As the homeland of cinnamon buns, Filippa K and ABBA, Stockholm is the perfect pilgrimage for discerning women with a grown-up budget. From world-class art to a shopping scene that prioritises quality over trends, here’s how to do Stockholm with your girls this year.<\/p>\n
Check in to the charming Hotel Reisen<\/p>\n
To experience Stockholm properly, you’ll want to be in the right location. Hotel Reisen<\/a> is a great base on the edge of Gamla Stan (the Old Town) and is housed in a building dating back to the 17th century. It began life as a coffee house – fitting for a nation that takes its coffee breaks seriously – and today it’s a Hyatt Unbound Collection property with lots of character.<\/p>\n The hotel attracts local Swedes who drink, dine and even stay here. It’s modern in style but there are rooms with exposed brick walls, too. All the rooms here are chic, homely and make you feel like you’re in a friend’s townhouse rather than a hotel. There’s a corner suite furnished entirely with vibrant textiles and furniture from Svenskt Tenn, Sweden’s iconic interiors house, and it’s perfect if you have a birthday girl in your group. And because Swedes are serious about their sleep, all the beds at Hotel Reisen are by high-end bed maker Jensen.<\/p>\n Hotel Reisen<\/p>\n The hotel’s Nordic wellness space in the brick vaults can also be booked out for your group and is a serene spot to enjoy together. There’s a sauna and cold plunge pool, as well as a lounge area to chat over drinks.<\/p>\n Take a moment (or longer) for fika<\/p>\n Fika is hands-down one of the most marvellous of Swedish traditions. The social ritual involves pausing to connect and recharge over coffee and something sweet, and is best shared with others, especially your girlfriends. This is the land of cinnamon buns and other baked treats, after all, so take your time to enjoy fika in the late morning or afternoon (or both). You’ll find many caf\u00e9s around Stockholm but it’s worth booking a Tours of Stockholm<\/a> private tour with a fika guide who will take you to a few of the places loved by locals and tell you about the traditions along the way. For instance, did you know that Swedes love their liquorice and you can find salty, chocolate and even super-salty varieties at speciality stores?<\/p>\n When it comes to the baked variety of fika goods, Socker Sucker<\/a> on Drottninggatan, run by pastry chef Frida B\u00e4cke – formerly of two-Michelin-starred Frantz\u00e9n – and baker Bedros Kabranian, who has won international gold medals for his craft, is one of the most well-known spots. Expect a queue for the pastries here – and, be warned, each one looks almost too beautiful to eat.<\/p>\n Le Violon Dingue<\/a> is another worthy stop for its apple cake alone. For a traditional fika experience, head to Liselotte Hembageri<\/a>, a bakery that’s been going strong for 90 years. The semla, a soft cardamom bun filled with almond paste and cream that Swedes consume with near-religious devotion in the weeks before Easter, is one of the best around, and the seven types of cookies (another Swedish tradition) shouldn’t be overlooked either. Donut Disturb<\/a> earns its place on our fika list for its delicious brownie spiked with citrus.<\/p>\n Shop for chic Scandi finds<\/p>\n If you appreciate Scandinavian fashion, you’re in the right city. Start by heading to Bibliotekstan and Birger Jarlsgatan in \u00d6stermalm, where Swedish and Scandinavian brands sit side by side. Filippa K, Acne Studios, Tot\u00eame and COS all have a presence here alongside international names, but it’s the Swedish labels you’ll want to prioritise when you’re in their home city.<\/p>\n Our Legacy and Leon\u00ed are other Stockholm-based fashion brands to know about. And you’ll find some excellent mid-luxe Stockholm-founded boutiques, too, such as Blankens, a women-run shoe brand designed in Sweden and made in Portugal, and Little Liffner, which specialises in high-end-looking leather handbags.<\/p>\n Don’t leave Stockholm without browsing the interiors at Svenskt Tenn<\/a>, a Swedish design institution on Strandv\u00e4gen. It’s all bold Josef Frank prints and beautiful homeware, and, yes, it’s likely you’ll leave here wanting to redecorate your home.<\/p>\n Take in ABBA, art and the underground<\/p>\n ABBA fans will rejoice: Stockholm, where the Swedish supergroup was formed, is home to ABBA, The Museum<\/a> on Djurg\u00e5rden, just a short ferry ride from Hotel Reisen. Here, you’ll find original Waterloo outfits, Bj\u00f6rn and Benny’s white piano from the island retreat where they wrote some of the greatest pop songs and, most importantly, a stage where you can perform alongside the band’s digital avatars and dance your way through Dancing Queen, as well as a karaoke room for your group to sing together in a studio-like setting.<\/p>\n Moving away from Stockholm’s most famous musical export, the art scene in this city is extraordinary. Take the metro stations, which serve as galleries in their own right. There are 94 of them that contain commissioned art and stories, thanks to artists who lobbied hard in the 1950s for the tunnels to showcase art rather than advertising hoardings. <\/p>\n David Taljat\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n One of the most beautiful, Kungstr\u00e4dg\u00e5rden station, sits 33 metres underground in raw bedrock and feels almost mythological. Then there’s Odenplan, whose artwork was inspired by the lines of a foetal heartbeat: the artist’s wife went into labour while he was sketching the commission – the stations are even more impressive when you learn the stories behind them. Just download the free Stockholm Art Walk app<\/a> for a guide to some of the most beautiful stations.<\/p>\n Across the water from Hotel Reisen and one of our favourite museums in the world, the Nationalmuseum<\/a> is home to Sweden’s finest art and design, with everything from Rembrandt to Carl Larsson under one roof. The Lady with the Veil, the Sculpture Garden and the grand staircase murals are only a few of the highlights. Back on Djurg\u00e5rden, Liljevalchs Konsthall<\/a> is Stockholm’s oldest public contemporary art space. The building, a 1916 neoclassical gem right by the water, is reason enough to visit.<\/p>\n Dine like a Stockholmer<\/p>\n The dining scene in Stockholm is as refined and innovative as you’d expect from a creative Scandi city. Start at Brasserie Astoria<\/a> in \u00d6stermalm for lunch. It’s a grand and elegant space with round tables upstairs, perfect for sharing a meal with your girls. The Toast Astoria, king crab and shrimps piled onto butter-fried toast with wasabi oil and pickled onion, is a dish you won’t want to overlook. And the ribeye arrives on a trolley, carved tableside. For dessert, the Tosca brownie, dense with almonds, pistachios and pecans, is an excellent way to end things.<\/p>\n For Italian dining with a buzzy and beautiful atmosphere, L’Avventura<\/a> is set inside a former cinema in Vasastan and the theatrics are very much part of dinner. Food arrives on trolleys: parmesan is carved from a half-wheel at your table, the open kitchen occupies the space where the cinema screen once stood. Head chef Laura is half Sicilian, half Finnish and inspired by her nonna, which means the food has warmth and soul. Expect stracciatella with Sicilian pistachio and grapefruit, a fusilli alla vodka that’s hearty and comforting on a cold Stockholm evening, and monthly menus that travel through different Italian regions.<\/p>\n L’Avventura<\/p>\n Lilla Ego<\/a> is something else entirely. It’s a smaller, more intimate restaurant and the influences move between France, Sweden and Japan. It’s been open for 12 years but is still one of the most coveted tables in the city. The bread roll arrives with grated butter and sunflower seeds, which sounds simple but is unforgettable. Then the arctic char: lightly salted, with juniper, yellow beetroot, crispy thyme bread, trout roe and sour cream. For somewhere that’s unassuming yet manages to blow you away, Lilla Ego is the table to book. <\/p>\n Save some energy for the evenings<\/p>\n One of the best ways to spend an evening in Stockholm is at Fotografiska<\/a>, the photography museum that stays open until 11pm. Here, you can wander through world-class exhibitions with a glass of wine in hand, browsing incredible images by legendary photographers – from Martin Parr to Joakim M\u00f6ller – over a wonderfully relaxed evening with your girls. Take your time as you sip and browse, and if you get hungry, there’s a rooftop restaurant with views across the water.<\/p>\n PurpleImages\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n When it comes to getting dressed up and drinking cocktails together, the bar at French restaurant Chez Jolie<\/a> in \u00d6stermalm is all gleaming marble, low lighting and the kind of elegant Parisian-leaning d\u00e9cor that feels like you’re out for a special occasion or in an episode of Sex and the City. There’s excellent champagne, classic cocktails and it photographs beautifully, too. Chez Jolie is a go-to among Swedes for dinner for dinner and if you’re here for food, be sure to order the cr\u00e8me caramel for dessert.<\/p>\n You’ll also want to end at least one night in Hotel Reisen’s bar, or even book the private room for your group. It’s cosy, atmospheric and a gorgeous spot to round off your trip.<\/p>\n BOOK AS STAY AT HOTEL REISEN<\/a> More ideas for adult girls’ trips:<\/p>\n – The best girls’ holiday destinations<\/a><\/p>\n![\"modern](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6802dbdb-32fc-4aca-b5a1-a5837f242aa4.jpeg\" "\\"how")
<\/p>\n![\"kungstradgarden](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/8e1a20a4-2d96-4a26-a5b4-b1e776823924.jpeg\" "\\"Kungstradgarden")
<\/p>\n![\"dining](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5fbcddd1-57b8-4f8f-97b6-c9e54cf46ec8.jpg\" "\\"where")
<\/p>\n![\"cityscape](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/4d505814-0df3-49c8-ad0b-478359d7edbe.jpeg\" "\\"stockholm")
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