Places you can reach in the morning and leave in the evening. Public transport first; the car only where it really helps.
Uppsala and Gamla Uppsala
A university town with a medieval cathedral, a university town on the Fyris river and, 4 km north, the royal burial mounds of Gamla Uppsala, the old centre of the Svear kings. Good for history lovers; under an hour by commuter train.
How to get there
- Train · SL pendeltåg line 40 (Uppsala C-Södertälje centrum) · 56 minFrom Stockholm City (commuter train station under Stockholm C)
Departures: every 30 min daytime (e.g. Sat 08:38, 09:08, 09:38); back from Uppsala C at xx:26 and xx:56, last trains 23:56 and 00:26 on Thu 15 Oct 2026
Fare: needs a combined UL+SL ticket (an SL ticket alone is not enough north of the county border); price not verified 2026
No ticket sales on board. Trains stop at Arlanda C; only passengers getting off there pay the Arlanda passage fee.
- Train · SJ regional / MälartågFrom Stockholm C
Fare: not verified 2026
Faster regional trains also run; Destination Uppsala gives 30-50 min Stockholm-Uppsala depending on train. Timetable not checked on the operators' sites.
- Bus · UL city bus line 2 (towards Kungshögarna)From Uppsala C (city centre)
Fare: not verified 2026
For Gamla Uppsala ride to the terminus Kungshögarna, about 100 m from the museum. Not every line-2 trip runs to Gamla Uppsala; check the UL app.
What to see
- Uppsala Cathedral (Uppsala domkyrka). Open daily 08:00-18:00 (access limited during services); the Treasury museum (Skattkammaren) has shorter hours Oct-Apr. 45-60 min.
- Gamla Uppsala royal mounds. Walk among the great burial mounds next to Gamla Uppsala church; the grounds are open-air. 45-60 min.
- Gamla Uppsala Museum. Small museum by the mounds on Gamla Uppsala as an early royal and religious centre. May-Sep daily 11-17; Oct-Apr Wed-Sun 12-16 (daily in Swedish school holidays). Adults SEK 150, under 20 free. 45 min.
- Linnaeus Garden (Linnéträdgården). Carl Linnaeus's botanical garden and home in the centre; garden open May-September only (Uppsala University). 45 min.
Closed days
Cathedral open daily. Gamla Uppsala Museum: Oct-Apr open Wed-Sun only (closed Mon-Tue, except Swedish school holidays); May-Sep daily. Linnaeus Garden closed Oct-Apr.
Best time to go
all year (Linnaeus Garden May-Sep)
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here. Not needed: commuter trains every 30 minutes.
Good to know
- Buy the combined UL+SL ticket in the SL or UL app before boarding; there is no ticket sale on the commuter train.
- Off-season (Oct-Apr) Gamla Uppsala Museum is closed Monday and Tuesday; the mounds can still be visited.
- Sunday high mass (about 11:00-12:30) limits sightseeing inside the cathedral.
Sigtuna
Sweden's oldest still-existing town, founded in the 970s on Lake Mälaren: a low wooden main street, three medieval church ruins and more runestones than any other town. An easy, relaxed half day on one SL ticket.
How to get there
- Train · SL pendeltåg line 41 to Märsta, then SL bus 570, 575 or 579 to Sigtuna busstation · 57 minFrom Stockholm City
Departures: weekday trains every 15 min; several buses an hour Märsta-Sigtuna (e.g. Thu 15 Oct: train 08:45 + bus 570 arrives 09:42); last return Sat bus 570 22:06 or 575 22:29
Fare: one SL single ticket, SEK 43 adult, valid 75 min on all SL services (checked 2026-10)
Whole trip is inside SL; the journey (about 57-65 min) fits in one 75-minute ticket. Train 37 min, bus 15-20 min.
What to see
- Stora Gatan. Called Sweden's oldest preserved street, the backbone of the medieval town, with small shops and cafés. 30-45 min.
- St Mary's Church and the church ruins. 13th-century Dominican brick church (open daily), plus the ruins of St Olof, St Lars and St Per (around 1100). 45 min.
- Runestones. Ten complete 11th-century runestones and about twenty fragments around town. 30 min.
- Sigtuna Museum and the town hall. Late Viking Age and early medieval finds; the tourist office is in the museum (open daily 12-16). The 18th-century town hall on Stora Torget is Sweden's smallest. 45-60 min.
- Tant Brun's Kaffestuga. Traditional café in Sigtuna's oldest wooden house, with a garden. 30 min.
Closed days
St Mary's Church open daily; tourist office (in Sigtuna Museum) Mon-Sun 12-16. Museum's own exhibition hours not verified 2026.
Best time to go
all year
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here. Not needed: train plus bus about an hour on one ticket.
Good to know
- Get off at Sigtuna busstation; Stora Torget and Stora Gatan are a few minutes' walk.
- Pick up the free walking map at the tourist office in Sigtuna Museum (Stora Gatan 55).
- Combine with a lakeside walk along the Mälaren shore.
Vaxholm
The 'capital of the archipelago': a wooden-house town with an island fortress, reached all year by Waxholmsbolaget boat from Strömkajen. The easiest taste of the Stockholm archipelago.
How to get there
- Ferry · Waxholmsbolaget · 1 h 10 minFrom Strömkajen
Departures: several boats a day, all year (e.g. Sat 17 Oct 2026: 09:00 to Vaxholm 10:10; back 16:25 arrives Strömkajen 17:45)
Fare: all SL tickets are valid on Waxholmsbolaget boats between Stockholm and Vaxholm; SL single SEK 43 adult, 75 min (checked 2026-10)
Fewer boats outside summer; check the Waxholmsbolaget app. Boats to the outer archipelago are not covered by single SL tickets.
- Bus · SL bus 670 · 55 minFrom Danderyds sjukhus (metro red line 14 from T-Centralen, 13 min)
Departures: about every 15 min on weekdays, every 20-30 min on Saturdays (Oct 2026); ends at Västerhamnsplan, Vaxholm
Fare: SL single SEK 43 adult, 75 min (checked 2026-10)
Whole trip from T-Centralen about 55-60 min. Handy for one leg if boat times do not suit.
What to see
- Vaxholm Fortress (Vaxholms kastell). Fortress first built in 1549 on its own islet, reached by the short Kastellet ferry; museum on 500 years of coastal defence, open in summer only. 1-2 h in season.
- Vaxholm town and harbours. Wooden houses, small shops and restaurants around the harbour; waterfront walks with views of the fortress. 60-90 min.
- The boat ride itself. About 70 min through the inner archipelago from Strömkajen.
Closed days
Vaxholm Fortress Museum open in summer only (exact 2026 dates not verified); town and harbours always open.
Best time to go
all year (fortress museum summer only)
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here. Not needed: frequent bus 670 and year-round boats.
Good to know
- Go out by boat and back by bus 670 (or the other way round) for the best of both.
- The fortress museum is closed in winter (groups by booking only); outside summer just enjoy the view of the fortress from the harbour.
- Single SL tickets do not cover Waxholmsbolaget boats beyond the Vaxholm area.
Birka (Björkö)
UNESCO-listed Viking Age trading town (about AD 750-980) on Björkö island in Lake Mälaren: hill fort, town rampart, grave mounds, a site museum and a reconstructed Viking village. A full summer-season day trip by boat with a guided tour included.
How to get there
- Ferry · Strömma (M/S Mälar Victoria) · 2 hFrom Klara Mälarstrand
Departures: once a day on operating days: 7 May-25 Oct 2026; daily 22 Jun-9 Aug, otherwise mostly Thu/Fri-Sun, and Sat-Sun only 21 Sep-25 Oct. Departs 09:30 or 10:00, back at Klara Mälarstrand 17:15-19:15
Fare: SEK 495 package incl. return boat, museum and guided tour (Strömma, checked 2026-10)
About 3 h 15 min on the island (4 h 45 min on 29-30 Aug). Also stops at Nya Kungshatt, Jungfrusund and Vårby. Café on board; Restaurant Särimner on Birka. Boat only sold as a package.
What to see
- Guided tour of the ancient fields. Included in the boat ticket; covers the 'Black Earth' town site, cemeteries and hill fort. About 60 min.
- Birka Museum. Site museum with finds and models of the Viking town; admission included. 45 min.
- Viking Quarter. Reconstructed Viking-Age houses, boats, animals and herbs. 30 min.
- Ansgar's Chapel. Chapel about 20 minutes' walk from the museum, open during the season. 45 min return.
Closed days
Birka can only be visited on boat days: 7 May-25 Oct 2026 (in late season Sat-Sun only). No public service in winter.
Best time to go
May-Oct (boat 7 May-25 Oct 2026; daily only 22 Jun-9 Aug)
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here. Optional: drive to Hovgården on Adelsö (road ferry Munsö-Adelsö, about 5 min) and take the 15-minute Strömma boat (SEK 320 package, advance booking only); 15-minute walk on a gravel path from parking. Driving time not verified.
Good to know
- Book ahead; free cancellation up to 24 h before departure.
- Bring swimwear in summer: there is a beach and cliffs to swim from.
- At Klara Mälarstrand allow 10 minutes' walk from the Norr Mälarstrand parking.