Stockholm Hop-On Hop-Off Buses

Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, is a city rich in history, culture and natural beauty. With its numerous canals, islands and historical monuments, exploring this city can be an unforgettable experience. There is so much to see that a good way to see as much as possible without exhausting yourself during your trip is to take a sightseeing bus tour.

One of the main advantages is that during the sightseeing bus tours you'll have the chance to see many of the city's highlights in a relatively short space of time, so you'll have the rest of the trip to leisurely enjoy the best things to do in Stockholm without feeling like you've seen too little.

The Red Buses are one of the tour buses that travel around Stockholm. It is not the only company that does it, but it is the one I recommend the most for several reasons that will make your sightseeing bus trip easier.

Firstly, because they have an audio guide available in several languages, which will allow you to learn the most interesting facts about each place you are seeing during the tour. It has free stops throughout the city, and you have 24 hours to enjoy the bus at your own pace, with costs ranging from 31 euros per person.

When will you need to get your camera ready during the Red Bus tour? For example, when passing the Royal Palace, Gamla Stan (the Old Town), or the Vasa Museum, which you can also see when you book a private tour of Stockholm. The route has a total of 22 stops, where you can hop on and off at any time, or do the whole tour, which takes around an hour and a half. The bus is open-top on the upper deck, so you can choose where you want to enjoy the view.

The most exciting part of the tour is, in my view, the Vasa Museum. This museum houses a 17th century warship. Walking through here while listening to the audio guide telling the story of Sweden's only warship is a moving experience.

Of course, along the way you will see many more sites: the beauty of the façade of the Royal Opera House, the Dramaten (Sweden's largest theatre), the Museum Park, the Nordic Museum, and another very special museum that if you are a music fan you will love. Yes, I'm talking about the museum of Sweden's most famous band ABBA.

The timetable for these buses is from 10am to 5pm, so you have 7 hours to get around the city on them. As for how long you will have to wait for the bus, they leave every 25 minutes, so I recommend you calculate a margin of time in case it is 25 minutes before the bus arrives.

The good thing is that the bus stops are at strategic touristic points, so while you are waiting for the bus you can see that place of interest, or even take a short walk around the area until the bus arrives.

There are a few things you may be wondering about your bus trip. How many times will you be able to get on and off the bus during the time you have bought your ticket for? The ticket you buy is valid for 24 hours, during which time you can get on and off at the stops you want as many times as you like.

You may also be interested to know that the Hop on Hop Off bus is wheelchair and pushchair accessible, so if you need it, you will have no problem getting on. If, for example, you are travelling with a blind person or if you are travelling with an assistance animal, there is no problem! If you are travelling with children under the age of 12, they can travel for free, so there is no need to buy tickets for them.

And one more thing! I recommend downloading the Red Sightseeing app. This will give you all the information you need on your mobile phone about stops, routes, timetables and more.

In addition to the information I've mentioned above, there are a few other things you'll find interesting about the sightseeing bus.

The audio guides are available in 11 languages, including English, so you can learn in real time about the places you are seeing.

The ticket cancellation is free, so don't worry if you have to do it. You can carry your tickets on your mobile or printed, both ways are equally valid. Regarding buying the tickets, it will be very easy: you just have to select the date and the number of tickets you want to buy by clicking on the button below.

Getting on a sightseeing bus may seem as easy as buying a ticket and sitting back and taking in the sights, right? And you're right, but there are a few things it's best to keep in mind and plan for to make your experience even more enjoyable and leave you feeling like you 've enjoyed your trip to the fullest. Read on and I'll tell you all about it.

If you organise yourself well, it can be your main means of transport during your trip

A very interesting option to organise a large part of your visit with a single ticket is the Stockholm Go City. This is Stockholm's tourist card, which includes entry to the main sights of the capital, which will save you both time looking for tickets and money buying them.

As well as including the sightseeing bus ticket, you'll also get a boat tour and entry to the Viking Museum and the Vasa Museum. You can carry the pass on your mobile, plus you can create your own itinerary and it includes dozens of places and activities that you can access for the days you choose (1, 2, 3 or 5). And one more thing! You will have a guide and a map of Stockholm, so you won't miss anything (and you won't get lost in the city, it was great for me).

If you don't decide to book the Stockholm Go City All-Inclusive, remember that the tourist bus itself is a good option to get around the city, as you can move from one place to another through its stops and then you can buy separately the tickets for the places you find most interesting.

That said, you can take advantage of the bus ticket included in the pass to take it at strategic locations where it suits you to get from one place to another. This is not incompatible with reserving some of your time to do the whole tour so that you don't miss anything of the city.

Try to include your "tourist bus" moment as soon as possible

From experience, I can assure you that it is better to enjoy the sightseeing bus at the beginning of your visit. The reason is simple: the bus tours show you the highlights of the city, so it's a way to make contact, to see the sites for the first time by going a little "faster" and then see them at your leisure. It also gives you an idea of where each one is and how far apart they might be.

Where to have a drink after the tour

A recommendation for when you finish your tour: relax in one of its most famous bars, the Ice Bar! Indeed, I'm talking about the cocktail bar which is at -5ºC and whose interior is full of ice. Walls of ice, ice sculptures... Open up before entering!

If you prefer something more gourmet, you can also enjoy typical Swedish cuisine by booking a culinary tour of Stockholm.

Choosing the best time to see Stockholm by bus

It's particularly interesting to talk about day or night in Stockholm. This is a very important point to consider when choosing when to get on the bus. You have to take into account that daylight hours in Sweden, and in Northern Europe in general, are different from what we are used to, so I am going to share with you a small table to give you an idea of what time it gets dark every month of the year in Stockholm.

After checking what time it's going to get dark in the month you're travelling to Stockholm, it's time to decide whether you want to take your bus tour during the day or at night. Without a doubt, the city is beautiful at any time of day. Every hour has a different light and atmosphere, so you can choose to see Stockholm's most beautiful sites in broad daylight, under the sun, or at night, with the lights and charm of the streets under the moon.

By the way! Night time in Stockholm is also a great time to make unique plans - the sun doesn't end the life of the Swedish capital!

Is a sightseeing bus tour incompatible with a guided tour?

Not at all! As I mentioned before, the tourist bus tour can be a great way to get in touch with the city, but in the end, the best way to get to know the city is to walk through its streets and take a leisurely stroll.

That's why combining the sightseeing bus with a guided tour, such as the Stockholm Ghost Tour, are, in fact, activities that complement each other very well. A big difference (and an advantage of the sightseeing bus) is that the sightseeing bus tours are more extensive, and you will be able to see more sites without having to walk too far.

However, the guided tour of the old town, if you prefer, covers a smaller area, which is perfectly walkable.

Although the Red Buses option is the most recommended, I would also like to tell you about other tourist buses that you can find in Stockholm. With all the information, it will be easier for you to compare and choose!

Although before we start with the buses, I would like to tell you that you can also tour the Swedish capital by other less common means of transport, we could say, such as segway or kayak! Yes, yes. The sea is closely linked to this city, so why not take the opportunity to book a kayak tour of Stockholm? For 2 hours and with a guide you can see places like Stockholm City Hall or Kungsholmen while paddling.

On the other hand, if you dare to drive the segway and you don't feel like walking so much (but you do feel like breathing the atmosphere of the city), this option is interesting. Book a Segway tour and you 'll see Stockholm's most iconic sights at your own pace. That said, let's take a look at the other buses in Stockholm, which will also be of interest to you!

City Sightseeing Stockholm

You're probably familiar with the City Sightseeing buses, which operate in many cities around the world. They also offer a complete tour of Stockholm.

As with Red Buses, they have double-decker buses with an open top decker, so there is the possibility to enjoy the views outdoors (as long as the weather is nice and not too cold).

This bus has 18 stops, some fewer than the previous bus, and some of them will allow you, for example, to visitSkansen Park, an open-air museum showcasing Swedish life and culture over the centuries, Stockholm City Hall, where the Nobel Prize banquet is held, the former royal hunting ground Djurgården or the southern island of Södermalm with its modern urban atmosphere.

You can buy your ticket for 24 or 72 hours, depending on how much time you have during your trip to Stockholm or if you want to concentrate your bus tour in one day. However, I recommend that you plan ahead, so that you don't, for example, choose the 24-hour ticket and then not have time to complete the tour in a single day.

Hop-On Hop-Off bus

One of the advantages of choosing the Hop-On Hop-Off service is that it allows you to hop on and off the bus at any stop for a set period of time, giving you the flexibility to explore at your own pace (although this option is also offered by Red Buses).

An interesting difference is that you can buy priority tickets. This means that you secure your seat on the bus, and reserve it at a specific time. Once you choose a time, you have 24 hours to "hop on and off" the bus as much as you want.

There is also a pick-up option for travellers arriving from Stockholm's best cruise ships. The bus passes through the port terminals of Stadsgården and Frihamnen, so if you are arriving by ship in the city via one of these terminals, you can hop on the bus directly there and start enjoying the service.

There is also a combined ticket to use this type of bus in several cities if you are travelling to several countries in the area. For example, if you are going to visit Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark in a single trip, you can buy tickets to make the tourist route in cities in these 4 countries.

Rocío's Traveller Tip

Many travellers comment that this bus is usually quite full, so if you opt for it, it is almost essential to buy the priority seat.