Visiting Stockholm in autumn

Sweden’s capital and its attractions are a little less crowded during the autumn months and the parks shine in red, orange and gold. Autumn in Stockholm is magical and the ideal time to discover its world renowned museums, stroll through the colourful parks and delight in traditions like apple picking and having fika with one of the famous cinnamon buns.

These are our top things to do in Stockholm in autumn:

There are over 50 museums in Stockholm. They are the perfect spots to seek shelter from a rainy autumn day and there’s something for everyone. On the island of Djurgården, you can get up close with the Pop sensations from ABBA at the ABBA museum and virtually try on the band’s costumes or learn about Swedish history from a different take at the Spritmuseum that is dedicated to the country’s complicated history with alcohol. 

Close by lies the Vasa Museet. The Vasa Museum is Scandinavia’s most visited non-art museum and offers a unique look into the maritime history of Sweden. Discover the Vasa, the 17th-century ship that is the centrepiece of the exhibition, as well as archaeological findings from the early 17th-century.

The Moderna Museet, on Skeppsholmen, houses of Sweden’s largest collection of 20th-century modern and contemporary art, mainly focusing on modern art from the 20th-century as well as photography from the 19th-century and onwards. Are you more interested in the works of historic artists? The Nationalmuseum is home to the country’s largest art collection, including 30.000 objects and 16.000 paintings. The collection includes works by distinguished expert such as Rembrandt, Renoir, Frans Hals and Rubens as well as an extensive modern Swedish art collection.

Apple picking is a popular activity amongst locals and tourists alike in autumn, right when the worldwide renowned Swedish apples are in season. One of the many locations where you can pick your own apples is Rosenhill. The family-run organic farm grows its own delicious apples and vegetables and has a small café attached.

Stroll through the apple tree orchards for a wholesome day in the Swedish countryside, located just outside of Stockholm, making it the perfect activity for a sunny autumn day. Afterwards, you can unwind and enjoy a selection of sandwiches, soup and ice cream as well as cookies at the attached café.

The Swedes are known worldwide for their love for fika, a cosy coffee and pastry break. Hence it is no surprise that you’ll notice a sheer endless variety of pastries and bakeries when visiting Stockholm. The most popular buns for fika here are kanellbullar, cinnamon rolls, and kardemummabulle, rolls filled with cardamom. The cinnamon roll even has its own annual theme day: the Kanelbullens dag is celebrated on October 4th each year.

The hunt for the most delicious fika buns in town is certainly a delightful one! One of the most popular bakeries with three shops across town is Vallhallabageriet. Enjoy the fluffy yet packed flavour-packed buns in an authentic bakery atmosphere. Especially the cardamom buns here are a fan favourite here!

Autumn is the ideal time for a spooky tour through the oldest parts of Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s old town, or Södermalm that offers a new perspective on the city’s history. The 90 minutes long Stockholm Ghost Walk takes you on a walk through Stockholm’s equally intriguing and scary history. You will not only learn more about its underground legends and unsolved mysteries, murders, executions, fascinating myths, ghosts and diseases but also get the opportunity to smell, touch and even taste the history!

If hauntings are what you are looking for, Stockholm can certainly scratch that itch for you. Especially, of course, at Halloween. Amusement park Gröna Lund has a popular Halloween celebration filled where the entire park transforms and fills with horror houses, attractions and evil beings around every corner. This year's new horror attraction is Obscura, where you will face your greatest fears. 

If you want to learn more about Sweden’s past and present political situation, you can take a tour through the Riksdag. You'll find out how the Riksdag works and the duties of its members as well as its history. You can either attend a guided tour or witness public hearings and debates – in line with the principle of the Swedish democracy to be open and transparent to the public. 

From September onwards, there are free public tours on Saturdays and Sundays. The English spoken tours start at 13.30. Just arrive in good time before the tour starts, since security controls are carried out for visits to the parliament.  

There are several festivals and events to visit in Stockholm in the autumn months. As summer ends and autumn starts in the city Stockholm Fringe Festival (STOFF) takes over the city. This 5-day long art festival includes anything from performance art to art installations.

The third week of October brings Stockholm Jazz Festival to town, which is one of the oldest and biggest music festivals in Sweden. You can see almost 200 performances at around 90 locations throughout the city, from churches to museums and cafes.

Concurrent with the Jazz Festival, you can also visit some world-class tennis games at the BNP Paribas Nordic Open, also known as the Stockholm Open at the Kungliga Tennishallen. In 2022, Holger Rune beat Stefanos Tsitsipas to the title. For 2023, Stan Wawrinka has already committed to playing in Stockholm.