Charter Guide

One Day in the Stockholm Archipelago: Itineraries by Boat

Seven one-day itineraries by private boat from Strandvägen: Fjäderholmarna, Vaxholm, Grinda, Svartsö, Birka and Sandhamn, with travel times and round trips by motorboat and yacht.

By Stockholm By Boat · October 6, 2026 · 7 min read

With one day in the Stockholm archipelago and a private boat from Strandvägen, the classic plans are Vaxholm and Grinda for a relaxed day in the inner and middle archipelago, Sandhamn for a full day in the outer archipelago, or Fjäderholmarna for a short trip with dinner. By motorboat, Vaxholm is about 45 minutes away, Grinda 1h 15min and Sandhamn 1h 50min. A yacht takes roughly twice as long, so the further out you go, the more the choice of boat matters.

Below are seven itineraries for a boat trip from Stockholm, each built on our own travel times and the facts on our destination pages. All times are estimated cruise times from Strandvägen at 15 knots in a motorboat and 8 knots in a yacht. They are not scheduled departures, and traffic, speed limits and conditions on the water can add time.

How to plan one day in the Stockholm archipelago

Two numbers decide the day: how long the charter is, and how much of it you spend on the water. On our motorboat charter page we give complete charter lengths from central Stockholm:

• A sunset cruise is 2–3 hours.
• Fjäderholmarna is about 3 hours with dinner.
• Vaxholm and the inner archipelago take 4–6 hours.
• Grinda, Möja or Sandhamn is a full day.

The table below shows the time on the water for a round trip, so you can see how much of the day is left for swimming, walking and lunch ashore.

One-day itineraries by boat at a glance

Itinerary 1: Fjäderholmarna, a short trip with dinner

The quickest way into the archipelago. From Strandvägen the route runs east past Djurgården and Blockhusudden to Fjäderholmarna, about 15 minutes by motorboat. Visitors land on Stora Fjäderholmen, where you can walk around the island, see the exhibition of traditional wooden boats and play boules at Röda Villan. For dinner, Rökeriet has a terrace that gets sun all day and serves Swedish classics, seafood and its own smoked products. On the way back, Strandbryggan is on the same quay as the charter jetties, about 5 minutes away, and works well as a last stop. The restaurants are seasonal, so check their dates first.

Itinerary 2: Barbecue evening at The Old Smokehouse

For an evening rather than a whole day, cruise east past Djurgården and through Skurusundet to The Old Smokehouse in Lännersta, about 25 minutes by motorboat or 45 minutes by yacht. The restaurant has its own jetty with about ten mooring places on buoys and serves wood-fired barbecue that combines American BBQ with Swedish smoking traditions. Tables on the heated terrace cannot be booked, so plan for first come, first served. If you would rather stay on board, our motorboat page puts a sunset cruise at 2–3 hours.

Itinerary 3: Vaxholm, the fortress town

Vaxholm is about 11 nautical miles from Strandvägen: 45 minutes by motorboat or 1h 25min by yacht, which makes it a good choice for a yacht day too. Take the cable ferry from Strandgatan to Kastellet, the citadel built in 1833–1863, where Vaxholm Fortress Museum shows the fortress as it looked in 1854. Then walk the harbour front with its restaurants, cafés and shops. Our motorboat page puts Vaxholm and the inner archipelago at 4–6 hours.

To add something on the way, Getfoten, a sailing club island near Vaxholm, is 40 minutes from Strandvägen, with a sauna and sheltered jetties for visiting boats. Sauna & Pool, just north of Vaxholm town, is a private sauna with sea views and a pool, where the sauna and the pool each take up to six guests.

Itinerary 4: Vaxholm and Grinda, the classic day

The route to Grinda runs via Vaxholm: about 11 nautical miles to Vaxholm and about 8 more to Grinda, 1h 15min in total by motorboat. Stop in Vaxholm on the way out, then continue to Grinda, a nature reserve owned and managed by Skärgårdsstiftelsen. Swim from the beaches or the sun-warmed rocks at Källviken, walk part of the Stockholm Archipelago Trail, or climb to the lookout at Klubbudden, the island's highest point at 35 metres. Lunch at Grinda Wärdshus, the 1906 summer villa in the middle of the island, about a 10 to 15 minute walk from the jetties. Our motorboat page puts Grinda at a full day.

Itinerary 5: Svartsö and Ingmarsö, the quiet middle archipelago

Svartsö (1h 30min by motorboat) lies just south of Ingmarsö (1h 40min). On Svartsö you can rent a bike at Svartsö Lanthandel by Alsvik jetty and follow the gravel roads past lakes, forest and farmland. Ingmarsö has a village store trading since 1887, marked trails and swimming at Femsundsviken and Badberget. For lunch, choose between Svartsö Krog, with its own jetty below the terrace, and Ingmarsö Krog, where diners use the jetties during their booked sitting. Finnhamn, a nature reserve with three guest harbours, is another middle-archipelago option at 1h 50min.

Itinerary 6: Birka, a Viking day in Lake Mälaren

Birka is not in the archipelago but west of the city, on Björkö in Lake Mälaren. From Strandvägen the route runs past Södermalm to the Hammarby lock and into Mälaren, an estimated 22 nautical miles: 1h 30min by motorboat or 2h 45min by yacht, with time in the lock on top. Birka is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, often called Sweden's first town. During the season there is the Birka museum, a reconstructed Viking village, guided tours and Restaurant Särimner by the water. From November to April the museum and restaurant are closed, so this is a summer itinerary.

Itinerary 7: Sandhamn, a full day in the outer archipelago

Sandhamn is about 28 nautical miles from Strandvägen, 1h 50min by motorboat. By yacht it is 3h 30min each way, so the round trip alone is about 7 hours on the water, and a motorboat leaves far more time ashore. Walk through the village of old customs and pilot cottages, see the yellow customs house from 1752 and cross the island to Trouville, the sandy beach on the south side. Have lunch at Sandhamns Värdshus, whose history goes back to 1672, or at Seglarhotellet, in the former KSSS clubhouse from 1897. Möja, at 1h 55min, is a full-day alternative, with country roads well suited to walking and cycling.

Further out: when one day needs a fast boat

The southern archipelago is further away. Utö is 2h 15min by motorboat and 4h 10min by yacht, and Nåttarö, with its long sandy beaches, is 2h 50min by motorboat. On a yacht those trips take most of the day on the water, so they work best with a motorboat. You will find all 32 places, with travel times, on our destinations page.

To compare islands before you choose, read our guide to the best islands in the Stockholm archipelago, and for where to eat, Stockholm archipelago restaurants you can reach by boat. If you already know you want a private day on the water, our day trip by boat from Stockholm page explains how a charter day works and how to book.

Practical tips for your boat trip from Stockholm

• Go in summer. Our destination pages give June to August as the best time to visit by boat, and many restaurants and museums are only open then.
• Check opening hours. Archipelago restaurants change their hours through the season.
• Board centrally. Charters depart from central quays such as Strandvägen, Nybrokajen or Slussen, and pickup at Vaxholm, Nacka Strand, Saltsjöbaden or an archipelago island can be arranged depending on the boat and route.
• Bring a layer. It is often cooler on the water than in the city.

Motorboat or yacht for your day?

A motorboat suits itineraries 4 to 7, where the distance is longer and time ashore matters. A yacht suits Fjäderholmarna, The Old Smokehouse and Vaxholm, where the slower pace is part of the day. Every charter includes a licensed captain and the boat is private for your group. Send a booking request with your date, group size and favourite itinerary, and we will reply with a proposal.

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