Stockholm is one of my favourite cities in Europe. It has a beautiful old town, a huge range of museums, plenty of green, open spaces and it's a very photogenic city. After the publication of one of my Stockholm pictures in the Dame Traveler book, I've decided to share the best Stockholm Instagram photo spots and locations.
I was able to visit all of these on a weekend trip to stockholm, you can read my Stockholm 48 hour itinerary here.
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Need to start planning your trip to Stockholm ASAP?
Below are some of the top rated tours, hotels and recommendations for visiting Stockholm. Make sure to book ahead of time to ensure availability!
Top Experiences and Tours in Stockholm:
1) Nordic Food and Walking Tour (top rated!)
2) City Sightseeing Cruise Tour with Guide (my favourite way to see the city)
3) Old Town Walking Tour (I love Gamla Stan!)
Tickets for top Attractions in Stockholm:
1) Vasa Museum Entry Ticket (Such an interesting museum!)
2) ABBA Museum ticket (A must for ABBA fans!)
3) Stockholm City Pass for 45+ attractions (handy if you’re staying longer)
Top Hotels and Accommodation in Stockholm:
1) Elite Hotel Marina Tower (Amazing pool and waterside views!)
2) NOFO Hotel (Great location)
3) STF af Chapman & Skeppsholmen (Budget friendly - loved my unique stay here on a boat)
4)Radisson Blu Royal Viking Hotel (Top reviewed)
Stockholm Instagram locations - Gamla Stan
Most of my pictures of Stockholm, Sweden, come from Gamla Stan. The old town with its narrow, cobbled streets, warm colourful buildings and beautiful architecture make it the perfect place to start for Stockholm Instagram photos.
As the old town gets busy during the day, some of these photos work best before the streets get busy. If you're visiting Stockholm in summer then this is much easier as the sun rises very early in the summer - 3.30am! But I visited Stockholm in the winter and found I could get all of these photos on the weekend before or around 8am!
Each location has the street view, landmarks to help you find it and the best time of day to take your snaps.
Storkyrkan Church - Gamla Stan
This is my photo which was published in the Dame Traveler travel book and it’s one of my favourites because of the way the street frames the church tower.
Street Name/Location on Google Maps: Stora Gramunkengrand from the bottom of the hill
Landmarks at location: Look for the Stampen bar on your right
Best time to visit: the mornings can be difficult as there are vans supplying businesses early in the morning. I would suggest from 9am onwards. The street is not a main thoroughfare so you might find it easier to go during the day.
Street view across to Sodermalm
I love the layers and warm colours in this shot! This shot works especially well if you have a zoom lens as you can get the added compression effect.
Street Name/Location on Google Maps: On Tyska Brinken street at the crossroads with Vasterlanggatan
Landmarks at location: Look for the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream shop on the corner
Best time to visit: Early in the morning. Both of these roads are main thoroughfares through Gamla Stan and they start to get busy from 8am onwards.
DIscover more of Sodermalm with this Sodermalm sightseeing tour.
Use the props around you - Stockholm city shots
This photo was completely unplanned, but all over Stockholm city are these orange city bikes which you can rent for a small fee. I loved the cobbled street here and the colours of the buildings so I grabbed a nearby bike and used it for this city picture.
Street Name/Location on Google Maps: Kopmangatan street
Landmarks at location: Just off the Stortorget square in Gamla Stan
Best time to visit: first thing in the morning. Being off one of the most photographed squares in Stockholm, this street can get very busy later in the day.
Stortorget Square - the famous red and yellow houses
Unfortunately scaffolding covered these on my visit so I wasn’t able to photograph them. But I did see them several years before on my first visit. I have linked some images below.
Street Name/Location on Google Maps: Stortorget
Landmarks at location: Red, Yellow and Green houses
Best time to visit: This square gets extremely busy and popular during the day. If you want photos without crowds then you will need to go before 7am. However I do like the effect of the crowds and hustle and bustle in these types of photos so later in the day works too. I would aim to avoid the high sun though as this could create some harsh shadows over the front of the buildings.
Beautiful street view just inside Gamla Stan
If you’re after a beautiful old town street view but you’re short on time, look no further than this street location just inside the old town Gamla Stan island. This has the classic old town architecture, colourful buildings and depth with the traditional street lamp, cobbled streets and ivy on the walk.
Street Name/Location on Google Maps: Prastgatan street looking across Storkyrkobrinken
Landmarks at location: Look for the souvenir shops on the corner
Best time to visit: Any time of day. Whilst Storkyrkobrinken is a busy street, this photo is taken by stepping into the quiet Prastagatan street and looking across the main street to photograph the street opposite.
Stockholm Instagram locations - views of the city
Soder Malarstrand on Sodermalm - looking across to Gamla Stan
This is my favourite view of the city from the Sodermalm waterfront. Sodermalm is the bigger island across from Gamla Stan, full of shops, cafes and art galleries. The waterfront on Sodermalm is a great place to see the city from.
Street Name/Location on Google Maps: Soder Malarstrand
Landmarks at location: Look for Mariahissen across the road behind you
Best time to visit: Any time of day. There is plenty of space and area along the waterfront. Try photographing at night to try and capture some lights and reflections on the water.
Looking across at Sodermalm
This is the opposite of the photo above. Here you are on the opposite side of the water from the photo location above. The easiest way to get there is to take the water taxi from here to Sodermalm or vice versa. This water taxi is included with the price of the Stockholm transport ticket.
Street Name/Location on Google Maps: Sodra Riddarholmshamnen
Landmarks at location: Behind the city courthouse
Best time to visit: Any time of day
The stockholm water taxi - view of the islands
The Stockholm water taxi is a great and cheap way to see the city and some of the islands without paying the premium of the boat tours. Rides are unlimited with your Stockholm transport card. There are stops on Gamla Stan, Sodermalm, Norrmalm and Kungsholmen.
Street Name/Location on Google Maps: Stops can be found on the waterfronts at Gamla Stan, Sodermalm, Norrmalm and Kungsholmen.
Landmarks at location: Look for the ferry terminal stops along the waterfront.
Best time to visit: These ferries run regularly throughout the day and into the evening. I love the views from the water at any time of day but the sunset views from the boat were spectacular.
City picture spot - scenic viewpoint
This is one of the lower viewpoints you can easily walk to on Sodermalm and is marked on Google Maps.
Street Name/Location on Google Maps: Monteliusvagen - labelled on Google Maps
Landmarks at location: If accessing from the Soder Malarstrand road, be aware there are steps. The viewpoint is signposted and the walkway is wooden so easily accessible.
Best time to visit: Any time of day. I was here at sunset but the views would be beautiful day or night.
Looking for something unique to do? book a self-guided Stockholm city tour and scavenger hunt!
This is the best aerial view of the city without paying. It’s located on the Sodermalm island and it is a bit of a walk uphill and the rock at the top is uneven. Children are probably fine but older or less mobile people may struggle.
Street Name/Location on Google Maps: Skinnarviksberget viewpoint
Landmarks at location: Located on a huge rock above the buildings of Sodermalm. It is marked on Google Maps as Skinnarviksberget
Best time to visit: Any time of day is fine. It was not too busy when I went during the middle of the day and the viewing area is large enough for plenty of people.
Stockholm Instagram locations - Stockholm city locations
Stockholm Public Library
The library in Stockholm is definitely underrated because it’s stunning and I rarely ever see photos of it. It is just north of the city centre but easily accessible by metro.
Street Name/Location on Google Maps: Stockholm Public Library, Sveavagen road
Landmarks at location: the library is clearly signposted
Best time to visit: The library is fairly busy and the room photographed is very busy and a silent room. I suggest going right before closing to take photos and not disturb readers.
Stockholm Instagram locations - Stockholm metro art
Stockholm is famous for its metro art which has turned boring underground stations into colourful art galleries representing aspects of the Stockholm culture by local artists. There are so many colourful metro stations to explore that you can’t see them all in a weekend or few days.
Here are some I saw in one weekend, plus more information about where to find others. A Stockholm underground map can be found here and also more information about the metro art here.
Stockholm metro art - T-Centralen
This one was the hardest to find as T-Centralen as a large station with lots of underground levels. Head to the Blue Line down the escalators.
Street Name/Location on Google Maps: T-Centralen Blue Line
Landmarks at location: Look for the walls starting to turn blue
Best time to visit: The metro station is always busy so the time of day doesn’t matter. I suggest getting set up for your photo and waiting for the moment between trains when the crowds have cleared the platform and the escalator.
Stockholm Metro Art - Stadion Station
This metro station is my favourite for its colourful rainbow artwork.
Street Name/Location on Google Maps: Stadion Station on the Red Line
Landmarks at location: The artwork is on the archways between the two platforms
Best time to visit: The metro station is always busy so the time of day doesn’t matter. I suggest getting set up for your photo and waiting for the moment between trains when the crowds have cleared the platform. Or for some interesting movement, take a snap just as a train is coming into the station.
Stockholm Metro Art - Kungsträdgården
One of the lesser pictured stations but it gave me serious Alice in Wonderland vibes.
Street Name/Location on Google Maps: Kungsträdgården station.
Landmarks at location: Head to the end of the platform where the escalators are to find this spot
Best time to visit: The same as the other stations, while the metro is always busy, wait for a gap between trains to capture this area mostly quiet.
Stockholm Instagram locations - Nature locations
If you’re looking for more outdoor and nature photography locations, Stockholm is full of parks and green spaces. I didn’t spend much time in them on my trip as it was November and extremely cold. But on my previous visit in 2013, these were some of my favourite parks.
Langholmen - the island I stayed on during my first visit with plenty of green space and it’s own beach too!
Djurgarden - the garden island has huge areas of green space and also plenty of museums such as Skansen and the Vasa Museum which I really recommend.
Skeppsholmen - head here for all plenty of museums all within walking distance and right by the city centre and old town.
Have you been to Stockholm? Let me know if you head to any of these locations!
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