40 hours in Stockholm – Part 2 – Vaxholm Boat Tour
Welcome back to the second part of our “40-hour in Stockholm”, in which we will be boarding the mighty S/S Stockholm ship to go on a 3-hour archipelago excursion towards Vaxholm, admiring beautiful scenery and landmarks of the Stockholm’s Archipelago
? In case you missed the first part, click here
? Skipping the cruise? Click here to explore the southern island of the city (Soldermalm, SoFo, Fotografika, and more)
? A taste of modern Stockholm in the sun? Click here
12.00-15.30 – Vaxholm Archipelago Tour
Even for a short trip, a guided boat tour is a must-do! There are plenty of choices, ranging from short trips of 1.5 – 5 hours, some with lunch/dinner options, to full-day excursions on Lake Mälaren to different towns on the Stockholms Archipelago. They’re all docked and depart from Strandvagen which is located on the southern tip of Ostermalm. Stromma is the biggest tour operator in Sweden, offering various excursions suitable for different money and time budgets, all bookable in advance online, as well as at different ticket offices in the city.
Since the tour is rather long and most likely departs around lunchtime, I’d recommend to book your tickets with meal options, either in the form of a 2-course lunch (SEK 380 ~ EUR 40) , or an extravagant lunch/brunch buffet (SEK 520 – EUR 55). Be prepared to indulge yourself indulge in a feast of Swedish and international delish. However, if you are like me and want to go light on mid-day meal, book a classic guided tour (SEK 280 – EUR 30) and grab yourself a sandwich, some Swedish pastries or fruits to bring on board. Though own consumption is not allowed on-board, you can always have a “picnic” outside on the deck. On a fine sunny day, that actually would be even better (!).
At 12.00, the ship leaves the dock. A tour guide starts his/her live commentary while zig-zagging between tables on the upper deck, giving us an overview of the route and logistic information before taking us through the history of the city and its islands. As we cruise past more than 20 sights between Stockholm city and Vaxholm, we will be seeing and hearing lots of interesting facts and figures about Stocholm’s Viking past, the the city’s residential expansion on the archepalego through centuries, its long-standing fishery, oil and craft trades on the water from early 16th century to present.
Don’t forget to get out on the deck for photos, video, instagram-ming 😉 or simply to soak in the sun (or cold wind in my case) and the beauty of the scenes.
Most Vaxholm tours will give you the option to stopover at Vaxholm for short exploration and board your return on another boat around 4pm. It is a popular weekend-getaway destination during summer, dotted with pastel-coloured wooden houses, numerous charming restaurants, cafés, and shops. Getting off the boat, one will be welcomed by the Vaxholm Hotel looking out to the harbour, an ideal spot for a short coffee break, lunch or brunch in the weekend. The island is sided by the Vaxholm Fortress which protected the city from the invasion of the Danes and Russians back in 17th and 18th centuries.
Due to time, I stay on board to get back but promise myself that next time I will definitely step off on this island for a leisure stroll and a fika in one of those lovely cafe’s. Around 3pm, I’m back to Strandvagen. Time to head south and browse through Gamla Stan (again!) and Sodermalm island.
………………..(to be continued)………………………
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