The Royal Palace is the King’s working palace, not a museum that happens to be royal. That decides your visit: rooms close when he receives guests, the guard is a real military duty, and security works like it does at any protected state building.
When you need this
You are spending a morning in Gamla stan and want the palace and the midday ceremony in one go. You are visiting in October 2026, when a state visit closes the Royal Apartments for most of a week. You want the mounted parade with the band on horseback, which only rides on selected summer days. Or you are travelling with a wheelchair, a pushchair or a big backpack and need to know what gets through the door.
What the ticket covers
The Kungliga slottet (Royal Palace) at Slottsbacken 1 is the King’s official residence and workplace, and the setting for most of the monarchy’s official receptions. The King and Queen themselves have lived at Drottningholm since 1981. Built in Baroque style by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger after the medieval Tre Kronor castle burned in 1697, the palace has more than 600 rooms on eleven floors.
One palace ticket gets you three things. Two others in the building need their own arrangements:
| Part | What you see | On the palace ticket? |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Apartments | The nine State Apartments and 14 Bernadotte rooms, the Apartments of the Orders of Chivalry, and the Hall of State with Queen Kristina’s silver throne | Yes |
| The Treasury (Skattkammaren) | The State Regalia in the cellar vaults: crowns, Gustav Vasa’s swords of state, the 1696 silver baptismal font | Yes |
| Tre Kronor Museum | The medieval castle that burned in 1697; you enter through a five-metre-thick wall from the 1200s | Yes |
| Gustav III’s Museum of Antiquities | Gustav III’s Roman sculptures in two stone galleries, open since 1794 | No — pre-booked groups only in 2026 |
| The Royal Armoury (Livrustkammaren) | A separate state museum inside the palace: Gustav III’s masquerade costume with the bullet hole, Karl XII’s muddy cap | No — own ticket; free 0–18 |
Two of those rows contradict a lot of older guides. Gustav III’s Museum of Antiquities still describes itself as a summer museum on its main page, but its opening-hours page says it opens only to pre-booked groups during 2026. And the Royal Armoury is no longer free for adults; it charges 180 kr, while everyone aged 0 to 18 still gets in free.
Until 11 October 2026 the State Apartments also hold Gold! 50 years together for Sweden, a display about the King and Queen’s 1976 wedding with Queen Silvia’s wedding dress, included in the ticket.
Opening hours and closures
The palace opens every day. From October to December 2026 the hours are 10:00–16:00, weekends and holidays included; 24 and 25 December are not on the calendar. September was 10:00–17:00. Summer hours for 2027 are not yet published.
The catch is the King’s diary. When he holds an official reception, the Royal Apartments close completely or partly, and the palace marks the dates in a closure box on its opening-hours page. In autumn 2026:
| Date | What is closed |
|---|---|
| 12 October | State Apartments closed; Bernadotte Apartments partly open |
| 13–15 October | State and Bernadotte Apartments partly open |
| 16–18 October | Royal Apartments closed |
| 19 October | Whole palace closed |
| 20–21 October | Royal Apartments closed |
The cause is Singapore’s state visit on 19–21 October. On the days the apartments shut, the daily English tour moves to the Treasury. Your ticket still covers the Treasury and the Tre Kronor Museum, so a closure day is a smaller visit, not a wasted one, except on the 19th.
The changing of the guard
The ceremony takes place in the Outer Courtyard (Yttre borggården), on the palace’s west side. It starts at 12:15 Monday to Saturday and 13:15 on Sundays and public holidays, lasts about 40 minutes, and costs nothing. The Swedish Armed Forces run it and say the times are subject to change.
What the English page doesn’t tell you is that not every day is the full show. The Armed Forces’ Swedish day-by-day calendar marks each date as either a högvaktsavlösning (the full changing of the guard, with the new guard marching in) or a stor postavlösning. The second term is used when the same unit keeps guard for several days, so there is no new guard to hand over to; the sentry posts are relieved instead, at the same time and place.
| Period (2026 calendar) | Full ceremony with parade | Other days |
|---|---|---|
| September–December | Mainly Wednesdays and weekends | Post relief at 12:15, usually no street parade on Mondays and Tuesdays |
| Summer | On more days than in autumn and winter | Mixed; check the date |
| Mounted parade | Selected days, 27 April to 1 September 2026 | Foot parade or post relief |
| 24, 25, 26 and 31 December | Full ceremony, march from the Army Museum | — |
So read the calendar entry for your date on the morning you go. It lists the regiment on duty, the departure time and place, and the band.
The guard is a working unit, drawn in turn from regiments all over Sweden, with the Life Guards (Livgardet) carrying the main responsibility. There has been a guard at the palace since 1523. On state occasions you may also see bodyguards in Karl XI uniforms, mounted escorts and grenadiers in bearskin hats.
Where to stand and the parade routes
For the ceremony, go to the Outer Courtyard. It fills up, so we suggest arriving 20 to 30 minutes early and taking a spot along the edges; that is our advice, not an official rule.
For the parade, stand on its route instead. All the routes below end over Norrbro bridge, except in November and December:
- Mounted parade (selected days, April–August): leaves the cavalry barracks at Lidingövägen 28, typically around 11:30–11:35, and rides via Sturegatan, Stureplan, Birger Jarlsgatan, Nybroplan, Hamngatan, Kungsträdgårdsgatan, Strömgatan, Gustav Adolfs torg and Norrbro.
- Foot parade: leaves the Army Museum on Riddargatan 13, typically at 11:45, via Artillerigatan, Strandvägen and Nybroplan, then the same streets. On some days it starts at Sergels torg.
- November and December: starts at Mynttorget in Gamla stan and circles the palace into the Outer Courtyard.
On Sundays and holidays the ceremony, and with it the departures, run an hour later. The mounted parade, with the Life Guards’ Dragoon Music Corps on horseback, is the one people travel for; pick its date from the calendar rather than hoping.
Rules at the door: bags, prams, security
The palace is a skyddsobjekt (protected object), and entry controls may take place. Under the Protective Security Act (Skyddslag 2010:305), anyone entering or standing next to a protected object must, if a guard asks, give their name, date of birth and address and accept a body search. That duty is the law, not a house rule.
The house rules:
- Bags: handbags and small backpacks may come in; large bags and backpacks go in a locker (about 59 × 39 × 51 cm) at the Ticket & Information office in the Outer Courtyard. Empty it before closing.
- Prams and pushchairs stay outside, unattended and unlocked; until 15 August they can stand in the inner courtyard.
- Photography for private use is fine without flash, lights, tripods or selfie sticks; no 360-degree or drone cameras.
- No food, no pets; guide and assistance dogs are welcome. Ice grips come off at the door.
- Children under 12 must be with an adult.
Tickets are sold at every palace entrance during opening hours, and online. English guided tours of the Royal Apartments take about 45 minutes: from September to May on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 14:30, Saturday at 10:30 and Sunday at 10:30 and 14:30; from June to August daily at 10:30 and 14:30. There is also a free audio guide to the Bernadotte Apartments in the Royal Palaces app (Kungliga slotten); bring headphones.
Accessibility
The palace is partly accessible, museum by museum:
| Part | Access |
|---|---|
| Royal Apartments | Lift at the West Gate (ring the bell by the revolving door) for a manual wheelchair and one assistant; 101 steps otherwise; 28 steep steps to the Hall of State, so pre-book the stair climber |
| Treasury | Lift on request; one wheelchair user at a time; 55 steps otherwise |
| Tre Kronor Museum | Street level from the Norrbro entrance; small lift inside |
| Royal Chapel | About 25 steps, no lift |
| Royal Armoury | Lift to all floors; exhibitions wheelchair accessible |
Assistants of visitors with disabilities enter free at the palace and the Armoury. Our wheelchair-accessible Stockholm guide covers the lift dimensions and step-free routes through Gamla stan.
One more thing for everyone: the south facade is being restored until mid-2028, around the southern vault and the Armoury entrance on Slottsbacken. Expect scaffolding; both stay open.
Mistakes to avoid
- Expecting the Royal Armoury on the palace ticket, or free for adults. It is 180 kr, with its own ticket.
- Turning up at 12:15 on a Sunday. The ceremony starts at 13:15.
- Expecting the full parade on any weekday. Check whether your date is a full ceremony or a post relief.
- Booking the Royal Apartments on a reception day. Check the closure box first.
- Bringing a big backpack and spending the time you saved queueing at the lockers.
- Buying the palace + Riddarholmen Church combination outside summer. The church lists no opening dates after September.
Practical information
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Address | Slottsbacken 1, Gamla stan; metro Gamla stan (5 min walk) or Kungsträdgården (10 min over Strömbron) |
| Palace hours | Daily 10:00–16:00, October–December 2026; not 24–25 December; reception closures as above |
| Palace ticket, adult | 220 kr October–April, 240 kr May–September (checked 2026-10-01) |
| Palace ticket, student / 7–17 | 200 / 220 kr; 110 / 120 kr |
| Children 6 and under | Free with an adult |
| Palace + Riddarholmen Church | 270 kr adult, 250 student, 135 aged 7–17 |
| Royal Palaces annual card | 500 kr, all royal sites |
| Royal Armoury | 180 kr adult, free 0–18; Tuesday–Sunday 11:00–17:00, Thursday to 20:00 (half price 17:00–20:00, September–April), closed Mondays outside June–August |
| Changing of the guard | Free; 12:15 Monday–Saturday, 13:15 Sundays and holidays |
| Assistants | Free at the palace and the Armoury |
If you are weighing a city pass, the Royal Palace is on the Stockholm list; our city cards guide does the arithmetic.
FAQ
What time is the changing of the guard in Stockholm?
At 12:15 Monday to Saturday and 13:15 on Sundays and public holidays, in the Royal Palace’s Outer Courtyard. It lasts about 40 minutes and is free. Outside high summer, many weekdays list a smaller post relief instead of the full ceremony with a marching parade, so check the Armed Forces’ guard calendar that morning; times are subject to change.
Where is the best place to watch the changing of the guard?
The ceremony itself is in the Outer Courtyard on the palace’s west side, which fills up, so arrive 20 to 30 minutes early for a spot at the front. To see the marching band or the mounted parade, stand along the route instead; most routes end over Norrbro bridge. In November and December the parade starts at Mynttorget and circles the palace.
How much does the Royal Palace in Stockholm cost?
In 2026 an adult ticket costs 220 kronor from October to April and 240 from May to September; students pay 200 or 220, ages 7–17 pay 110 or 120, and children 6 and under enter free. One ticket covers the Royal Apartments, the Treasury and the Tre Kronor Museum. The Royal Armoury is separate.
Is the Royal Palace open every day?
The palace opens daily, 10:00 to 16:00 from October to December 2026, but parts close for the King’s official receptions. In October 2026 the Royal Apartments are closed or partly closed on several days around Singapore’s state visit, and the whole palace is shut on 19 October. The closure dates are on the palace’s opening-hours page.
Is the Royal Armoury included in the Royal Palace ticket?
No. The Royal Armoury (Livrustkammaren) is a separate state museum inside the palace with its own ticket: 180 kronor for adults, free for everyone aged 0 to 18. Older lists calling it free for all are out of date. It is closed on Mondays outside summer and opens late on Thursdays, with half price from 17:00.
Is the Royal Palace wheelchair accessible?
Partly. A lift at the West Gate, called with a bell by the revolving door, takes a manual wheelchair and one assistant up to the Royal Apartments, but 28 steep steps lead to the Hall of State, so pre-book the stair climber. The Treasury has a lift for one wheelchair at a time; the Tre Kronor Museum is step-free from Norrbro. Assistants enter free.
Can I bring a backpack or a stroller into the Royal Palace?
A small backpack or handbag, yes; large bags and backpacks must go in a locker at the Ticket & Information office in the Outer Courtyard. Prams and pushchairs are not allowed inside and are left unlocked and unattended at a marked spot. The palace is a protected object, so guards may also check your bag.
Related guides
- Gamla stan: the old town around the palace, with Storkyrkan and the Nobel Prize Museum.
- Drottningholm Palace: where the King and Queen actually live, a short trip west.
- Free museums in Stockholm: what costs nothing near the palace, and which museums are free under 19.
- City cards in Sweden: whether a pass pays for a palace day.
- Wheelchair-accessible Stockholm: step-free travel and the palace lift in detail.
Facts verified 2026-10-01. Sources: the Royal Court of Sweden (Kungliga slotten, kungahuset.se), the Swedish Armed Forces (Försvarsmakten), Livrustkammaren, Statens fastighetsverk and Sveriges Riksdag — full register in this topic’s source file. Hours, closures and prices are 2026 figures. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.