Add a Stay in Stockholm to Northern Lights Holidays

Many Northern Lights holidays begin or end in Stockholm, and even though you may be more focused on getting out into the wilderness to get your first glimpse of the Northern Lights, holidays that include a day or two in the capital city of Sweden are definitely worth considering. This stunning city is certainly photogenic and it's an ideal place to spend an extra day or two discovering the more cultural side of the country, before heading up into Swedish Lapland to enjoy what you really came for.

Make the Most of Stockholm

If you have a couple of days to enjoy the city it's worth getting yourself a "Stockholm Card" as this offers good value when planning to fit in as much as you can. A great way to orientate yourself is to take one of the regular boat or bus tours around the city, which stops at various points where you can jump off or jump back on again.

For culture buffs, a visit to the Vasa Museum should not be missed. This 400-year-old boat, which has its home in Stockholm harbour, is the only 17th century ship in the world to be preserved, and it is rightly treasured. Decorated with numerous carvings, more than 95% of the ship is original. The Vasa warship sank in the middle of Stockholm in 1628 and wasn’t salvaged until 333 years later, when its restoration began. Nothing short of spectacular, this ship now houses the museum, which is the most visited in Scandinavia. With nine exhibitions permanently displayed around the ship, you can learn about life onboard and even watch a film about the Vasa, which is available in 16 languages. For a comprehensive insight into the museum, take one of the guided tours that are on offer.

If you're looking for something a little more offbeat on your visit to Stockholm, head to Fotografiska, the excellent photographic museum that opened four years ago. This incredible display of photographs is exhibited in four major sections, and every year the museum invites up to 20 smaller exhibitions to use the space. While photos of your own Northern Lights holidays may not fit in here, the photos that are exhibited are captivating in more ways than one!

Take a trip to the Old Town and you can learn about the Nobel Prize and its founder, Alfred Nobel, along with other prestigious Laureates and their ideas. The Nobel Museum holds guided tours and you can watch short films on how the visions of these people have influenced the world. The historical journey culminates in the Nobel Banquet, where you can indulge in Nobel ice cream and other delicious Swedish treats.

Lovers of literary fiction will certainly enjoy the Steig Larsson Millennium Trilogy Tour. The author of three bestsellers, which have now become films and a TV series, set his characters on the central island of the city, known as Sodermalm. The tour takes you on location and you can really get involved in the atmosphere.

Northern Lights holidays are a joy and adventure in themselves, but if you have a few extra days, why not add on a visit to Stockholm? You'll be pleasantly surprised what is on offer in the city.