We will be in Stockholm for several days in August. We're going on the 1-hour Royal Canal Tour included on the Stockholm Card. We have an extra half day and were considering the 3-hour tour of the archipelago that Stromma boat company does. I believe it does not stop at any of the islands. Would that be very different from the first tour or would it be better to take a boat trip to one of the closer islands and spend a couple of hours? We would be going mostly for the scenery. We're already planning on taking the boat to Drottningholm Palace.

Anyone?

If you are taking the trip to Drottingholm and a canal tour I think you've covred the water. Stockholm has so many other things to see/do that I think more time on the water would be wasted.

Have you left time for:

Gamla Stan and Roykla Palace (a full day)
Visiting the Vasa
Visting Skanen (most of another day)
Several incredible museums

Yuo can easily fill a week there. Don;t be caught up just in the water.

PP gave you some suggestions..there is a lot to do in Stockholm on dry land.
A gorgeous city!

Thanks, danon and nytraveler. That's just what I wanted to know. We'll concentrate the rest of our time seeing the city.

None of the tours you mention will take you out in the archipelago. The tour to Drottningholm palace is on lake Mälaren and the Royal Canal tour is around the island of Djurgården. They are both very scenic but the archipelago is something different. However, the 3-hours cruises with Strömma will usually do a loop to the small town of Vaxholm in the inner archipelago and back. To enjoy the real archipelago you need to go further out, eg to Grinda, Sandhamn or Utö. This reqires more or less a full day.

I guess it is a matter of priorities, your interests and the weather. Personally I would rather spend a sunny day exploring an island in the archipelago, having lunch in a nice restaurant by the water, than spending hours in museums. But if you haven't got the time or if you just don't want to spend more or less a full day in the archipelago I agree with the previous posters to drop the 3-hour cruise from your itinerary.

In my opinion Stockholm has TWO unique experiences, the Vasa museum and the archipelago. I would probably die from boredom if I had to spend a full day at Skansen But that is perhaps because I have been forced to visit that place about once a year from the age of 2 until the age of 15.

Most tourists don't bother crossing over the very short bridge from the old town to the island of Södermalm which is a pitty! You will have stunning views over Stockholm from either Monteliusvägen of Fjällgatan (Monteliusvägen being my favourite). You can pick up some food and have a pick nick on the cliffs or just take a walk along Monteliusvägen which is very scenic indeed. The architecture in this area is also very nice. After that you can go to Mosebacke (located next to the theatre on Mosebacke torg) and have a drink if the weather is nice. Mosebacke is a very lively outdoor bar- and restaurant area with great views. Hardly no tourists but packed with locals on a sunny day/evening. Or have a drink in the bar in the Gondolen restaurant. Gondolen restaurant is located under the footbridge between the Katarina elevator (unfortunately not in operation) and Mosebacke torg. From Slussen you access the footbridge by elevator in the building opposite the Katarina elevator.

Thanks SO much, hoxa61, for your information. I did some research on the archipelago and found this article, below, that might be of interest to others as well. It was written in 1986 but, hopefully, a lot of the information is still valid. We're now trying to work into our schedule a full day so we can go to Sandhamn. Yes, we are going to walk over the bridge to Sodermalm but thanks for the specific information about the area.

http:http://www.nytimes.com/1986/07/13/tr...l?pagewanted=1

Some useful links if you decide to do a trip to an island in the archipelago:

Waxholmsbolaget, public transport (unfortunately NOT covered by the Stockholm Card though) to a lot of islands in the archipelago. On this site you can download timetables and you will also find some brief information about some of the major destinations and their character:
http://www.waxholmsbolaget.se/visito...-of-stockholm/

Strömma (tour company) which also operates the fast Cinderella boats to Sandhamn (approx 2 hours one way):
http://www.stromma.se/en/Skargard/Ci...lePrice-20101/
Strömma tours: http://www.stromma.se/en/STOCKHOLM/

Misc info: http://visitskargarden.se/en/
Misc info: http://www.archipelagofoundation.se/

Info on Sandhamn: http://www.destinationsandhamn.se/en/
Info on Utö: http://www.utoturistbyra.se/in-english

Have fun!

PS Unfortunately didn't your link to the article in NY Times work when I tried it

I had a very pleasant day exploring the archipelago and wandering around Vaxholm. But it wasn't "WOW." The archipelago is nice--but it doesn't have the dramatic beauty of someplace like the Norwegian fjords. I enjoyed it -- but wouldn't even consider it unless you've already allotted time for the Vasa, the Royal Palace, and Skansen (which I thoroughly enjoyed!). I loved Stockholm!!!

I can see being bored with Skansen if you've visited every year. But to someone who has never been and is interested in folk customs, rural life, and a lot of things foreign to a big city dweller it was fascinating.

Vaxholm is not comparable to Sandhamn or Utö. Vaxholm is a pretty suburb in the inner archipelago, also accessible by bus every 10 minutes or so. That is the main reason why I think the OP should drop a trip to Vaxholm from the itinerary if the OP will do two other boat trips as it won't really give a feeling of the archipelago. Sandhamn and Utö are in the outer archipelago and something different. Sandhamn can get quite busy in July with yachting people and sail races adding a party atmosphere that you might not be prepared for but will slow down again from mid-August.

> We have an extra half day and were considering the 3-hour tour of the archipelago that Stromma boat company does. I believe it does not stop at any of the islands. Would that be very different from the first tour or would it be better to take a boat trip to one of the closer islands and spend a couple of hours? We would be going mostly for the scenery.

If you do have an extra 1/2 day, I think taking a boat through the archipelago would be sufficiently different from a canal ride to be worth considering. I found the scenery quite interesting and different from other places I had experienced at that point in my life. Too, I found it relaxing to spend a few hours on the water - I didn't want to stop at an island and walk around or eat. But people differ in what they want and or enjoy, and I don't know how much time you've allocated to seeing Stockholm's other lovely sites. BTW, I didn't pre-book a tour - I just went to the pier and selected an option that suited my schedule.

The good news is that Stockholm is delightful and offers much to see and enjoy whether you spend a few hours in the archipelago or not. Hope that helps!

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. We've decided to extend our stay in Stockholm to 8 nights. With that amount of time we hope to get to the Vasa Museum, spend time in the Gamla Stan and Ostermalms Saluhall food market, walk over to Skeppsholmen Island, see the Museum of National Antiquities, Storkyrkan Cathedral, National Museum of Art, Royal Palace, Djurgarden, Milles Garden Museum, Drottingholm Palace, Fotografiska Museum and have a smorgasbord at the Grand Hotel. We'll take the 1 hr. boat cruise on the canal and another day go to the outer archipelago to the island of Sandhamn.The Skansen sounds interesting but we've been recently to several open-air museums in other countries so we'll pass on that one. Have I left anything important out or is this plan too ambitious for 8 days?

> Have I left anything important out?

It depends on your interests, but I was very glad to have seen Stockholm's City Hall. The Moderna Museet has what I thought to be a very impressive collection of modern art. And I enjoyed a short visit to Prince Eugen's Waldemarsudde Art Museum, including its grounds.

Enjoy!

Thanks, kja. We already planned to see the Waldemarsudde Art Museum when we go to Djurgarden but we'll add the city hall to our list.

Wow!

8 nights in Stockholm! What a wise decision! Then you should absolutely dedicate a full day for the outer archipelago. It is a great escape from the city.

As Stockholm is a very compact city it is easy to get from one sight to another. You won't have to spend hours on public transport.

I am not so much into museums myself (as you probably have understood ha ha), neither at home in Stockholm or when travelling. In your list you have, in my opinion, two real gems though: Milles Garden Museum and Fotografiska. And, of course, the Vasa museum. Most visitors haven't got time to visit the Milles Garden but it is really worth a visit. To add the City Hall is also a very good idea. More interesting than the Royal Palace *yawn*. ;-)

It is nice to explore a city at a relaxed pace so I don't mean that you should add more museums to your list but since you seem to be interested in art and history I think you might like the Hallwyl museum. Believe it or not but I like it! I post a link so you can check it out and decide if you want to add it as a possible place to visit:
http://hallwylskamuseet.se/en
Again, more interesting than the Royal Palace.

Another interesting museum is Nordiska museet, located on Djurgården island near the Vasa museum. They have some interesting exhibitions on Swedish design, fashion, folk art and traditions. Post a link to that museum to: http://www.nordiskamuseet.se/categor...sh&topmenu=142

I didn't mean that Skansen is a complete waste of time. I just can't understand how someone can spend a full day there. As you will have the Stockholm Card and Skansen is also located on Djurgården you might find some parts of it interesting. I would completely skip the zoo part with domestic animals and exotic spiders and snakes from Madagascar and Australia. If you decide to visit, focus on the old town quarter and the countryside part. I do find these parts of Skansen more interesting than, again, the Royal Palace *yawn*. I post a link to Skansen, too: http://www.skansen.se/en/grid/town-quarter

And yes, I do find the Royal Palace boring! ;-)
The Drottningholm Palace is ok, and the Palace Theatre Museum is great. Drottningholm Palace is in a scenic location with palace gardens and a chinese pavilion and the boat trip to the palace is relaxed and scenic. I can understand why the royal family decided to move from the Royal Palace in the old town to Drottningholm Palace. Most visitors think that the royal family lives at the Royal Palace but they actually live at Drottningholm palace.

Have a great time in Stockholm!

I'll second the recommendation for the Nordiska Museet - fascinating!

I loved cruising around the archipelago - a great way to relax - and you should have the time to do it.

I agree the Vasa is fascinating - well worth the time. Skansen - OK.

The big disappointment was the Maritime Museum - all those models and no boats. I guess I've been spoiled by the Maritime Museum in Sydney

The "Under the Bridges" boat tour is actually really interesting. I do think that the Nordiska Museet is a bit boring though...it's all in Swedish with next to no English for starters, and the displays are really mediocre. Admire the museum building from the outside, and just stick with the Vasa for the inside (which btw, is splendiferous). The medieval museum is quite cool (they have a runestone and a reconstructed medieval village area), though you probably wouldn't spend ages in there. Gamla Stan is gorgeous! If you can, try to spend lots of time wandering around the beautiful cobbled streets, listen to the bustle, and imagine that you're living in Medieval Stockholm. For amazing Viking souvenirs (that are made in Sweden) go to the Handfaste shop in Gamla Stan....and if you want an unusual experience go to the Viking restaurant Aifur...it's very good fun.