Cycle Tours Around Stockholm
Centre based tour in Sweden's capital
Day trips from Stockholm
Gamla Stan, Drottningholm Palace and Stockholm archipelago
Daily routes ●●○○○
On this star tour in Sweden, you will go on a variety of bike tours around Stockholm. The Archipelago are one of the scenic highlights. Around 24,000 islands are part of them – some green and inhabited, others rocky, bare and empty of people. I think you get the idea: On this tour, you'll be seeing very typical sights of Sweden: cycling through beautiful green countryside, passing many lakes all the way to the Baltic Coast. And all this is not far from the gates of Stockholm. You stay overnight in the capital and get to know this lovely city with its fantastic 700 years of history. The town is built on 14 islands and surrounded by water. In one of the 26 town parks you can quickly get away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre.
EN-SES5
approx. 175 km
Day 1: Individual arrival in Stockholm
After your arrival in Stockholm, take some time for a first tour of the town. The town hall with its striking corner tower is an example of Swedish national romanticism. Of particular significance is the parallel existence of architecture and water. Inside, you'll find not only the offices, conference rooms and halls typical of a town hall. In the Blue Room, for example, there is a great banquet held every year for the Nobel Prize winners. Wander through the narrow streets of the historic quarter in Gamla Stan on the island of Stadsholmen. In the next few days, discover one of the largest and best preserved medieval cities in Europe! In the evening there's a personal tourist information event and if you've booked bikes, they will be provided then.
Drottningholm Castle
Day 2: Trip to Drottningholm Castle, approx. 50 km
First you'll be cycling along the Mälaren, Sweden's third largest lake, to Lovön island. This is where the royal Drottningholm Castle is – also known as the Swedish Versailles. It is the Royal Family's private residence – the castle in Stockholm is merely the official residence. With such a majestic start to the today, why not continue in the same vein and visit Stockholm Castle in the afternoon? With 600 rooms, it is one of Europe's biggest palaces. It is home to many different museums, the treasury and armoury and every day in front of the palace you can see the changing of the guards. By the way, the original castle was destroyed in 1697 by a fire. No-one died in the fire. But as the fire became uncontained, the decision was taken to through all valuables out of the windows to save them from the flames. In the process, a heavy bible landed on someone's head – and they died.
Archipelago Stockholm, Huvudskär
© Ola Ericson / imagebank.sweden.se
Day 3: Trip to Archipelago, approx. 35 km + ferry trips
Of course, you mustn't miss a visit by bike to the Archipelago close to Stockholm! Skär or Skerries are usually flat, rocky little islands, that came into being during the Ice Age and depleted by the ice. Today, you'll find groups of several hundred islands before the mainland like a kind of garden. The Swedish expression skärgård literally means skerry garden.
By bike you pedal to Vaxholm, a small town and yet the capital on the archipelago. There is a fort from the 16th century you can visit. The actual highlight here, though, is the countryside. You'll see many small islands, a lot of water and the typical Falu red houses – it can't get more Swedish than that!
Saltsjöbaden, Grand Hotel
Day 4: Trip to Saltsjöbaden, approx. 45 km
Today you're going to be cycling to the Baltic Coast! Your destination is the resort of Saltsjöbaden which means salt sea resort when translated. The countryside is the focus today – as your route takes you through a large nature reserve with lots of lakes. Did you know that there are almost 100,000 lakes in Sweden? That's 245 more lakes than IKEA shops worldwide!
Back in Stockholm you should make sure you plan a visit to the Vasa Museum. The Vasa is the only boat that remains intact from the 17th century. At 69 metres in length and many carved figures for decoration it is a wonderfully impressive Swedish warship and a magnificent sight to behold. 95% of the boat is original! Very close to the Vasa Museum are the Astrid Lindgren and ABBA museums! Both museums tell the history of these extremely popular Swedish personalities.
Stockholm, Djurgarden peninsula
© Werner Nystrand/Folio/imagebank.sweden.se
Day 5: Trip to the Djurgården peninsula, approx. 45 km
On the Djurgården peninsula one of Stockholm's most visited attractions awaits you: Gröna Lund – Sweden's oldest amusement park. The history of the park is very romantic: opened in 1883, another park was opened in 1924 and the competition for visitors intensified. While the parents were always in competition with each other, their children fell in love. They kept their relationship secret and didn't marry until after the parents had died. Both parks were united and today, Gröna Lund is one of Sweden's biggest amusement parks.
You cycle round the island, which is part of the gigantic Ekoparken. The ecopark is Stockholm's green lung and the first national park to be founded in a town worldwide. It is 27 km² and a wonderful mixture of countryside and culture. You'll see herons, red deer and foxes – right in the middle of the capital!
© Henrik Trygg
Day 6: Individual departure or extension of stay
On the cycle tours around Stockholm in the last few days, you've become acquainted with some of Sweden's unique scenery. One of the highlights was certainly the archipelago. We hope that this capital, surrounded by water, with its many green places to retreat to, has charmed you too! We are sure that you will remember this holiday for a long time to come.
5 nights incl. breakfast in 3* level Hotel Elite Palace, category B (EN-SES5b)
5 nights incl. breakfast in 4* level Hotel Birger Jarl, category A (EN-SES5a)
Welcome meeting (not on saturdays)
GPS tracks available on request
Ferry Vaxholm – Stockholm, approx. 20 Euro per person excl. bike
Overnight stays in category B in the modern Hotel Elite Palace at national 3* level in Stockholm in the north of the city centre near Hagapark.
Overnight stays in category A in the comfortable Hotel Birger Jarl on national 4* level in Stockholm in a central location.
Children discount
With children only bookable on request.
Extra night in a double room, B&B, Stockholm
Extra night in a single room, B&B, Stockholm
21-gear unisex bike, derailleur gears with free-wheel
Pannier, handlebar bag (not with e-bike), repair kit
21-gear Rental Bike
In Sweden bicycle helmets are mandatory for children up to 15 years of age.
Local cooperation partner