Leeds to Stockholm - 5 night workcation in Autumn
Itinerary at a glance
5 day independent itinerary for Stockholm, based on flying in and out of Leeds in October
Highlights include mushroom foraging experience, golden sun slanting through golden leaves, baked goods, an ice hockey game and an in-depth look at the female founder of Svenskt Tenn, Estrid Ericson.
Based on a couple travelling, with a focus on leisurely outdoor and cultural activities, interspersed with time to just relax and soak up the atmosphere
Honest verdict
Did I enjoy the holiday? Does the place live up to expectations?
Just like our last trip to Sweden, Stockholm exceeded our expectations. Compared to London, and in fact, the overall busy-ness of the UK, it is hard to credit that Stockholm is the capital city. So chilled. None of that pavement overcrowding nonsense. No wrestling to enter or exit the metro. Hardly a queue anywhere. Such a relaxing city, and a relaxed place to spend a few days. The nature and water is also everywhere, which adds to the tranquility.
Did the itinerary work for the trip?
Absolutely. We are experimenting with workcation formats, and this one worked. Getting to extend a city break by a few working days whilst there really lets us slip into the vibe of the city and get to know it far better than can be managed on 2 or 3 short and packed days.
Would I make another visit?
Would I…………..we could live in Sweden. Would love to see the city in both winter and spring, however, there isn’t the same volume of things to do in Stockholm as compared to some of Europe’s other capitals, so my suggestion would be to plan itinerary with 2 or 3 days’ worth of sightseeing, which will have you see a good chunk. It would be a great stop point for a longer road trip around Sweden.
Itinerary Details
WHEN
Mid-October
Autumn foliage
Cool to cold, bright golden sunshine (just as likely to get wet and grey)
TRAVEL MEANS
KLM, from Leeds, changing in Amsterdam
Fast train from the airport to the city centre. Throughout the city, we relied on walking and a little of the underground.
ACCOMMODATION
We stayed in this Airbnb
SCHEDULE
Day 1 - Tuesday
Travel in the morning
Settle in
Grocery shopping & Late Lunch - Östermalms Saluhall
Day 2 - Wednesday
Work
Svenskt Tenn exhibition “ A Philosophy of Home”
Evening ice-hockey game - Ice hockey is probably the team sport most closely associated with Sweden, with the most prominent clubs in Stockholm being Djurgården and AIK. The ice hockey season starts in September and lasts to March and Stockholm has a couple of notable ice hockey rinks:
Hovet: Originally known as Johanneshovs Isstadion, Hovet is one of Stockholm’s oldest and most iconic ice hockey arenas and is home to AIK Hockey and Djurgården Hockey.
Avicii Arena: Previously known as the Ericsson Globe and Stockholm Globe Arena, this arena is commonly referred to as “Globen” in Swedish. It is a major venue for ice hockey, concerts, and other events. Closed for modernisation until 2025
Book tickets here
Day 3 - Thursday
Work
Day 4 - Friday
Wandered Stockholm on foot
VasaMuseet - home of a 17th century warship
Prince Eugen’s art collection at Waldermarsudde - Since 1948, Waldemarsudde has been open to the public, allowing visitors to explore Prince Eugen’s extensive art collection and his beautifully preserved home. Obligatory cafe on site. Closed Mondays, late night opening Thursdays until 8pm
Evening Meal at Meatballs For the People - delish, and highly unusual. Had the Elk meatballs against a backdrop of Y2K RnB party choons. Class.
Day 5 - Saturday
Day 6 -Sunday
Breakfast at Stora Bageriet - Just around the corner from The Royal Dramatic Theatre is the entrance to the bakery where breakfast and light lunch is served. We first went on another day and there was a queue out the door………….when we returned on our final morning, arriving just after 8am, we knew why. Had the most delicious Salted Vanilla roll………….
Travel home
Ideas for another visit
Kanelbullens dag is celebrated on October 4th each year.
September Sunset at Restaurang Slipen - If you prefer a sundowner to breakfast, at Slipen, you can also sit by the jetty in the early evenings and have a glass of wine and look out over the water while the sun sets over Beckholmen. In my view, September is the month for sunset’s in northern Europe, with the sun starting to dip and paint the sky with colour around 7:50pm in early-September up to 6:25pm in late-September
Stay a couple of days on Grinda Island in summer - accessible from Stockholm by a 1 hour fast boat from Vaxholm, this island is the home of a traditional inn, where you can relax and enjoy the archipelago’s slow pace of life for a few days
The light festival in Brunnsviken - Join locals in early November, to take part in a procession of lit torches to bring illumination to the start of the dark season
Stockholm Jazz Festival - Happens annually, in the middle of October
Walking Tour - https://www.viator.com/tours/Stockholm/Unique-walking-tour/d907-73361P1
Ghost Walk - runs 4:30pm to 6:00pm most days. Options in Gamla Stan or Sodermalm
Guided tours of the Riksdag (Swedish Parliament) - Each day between September and June there are free tours for 28 people. The tours are in English and start at 1:30pm
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