[Nordic 15-Day Free Travel] Day 13: Stockholm Old Town Tour — Changing of the Guard, Swedish Bistro, a Perfect Finish with Skeppsholmen Night View

Table of Contents Trip Overview Trip Preparation Stockholm Day 2 Luggage Transfer and Downtown Shopping Old Town Grand Palace and Changing of the Guard Ceremony Swedish Traditional Tavern Lunch Experience Exploring Old Town Streets and Dala Horse Culture E-scooter Boat Island Tour Finale Airport Accommodation and Final Toast Trip Summary & Other Nordic Travel Stories I. Trip Overview On the last day of our Nordic journey, we're embarking on a relaxed exploration of Stockholm's second day.From the changing of the guard at the Grand Palace in the Old Town, to authentic Swedish cuisine, then a stroll through side streets and specialty souvenir shops, and finally an electric scooter tour along the seaside views of Skeppsholmen island, before checking into the airport hotel to get ready for the flight home the next day. This day was the perfect finale, bringing a beautiful close to our Nordic self-guided trip across the Arctic Circle. 2. Trip Preparation 1. Transportation and Luggage We went back near Central Station to store our luggage, using the Radical Storage App to find a spot. Using the Voi electric scooter plan (60 minutes for SEK 69), overtime will be charged separately. Airport → City Center: Arlanda Express, about NT$580 per person, the fastest and most convenient way to travel. 2. Accommodation Information: Radisson Blu Arlandia Hotel (next to the airport) A shuttle bus runs every 15 minutes to and from Arlanda Airport. The rooms are comfortable and clean, a standard business-type hotel. Ideal for early morning flight travelers, transportation is very convenient Double room price is about NT$3,000 per night

III. Second Day in Stockholm - A Day Trip Luggage Transfer and Casual Shopping District Browsing Today we headed out at a leisurely pace, only leaving the Old Town around 10 a.m. First, we dragged our luggage to store it near Central Station, which made the upcoming itinerary more convenient. Along the way, we passed through the shopping district and casually browsed around for a bit, experiencing Stockholm's everyday atmosphere.

Old Town Grand Palace and Guard Changing Ceremony As noon approached, we arrived at the plaza in front of Stockholm Palace to admire the guard changing ceremony held daily at noon. Compared to Copenhagen's palace with its solemn orderliness, Sweden's ceremony here is more traditional, with soldiers lined up in formation, marching in the changing of the guard, accompanied by two musicians playing military songs. Though the process is quite lengthy, one can truly feel the elegance of Nordic royal ceremonies and the continuity of history.

The Royal Palace also offers paid admission for visitors (tickets cost about SEK 200), including the Royal Treasury exhibition and historical displays about past monarchs. However, considering our time and budget, we chose to just admire the architecture and ceremony from outside this time.

After visiting the Royal Palace, we continued our walk through the Old Town (Gamla Stan), passing by the Gothic-style Stockholm Cathedral and the Nobel Museum along the way. Both required an additional admission fee to enter, and although we didn't go inside, their exteriors alone were enough to make us feel the weight of Swedish history.

We also found a spot beloved by internet influencers—"Mårten Trotzigs gränd," Stockholm's narrowest alley, measuring just 90 cm at its narrowest point!

Swedish Gastropub Lunch Experience For lunch we chose to dine at Stockholms Gästabud in the Old Town, a bistro with an authentic Swedish flair. Seeing the menu note that "Swedes have a shot of spirits before eating," I ordered a vodka to try, and sure enough it was fragrant and full-bodied without burning the throat. For mains I picked the braised pork cheek and the herring salad, both of which were excellent — especially the pickled herring, whose flavor was similar to what we tasted in Norway and Finland a few days earlier, truly a classic Nordic taste.

Exploring the Old Town streets and Dala culture We saw a large number of "wooden horse" figurines at the souvenir shop, and out of curiosity we looked it up, only to learn that it's actually Sweden's iconic folk craft, the "Dalahäst" (Dala Horse). This wood-carved horse, originating from the Dalarna region in the 17th century, symbolizes good luck, loyalty, and strength, and remains Sweden's most popular souvenir to this day.

We also noticed that Stockholm's Old Town looks a lot like Venice. It was only later, after looking into it, that we learned both cities were built along the water and share a Medieval and Renaissance architectural style — no wonder they feel so familiar.

E-Scooter Exploration of Skeppsholmen - Wrapping Up In the afternoon, we used our remaining e-scooter time to ride to "Skeppsholmen," from where we could enjoy distant views of the Grand Palace and the Old Town. It's a wonderful spot perfect for strolling and taking photos both day and night. Viewing it from across the water in the morning and then from this side in the evening feels like putting a perfect end to our entire trip. (Reminder: The Voi 60-minute plan incurs additional hourly charges if exceeded. I recommend using the app to keep track of your usage time.)

Airport Accommodation and the Final Toast In the evening we arrived at the Radisson Blu Arlandia Hotel next to the airport. The hotel offers a free shuttle to and from the airport every 15 minutes, which is very convenient for travelers with an early flight the next morning. The room was fully equipped, with a typical business hotel style, providing a comfortable place to rest as our trip wound down. In the room we sipped a Swedish beer we'd bought at the supermarket - it tasted quite light, and we joked that it might be the weakest beer of this whole Nordic trip. But at the very end of the journey, being able to raise a glass with my travel companions A-Juan, A-Mao, and Auntie Pang, thanking each other for the company across four Nordic countries and three Arctic Circle crossings, meant everything!

4. Trip Summary & Other Nordic Travel Notes This Nordic self-guided trip spanning four countries and reaching deep into the Arctic Circle — from Denmark to Sweden, from trains to cruise ships, from seafood to beer — every step was an experience in itself. Today's wrap-up in Stockholm may have been low-key, but it was the perfect ending to this adventure. **Next stop:** Home! Explore more travel notes from our Nordic four-country self-guided trip Northern Europe isn't just about the aurora and snow — it also has urban elegance, polar mystery, and cultural depth. This journey spanning Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden will let you experience the charm of Europe's most pristine corner! 🇩🇰 Denmark Free Travel 📍Day 2: Copenhagen Day Trip｜📍Day 3: Explore the Free City, Fly to Finland 🇫🇮 Finland Polar Journey 📍Day 4: Helsinki City Tour & Overnight Sleeper Train｜📍Day 5: Santa Claus Village and First Aurora Experience 📍Day 6: Rovaniemi Husky Sledding & City Exploration | 📍Day 7: Inari Lakeside and Aurora Paradise 🇳🇴 Norwegian Cruise Itinerary & Aurora Exploration 📍Day 8: Cross Border from Inari to Kirkenes by Cruise | 📍Day 9: Hammerfest Stopover and Life Aboard 📍Day 10: Tromsø Museum and Cable Car Snow Views | 📍Day 11: Transportation Disruption, Stranded in Tromsø 🇸🇪 A Stroll Through Swedish Culture and a Perfect Finale 📍Day 12: Flying to Stockholm, catching a stunning glimpse of the Northern Lights from high above the clouds｜📍Day 13: City Hall & the Vasa Museum 📍Day 14: An in-depth wander through the Old Town and Swedish culture