This post was originally published on A Globe Well Travelled in 2016. The content has been revised and updated with fresh information.
When I visited Sweden, I booked one of the best day trips from Stockholm to explore some small towns in the countryside.
I’ll admit, I tend to do a lot of city-hopping on my travels. I enjoy staying in the metropolis and do consider myself a ‘city person’ – though I also feel that it’s important to step away from the downtown areas to visit a range of locations, such as secluded beaches and mountainous national parks, when I travel.
Sigtuna and Uppsala made for an awesome trip out of the city. These two small towns in the Swedish countryside are just oozing with charm, and they allow visitors to explore some of the country’s viking history.
If you’re heading to Sweden and want to see some adorable Swedish towns, here’s how to visit Sigtuna and Uppsala in a day trip from Stockholm.
Quick summary:
This easy day trip from Stockholm takes you to two of Sweden’s most charming small towns—Sigtuna and Uppsala. With medieval ruins, Gothic cathedrals, scenic river views, and cozy cafés, this countryside day trip offers a perfect mix of history and nature.
Recommended tours:
🚐 Viking History Day Tour from Stockholm – Includes guided visits to Sigtuna & Uppsala plus other Viking heritage sites.
Hotels (if you want to stay overnight):
🛏️ Sigtuna Stads Hotell, Sigtuna – A historic and elegant lakeside hotel with gourmet dining and beautiful views of Lake Mälaren.
🛏️ Akademihotellet, Uppsala – A comfortable and budget-friendly hotel right near Uppsala University and the cathedral.
Getting there:
This Swedish countryside towns itinerary from Stockholm can be done either independently with a combination of trains and buses, or you can hop on a guided tour with transport included. Here are your options:
Guided tour to the Swedish countryside
🚐 If you’d prefer to take a guided tour so that you don’t have to mess around with transport, book a Viking and Swedish History Day Tour from Stockholm. This tour includes a visit to both Sigtuna and Uppsala.
How to get to Sigtuna from Stockholm
Jump on at Stockholm Central, then get off at Märsta Station for the synchronized bus (number 575 or 570) to Sigtuna. There are trains departing Stockholm every 15 minutes or so and the total trip takes about an hour.
How to get from Sigtuna to Uppsala
Take the same bus from Sigtuna back to Märsta Station, it leaves every half hour or so. At Märsta Station, jump on a northbound train to Uppsala. This trip also takes about an hour.
How to get from Uppsala to Stockholm
Getting back to Stockholm from Uppsala is the easiest part of the journey! The train between Uppsala and Stockholm is a fast train, so the journey takes only 40 minutes and departs approximately every half hour.
🎟️ You can use a booking website like Omio to compare travel options to Sigtuna and Uppsala and purchase tickets ahead of time.
Things to do in Sigtuna
Sigtuna is popular with tourists because of its history. It’s been named “Sweden’s first town’ as archeological digs have uncovered many old coins and building remnants that date past anything else that has been discovered in Sweden.
Every Sigtuna itinerary should include a visit to the Sigtuna Museum to find out more about the local history.
Sigtuna is easily walkable. The main street (Stora Gatan) is super adorable, with many tiny shops lining the street.
There are also plenty of great options to grab a bite. For a casual lunch, I’d suggest stopping in at Tant Bruns Coffee House.
🛏️ For something a little fancier, head to Sigtuna Stads Hotell which has a dining room with a sweet view over the lake. You can also stay there overnight, if you fancy!
Town Hall (Sigtuna Rådhus) is one of the oldest buildings in Sigtuna. Throughout the years, many buildings in the town burnt down in various fires, but each time the town hall was saved. Now the building is part of the Sigtuna museum – you can take a walk around inside.
The ruins of St Olaf’s Church (Sankt Olofs kyrkoruin) are definitely worth checking out. You can’t go inside due to safety reasons, but wandering around the exterior of the old creepy church and cemetery is a great activity for those (like myself) who enjoy injecting a little dark tourism into their travels.
Next to this is St Mary’s Church (Mariakyrkan) which was built in the 13th century and is the official church of Sigtuna. It has some really interesting Gothic-style architecture, if you’re into that kind of thing!
Things to do in Uppsala
Uppsala is well known for two things: It’s cathedral, and it’s university.
The Cathedral (Uppsala Domkyrka) is impressive on the inside and out. It was built in the 13th-15th centuries and features French Gothic style architecture. I know that churches and cathedrals can get very same-same after you’ve seen about a million of them throughout Europe, but this one really is worth adding to your Uppsala itinerary.
Next is Uppsala University, which was founded in 1477 making it the oldest university in Sweden and the Nordics. The building itself isn’t all that interesting to visit – though the library is quite an attractive building from the outside.
Next to the University is the much more impressive Botanical Garden. I’ve visited many pretty gardens in my time, but I have to say, this one was definitely one of my favourites.
Even though it started raining when I was walking around, I couldn’t believe how well-kept and serene the gardens were – I’m fairly sure I was the only person in there. I almost started singing ‘dancing in the rain’ out loud.
From the gardens, you can head straight up the stairs to Uppsala Castle (Uppsala Slott), which sits on a hill at the city end of the garden. The 16th century castle now houses 3 museums including an art museum and the castle museum, so if you’ve got some time, do check them out.
After the castle, head down to the picturesque riverfront for gorgeous views looking back at the Cathedral.
If you’ve got time, you can do some shopping along Svartbäcksgatan, and if you’re already peckish then head to the Churchill Arms for some pub grub and a local beer before your train back to Stockholm.
🛏️ I stayed overnight at the Akademihotellet Hotel in Uppsala before I head back to Stockholm. This hotel was comfortable, budget-friendly, and had a fabulous location right near Uppsala University and the cathedral.
*My trip to Sigtuna was sponsored by Visit Stockholm. I’m proud to be an honest and transparent blogger, so every opinion expressed on AGWT is a true review of my experience!
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