Booking choice: The Strömma archipelago cruise, in 1.5, 2.5 or 3-hour versions, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Book this Compare the options below
The Stockholm archipelago is big. The tourist figure is 30,000 islands; the statisticians count a little over 24,000 islands, islets and skerries, spread across roughly 1,700 square kilometres of which about 530 are land, reaching some 60 kilometres east of the city. No boat trip sees it all. The useful question is what kind of day you want.
There are four honest ways to do it: a guided sightseeing cruise that loops through the inner archipelago, a public boat that lands, a guided day trip that lands, or a RIB that gets furthest fastest. This guide sets them out, using the listings and the official transport pages, so you book the one that matches your plan.
The quick answer
For a guide and a view of the inner islands in two or three hours, take a cruise: it leaves a central quay, loops past Fjäderholmarna and the islands beyond, and returns to the same quay without landing. To set foot on an island, take a public boat: Waxholmsbolaget, SL commuter ferry 83 to Vaxholm, Fjäderholmslinjen or SL ferry 82 from Slussen, some of which run on SL tickets. To land with a guide, the small-group Vaxholm day trip is the product on this site that does. To get furthest fastest, the RIB reaches Vaxholm Fortress in a two-hour run.
What is the best way to see the Stockholm archipelago?
A guided cruise if you want commentary and a loop; a public boat if you want to land; the guided day trip if you want both; the RIB if you want distance in two hours.
Each option trades something. A cruise gives a live guide, a cafeteria and a return to the quay you left from, with no time to manage; the price is that nobody steps onto an island. A public boat lands, costs a ticket bought on board or an SL fare, and leaves you to find your own way around, with timetables to watch. The guided day trip to Vaxholm combines a guide with a landing, at the cost of a seven-hour commitment. The RIB covers the most water but carries age and health restrictions.
The table below puts the four side by side. The rest of this guide takes each in turn, and the cruise comparison goes deeper on the seven loops themselves.
| Way | Lands? | Guide? | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided sightseeing cruise | No, a loop back to the same quay | Yes, live, English on each listing | 75 min to 3 h | A first look at the inner archipelago with commentary |
| Public boat: Waxholmsbolaget, SL ferry 83, Fjäderholmslinjen, SL ferry 82 | Yes | No | About 20 to 30 min to Fjäderholmarna, about an hour to Vaxholm | Setting foot on an island at your own pace |
| Guided small-group day trip to Vaxholm | Yes, Vaxholm and the fortress islet | Yes, English and four other languages | 7 h | A landing, a town walk and the fortress with a guide |
| RIB speed boat tour | No | Yes, English | 2 h | Reaching Vaxholm Fortress fast, ages 12 and up |
Do archipelago cruises stop at the islands?
No. Every sightseeing cruise on this site is a loop from a central quay through the inner archipelago and back to the same quay.
This is the fact that most visitors miss. The cruises leave Strandvägen, Strömkajen, Skeppsbron or the Royal Palace, run out through the Djurgården canal or along the quaysides, pass Fjäderholmarna and, on the longer loops, Stora Höggarn and Tegelön, with a pass-by of Vaxholm on the longest, then turn home. The Strömma listing describes its three-hour tour as seeing most of the archipelago and passing by Vaxholm; passing is the operative word.
That is not a flaw. The cruises exist to show the archipelago from the water with a guide explaining it, in a block of time that fits an afternoon. But if your picture of the day includes a jetty, a swim or a walk through a village, a cruise will not deliver it, and you should read on.
How do you get to the islands by public boat?
Waxholmsbolaget runs year-round from Arholma to Landsort, SL ferry 83 goes to Vaxholm, Fjäderholmslinjen and SL ferry 82 leave from Slussen.
Waxholmsbolaget is Region Stockholm's archipelago boat company. It sails year-round from Arholma in the north to Landsort in the south, with summer sailings from Strömkajen, and tickets are bought on board by card, Visa or Mastercard, with no cash. Fjäderholmarna, the nearest islands, are served by Waxholmsbolaget, Strömma and Fjäderholmslinjen; Fjäderholmslinjen takes about 20 minutes from Slussen per visitstockholm, 25 minutes per the Royal Djurgården Administration's guide.
SL, the city's transport authority, runs two ferry lines of its own. Commuter ferry line 83 goes from Strömkajen and Slussen to Vaxholm in about an hour. The Djurgården ferry, line 82, runs from Slussen to Allmänna gränd on Djurgården with an optional stop at Skeppsholmen, three to six departures an hour, operated by Waxholmsbolaget for SL. Strömma's own Cinderella boats run from Nybrokajen and Strandvägen to Vaxholm, Grinda and Sandhamn and can be pre-booked.
If a guided loop with a cafeteria is what you want, the Strömma archipelago cruise runs daily throughout the year from Strandvägen.
Book thisCan you use an SL ticket on the archipelago boats?
On the Djurgården ferry, yes, with any SL ticket. On Waxholmsbolaget, SL says you can always travel on all SL tickets between some jetties, and during low season on all services with a travelcard valid for 30 days or more.
The wording matters, so here it is as SL puts it on its news page about SL tickets on Waxholmsbolaget services: you can always travel on all SL tickets with Waxholmsbolaget services between some jetties, and during low season you can travel with all of Waxholmsbolaget services on your SL travelcard if it is valid for 30 days or more. Visit Stockholm says the same in other words: a season ticket from SL works on Waxholmsbolaget's archipelago boats during the low season.
The Djurgården ferry is simpler. All SL tickets are valid on line 82, and visitstockholm notes an SL Card includes the ferries from Slussen, with single tickets also sold on the quay. Nothing in the official pages says a short visitor pass covers the whole Waxholmsbolaget network, so plan to pay on board for a summer trip to an outer island unless your ticket meets the wording above.
Is there a guided tour that actually lands on an island?
Yes, one. The small-group Vaxholm day trip takes a steamship to Vaxholm, walks the town, visits the beach, crosses to the fortress and includes the museum.
The Vaxholm and Stockholm archipelago guided small-group day trip is the product on this site that lands. It meets at 09:45 beneath the metal sculpture outside the National Museum, boards a steamship at 10:00 for a one-hour cruise to Vaxholm, walks the streets past fishermen's cottages and craft shops, allows lunch or fika by the water at your own cost, with a picnic recommended, and includes time at Vaxholm beach. A taxi boat then crosses to the 16th-century fortress, where the Vaxholm Fortress Museum entrance is included and you can climb the tower. The ferry back leaves at 16:00 and arrives about 17:30.
The listing limits the group to 10 and includes the guide, archipelago boat fares both ways, the fortress ferry both ways and the museum entrance. It is not for wheelchair users, babies under one or people over 95, and it asks you to bring beachwear, a public transport ticket, sunscreen and a jacket.
What is the fastest way into the archipelago?
The RIB. Its two-hour run reaches Vaxholm Fortress and the rocks and forests beyond the city shores, further than the steamers go in the same time.
The RIB speed boat tour leaves Strandvägen berth 19 and takes in Gamla Stan, the summer houses, the Södermalm and Nacka shores, open scenery of rock and forest, and Vaxholm Fortress before returning under the Djurgårdsbrunn canal bridges. Warm overalls, wind jackets and beanies are provided, which tells you what the ride is like.
It does not land, and it is not for everyone: under-12s, pregnant women and people with back problems are excluded, and no luggage or large bags are allowed. It runs rain or shine, with a full refund if heavy fog or a thunderstorm cancels it. For a family with young children or anyone who wants a seat and a coffee, the steamers are the better loop.
The furthest reach in two hours: Vaxholm Fortress by speed boat, with overalls, wind jackets and beanies in the price.
Book thisHow much time do you need for the archipelago?
Two hours for a cruise, half a day for Fjäderholmarna or Vaxholm by public boat, seven hours for the guided day trip, and a full day or more for the outer islands.
Fjäderholmarna is a 25-minute boat trip from Slussen or Nybroplan, which makes it the island for a spare afternoon: restaurants, craft workshops and the Allmogebåtar boat collection are on the island, and the return boat is short. Vaxholm is about an hour each way by boat, so with the town and the fortress islet it fills most of a day, which is why the guided day trip runs seven hours. Grinda, Sandhamn, Möja, Nämdö, Utö, Finnhamn and Dalarö have scheduled boats; Dalarö is about an hour away, and the others are further out and deserve a whole day.
A cruise is the compact option: the two-hour loops leave and return near Gamla Stan, so one fits between a morning museum and an evening meal. The islands guide has the island-by-island detail.
Can you combine a cruise with an island visit?
Yes, on different days or in one long day: a two-hour cruise with a guide, then Fjäderholmarna or Vaxholm by public boat on your own.
The two do different things, and many visitors with a few days in Stockholm do both. A cruise early in the stay gives the geography and the stories from a guide; a public boat later lets you walk the jetties you saw from the rail. Fjäderholmarna is the easy pairing: the live-guided cruise, M/S Vindhem, the wooden boat and the winter tour each pass it, and Fjäderholmslinjen lands you there from Slussen in about 20 to 25 minutes.
If you have one day and want a guide, a landing and a swim, the Vaxholm day trip does all three. If you have one afternoon and want the view, book a loop. Swimming in the archipelago explains why the beach time on the day trip matters.
Frequently asked questions
Can you see the Stockholm archipelago in one day?
The inner archipelago, yes: a two- or three-hour cruise, or a day on Fjäderholmarna or Vaxholm. The outer islands need a full day each by scheduled boat.
Is the Stockholm archipelago accessible by public transport?
Partly. The Djurgården ferry runs on any SL ticket, and SL says all SL tickets work on Waxholmsbolaget between some jetties, with a 30-day or longer travelcard valid network-wide in low season.
Which cruise goes furthest?
Among the steamers, the three-hour Strömma loop on S/S Stockholm, which passes Vaxholm. The RIB also reaches Vaxholm Fortress, in two hours.
Do I need to book the public boats?
Waxholmsbolaget tickets are bought on board by card. Strömma's Cinderella boats to Vaxholm, Grinda and Sandhamn can be pre-booked, per visitsweden.
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Choose your cruise
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Cruises booked on GetYourGuide.
Guided Archipelago Cruise Aboard a Classic Strömma Ship
- Sightseeing cruise with a live guide in English; the 2.5 and 3-hour loops also in Swedish, per the operator
- Four ships from three berths: M/S Angantyr and M/S Evert Taube (1.5 h), M/S Östanå I (2.5 h), S/S Stockholm (3 h)
- Cafeteria on the main deck with sandwiches, pastries, coffee, beer and wine; free WiFi and toilets
Vaxholm & Stockholm Archipelago: Guided Small-Group Day Trip
The one listing here that lands. A steamship to Vaxholm, the fishermen's cottages and craft shops on foot, lunch or fika by the water, the beach, a taxi boat to the sixteenth-century fortress with the museum entrance included, and the ferry home by about half past five. Guided in English, Spanish, Portuguese, German or French.
2-Hour RIB Speed Boat Tour of the Archipelago
Two hours in a rigid inflatable with overalls, jackets and beanies supplied: Old Town, the Nacka shore, bare rock and forest, and Vaxholm Fortress on the way home
