Lately, I’ve had a few friends heading to Stockholm asking for the touristy things to do. As well as the non-touristy things to do. But the more I think about it, some of the things that you need to check out in Stockholm really are the touristy areas. Feel free to add your own ideas in the comments below. And of course, please note that this is by no means an exhaustive list. There are enough museums, bars, parks, art galleries, shops, restaurants, walks, bike paths, churches, buildings, well, you get the idea, to keep you busy for years.  Below are just a few:

Hike the tower of City Hall. The view is pretty impressive when the sun is shining.  You can see all of Stockholm from the top.  Wander around the island of Djurgården, you can even rent kayaks and paddle around the area which is a lot of fun even if you can only be out for a little while.

While you’re on the island (which also includes a national park) head over to a couple of the museums. The one that you just can’t miss is the Vasa Museum.  It is, quite frankly, a big ass boat. But it’s impressive and pretty interesting. You’ve also got Skansen, the big outdoor museum founded over a hundred years ago. It attempts to give a general overview of the whole of Sweden (and does a pretty good job in my opinion).  There is also a zoo filled with Nordic animals and opportunities to see various crafts being made, the most exciting being the glass blowing.

Kungsträdgården is kind of fun to just wander around. It’s a large park with restaurants and cafes lining two sides.  The summer months tends to be filled with concerts and other activities and events in the park.  If you’re doing some shopping and have some money to blow, NK is one of the most well-known shopping centers in Stockholm and sits right across from Kungsträdgården.

Wander around Gamla Stan (Old Town).  It’s going to be packed with tourists, there will be people trying to scam your money with gambling games on the street, but the buildings and the history are impressive. If you get a chance, pop into Storkyrkan, the church that is in Gamla Stan.  It’s the same church the King and Queen got married in as well as the Princess and her husband. The church has an interesting brick interior as well as a really large statue of St. George slaying the dragon.

There are plenty of museums and churches that are really good. Nationalmuseum is the big art museum and always has a lot of interesting exhibitions.  Kulturhuset usually has a bunch of free exhibitions and is a good choice also.

Drinks are easy, go to Mosebacken and find yourself some seating outside.  It is on the island of Södermalm and looks over the water. Otherwise I would suggest an afternoon beer in Kungsträdgården, there are plenty of outdoor cafes where you can get a drink.  Mest on the island of Södermalm has a cheap happy hour. Akkurat is also on the island there and has a ridiculous number of beers on tap and a whole lot of whiskey to choose from.  Cliff Barnes is known to be just a crazy good place to dance with a really eclectic crowd from young people to old people and everything in between.  If you’re into the club scene the area of Stureplan has a lot of expensive clubs.  It is the classic see and be seen thing.  It’s never really been my style but I’ve gone just for the people watching with a few buddies.

Now let’s hear your suggestions!