Ready to escape the city and explore the famous Stockholm Archipelago? Don’t miss the picturesque island of Vaxholm! A Vaxholm day trip from Stockholm is the perfect way to spend a day enjoying scenic ferry rides, historic sights, and the charming island life. We’ve put together the ultimate itinerary so you can easily plan your perfect island adventure!

Taking the Ferry to Vaxholm

This is a very popular ferry in the summer, especially on the weekends, so arrive about 45 mins to an hour before the ferry departure to stand in line. Getting on the ferry is first-come, first-serve and they don’t run very frequently. If you can’t get on, you may need to wait over an hour for the next one.

The coolest thing is that you can use your normal public transit pass (SL card) to take this ferry from Stromkajen in Stockholm! Make sure you have a valid pass and check the ferry schedule on the SL app. When looking at the schedule, make sure you select the option that is for the ferry because there are also plenty of buses that go to Vaxholm.

We arrived at Stromkajen around 9:00am to take the 9:45am ferry to Vaxholm. The line was already quite long waiting at the berth to board the ferry. 

First Stop – Ride the ferry:

Riding the ferry is half the fun of this day trip! If you get in line early enough, try to snag an outside spot to enjoy the views on the way. Keep in mind that the sun and wind can be strong, so bring a sweater and sunscreen! If you don’t get a seat outside, you can still walk outside and stand in the back for a while. There are also bathrooms and sometimes a bar on the ferry!

Next Stop: Coffee break on Vaxholm

Vaxholm is a pretty small island and there isn’t too much to do. We started by stopping for a morning coffee and pastry. We went to Cafe Hembygdsgarden – a cute little cafe with serve yourself pastries and garden seating. Honestly, the coffee was quite bad and the garden wasn’t too pleasant because the birds and bees were aggressive. This is the only spot we tried, but I also see Camilles Trädgård & Café and Gateau Vaxholm

Explore the Fortress:

Next, if you’re up for it, you can take another ferry – the Kastellet ferry – over to the Vaxholm Fortress. It costs about $12 per person to go into the fortress and museum. This is a great stop for folks that like military history and want a little more to do on the island.

Afternoon Picnic at the Park:

In the afternoon, we stopped by the COOP and picked up supplies to set up a picnic. Then we set up our blanket, meats & cheeses, and a bottle of wine in the local park to just chill. We hung out in Lägret Park for a few hours just relaxing. We also brought a frisbee to play in the big field.

Optional afternoon paddle:

If your group is an active bunch, you can rent kayaks from KAYAKOMAT and do a little self guided afternoon kayak along the coast of the island.

Grab some ice cream for waiting in the ferry line:

Finally, I again recommend getting in line early to make sure you get on the ferry you want to take back. To make your wait more enjoyable, buy an ice cream at one of the shops near the dock and eat it in line to get on your ferry.

Any comments, ideas, or suggestions – leave a comment below!