Vaxholm vs Sandhamn: which Stockholm island should you visit

The main harbor at Sandhamn in the summer, with boats tied to the pier and the hotel in the background.

The Stockholm archipelago is vast with more than 30,000 islands, but few define its character quite like Vaxholm and Sandhamn. While both are quintessential staples of a Stockholm summer, they offer experiences that couldn’t be further apart: one is a living, breathing historic town that acts as the gateway to the sea, and the other … Read more

Utö Travel Guide: Hiking, Cycling, and History in the Stockholm Archipelago

Utö with views of the Stockholm archipelago on a sunny summer day.

Utö is one of the more versatile islands you can visit in the Stockholm archipelago. There are forests and rocky coastlines to hike through, long gravel roads that make the island particularly good for cycling, several places to swim, and enough restaurants, cafés, and accommodation that you don’t have to plan your trip around what … Read more

Two-day Stockholm archipelago itinerary: Svartsö and Finnhamn

Two days in Stockholm’s archipelago is enough time to feel like you’ve genuinely left the city behind. This itinerary takes you through two islands in the central archipelago, Svartsö and Finnhamn, and the reason to pick these two specifically comes down to contrast. They sit close enough together to connect in a single trip, but … Read more

The best time to visit the Stockholm Archipelago

The archipelago in July and the archipelago in September share the same geography. Everything else differs. One runs on full timetables, with beaches covered in swimmers, ferries leaving every hour, and guesthouses booked out weeks in advance. The other is quiet, copper-lit, with water still warm enough for a swim and islands that feel like … Read more

The best Stockholm archipelago day trips

Stockholm sits at the edge of one of the world’s largest archipelagos, over 30,000 islands, islets and rocks stretching east into the Baltic. Most visitors see it from the city side: the water glimpsed between buildings, with the archipelago waiting just beyond the quays at Strömkajen and Nybrokajen. It’s worth actually getting on one of … Read more

Allemansrätten: Sweden’s “right to roam”

If you spend any time outdoors in Sweden, you’re already benefiting from something called Allemansrätten. It’s often translated as “the right of public access”, and it’s a big part of how people here use and think about nature. In simple terms, it means you’re allowed to move freely through the countryside, even when the land … Read more

Stockholm Archipelago Trail: complete guide for visitors

In 2025, National Geographic featured Stockholm Archipelago in its Best of the World list, highlighting the newly opened Stockholm Archipelago Trail. The same year, TIME Magazine promoted the Stockholm Archipelago Trail in its World’s Greatest Places 2025 list. The unique long-distance hiking route lets you experience the variety of the archipelago all the way from … Read more