Luxury Sweden Holidays

Sweden is the largest of the Scandinavian countries, stretching from the temperate south to well above the Arctic Circle in the north.

Stockholm in the southeast is the capital and cultural centre, built across an archipelago of islands with the Old Town of Gamla Stan at its heart.

Gothenburg on the west coast is Sweden’s second city, with a solid food scene and a more relaxed character than the capital.

The far north, encompassing Swedish Lapland and the towns of Kiruna, Abisko, and Jukkasjarvi, is the destination for Arctic experiences and is reached by overnight train from Stockholm or by direct flight.

The island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea operates as a summer destination of considerable sophistication, particularly around the medieval walled city of Visby.

Stockholm

Stockholm rewards time spent across its fourteen islands. The Vasa Museum, which houses a near-perfectly preserved 17th century warship raised from the harbour in 1961, is one of the finest museums in Scandinavia. The ABBA Museum, the Fotografiska photography gallery, and the contemporary art collections of Moderna Museet sit alongside the cobbled streets and medieval architecture of Gamla Stan.

Swedish Lapland

Above the Arctic Circle, Swedish Lapland is the country’s most singular destination. The Icehotel in Jukkasjarvi is rebuilt each winter from the ice of the Torne River, with artist-designed suites and a permanent cold section that stays open year-round. Dog sledding through birch forest, snowmobile expeditions onto frozen lakes, and northern lights excursions with expert guides form the core winter experience.

Gothenburg and the West Coast

Gothenburg is Sweden’s most underrated city, with a food scene that has earned it more Michelin stars per capita than almost anywhere else in Scandinavia. The west coast archipelago, stretching north towards Norway, delivers a quieter version of the Stockholm archipelago experience with the same combination of fishing villages, open water, and stripped-back natural beauty.

Gotland

Sweden’s largest island sits in the Baltic Sea and operates on its own distinct terms. The medieval walled city of Visby is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; its ring wall and Gothic church ruins are some of the best preserved in northern Europe.

The High Coast

The High Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Sweden’s northeastern shoreline, is one of the most geologically significant landscapes in the world, still rising from the sea at a rate of eight millimetres per year following the retreat of the last ice sheet.

Abisko National Park

In the far north of Swedish Lapland, Abisko sits on the shores of Lake Tornetrask beneath a microclimate that gives it clearer skies than almost anywhere else in the Arctic. The Abisko Sky Station, reached by chairlift, is one of the best northern lights viewing points in Scandinavia, and the national park’s summer hiking, including the northern section of the Kungsleden trail, attracts ambitious walkers from across Europe.

Stockholm Arlanda Airport is Sweden’s main international gateway, with direct flights from New York on SAS and Norse Atlantic running to around eight and a half hours from the East Coast. From the UK, direct services from London to Stockholm take around two and a half hours, with connections to Gothenburg and Kiruna available on the same booking.

Kiruna Airport in Swedish Lapland is the gateway for Arctic itineraries, reached by direct flight from Stockholm in around an hour and a half.

The overnight train from Stockholm to Kiruna, operated by SJ, is one of the great Scandinavian rail journeys and an atmospheric way to arrive in Lapland, departing in the evening and pulling into the Arctic landscape the following morning.