This page is the map: what the archipelago is, which zone suits your time, five places worth knowing, who owns the land, and what an off-season visit looks like. Tickets, sailing, paddling and camping each have their own guide.
When you need this
You have a few days in Stockholm and wonder whether an island day fits, or which island. You’re planning for October, not July, and want to know what still runs. Or someone suggested Birka as “the archipelago”, and you want to know whether it is.
What and where the archipelago is
Stockholm itself stands on 14 islands, and the archipelago — skärgården — starts right beyond them. Visit Stockholm, the city’s visitor site, counts over 30,000 islands, islets and skerries and calls it Sweden’s largest archipelago: more than 650 square miles, from Fjäderholmarna near the city out to the Svenska Högarna islets in the east, and from Arholma in the north to the lighthouse on Landsort in the south. Waxholmsbolaget, the public boat company, describes about 300 destinations along 150 km of coast.
Local authorities such as Nacka municipality split it into three bands, and the split is the most useful planning tool you have:
| Zone | What it looks like | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Inner (innerskärgården) | Like a lake landscape: bays, farmland, forest, large islands, narrow sounds | A half or full day; Vaxholm and Fjäderholmarna are within an hour of the city |
| Middle (mellanskärgården) | Wide open bays (fjärdar) and a chain of bigger islands on bare rock | A long day or one night: Grinda, Finnhamn, Möja |
| Outer (ytterskärgården) | Open sea broken by scattered islands and bare skerries | Better with an overnight: Sandhamn, Utö; the far skerries need your own boat or a boat taxi |
Where the archipelago stops
The archipelago is the Baltic side of Stockholm, spreading east. Lake Mälaren, west of the city, has islands too, but they are not the archipelago. Birka, the Viking town, stands on Björkö in Mälaren about 30 km west of Stockholm; its boats leave from Klara Mälarstrand by City Hall, not from the archipelago quays, and run only in the visitor season. See our Birka guide. Archipelago boats leave from Strömkajen in the city center, from Stavsnäs on Värmdö and from Årsta brygga in Haninge, among other places.
Which guide answers what
| You want to… | Our guide | Know this first |
|---|---|---|
| Take the public boats | Stockholm archipelago ferries | Any SL ticket is valid between Strömkajen and Vaxholm all year |
| Drive to an island | Road ferries in Sweden | Vaxholmsleden (Vaxholm–Rindö) is a free road ferry; Waxholmsbolaget’s boats are not road ferries |
| Sail | Sailing the Stockholm archipelago | Allemansrätten lets you moor for a night or so; reserves can set their own limits |
| Paddle | Kayaking the Stockholm archipelago | Bird sanctuaries with yellow signs often close from 1 April to 31 July |
| See a national park | Swedish national parks | Nämdöskärgården (2025): bus to Stavsnäs, then the Bullerö boat; Ängsö by summer boat from Strömkajen |
| Camp | Wild camping in Sweden | A night or two away from homes, but many islands are reserves with their own rules |
| Walk | Day hikes near Stockholm | The Stockholm Archipelago Trail runs 270 km over 20 islands, each reached by regular boats |
| Swim | Swedish beaches | Utö has shallow sandy beaches; most of the archipelago is rock |
| Dress | What to wear in Stockholm | Wind on an open deck feels much colder than the forecast |
The one ticket fact worth repeating here: your SL ticket, even a tapped single, covers Waxholmsbolaget boats between 44 jetties from Strömkajen to Vaxholm all year. Further out you need a Waxholmsbolaget ticket, except from 14 September to 29 April, when SL tickets of 30 days or longer cover every line. Lines 17–19 via Baggensstäket, towards Utö and Nämdö, never take SL tickets.
Five places to know
These are the islands visitors ask about most. We describe the places; the guides above cover the boats, and we don’t recommend hotels or restaurants.
Vaxholm and its fortress
Vaxholm is the town at the gateway to the archipelago, reached by boat from Strömkajen on an SL ticket or by bus 670 from Tekniska högskolan in about 50 minutes. On an islet in the sound stands Vaxholms kastell, the fortress (fästning) that has guarded the sea approach to Stockholm since the 1500s: Gustav Vasa ordered a stronger fort in 1548, it repelled attacks in 1612 and 1719, and the present citadel was built in 1833–1863. It now houses a military-history museum.
The museum is seasonal. In 2026 it opened weekends from 14 May, daily from 22 June to 23 August (closed at Midsummer, 19–21 June), weekends again to 6 September, plus an autumn half-term opening on 24–25 October. Outside that, it opens only for special events and holiday activities, though groups can book all year. A shuttle boat crosses from Vaxholm town in season, and Waxholmsbolaget calls at the fortress all year. The museum is not adapted for wheelchairs (an assistant enters free), and dogs are welcome on the islet but wait outside the museum. More on the town is coming in our Vaxholm guide.
Grinda and Finnhamn
Both are middle-archipelago islands owned by Skärgårdsstiftelsen and largely nature reserve. Grinda has boats from Stockholm and Vaxholm all year, several a day in summer, paths between its north and south jetties, child-friendly beaches, a tent site and a working farm with cows and horses. Finnhamn, one of the most visited islands, has year-round Waxholmsbolaget boats, a 10 km Archipelago Trail stage, and rowing boats at the sound for crossing to the next island on foot and oar.
Utö
Utö, in the southern archipelago, is a larger island of gravel roads made for cycling. Its old mining village tells a history of iron mining begun in the Middle Ages, beside Sweden’s oldest preserved windmill; its beaches include shallow sandy ones, rare in this rocky archipelago, and its northern part is a nature reserve. Year-round boats leave from Årsta brygga (bus from Västerhaninge); in summer, boats also run from Stockholm.
Sandhamn
Sandhamn, in the outer archipelago, is a village at a historical sea-pilot station and the main meeting place for sailors — lively in summer, quiet off-season, which Visit Stockholm considers a reason to go then. Waxholmsbolaget runs there, and a private operator’s boats also sail from the city via Vaxholm and Grinda on their own tickets.
Who owns the islands and whose rules apply
Skärgårdsstiftelsen, a foundation set up in 1959 to secure land for outdoor recreation, owns and manages about 12% of the archipelago’s land: 36 areas, most of them nature reserves (its visitor pages say all). The rest is largely private. On private land, allemansrätten, the right of public access, lets you land, swim, anchor and moor briefly on any shore outside a garden plot, and camp a night or two away from homes.
Reserve and national-park regulations override that. Nämdöskärgårdens nationalpark, protected in 2025 as Sweden’s 31st national park, allows camping for up to two nights in one place (seven at the Bullerö tent site), fires only at marked sites or in a grill on legs, and dogs only on a leash. Pages that still say “30 national parks” predate it. Bird and seal sanctuaries (fågelskyddsområden, sälskyddsområden) carry yellow or red-and-yellow signs and often ban landing from 1 April to 31 July.
Two landowner rules are easy to keep: take your rubbish home, and use the dry toilets (dass) where they exist. And check your skin after walks in grass — in high-risk coastal areas up to a third of ticks may carry borrelia; see ticks in Sweden.
Outside summer
The archipelago’s season is short, and the region says so itself. Region Stockholm’s 2024 action plan notes that visitor numbers before and after June, July and August are much lower, and sets a goal of stretching the season by a month by 2030. For a visitor, that means:
| Period | What to expect |
|---|---|
| June–August | Full timetables; island services open |
| Late August–September | Boats still run; the stretch Region Stockholm wants to build up |
| Autumn and winter | Boats every day of the year but far fewer; summer-only services closed |
| Hard winter | Ice timetable: fewer, slower, partly pre-booked departures |
Waxholmsbolaget runs every day of the year, but Skärgårdsstiftelsen warns that opening hours differ between summer and the winter and low season. On Grinda the café and shop are summer services, and on its trail stage the toilets and water are not available in winter. So carry your own food and water off-season, check the return boat before you go, and don’t count on the last departure in ice. At a small jetty, raise the round folding semaphore and turn it toward the boat, or signal with a light in the dark.
Off-season still has its appeal: Stavsnäs is the year-round hub for the central archipelago (buses 433 and 434 from Slussen), and the fare rule works in your favor — from 14 September an SL 30-day ticket covers the whole network. On the water, dress for the water temperature, not the air, and bring a windproof layer for the deck in any month.
Practical information
| Item | Detail | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Waxholmsbolaget single, 180 min | 61–186 kr adult / 39–114 kr reduced, by distance band | 2026-09-25 |
| Strömkajen–Vaxholm | Any SL ticket; no extra fare | 2026-09-25 |
| SL 30-day on every line | 14 September–29 April | 2026-09-25 |
| Vaxholm fortress museum | 120 kr adult, 100 kr pensioner, 60 kr ages 13–18, free 0–12 | 2026-09-25 |
| Shuttle boat Vaxholm–fortress, 2026 season | 60 kr single / 110 kr return adult | 2026-09-25 |
| Vaxholmsleden road ferry | Free | 2026-09-25 |
| Buses to the boats | North: Tekniska högskolan · Central: Slussen · South: Haninge, Gullmarsplan | 2026-09-25 |
FAQ
How many islands are in the Stockholm archipelago?
Over 30,000 islands, islets and skerries, according to Visit Stockholm, the city’s visitor site. The archipelago runs from Fjäderholmarna near the city out to Svenska Högarna in the east, and from Arholma in the north to Landsort in the south, covering more than 650 square miles. It is Sweden’s largest archipelago.
What is the difference between the inner, middle and outer archipelago?
The inner archipelago looks like a lake landscape of bays, farmland, forest and large islands, and is a short trip from the city. The middle archipelago has wide open bays and a chain of bigger islands on bare rock. The outer archipelago is open sea with scattered islands and bare skerries, and takes longest to reach.
Is the Stockholm archipelago worth visiting outside summer?
Yes, if you plan for it. Waxholmsbolaget’s boats run every day of the year, but with far fewer departures, and many island services keep summer-only hours. Region Stockholm itself notes far fewer visitors outside June–August. Late August and September still offer running boats and open islands; winter can bring an ice timetable.
Can I use my SL ticket to go to the archipelago?
Partly. Any SL ticket is valid on Waxholmsbolaget boats between 44 jetties from Strömkajen to Vaxholm, all year. Further out you need a Waxholmsbolaget ticket, except from 14 September to 29 April, when SL tickets valid 30 days or longer cover every line. Lines 17–19 via Baggensstäket, towards Utö, never accept SL tickets.
Is Birka in the Stockholm archipelago?
No. Birka stands on Björkö in Lake Mälaren, about 30 km west of Stockholm, while the archipelago is the Baltic side to the east. Birka’s boats leave from Klara Mälarstrand by City Hall, not from Strömkajen, and they run only in the visitor season. Our Birka guide covers the dates and the boat.
Which island should I visit on a day trip?
Vaxholm is the easiest, on an SL ticket from Strömkajen, with a fortress museum in summer. Grinda and Finnhamn, both nature reserves in the middle archipelago, have year-round boats, paths and swimming. Utö and Sandhamn in the outer archipelago are longer trips, often better with an overnight stay.
Who owns the islands, and can I camp there?
Skärgårdsstiftelsen, a foundation, owns about 12% of the land, mostly as nature reserves open to visitors; much of the rest is private. Allemansrätten allows a night or two in a tent away from homes, but reserve and national park regulations can limit camping to marked sites or a set number of nights.
Related guides
- Stockholm archipelago ferries — every ticket rule, jetty and fare band in detail.
- Sailing and kayaking the Stockholm archipelago — the rules on the water.
- Stockholm travel guide — the city on its 14 islands, before you head out.
- Swedish national parks — Nämdöskärgården, Ängsö and Tyresta, the forest park on the mainland 20 km from the city (bus 834).
- Other island destinations: Öland in the Baltic and the Koster Islands on the west coast.
Facts verified 2026-09-25. Sources: Visit Stockholm, Skärgårdsstiftelsen, Region Stockholm, Waxholmsbolaget, Länsstyrelsen Stockholm, Naturvårdsverket, Trafikverket and Vaxholms Fästnings Museum — full register in this topic’s source file. Opening dates are the 2026 season. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.