Stockholm

It is super camp and fun, intends to have a different vibe from history or art museums, it has interactive stuff anyone can enjoy, and pretty good music. The shop is the greatest place to get alternative souvenirs for your friends, like Agneta-shaped fridge magnets.

It is still a slightly messy walk from Slussen because of the construction, but the building itself is lovely. There is a good gift shop, a restaurant with harbour views, and basement lockers with a digital lock that seems to take everyone 20 minutes to understand, which somehow adds to the experience.

A large permanent collection with cool stuff like a pool of mud that makes sounds (my fave), plus some great temporary exhibitions. Skeppsholmen is worth a short walk for the views and outdoor sculptures, ArkDes is next door, and both museums have good cafés. The shop is also excellent for presents that are not wooden horses.

A lot of good classic art, plus a very nice cafe

Like the Victoria and Albert Museum, it covers a slightly random range of subjects: some fascinating, some less so, but usually something for almost everyone. The temporary exhibitions can be good too.

Think of it as an alternative to the Nobel Prize Museum: lots of Swedish cultural history and a rather random mix of objects, all inside a beautiful building.

You can probably skip going into the actual gallery unless you need to use the toilets (for free). But the area is so nice, just go up the hill, see the views. Sit on the bench and have a bite there or something.

People go nuts for the ship, and it almost feels wrong to say you visited Stockholm without seeing it. How long you stay depends on your enthusiasm for ships and dioramas of everyone drowning horribly. It is also a spectacular project-management failure: too many features can sink your product.

Hip gays swear by this place. If you prefer SOFO vibes over Mariatorget, this is the place to go.

This is a cycling-themed cafe—not that I have ever seen anyone with a bicycle or cycling gear in there. Food is good.

For the vibes. The Mariatorget gays and (upscale) hipsters like it. I don't think there is anything particularly remarkable about it; it is just a nice cafe.

This is Sweden's answer to Starbucks, and it more or less won. There are Espresso Houses everywhere, while Starbucks has almost disappeared. The food is nothing special and some branches need maintenance, so quality is hit or miss.

People who hate Vete-Katten normally like Fabrique. More industrial-looking decor, mismatched chairs and tables that look like they have been stolen from a homeless shelter. Fabrique places will make you feel bohemian while asking you for quite a lot of money. But the breakfast sandwiches are good, actually. They have some bread with walnuts that is very tasty. And some flatbread with seeds that works better if you are on a low-carb, high-fat diet. The Fabrique in Slussen is super spacious and you can also sit outside.

This was super hyped a few years ago. EVERYONE wanted to have brunch on Sunday there. I think the furore went down together with the popularity of the avocado toast. Still pretty decent food.

If Drop Coffee is full, this is the obvious backup. People seem to respect the coffee; I don't drink it, so I am judging mainly by the atmosphere and the fact that several offices I worked in served this brand.

A slightly cave-like but very convenient vegan café inside Kulturhuset. Good for a relaxed bite around Sergels torg when you don't want fast food or anything fancy.

A nice alternative to the larger chains, and I go often because there is one around the corner from me. The grilled sandwiches are good, and they have a selection of strange overpriced lemonades. Useful when you drink neither coffee nor alcohol.

Honestly, when you don't drink coffee or eat pastries, all these places around Mariatorget are the same. You just go to the one that has a place to sit. People like what they bake here, from what I understand.

Well, I think they have like 3-4 of these in the city, but go to the one on Kungsgatan. Before ordering anything, just walk around. It has these old-lady tea-room vibes that some people love (like me) and some people hate. Their overnight oats are probably laced with cocaine; there is no other way to explain it. Tourists usually go there for the princess cake. They are open late, like 20h which is late for cafes.

Gamla Stan usually has a lot of tourist-trap places serving meatballs or fancy bistro stuff, and this is a decent urban vegan place.

There are several around the city. The food is good, with decent vegan options, and the bánh mì is a premium alternative to a supermarket sandwich when you want something to eat in a park or on a walk.

If you are in Skanstull, there are a few nice places you can go, but I like this one. They serve falafel and halloumi in various combinations and they have interesting decor.

Probably Stockholm's best-known vegan buffet, set high on Södermalm above Fotografiska with great views. The food is mainly salads, stews, lasagna and curries, with very good bread. It is easy to overeat if you are not careful.

A salad chain found all over the city. Useful when you are in a rush but still want something relatively healthy. They also have warm dishes, and you can build your own bowl if the standard menu doesn't work for you, which is what I often do.

Delicious vegan food. Nice for brunch or lunch.

I have only been once, but it is a good alternative to the tourist-focused meatball places in Gamla Stan. They offer many varieties, including plant-based ones.

For the foodies out there this place is a total trap with tons of market stalls with all sorts of food. And even if you are not looking to buy anything, the 1800s building and vibes are totally worth a quick visit.

Love this place. Usually more relaxed than Mahalo, but maybe with less food variety. Mainly burgers, salads, wraps, and soup. In the summer they serve outside in the square.

Pistachio Ice Cream!

Pistachio Ice Cream!

There are several shops around the city, but the Mariatorget one is vegan-only. I don't think they have pistachio, though.

Other than the regular releases, they have a cycle of older movies, which is good for a Sunday morning at the cinema.

Premium cinema experience, nice architecture inside—it feels like you are in a historic place. You can go there and get served charcuterie, cheese, pizza, and cava. I have seen groups of women getting hammered while watching A Star Is Born, so yeah...

The only IMAX place in Stockholm.

The main cinema in the city centre, with 16 screens. Most commercial movies are released here.

This place was renovated a few years ago and they turned it into a fancy cinema with reclining motorised chairs, generous space, food and drinks. Very nice if they are playing a movie you want to see.

A beautiful royal residence with impressive gardens. Probably not worth the journey if you only have two days in Stockholm, but otherwise it makes a pleasant half-day trip.

Probably Stockholm's tourist hotspot. Everyone comes here. Just walk around; it's not that large.

A large park north of the centre, scattered with historic curiosities: temples, the Pavilion and Koppartälten, an 1800s building shaped like a tent with a café inside. Good for an aimless hour or two of walking.

Not the largest park, but unlike Kungsträdgården, this is more of a classic, nice park with grass and trees, and you will find groups of friends sitting around having picnics and playing games.

More gathering place than park, but pleasant nonetheless. There is an ice rink in winter, cherry blossom in spring, and usually some mix of concerts, events or publicity stunts. Cafés and restaurants line the sides.

Really nice views, and a charming walk uphill in Södermalm. Nice for photos of the city for your Instagram posts.

Small square, nothing that remarkable about it, but the surroundings have a lot of cafes and restaurants, and it has a bit of a gay neighbourhood vibe to it, with Side Track and SLM being around the corner.

You will probably end up here even if you don't plan to, because it sits in the middle of everything. At weekends there is often some chaotic combination of art installations, interpretive dance, protests and many times, all at once.

Charming island with museums and nice views. There is a small castle (Kastellet Stockholm) on the even smaller island to the south.

Beautiful building and views, with guided tours available. In summer, newlyweds pose for photos at the back while random topless people do yoga nearby. Contrasts are fun.

On top of being a nice park, you can walk around some cute wooden houses that are part of a community garden. Very charming.

If you are into palaces, this is one of the two you probably want to visit. Nice to look at; you can go in for a fee and see the museums. Outside, there is sometimes a changing of the guard and things like that. Surely there is a schedule somewhere; check online.

The main (only?) amusement park in the city. It has a slightly decadent vibe like something out of the 80s and I keep waiting for vampires to show up because I have seen Lost Boys too many times. But the rides are fun and you can have a great day in there.

You can go for the art, but most people go for the setting: a stunning building by the water, forest walks and genuinely excellent toilets. The boat ride passes pretty houses, while the bus route takes you through charming Gustavsberg.

Once you have seen the palace, there is not much reason to return—so I trick visiting friends into taking the boat. The journey across Lake Mälaren is sometimes more fun than the destination and leaves from the pier near Stadshuset.

Vaxholm is mostly an excuse to spend time on a boat among the islands, which is lovely in good weather. Once there, walk around, have an ice cream or lunch, and perhaps visit the fortress museum across the water.

A relatively new waterside spot that is easy to miss beside Gamla Stan. I have not swum there, and am not sure I would, but it is relaxing for a sit, with benches, swings and just enough sand to pretend it is a beach.

I am not into nude beaches, but since I am constantly asked about this place, I am copying what Sniffies says: "Mixed nude beach with cruising in the woods up the mountain behind." Now you know.

The "main" gay beach in Stockholm, according to my friends. I have never been there, but according to Sniffies, "nude sunbathing and swimming on the cliffs. Cruising in the woods behind. Mixed nude beach at the northern tip, so don't go too far."

There are a few places you can swim on this island, so check the map. If you get tired of swimming, you can go and check out the hotel on the island that used to be a prison and get a drink there.

This is my usual swimming spot because I live nearby. There is a beach and three decent decks; I avoid the beach because of the children, and the northern decks are usually packed. The southern one is my favourite, with grass nearby for sunbathing.

A convenient alternative when you cannot be bothered walking to Långholmen. Both get busy at peak times, but Tanto also has a sauna if you want the full experience.

Bars spill around Medborgarplatsen and up Götgatan. I honestly can't tell most of them apart, so wander around and choose the one that feels right. Omnipollos Hatt, further up the street, is worth a look if you like strange beer and pizza in a space so tight it feels like a health hazard.

A spacious, casual terrace with excellent views. It gets crowded, but you do not need to dress up, and there is sometimes live music.

More picturesque than Medborgarplatsen. With the little red houses around, it gives more hipster vibes (I mean, as hipster as gentrified SOFO gets these days). Not as many bars, but enough choice.

Cross the bridge from Mosebacke and go up the stairs. This is a newish place; the building was under renovation for a long time. You can just check the views and go, but if you want, you can also have a drink.

A gay bar that many tourists do not realise is gay, which explains the very mixed crowd. It serves pub food and beer and has a pleasant outdoor seating area.

One of the few gay bars around. Beers and pub food, that kind of vibe.

Volunteer-run fetish club in an underground space, and one of Stockholm's few options for this sort of thing. Some nights feel like a regular pub; others have leather, rubber or other themes with a dress code. Check the website.

Rooftop drinks. Honestly, not sure what else to say; I've been there once and had a lemonade. Seems very popular and there are usually queues in the summer.

The location is the interesting part: a large open-air club under a bridge. It gets very popular in summer and also hosts concerts.

Tons of shops but fairly compact. Usually too loud, but going down to IKEA is always weirdly soothing, and the toilets next to it are wonderful. You have to pay 15 kr, but they have great lighting and bird-chirping noises that take peeing to a whole new level.

A calmer alternative to Gallerian, with restaurants spread across several floors and a smaller selection of boutiques. The brands feel less flashy than at Gallerian.

This is like Stockholm's Harrods; you know they have a bit of everything and most of it is probably overpriced. They even have Christmas animatronics (or whatever they are) in the windows that people stop and take videos of.

Like the posh version of Gallerian. Everyone here tends to be blonde and wear a blue suit. I would probably never set foot in this place, but the Björn Borg shop where I get my underwear is there and they run decent sales a few times a year. You also have to go in if you want to access the Sturebadet Spa.

A historic spa in the city centre, with a pool, several baths and more saunas than most alternatives. It is also slightly cheaper than the fancier options.

I have only been once, but the facilities are impressive. The locker area and men's sauna were so pleasant that I spent much of my visit there just reading. The pools could be warmer, but everything is beautifully maintained, the gym is decent, and you can stay all day rather than being pushed out after three or six hours.

Everything you expect from an upscale spa: pool, steam rooms and a gym. My friend Doanna had a membership for a year and loved it despite the price; most other humans are probably fine visiting once every few years.

I mostly like this one because it is close to home. It is small, with a pool, dry sauna, cold plunges, gym and an excellent hammam. The steam gets so thick you can barely see the other people.

My fave. Great for a day when you are exhausted; if you are completely destroyed, stay overnight and have the excellent breakfast. The whole experience is essentially a circuit of pools and saunas. They provide a swimsuit and everything else you need, and some packages include lunch or dinner.