Unusual Sightseeing Tours in Stockholm

Vespa Stockholm 

Strömma is the main sightseeing tour company in Stockholm and they have a wide range of bus, boat, walking and combination tours of the city as well as day trips in the archipelago and countryside. However, many visitors are looking for more unique ways to see the city... sightseeing paired together with an "experience". Two birds, one stone! Fortunately there are a good variety of options in Stockholm to do this. Keep in mind that most of these tours are only offered during the warmer months of the year. Two good companies which offer several of these more unusual sightseeing tours are OURWAY Tours and Stockholm Adventures. Have a look at their websites to see all they have to offer! Here are different sightseeing options offered both by the companies mentioned above and/or others...

Kayaking in Stockholm
Photo by Henrik Trygg/mediabank.visitstockholm.com

• Bike tours. Stockholm is a very bike friendly city during the summer months and there are a few companies doing bike tours of the city. One company is called Stockholm Cykel and is of special interest to Rival Hotel guests as the meeting point is only a few blocks from the hotel. They offer both a set tour of the city every Thursday as well as well as a couple of self-guided tours. 
• Yoga + sightseeing. What about a 30 minute walking tour of the old town followed by a 60 minute yoga pass outdoors and ending with a "fika"? Run With Me Stockholm offers this on Saturday mornings during the warmer months (subject to weather). 
• Sightseeing on a vespa. When you rent a vespa at Vespa Stockholm, four set self-guided tours (using GPS) are included. Classic sights, island hopping and out in the countryside... a great way to zip around Stockholm on your own and get off the beaten path.  
• Jogging tours. How about getting an aerobic workout while seeing the sights? Several companies offer running/jogging/cross-training tours, both public set tours as well as the option of private tours. Run With Me Stockholm and Stockholm Running Tours are two good options.
• Sightseeing on a segway. Stockholm Air Wheel has tours twice a day and OURTOURS and Adventures also offer segway tours. 
• Food tours. Eat your way through Stockholm! Two main companies offer these tours... Food Tours Stockholm (with several set food tours, visiting specific neighborhoods) and Stockholm Food Tours. 
• Rooftop tours. Learn the history of Stockholm while standing on the roofs of historic buildings, enjoying the views. Nothing beats mixing education with adrenalin. This tour is offered by Takvandring. Click here to read about my recent visit.  

  

  Rooftop tour with Takvandring.

• Sightseeing with a twist. What about a sightseeing tour with a bus that turns into a boat? This amphibious bus tour is offered by Ocean Bus. Not only a great way to see the city, but you will be sure to be featured in many tourists' photographs as your bus floats by them. 
• Sightseeing in a taxi. Taxi Stockholm offers a set interactive tour where the guiding is done through tv screens in the car. The tour is themed and currently the theme is Stockholm Crime going off the popularity of Nordic noir novels/films. On this tour you will be visiting sites of famous crimes like the hostage situation that spawned the term "Stockholm Syndrome" and the assasination of prime minister Olof Palme. They also offer 90 minute or 2 hour guided tours of the city where you hit all the main points of interest with a driver guide. 
• Ghost tours. These popular walking tours are offered year round by Stockholm Ghost Walk. The guides weave in Stockholm history with tales of murders, ghosts and bloodbaths. 
• Sightseeing by kayaking. Stockholm is built on 14 islands so sightseeing from the water is a definite possibility. Both OURWAY Tours and Stockholm Adventures offer kayak tours, both in the city and out in the archipelago.
• Hot air ballooning. How about floating high above the city in a hot air balloon? On nice summer evenings the sky is often filled with balloons. A little tricky to book considering that it is popular and they can only fly in good weather. Balloon Flight Stockholm and Far och Flyg are two reputable companies. 

  

  Maybe you will see the king of the forest on a Wildlife Safari?

• Beer tours. I've heard that alcohol makes learning easier, so a drinking tour of Stockholm should be ideal. Stockholm Pub Crawl is a popular tour to visit pubs/clubs and make new friends! Another good tour is the Craft Beer Tour where you learn the history of Swedish beer and do some beer tasting all while wandering the streets of Gamla Stan (old town).
• On a budget. If you are travelling on a budget then there are two companies that offer free walking tours of the city. The main one is Free Tour Stockholm and then there is a newer company called Free Walking Tour Stockholm. They both offer daily tours with different themes and visit various parts of the city, so check and see which tour fits your wishes best and join up. They are free but remember to tip your guide if you are happy!
• Safaris. You don't have to go all the way to Africa to go on a safari! Stockholm Adventures offer Wildlife Safaris where you have the chance to see moose, deer, foxes and wild boar. We have sea life here too, so why not take a Seal Safari out in the archipelago? 
• Themed walks. The Stockholm City Museum offers several different themed tours including a Millennium ("Girl with the Dragon Tattoo") tour, private ABBA city walks and visits to the Woodland Cemetery. 
• Challenges! Something that has recently been brought to my attention and looks like lots of fun is the 100 Point Challenge. Three different games (for visitors and locals) where you solve clues, complete challenges and race around the city. Sounds like a great way to experience Stockholm and have some fun. 

See? Lots to choose from! Booking these tours can be done via their websites (links above) or, if you are staying at the Rival Hotel, talk directly to me for help.

Ballooning over Stockholm.
Photos by Jeppe Wikström/mediabank.visitstockholm.com