stockholm, Sweden

As I already hinted, I did some vintage clothes shopping in Södermalm. But before I tell you which stores I shopped, I want to talk about the museums we visited.

Best Museums in Stockholm

After a full day of exploring Södermalm, we wanted to venture to a different island in the archipelago and fit in one of Stockholm’s popular museums. We saw a LOT of ads for the Viking Museum, which was a contender, but in the end, the shipwreck museum had us more intrigued.

Many of Stockholm’s top museums are located on the island of Djurgården. It took us about an hour to walk there from our hotel, located on the south end of Södermalm—but walking saved money on public transportation, gave us a better view of the city, and allowed us to enjoy the gorgeous 75 degree (F) day.

Before arriving on “museum island,” we didn’t realize there are actually two museums that highlight shipwrecks—the Vasa Museum and Vrak (the Museum of Shipwrecks). And, these two museums offer a discounted rate if you purchase tickets to both. So, we did.

Vasa Museum in Stockholm, Sweden

The main attraction of the Vasa Museum is the Vasa—a salvaged ship that sank on its maiden voyage in 1628. Said to be the most well-preserved 17th century ship in the world, the massive wreckage takes up a large portion of the museum, which also features recovered artifacts, interactive displays, and more details about the ship and its passengers.

Although this museum has seven floors, it’s easy to see it all in an hour or two. And, each floor offers a unique view of the ship.

Vrak — Museum of Wrecks

The Museum of Wrecks is a smaller, two-story building with several exhibits—Resande Man Shipwreck of 1660, “Vikings Before Vikings,” a section on modern shipwrecks, and a look at the excavation and preservation process.

If you enjoy history, boats, archeology—or all three—add the Vrak to your list. We spent between 60 to 90 minutes there, including the gift shop.

To be honest, if I had to choose between the Vasa Museum or Vrak, I would choose the Vasa. But, the dual admission is worth it if you have the time for two.

Best Views in Stockholm

Before I talk shopping, I need to tell you about several unique vantage points we found in Stockholm.

I love a good view and typically Google “best views in _____” wherever we go. Surrounded by water, Stockholm is absolutely not lacking for views. Here are a few spots I highly recommend.

Skinnarviksbergets, Södermalm

This is what Visit Stockholm has to say about this spot:

“The highest natural point in central Stockholm is a favorite place among the locals for picnics and parties under the open sky. The views are stunning – across Kungsholmen, Gamla Stan (Old Town), the Stockholm City Hall, and other points of interest. The park beneath the hill has a small playground and an open-air café where you can enjoy a light lunch or an ice cream in one of the hammocks.” 

Following Google Maps, we accessed this point from a local park on the northwest side of Södermalm, and had the place to ourselves on a weekday morning. The path is not paved and the top is all rock, but it was doable with a flat pair of shoes and worth the trek, in my opinion!

Slussen: The Area Connecting Södermalm and Gamla Stan

Walking to the museums, we passed through this area and enjoyed a view of both islands along the water. Whether you walk the pedestrian-only bridge or the traffic bridge, the views are incredible on every side.

View from Östermalm

Further along our walk to the museums, we crossed over to Östermalm, another island in the Stockholm archipelago. Strandvagen Street, specifically, offers spectacular views of boats, architecture, and other islands across the water.

Best Vintage and Retro Clothing Shops in Södermalm, Stockholm

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been into vintage clothing and jewelry—and whenever I travel to a new city, I search for any must-shop vintage clothing stores in the area. Stockholm is a gold mine, let me tell you. I am not exaggerating when I say there seems to be a vintage or retro shop on every street.

I popped into quite a few of them (while my husband patiently waited outside), purchased several items, and would have bought more if my suitcase had room. Here are a few of my favorites.

Beyond Retro Zinken, Södermalm

Beyond Retro has multiple locations in Sweden, Finland, and even the UK. The Zinken store is one of the nicest vintage stores I’ve been to, with a large selection of reasonably-priced clothing, belts, and shoes from various decades—both women’s and men’s. Unfortunately, the store doesn’t sell jewelry, but that was the only downside.

I was able to try everything on, which is also a major plus—and led me to buy a 1060s mod shift dress, purple plaid blazer, and a funky gold belt.

Studio Lola, Södermalm

This shop is small but mighty, offering a well-curated collection of quality vintage women’s clothing, belts, and some jewelry. Prices range from moderate to more expensive.

You are able to try on the clothes, and I ended up buying a cute fit and flare, leopard print dress—decade unknown.

The shop also sells art prints and candles.

Lisa Larssen, Södermalm

The store itself is somewhat cluttered—although I could have visited during a major reorganization. Regardless, the selection is decent and includes formal wear, older vintage pieces, lots of shoes, and costume jewelry.

I didn’t buy anything here, but was extremely tempted by a navy blue felt, cropped blazer.

Overall, Stockholm offers history and traditional architecture alongside modern and even quirky features—especially on Södermalm island. The city is very walkable and easy to navigate. Boat tours and ferries are also popular to see more of the archipelago.

In my opinion, Stockholm is perfect for a short two or three day trip, or a jumping off point for a longer vacation around Scandinavia.

If you’ve ever visited Stockholm, feel free to share your own recommendations in the comments!