7-Day Sweden Itinerary by Train + Free Google Sheets Template
Matt - November 8, 2026
Spend three nights in Stockholm, two in Gothenburg and one in Malmö for a first week in Sweden by train. You get time for Stockholm's old town and the Vasa Museum, a full day for a ferry trip to Styrsö and an afternoon in Malmö. Fly into Stockholm Arlanda and out of Copenhagen Airport if your flights line up: the airport is across the Öresund from Malmö and has its own train stop.
The itinerary is also available as a free Sweden Google Sheets itinerary template. Make a copy to plan your dates, train bookings and the stops you'd like to visit. The screenshot shows the itinerary with Travel Mapper's map view open.
Itinerary Outline
- Days 1–3: Stockholm. Walk Gamla Stan on arrival, spend a day on Djurgården and give City Hall and Södermalm a day of their own.
- Days 4–5: Gothenburg. Take the train west, explore Haga after check-in and spend the next day on Styrsö in the southern archipelago.
- Day 6: Malmö. Travel south, drop your bags near Centralstation and spend the afternoon around the market hall, old town and castle.
- Day 7: Copenhagen Airport. Take the train from Malmö to CPH Airport and allow time for both the rail journey and airport check-in.
Late May and early September are good starting points for a trip built around city walks and one island day. Summer gives you longer evenings and more scope for swimming. For a colder or wetter week, make Gothenburg's art museum your main day and keep Styrsö as an option. Visit Sweden's season guide is a useful reference as you choose dates.
Day 1: Arrive in Stockholm and Walk Gamla Stan
The Arlanda Express goes straight to Stockholm Central. Check which of the two airport stops serves your terminal. A hotel in Norrmalm near the station makes it easy to leave your luggage and reach the train to Gothenburg later in the week. If you choose Gamla Stan, check the walk from transit to your hotel with bags; several streets are cobbled.
Start your first walk at Stortorget, the old town's square with narrow, colorful houses. From there, take the smaller lanes down toward Österlånggatan and the waterfront. Visit Stockholm's Gamla Stan guide has more options if you arrive in time for the Royal Palace or want to pick a café around the square. For a late arrival, make this a dinner walk and visit Stortorget the next morning.
Day 2: The Vasa Museum and Djurgården
Make the Vasa Museum the morning's main stop. The ship sank on its maiden voyage in 1628 and was raised more than three centuries later. The museum wraps around the hull on multiple levels, so you can see the carvings and upper decks from different heights. Give yourself time for the exhibits about the salvage and the people on board. Check seasonal hours and admission before going; the museum sells tickets at the door and takes card payments.
Have lunch on Djurgården and spend the afternoon along the waterfront near Djurgårdsbron. If your group would like another substantial stop, Skansen has historic houses and workshops spread over an open-air site. Give it the afternoon and check the calendar for which buildings and demonstrations are open on your visit.
Day 3: City Hall, Market Lunch and a Södermalm View
Book a guided tour of Stockholm City Hall to see the Blue Hall, where the Nobel banquet takes place, and the mosaics of the Golden Hall. The interior is guided-tour only, and availability can change with events. Afterward, head to Östermalms Saluhall for lunch; its counters are a good stop for seafood, cheeses and prepared dishes.
In the late afternoon, walk the hillside path at Monteliusvägen for views back across the water to City Hall. It works well as a short outing before dinner in Södermalm. If you'd prefer a day on the water, use this day for Vaxholm instead. Look up outbound and return sailings with Waxholmsbolaget and leave time in town for the harbor and its streets.
Day 4: Train to Gothenburg and an Afternoon in Haga
Book Stockholm Central to Göteborg Centralstation and check the journey shown for your date in SJ's planner. Trafikverket has ongoing Western Main Line work between Gothenburg and Alingsås through summer 2027. Capacity and journey patterns vary, including on some weekends. Keep your afternoon flexible until you know your arrival time.
Once you've dropped your bags, head to Haga. Follow Haga Nygata past timber-fronted buildings, small design shops and cafés. Café Husaren is known for its oversized cinnamon bun, a good one to share over coffee. If you're ready for dinner, head toward Feskekörka, the fish hall with seafood counters and restaurants by the canal. Check the restaurant's hours separately if you have a particular table in mind.
Day 5: Take the Ferry to Styrsö
Use the Västtrafik journey planner to connect from your hotel to Saltholmen, then take a ferry to Styrsö Bratten. Line 281 is a starting point; check the trip planner for the exact stop and sailing on your date. Choose a return departure before setting out, and bring a picnic if island cafés have limited hours.
Styrsö is a car-free island with village lanes, small harbors and granite shoreline. From Bratten, explore the village on foot and add the short hill walk toward Stora Rös if the paths are dry and your ferry time allows it. Gothenburg's southern islands guide describes other islands if you prefer a different harbor or a swimming stop. For a city day, start at the Gothenburg Museum of Art for its Nordic collection, then go to the fish hall or spend more time in Haga.
Day 6: Train to Malmö, the Old Town and Malmöhus
Take a morning train from Göteborg Centralstation to Malmö Centralstation. Check the Öresundståg timetable and planned rail works before booking. Staying within walking distance of Malmö Central makes both today's arrival and tomorrow's airport departure straightforward.
After dropping your bags, have lunch at Malmö Saluhall. The market hall has several independent counters and works well for a group with different lunch plans. Cross into the old town for Lilla Torg, a square framed by half-timbered buildings, and continue to Malmöhus. The castle complex houses museum collections; choose the one you'd most like to see and check its last entry. On a clear afternoon, you can instead walk the Western Harbour waterfront around Scaniaparken for views toward the Öresund.
Day 7: Malmö to Copenhagen Airport
In the rail planner, select CPH Airport as the destination. This is the airport station in Kastrup, on the Danish side of the bridge. Check the morning's timetable and notices again the day before; works can change the airport service. Allow for the walk to your terminal, baggage drop and your airline's recommended check-in window. Check the operator's border information and bring the travel documents required for your nationality. If your flight is very early, consider a final night near the airport instead.
Where to Stay and What to Book First
- Stockholm, three nights: Norrmalm near Stockholm Central for easy trains, or Gamla Stan for evening walks close to your hotel.
- Gothenburg, two nights: Near Centralstation for the intercity legs, or Haga and nearby Linné if cafés and restaurants are your priority. Check the morning connection to Saltholmen from your hotel.
- Malmö, one night: Near Centralstation for the airport train, or in the old town if you have a later departure and want dinner close to your hotel.
Choose your flights first, then check the two intercity travel days and airport connection before reserving nonrefundable rooms. Next, book the City Hall tour and check the island ferry schedule. In the Sheet, the May dates and sightseeing times are examples; enter the actual train and ferry times once you know them.
Optional Changes for Your Trip
- Returning through Stockholm? Use Stockholm and Gothenburg as your two bases and return to Stockholm the night before your flight. Save Malmö for a trip with a southern departure or an extra night.
- Have an eighth day? Add a Malmö night and use the extra half-day for Lund Cathedral and the streets around Lund University. The rail trip works well from a Malmö base; check the dated services before going.
- Prefer art to the castle? Choose Moderna Museet Malmö for contemporary exhibitions, and keep Lilla Torg and the market hall on the same afternoon. Check the exhibition and opening calendar first.
What the Sweden Google Sheets Itinerary Template Includes
- Seven days of sightseeing, lodging bases, rail transfers and an airport departure.
- Optional islands, cafés, shops, viewpoints, museums and a Lund extension on the same itinerary tab.
- Station and ferry terminal names, operator links and notes on what to check before booking.
- Space for your bookings, costs and notes, plus the template's checklist and split-cost tabs.
For a different trip, start with the free Google Sheets travel planner and itinerary template.
How Travel Mapper Helps With a Sweden Trip
The free Sweden itinerary is yours to customize and keep. When you want to see the trip on a map, install Travel Mapper for Google Sheets. The map helps you see how the ferry terminal fits into a Gothenburg day and compare Malmö lodging against the airport train and the places you plan to visit. You can share the Sheet with your group and review changes together. The add-on's full features are available for seven days on a free trial, and the spreadsheet remains usable after the trial.
The Travel Mapper Chrome extension can save a café or museum you find while researching. To review or edit the trip on your phone while traveling, the Travel Mapper web app works in a mobile browser. For help deciding how many nights to give each city, see our guide to planning a multi-city trip in Google Sheets.
Sweden Itinerary FAQ
Is Seven Days Enough for Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö?
Yes. Three Stockholm nights give you two full days in the capital; two Gothenburg nights give you one full day for the archipelago; one Malmö night gives you an afternoon in the city and a convenient airport departure the next day.
Can You Do This Sweden Itinerary Without a Car?
Yes. Use trains between the cities, local transit or walking in town, and a Västtrafik ferry for Styrsö. Check the trip planner for your dates, particularly when maintenance affects the intercity trains.
Can You Fly Out of Copenhagen After Staying in Malmö?
Yes. Use the train to CPH Airport and check that the service runs on your departure date. For an early flight or a day with planned rail works, check the first connections before deciding where to spend the last night.
Is the Sweden Google Sheets Template Free to Keep?
Yes. Copy the Sheet and adapt it to your trip. The optional Travel Mapper add-on provides map view and other planning tools; you can still use the spreadsheet after its free trial.
