Discover the Stockholm Archipelago

The Stockholm archipelago is the perfect escape when the summer heat makes the city too hot. Do like all the locals and take the boat out to one of the beautiful islands in the Stockholm archipelago.  

The Stockholm archipelago, called “skärgården” in Swedish, is the second-largest archipelago in Scandinavia. Whether you are looking for nature and solitude, hot rocks and cliffs for sunbathing, or restaurants where you can socialize while having food and drinks – the Stockholm archipelago has it all. And we have put together a list of four of our favorite islands.

Stockholm Archipelago

Stavsnäsvägen 183, 139 60 Värmdö, Sweden

Vaxholm

Known as the capital of the archipelago, Vaxholm is situated an hour by boat from Stockholm. Vaxholm is the most populated island and has several small shops, hotels, and restaurants.  The restaurant at the famous Waxholmen Hotel is renowned for being one of the best in Sweden. Whether you choose to stay for a day or a night, Vaxholm is the perfect island to visit for those looking to mix the beauty of the archipelago with city vibes.

Vaxholm

Ramsövägen 47, 185 99 Vaxholm, Sweden

Waxholms Hotell

Hamngatan 2, 185 32 Vaxholm, Sweden

Sandhamn

Spend your day sunbathing and swimming at the beach, and your night partying until the sun goes up. Located two hours from the city, Sandhamn is known to be a bit more luxurious than the other islands and attracts a lot of young locals from Stockholm. 

Sandhamn

130 39 Sandhamn, Sverige

Fjäderholmarna

Half an hour from Stockholm, Fjäderholmarna is a perfect day trip as it has plenty of beautiful beaches and restaurants. At the end of the summer, Fjäderholmarna attracts a lot of food enthusiasts that are visiting the island because of the food festival called Foodstock. But as there are no options to stay overnight, it is important to check when the last boat goes back to the city.

Fjäderholmarna

85MM+88 Lidingö, Sweden

Grinda

Beautiful sandy beaches, rocks, and cliffs, as well as a big forest – Grinda has everything for those looking for nature and solitude. In 2018, the magazine Pure Wow selected Grinda to be one of the most beautiful and unknown islands in the world. Grinda is located one and half an hour by boat from Stockholm city, which makes it the perfect island for a day trip or an overnight stay.

Grinda

185 99 Grinda, Sverige

These are just a couple of the different beautiful islands that are part of the Stockholm Archipelago. Other cool, but not as popular, islands worth a visit are for example Gålö, Möja, Utö, and Finnhamn. The different islands are all easy to reach, as different boat routes are departing from either the harbor Slussen or the one called Strömkajen. Some of the boat trips are even available using Stockholms’ commuter service. Our final suggestion is to check which query your boat is going from. It is easy to get on the wrong boat, as harbors are often full of tourists on vacation and thus a bit confusing. When you are on the right boat, there is nothing else to do but relax and enjoy the scenic ride to the island of your choice.

Slussen (Transit stop)

Peter Myndes backe 1, 116 46 Stockholm, Sweden

Strömkajen Harbour

Strömkajen, 111 48 Stockholm, Sweden