This 10-day road trip leads you to some of the most breathtaking nature across Sweden. Starting and ending in Stockholm, you will get to explore the capital city, before hitting the road. You will experience unrivalled scenery with vast lakes, historic castles and sandy beaches, as well as time in beautiful countryside towns like Kalmar and Ystad.
Just a few of the majestic sights you’ll take in during your trip.
A day-by-day plan to guide your Nordic adventure.
After you arrive at Stockholm Arlanda Airport, pick up your rental car and then make your way to Stockholm’s scenic city centre. After settling in at your hotel, spend the rest of the day exploring the beautiful city. Stroll the well-known street Drottninggatan where you can shop, take photos and feel the relaxed vibe of the capital city. In charming Old Town (Gamla Stan), you will find numerous attractions, including the Royal Palace, the parliament, old churches, beautiful cobble stone streets and medieval houses.
Spend the night in Stockholm.
Driving distance: 40 km / 25 miles
Estimated driving duration: 40 minutes (without stops)
Today, start your Swedish road trip by driving south. On your way, stop by the 18th-century Tullgarn Palace park, an ideal location to take a short walk before stopping in the charming town of Trosa. Next, travel through Linköping where you can visit the open-air museum “Old Linköping”, displaying how a small town in Sweden looked 100 years ago. You can visit the houses and see how Swedish people lived in the old days.
Continue driving until you arrive in the small town of Vadstena, which lies along the lush Lake Vättern. In Vadstena you will find the Vadstena Castle, one of Sweden’s best-preserved Renaissance castles.
Spend the night in Vadstena.
Driving distance: 267 km / 166 mi
Estimated driving duration: 3 hours (without stops)
Drive the scenic route along the Lake Vättern, stopping in Gränna where striped candy canes were invented 1859. Visit one of the confectionery shops and see how this delicious candy is made. Next, drive through the scenic Swedish province of Småland towards the city of Kalmar where you will find the Kingdom of Crystal (Glasriket). Here you can find over 50 glassworks factories and shops, many of which are open to visitors and offer unique hand-blown glass souvenirs in all shapes and colors. End the day in Kalmar, a town full of history, featuring well-preserved 17th and 18th century buildings and the Kalmar Castle, which dates back over 800 years.
Spend the night in Kalmar.
Driving distance: 309 km / 192 mi
Estimated driving duration: 4 hours (without stops)
Today you will explore Öland, a region that has sandy beaches along a beautiful coastline, and a vast landscape where you can enjoy the scenery and bask in the solitude of the area. After crossing the bridge, we recommend a visit to the historical site of Borgholm Castle, followed by a stop at Solliden Palace, the summer residence of the Swedish royal family. Next, visit the southern part of the island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Stora Alvaret, which is a giant limestone plateau that has a unique biodiversity and history.
Spend the night in Kalmar.
Driving distance: Driving distance: 141 km / 88 miles
Estimated driving duration: 2 hours and 23 minutes (without stops)
From Kalmar, drive south along the coast of Blekinge, where you find the naval city of Karlskrona which is a World Heritage site. Continue to Skåne, the most southern part of Sweden, where we recommend a visit to Kiviks Musteri and the apple orchards or stop for coffee in the picturesque town of Simrishamn. Next, visit the fortress of Glimmengehus which dates back to the middle ages before continuing your drive to the charming town of Ystad.
Spend the night in Ystad.
Driving distance: 290 km / 180 mi
Estimated driving duration: 4 hours (without stops)
From Ystad, make your way to Smygehuk, the southernmost point in Sweden where you will find cosy cafés, eclectic craft shops and traditional fish smokeries. Continue driving along the south coast and we recommend taking a small detour to the old towns of Skanör and Falsterbo, located on the Falsterbo peninsula, where you will see long stretches of white sand beaches.
Once in Helsingborg we recommend a visit to Sofiero Palace & Garden, where you will find historical parks and gardens with a stunning variety of rhododendrons. Continue driving along the west coast of Sweden to Halmstad. In Halmstad you find long sandy beaches, nature reserves, art like the sculpture Picasso’s Head of a Woman – an artistic masterpiece – and a lot more.
Spend the night in Halmstad.
Driving distance: 219 km / 136 mi
Estimated driving duration: 3 hours (without stops)
After breakfast at your hotel, get ready for your drive to Gothenburg. Sweden's second largest city. It is recommended to walk down Avenyn, the main shopping street that is full of interesting stores and fine restaurants. Other points of interest include the Feskekôrka fish market and the fun Liseberg amusement park. Art lovers should make a stop at the Gothenburg Museum of Art followed by an afternoon Fika in Haga.
Spend the night in Gothenburg.
Driving distance: 144 km / 90 mi
Estimated driving duration: 1 hour 40 min (without stops)
This morning, on your way to Örebro, stop by Lake Vänern in Sjötorp just north of Mariestad to see Göta Canal, is one of the most remarkable waterways in the world and one of the communication links between Sweden's two largest cities. Continue your drive to Örebro, and stop to see the14th century Örebro Castle, which is located in the middle of city centre. We recommend a walk through the Wadköping open-air museum, with buildings that date from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Next, visit the large public park Slottsparken (Palace Park), that is thick with trees and has small footpaths and natural creeks.
Spend the night in Örebro.
Driving distance: 292 km / 181 mi
Estimated driving duration: 3 hour & 26 min (without stops)
On your way back to Stockholm we recommend a stop in the town of Eskilstuna, where you can visit the open-air museum Rademachersmedjorna. This area is famous for its many castles and manor houses, including the 16th-century Gripsholm Castle. After a day of sightseeing, continue east to return to Stockholm, where you’ll spend the rest of the day at your leisure.
Spend the night in Stockholm.
Driving distance: 197 km / 122 miles
Estimated driving duration: 2 hours 16 minutes (without stops)
Enjoy one last Scandinavian breakfast before checking out of your hotel. If you have time, squeeze in some last-minute shopping or visit a museum or two that you may have missed earlier in the trip. When you are ready for departure, head to the airport and return the car before flying home.
We recommend adding your extra activities to the tour now for the best booking experience and to secure your spot, as activities are likely to sell out.
Here’s a map of your travel route, to help put things in perspective.
Don’t worry, we’ve got this covered.
We recommend that you read carefully through the following information before booking this self-drive tour in Sweden. We’ve answered the most frequently asked questions here so you know what to expect.
We recommend you wait to book flights to Sweden, and other parts of your travels, until we can confirm your desired travel dates for this tour. This is due to varying availabilities in the region. Contact us for more details.
On a self-drive tour, Nordic Visitor supplies you with a quality rental car and a detailed personal itinerary. You act as your own tour guide and driver, and you get to pick the road trip music!
All your services will be pre-booked by your personal travel consultant at Nordic Visitor. This includes your rental car and accommodation in Sweden, along with planned activities, as specified in the itinerary.
As this is a self-guided tour, you are welcome to stop whenever and wherever you wish along the way. Except for accommodation and booked activities, other highlights we have listed in the itinerary are suggestions based on Nordic Visitor favourites.
And rest assured that we are with you every step of the way. Upon your arrival, you will receive personalised information, including an itinerary, hand-annotated map and our very own Sweden Travel Guide. Plus, you will have access to our 24/7 helpline during your trip should you need to contact us.
Most hotels in small towns and in the countryside have free parking. In the cities, you’ll need to find parking nearby your hotels. This may include on-street parking (where you pay at the parking meter or via apps) or parking garages.
Fees can vary, so we recommend you check in advance. You could also ask about the best parking options once you check in to your hotel.
These fees are not included in your Nordic Visitor package.
Upon arrival at the airport, you will pick up your vehicle from the car rental office here. At the end of your rental period, you will return the car back to the airport.
We recommend using Google Maps or a search engine to find car parks near your accommodation. You can also ask your hotel for assistance. You might find you have a short walk between the car park and your hotel.
A GPS service is available for an additional fee. You can book this directly with the rental agent.
Alternatively, you may want to ensure you have adequate mobile roaming that you can use during your travels. This way you can use Google Maps or another navigation service on your phone.
It’s also good to note that Google Maps offers more up-to-date information as well as traffic navigation, compared to traditional GPS devices. You’re also able to pre-download maps of areas you will be visiting, so you can use them offline.
Travelling with your kids? No problem! You'll be able to enter your children's ages during the booking process. This lets us know whether to arrange either a baby cot or roll-away bed for your trip.
If you'd like us to arrange for a car seat to be provided for your trip, please let us know ahead of time. It's also possible to book this directly with the car rental agency. This will incur a small, extra cost.
On your Sweden adventure, you’ll stay in accommodation that’s been hand-picked by our travel experts. We’ve partnered with local businesses and selected hotels and guesthouses based on excellent ratings, comfort and our personal experience.
During the booking process, you can choose between Comfort Plus and Superior accommodation. Comfort Plus usually consists of standard rooms in good quality and comfortable 3-star hotels. Superior is standard rooms in 4-star hotels combined with superior rooms in premium 3-star hotels.
You will also be able to choose between single, double or triple rooms. Please note that in the Nordic countries room types are based on European standard sizes, which means they are smaller than in North America.
For example, a double bed often consists of 2 single beds pushed together. Twin rooms are 2 separate single beds. Triple rooms include a double bed along with an extra single bed, rollaway or sofa bed. And single rooms are often smaller than the standard double.
If you have anything specific in mind, please contact us to discuss customising your accommodation options.
Yes, you can customise this tour online. During the booking process, you can add extra nights to your itinerary as well as optional day trips, excursions and upgrades.
If you have something specific in mind, get in touch with your travel consultant and they’ll create your dream trip.
By booking with Nordic Visitor, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that there’s always someone there for you throughout your trip.
For support and advice during the day, you can call our office. And if anything unexpected happens outside working hours, you can reach us on our 24/7 helpline.
During your tour, there will always be a travel expert on call to handle any unforeseen situations, such as unusual weather or events.
If you have a passport from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand, you won’t need a visa to visit Sweden. This visa-free entry is valid for up to 90 days.
Visiting from another country? You might need to apply for a Schengen visa. You can find out whether you require a visa to enter on the Sweden Government website.
Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from your departure from the region. It’s a good idea to check your passport expiry date early in case you need to renew it.
Sweden is a beautiful destination all year round. But it’s good to be aware of a few things before picking the best time to visit for you.
During the summer months, June to August, you’ll have the warmest temperatures and longest daylight hours of the year. This is ideal for outdoor excursions and taking full advantage of your days for sightseeing.
If you’d like to experience the top attractions with fewer visitors around, then you could book a summer itinerary in May or September. It’s good to note that at these times, attractions might have some limited opening hours.
If you’d like to visit in winter, then we recommend you pick a Scandinavia independent tour or head to Swedish Lapland. At this time of year, you can expect fewer daylight hours, and the addition of snow-dusted mountains as a backdrop.
The south of Sweden, where you’ll be travelling, is located quite far north in Europe so you can expect long daylight hours in summer. It’s the equivalent latitude of the southern edges of Yukon or Alaska.
In Stockholm, for example, you can expect between 16 and 19 hours of daylight depending on how close you are to the solstice.
The region’s long summer days give you plenty of time to explore. That said, you may want to pack a sleeping mask if you are a light sleeper or tend to wake up at dawn.
During the summer months, you can expect relatively consistent weather across the south of Sweden.
The months of June, July and August boast the warmest weather of the year. In Stockholm, you can expect average temperatures between 17–20°C (61–68°F). In May and September, you can also expect milder conditions, so pack for temperatures closer to 11–14°C (52–57°F).
All that said, it’s good to know that weather conditions are often changeable in Northern Europe, so you should come ready for sun, rain and wind.
Please note that sightseeing is dependent on weather and road conditions. This means that your itinerary might need to be altered if these conditions are not favourable during your visit.
Summer has most consistent weather of the year in Sweden, especially in the south of the region. That said, you should still be ready to experience all seasons in one day. Especially if you will be spending a lot of time outdoors, you’ll want to pack for a combination of weather conditions.
Here is an essential summer packing list for your trip to Sweden:
In most major Swedish cities and towns you will be able to find coin-operated launderettes, with self-service facilities, and dry cleaners. Most hotels on your trip will also offer a laundry or dry-cleaning service for an additional cost.
It’s best to book as soon as you can to secure your preferred travel dates. Once you have picked your tour, check the availability calendar to see which months are open for booking. Then, select the date you want and complete your booking.
We recommend waiting for a confirmation from your travel consultant to ensure your travel dates are available. You’ll then be able to purchase your flights with confidence.
If you like to plan well ahead, you’ll find that it’s possible to book many tours for the following year. And if you have any questions or need advice, you can always contact us.
After booking your tour package online, you will be contacted within 2 business days by your own dedicated travel consultant. They will be your point of contact for all your travel needs before, during and even after your trip.
We aim to complete bookings within a few weeks. During this time we take care of booking your accommodation, activities, and transport, confirming all parts of your journey. Once this is done, your travel consultant will provide you with all the details of your trip.
When we get back to you might depend slightly on how far ahead you’ve booked your travels and other tours running at the time.
No need! Nordic Visitor is already working on offsetting the estimated carbon footprint of your package. We’ve partnered with an environmental fund in Iceland to carbon offset all our tours.
Carbon offsetting your international flights is not included, but we highly recommend you look into possibilities with your airline or directly through a local environment fund.
After you have booked your tour, it will only take a few days to confirm its availability. But it may take a few weeks to create your itinerary and book everything. Once your trip details are finalised, we’ll send you e-copies of your travel documents.
Upon your arrival in Sweden, you’ll receive a welcome bag with hard copies of your itinerary, attraction and tour vouchers, the Nordic Visitor Sweden Travel Guide and more.
So when do you check in? And what can you expect when you land in Stockholm?
After passing customs and collecting your luggage, head to the car rental office. There, you’ll pick up your vehicle for your road trip. Then make your way to your accommodation in the Stockholm city centre.
Check-in times vary between hotels and guesthouses, but it normally starts between 2–4 PM.
You are welcome to request an early check-in for an additional fee. Although this isn’t always available, you’ll be able to store your luggage at the hotel until check-in. Please contact your travel consultant well in advance of your trip if you’d like an early check-in.
When you depart may depend on the time of your return flight. Check out early if you’re heading to the airport for a morning flight. On the other hand, if you’re flying home later in the day, you might like to enjoy a leisurely day or visit one more attraction.
You will usually need to check out from your room around 10–11 AM. If you’re staying in town longer, you will be able to store your luggage at the hotel reception. Simply return later to collect your bags before making your way to the airport.
All Sweden bookings are billed in Euro (EUR). Prices displayed in other currencies are indicative only and based on the daily exchange rate. This means conversions from EUR to other currencies will fluctuate from day to day.
Just wait until you see this with your own eyes.
We don’t like to brag, so we’ll let our happy customers do it for us.
We loved every city we travelled to and the accommodation were first rate. We upgraded our rental car and it was worth the extra money.
I would encourage a more custom booking. One night in each place is not enough with the drive time to do much, or even enjoy the hotel features.
Nordic Visitor did all the legwork up front. The experience was much more enjoyable knowing all those details were taken care of ahead of time.
We drove all over southern Sweden and 2 islands. Nordic Visitor was very easy to work with concerning our need for a flexible tour to allow to visit areas off of the usual tour route and to allow for meeting with relatives also not on the normal tour route. Everything worked very smoothly and there were no problems with the accommodation.
We recently undertook a self-drive tour in Sweden and were thoroughly impressed. The itinerary was thoughtfully crafted, providing interesting stops and sights each day just when we were ready for a break. I'd like to especially commend Juliana for her exceptional coordination and communication throughout the planning process. She consistently demonstrated professionalism and responsiveness, greatly reducing any potential stress associated with trip planning.
The itinerary, ideas & maps (etc.) provided by Nordic Visitor are second to none.
Sleep soundly, in the accommodation type of your choice, and wake up ready to enjoy another day of exploration.
Enjoy the journey, in the rental car of your choice.
Whether you have a single question or a special request, we're here for you.
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