Getting around Stockholm archipelago

Stockholm’s vast archipelago starts just a short boat ride from the city centre and getting there could not be easier. The closest island Fjäderholmarna is just a 30-minute boat ride from downtown Stockholm, while Dalarö and Vaxholm are both an hour away.

Most locals take the Waxholmsbolaget ferries to the islands. Waxholmsbolaget runs regular boat and ferry services across the entire region, from Arholma island in the north to Landsort, on Öja island, in the south. The services are a part of the public transport system in Stockholm County and run all year round. During high season in the summer, there are several daily departures from Strömkajen in the city center, as well as departures from ports in other parts of the county.

To plan your trip, use the company’s journey planner (waxholmsbolaget.se). It’s unfortunately only available in Swedish but it's fairly easy to use if you know the names of the jetties or islands you want to travel between.

Pick a boat ticket that suits you

Tickets are purchased on board the Waxholmsbolaget’s boats and are paid by Visa/Mastercard. It's not possible to pay with cash. Save the paper receipt and hand it over to the staff when you go ashore at your destination.

You can also buy period tickets for 5 or 30 consecutive days and travel as much as you like on all Waxholmsbolaget services. These tickets are perfect for island hopping.

The period tickets can be bought on board the boats, but they are loaded onto your SL-card (the card used for Stockholm public transport). You need to show the period ticket together with a paper ticket at ticket control. The paper ticket is printed out when the period card is scanned on board the boat.

Other options for exploring Stockholm archipelago

There are other ways to travel to and within Stockholm archipelago, too. Strömma Kanalbolaget is another ferry company trafficking the area. Their focus is on cruises, activities and sightseeing tours; it's a great choice for organised day trips and excursions in the archipelago and on lake Mälaren. You can also charter boats for your own events. The boats of Strömma Kanalbolaget depart from Nybrokajen in Stockholm City.

You can also travel with SL (Stockholm's County transport) on their shuttle boat line number 83 to the island of Vaxholm, a journey that takes an hour from the city centre. Buy a single or return ticket or use your SL-card to experience one of Stockholm's most popular archipelago islands.

Should you want to make shorter trips between islands or need transportation outside the ferry companies’ service area, a taxi boat is a great option, especially if you’re a larger group traveling.

Thanks to bridges, tunnels and car ferries, some areas in the archipelago, such as Yxlan, Vaxholm and Muskö, can also be reached by bus or car. Most islands are however car free. The best and most enjoyable way to get around Stockholm archipelago is by foot or bicycle, which can be rented on most of the main islands.