You can take boat tours from Stockholm’s harbours to the Stockholm Archipelago or Lake Mälaren. Book a round trip by boat with lunch or dinner – a culinary experience with the sea air to season your food.
Ever since the mid 19th century, Stockholmers have travelled by steamboat to the archipelago and Lake Mälaren, and today as ever, white steamboats are a common sight in Stockholm’s harbours. These boats offer tours and direct connections to the archipelago islands.
If you’re in a rush, there are motor vessels that will get you out into the archipelago faster. Most of Vaxholmsbolaget’s scheduled services have a café on board, and on the fast Cinderella boats you can book a table for lunch or dinner.
If you want to be guaranteed a sunny spot on deck, we recommend that you arrive plenty of time before the boat departs. Boarding begins around half an hour before departure.
The legendary steamboat s/s Stockholm leaves from the quay on Strandvägen for a three-hour brunch tour of the Stockholm Archipelago. The tour will take you past typical archipelago scenes and well-known landmarks. The brunch buffet offers cuisine inspired by the archipelago, cooked using local ingredients. The tour runs at weekends all year round.We can help you book a tour on the s/s Stockholm at the Nordic Sea Hotel reception. We recommend that you book in advance.www.strommakanalbolaget.se
Join one of the traditional lunch or dinner tours in the inner archipelago. On the steamboats s/s Storskär and s/s Norrskär’s scheduled tours, you can book a table in the first class lounge. The classic steamboat steak is always on the menu.
On a warm summer evening, not much can beat dinner and a glass of wine up on deck, while the archipelago slowly chugs past. You can always order simple dishes, drinks and snacks to take out onto the rear deck. The steamboats run from May to September.We recommend that you book a table in advance.www.waxholmsbolaget.se (information on scheduled tours)www.blidosundsbolaget.se (lunch and dinner bookings)
If you’d rather travel on the fresh water of Lake Mälaren, you can choose a tour that will take you to Drottningholm, the abode of the Royal Family. The boat leaves from Stadshusbron, which is only a short walk from Nordic Sea Hotel. Lunch and dinner tours to Drottningholm can be booked at the Nordic Sea Hotel reception. We recommend that you book a table in advance.www.strommakanalbolaget.se
Mariefred is a well-known destination on the shores of Lake Mälaren, which you can reach by steamboat with food served on board. The trip to Mariefred is a day tour. The boat leaves Stockholm in the morning and returns in the evening. The boat leaves from Stadshusbron, which is just a short walk from Nordic Sea Hotel.www.mariefred.info
The steamboat s/s Blidösund often runs tours with a jazz and blues theme. Book a table in the first-class lounge, sit in the pleasant fore-lounge, or eat something simple out on deck. Or perhaps a drink will be enough, as you relax to the music. The boat leaves from the quay beside the Royal Palace in Gamla Stan.Music tours on s/s Blidösund run from May to October.www.blidosundsbolaget.se
Get out into the archipelago faster with the speedy, modern Cinderella boats. You can book lunch or dinner on board, and the cafeteria serves snacks and simple hot dishes. Cinderella boats depart from Strandvägen.www.cinderellabatarna.com