Sweden is a brilliant country to visit with kids. It’s family-friendly, many people speak English and there are plenty of family friendly activities. But where do you start when planning a family friendly trip to Sweden? What are the best places to visit and where are all the fun activities for kids? Well we’ve put together an ultimate guide to Sweden with kids, including safety, locations, costs, transport and activities.
Table of Contents
Safety In Sweden With Kids
Many people are (quite rightly) concerned about their kids safety whilst travelling. You will be reassured to know that Sweden is a very safe country to visit with kids. The crime rate is low although do keep an eye on belongings as you would in any country, petty theft is common wherever you go in the world. Sweden is definitely a country where you can feel safe walking about with your family. Even if you are a solo parent, it’s safe to visit.
Best Destinations In Sweden With Kids
So, now you know Sweden is safe to visit with kids, where is the best destination? Sweden is a large country, stretching approximately 1000 miles from South to North. With 15% of the country located within the Arctic Circle, it’s the perfect destination for a winter holiday. During the Winter you may like to visit the far North of Sweden to see the Northern Lights in Swedish Lapland, which is a magical place for younger kids. The summer months are when you will find Swedish Lapland the home of the midnight sun, which is an amazing experience.
In Southern Sweden are the big cities of Gothenburg and Stockholm, both popular tourist destinations. Gothenburg is famous for its beauty and canals and has a large collection of museums and attractions suitable for kids. Stockholm is the largest city in Sweden, and the capital city, has a huge number of fun and educational attractions for kids. It’s definitely a must-see stop when visiting Sweden with kids.
Between the two major cities of Gothenburg and Stockholm is Sweden’s Lake District. It’s the perfect place for water activities including canoes, kayaking, rafting and swimming. It’s an excellent location for camping and an outdoor activity holiday. Sweden is also known its multitude with archipelagos, the most accessible being Stockholm archipelago. Here you can forage for wild mushrooms, berries, catch fish and cook them on the BBQ at a campsite. There are also plenty of Viking relics, walking trails and perfect swimming spots to discover.
Child Friendly Museums in Sweden
Sweden’s most popular museums also tend to be the most kid friendly museums. There are too many museums to list in this short section of an article, so instead I’m discussing the best museums to visit in Sweden with kids.
Stockholm Museums
Starting in Stockholm you will find the Vasa Museum. This is the most visited museum in Sweden and is a maritime museum based on the ship, Vasa, which sank on it’s maiden voyage after 20 minutes at sea in 1628. The museum has kids audio guides and a family trail to discover life in the 1600’s and how the ship was built. This is part of Sweden’s National Maritime Museums, which also includes the Naval Museum and Vrak – Museum of wrecks.
Sweden’s first open-air museum, Skansen, is also based in Stockholm. The best things about this museum are the wildlife park and the range of buildings and people from throughout Sweden’s history. You can step back in time through the open air museum and learn about Sweden’s past through the friendly staff who work here.
Tekniska is Stockholm’s Science and Technology Museum. A great place for kids to learn about topics such as a fossil fuel free city, maths in the garden, computer games and Artificial Intelligence. Kids will happily spend hours here learning whilst playing.
The Viking Museum is a real highlight of Stockholm’s museums. Tours are included in the ticket price and there is also a ride that takes you deep into the 10th century, following Viking Harald through Europe. The Viking museum is a great way to learn more about the Norse people.
The Natural History Museum in Stockholm has a range of different exhibitions from human evolution to fossils and meteorites. There are plenty for families to discover as they explore.
Gothenburg Museums
Universeum is Gothenburg’s science centre. It’s a fantastic immersive experience where you can visit as diverse scenarios as landing a lunar lander on the moon or walking through a rainforest. There is even a miniverseeum for the youngest visitors, so it’s perfect for all ages.
Spårvägssällskapet Ringlinien is Gothenburg’s Tramway Museum. A fantastic museum to explore with all ages, finding out about the history of trams in Gothenburg. Check opening days on their website as it changes throughout the year and trams don’t always run at the same time the museum is open.
Other Significant Museums
In Malmo you can visit the Technology and Maritime Museum, the place to be for those who love all things motors and transport! It’s part of the Malmo Museer complex, where a ticket covers this museum, the castle and aquarium amongst others.
Outdoor Activities For Kids in Sweden
Visby is the main town on the island of Gotland (reached by ferry from either South of Stockholm or Malmo). It’s a fairytale looking town and another of Sweden’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites, very popular with Swedish tourists. It also has a fantastic botanical garden to explore with the family and several beaches within 5km of Visby, perfect for a day of being outdoors as a family.
The Göta Canal is a important part of Swedish history, the engineering of the canal and the Trollhätte canal it joins the Gothenburg on the West Coast to the Baltic Sea on the East coast. It’s a popular place for tourists and locals to visit, for day trips on a boat or hiring a boat for a boating holiday along the canals.
Heading North into the Arctic Circle you will find several Swedish National Parks, including the Abisko National Park. This is the perfect place to visit in Winter to see the Northern Lights (aurora borealis) or to go on husky dog tours and visiting reindeer. In the summer you can explore the walks around the area, spot wildlife and see the abundance of Arctic flowers.
In the Winter season you can find plenty of places in the North of Sweden to visit Sami Reindeer herders and have a unique experience in the Arctic. There are many guided tour in the North including this Lapland Family Tour with Original Travel. During the summer the lakes area of Sweden or one of the archipelagos are perfect for outdoor activities of biking, hiking, water sports and outdoor swimming.
Kids Amusement Parks in Sweden
Gröna Lund in Stockholm is Sweden’s oldest amusement park located in the center of Stockholm just South of the Abba Museum. It has over 30 rides and 6 restaurants on site, entertaining both old and young! There are rides at the amusement park Gröna Lund for younger children and also specific rides for older kids that are over 140cm tall. Worth visiting to blow off some cobwebs from a dark winter!
Astrid Lindgren’s World is an amusement park based on the famous authors books. Swedish children’s literature has some amazing characters, including the well known Pippi Longstocking and Ronja the Robber’s Daughter. Explore the different characters and books as you roam the park and the kids can play on all the play areas. The park is open for young families in the summer months.
Liseberg is one of the most well know amusement parks in Sweden, in one of Sweden’s best cities, Gothenburg. Here you will find rides for all ages, from dizzying heights and adrenaline seeking thrills, to more gentle rides for young people. One of the best times to visit is in the winter for the beautiful Christmas market. There really is something for the entire family at Liseberg!
Lost City Gustavsvik is an indoor water park based on a lost city in the jungle theme. The park is located near Örebro and also has a lovely camping ground beside it, with lots of great amenities.
Daftoland is on the West coast of Sweden and is a pirate themed amusement park. You will find a variety of rides for all ages and even pirate theatre shows! Find pirate treasure, help the pirates sing in tune and enjoy all the rides.
Historical Locations To Visit In Sweden
The Royal Palace of Sweden in Stockholm is the largest in Europe. It holds the Swedish Crown Jewels, known as the regalia. There are also several children’s trails through the palace, so there’s something for everyone. The Palace is in the Old Town of Stockholm, known as Gamla Stan and is the perfect place to wander through and admire the buildings. You will also find plenty of great Nordic eateries in the area.
The rock carvings at Tatum is a UNESCO world heritage site, one of 15 in UNESCO world heritage sites in Sweden! The rock carvings were created by Bronze Age people and are found via a well marked 6km path, don’t miss the famous bridal rock carving. You can also visit the museum to learn about life in the Bronze Age.
Drottningholm Palace is just outside of Stockholm and is the most well preserved castle from the Swedish 1600’s. Children can choose between several different kids trails including a lion safari or gold treasure hunt!
Sweden has a rich history stretching back well before Vikings. However, many people will want to find out more about the life of Vikings in Sweden when they visit. Which is why I recommend a visit to Birka Viking Village to get an idea of how the Vikings actually lived (when they weren’t away being warriors!). If you visit in July then keep an eye out for the craftsmen and women, you can see how things were made during Viking times.
Is Sweden Expensive To Visit?
Sweden is definitely an expensive country to visit by any standards. However, there are a few ways to reduce the cost of visiting Sweden. Don’t travel across areas of Sweden by plane, instead use the regular train service, it’s cheaper and the views are amazing!
Instead of eating your main meal at dinner, have the largest meal of the day at lunch time instead. Lunches are usually cheaper, particularly for buffet style restaurants such as Chinese restaurants. You can also just buy bread, cheese and other items for a ‘picnic’ style dinner, which is cheaper than eating out. Remember to bring a water bottle to fill up, tap water in Sweden is safe and it’s cheaper then buying drinks.
For an even cheaper holiday consider camping. Sweden is an outdoor lovers paradise and if you look at the Swedish right of public access rules you are allowed to camp, fish, swim and pick flowers and berries all around the country. There are some conditions with distance to private residences etc, so make sure you read it through before heading off camping.
It’s also possible to use the Stockholm pass to save money when visiting the city. It will save money if you plan on visiting several of the major attractions.
Best Type of Transport in Sweden With Kids
As I mentioned above train travel is one of the best options to get around Sweden. It makes it easier to get around and travelling long distances for a reasonable rate. Flying from city to city is much more expensive and you waste time waiting to fly, so it’s better considering other options.
If you are staying around a smaller area with less train stations then it is best to hire a car to travel. You can ge some good deals at the main cities or airports. Then you can use the car to travel to smaller, local destinations.
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