Exploring Sweden & Norway In Two Weeks

Introducing Sweden, the country of my ancestors and childhood summers, to my nine-year-old daughter was special. Part nostalgia and part the desire to escape D.C.’s humid summers, my family of three spent two weeks in Sweden and Norway in August 2026. Here’s our itinerary.

Spending three days in Stockholm, here are our recommendations.

Eat:

• Cake from Vaxholms Hembygdsgårds Café, a waterside cafe famous for their cake table in Vaxholm, an island outside of Stockholm. Nearby is Norrhamnsbadet, a small public beach.
• Candy from BUBS Godisbutik, an iconic Swedish candy brand.
• Cardamom bun at Stora Bageriet, a bakery with warm pastries throughout the day.
• Doner kebab from Burgerian Falafel & Grill, a tiny shop popular among locals.
• Ice cream from Parkcaféet, a cafe near Gröna Lund.
• Meatballs from Meatballs for the People, a popular Swedish restaurant with a variety of meatball options.
• Shrimp sandwich at Lisa Elmqvist, a long-standing restaurant inside Östermalms Food Hall, a popular food hall.
• Swedish wrap at Haqet – Swedish Street Food, a casual restaurant with a large menu of traditional Swedish food.
• Tonkotsu ramen at Tokyo Ramen, a popular ramen restaurant with an open kitchen.

Drink:

• Coffee from Muttley & Jack’s Coffee Roasters, one of the city’s top roasteries.
• Italian coffee at D’Abramo, a small Italian cafe.
• Latte at Café Pascal – Östermalm, a small coffee shop with an open wall.

Do:

• Climb on the play equipment at Humlegården, an enclosed playground with lots of things for kids to do.
• Read books in English at The English Bookshop, a quaint bookstore in a trendy neighborhood filled with shops.
• Ride roller coasters at Gröna Lund, a 19th century amusement park along the water.
• Shop at Designtorget, a gift shop and home goods store on a popular street.
• Take your kids to Kristinebergs Slottspark, a park on the edge of the city with an animal-themed playground. Nearby is Golfbaren Kristineberg, a mini golf course with a cafe that serves sangria and ice cream.
• Thrift in SoFo, a trendy neighborhood with local thrift stores and shops.
• Visit Rosendals Trädgård, a former royal garden that’s now a community garden and cafe.
• Walk through the Brunkeberg Tunnel, a pedestrian tunnel.

See:

• Katarina Kyrka, a yellow church rebuilt after a 1990 fire.
• Konserthuset Stockholm, the city’s main concert hall with a free museum inside with an art room for children.
• Metro stations with unique art like a giant rainbow at Stadion or the art at T-Centralen or the video game-themes at Thorildsplan.
• Muralmålning Os Gêmeos by the famous Brazilian twin artists.
• Reading room at the National Library for beautiful design.
• Sculptures at Artipelag, a free art museum outside of the city.
• View of the city from Katarina Elevator, which is free to ride.

We then took a long train ride from Stockholm to Oslo for three days.

Eat:

• Fried chicken Caesar salad at Jimmy’s, a top-rated restaurant with an open kitchen.
• Pancakes with jam from Babbo Collective Øvrefoss, a popular brunch spot with an open kitchen.

Drink:

• Cappuccino freddo at Tim Wendelboe, named the second-best coffee shop in the world and Europe’s best coffee shop.
• Latte from Supreme Roastworks AS, a small, popular coffee shop.

Do:

• Browse books at Deichman Bjørvika, Oslo’s main public library with countless books, reading nooks, and beautiful architecture.
• Swim in the sea at Operastranda, a public beach next to the Oslo Opera House.
• Take your kids to one of Oslo’s many unique playgrounds like Snippenparken or Rudolf Nilsens Plass with built-in trampolines.

See:

• Oslo Lufthavn, often considered one of the world’s most beautiful airports. You can get to the airport in 20 minutes from a train that leaves from Oslo Central Station throughout the day.
• “The Sky Is the Limit” mural by Fad Labi. There are several other large-scale murals nearby.
• View of the city from the rooftop at the Oslo Opera House, a design-forward building along the water.
• Vigeland Park, the world’s largest sculpture park by a single artist.

Next, we picked up a rental electric car to drive to a small village in the fjords called Balestrand to stay at this waterside cottage. Here’s what we did while in the fjords.

Eat:

• Seafood soup at Baalee Restaurant, a small restaurant near the water.

Drink:

• Local hard cider at Ciderhuset, a family-owned cidery with tours and an exhibit on the history of cider.

Do:

• Drive from Balestrand to Flåm to see mountains, fjords, glaciers, and pastures that look other-worldly. The route includes ferries, a regular part of public transportation in the area.
• Hike up Raudmelen, a mountain peak with views of the fjords and Easter eggs like painted rocks, cabins, and more along its trail.
• Kayak in the water by the fjords. If you’re brave, dip into the cold sea.
• Take the scenic train to Flåm Zipline, the longest zipline in northern Europe. Afterwards, take bikes back to Flåm to see one of the world’s most beautiful trails.

See:

• St. Olafs Kirke, a 19th century church that inspired a scene in the popular movie Frozen.

After three days, we drove three hours to Bergen, Norway’s second-largest city, to explore for another three days.

Eat:

• Chocolate with brown cheese from Fjåk Chocolate Shop & Café, a local chocolate shop with a robust hot chocolate menu.
• Green curry with chicken at Siam Ratree Thai Restaurant, a Thai restaurant with a more affordable lunch menu.
• Grilled cabbage from Løvetann Café & Bistro, a woman-owned restaurant on a hill with city views.
• Maple donut from Donutbakeren, a donut bakery with warm pastries in the mornings.
• Neapolitan pizza at Trattoria del Napoli, a small pizzeria where reservations are recommended.
• Shakshuka from Kafé & Restaurant Spesial, a Mediterranean restaurant with a breakfast menu.
• Waffle with brown cheese and jam at Skg.Vinkafé, a corner restaurant with friendly service and an upstairs dining room.

Drink:

• Latte from Blom, a top-rated coffee shop with a few tables and wi-fi.

Do:

• Dive into the cold sea at Nordnes Sjøbad, a public bath with an outdoor heated swimming pool, saunas, and diving boards.
• Shop at Heim Bryggen AS, a local gift shop with design-forward toys, candles, clothes, and more.
• Swim at Vannkanten Waterworld, an indoor water park with waterslides, pools, saunas, and more.
• Take the cable car (Fløibanen) to Fløyen, a mountain peak with views of Bergen, a playground, goats, a cafe, and more. Afterwards, walk down.
• Walk through Nygårdsparken, a large city park with sculptures and a playground with trampolines.

See:

• Bergen’s Fish Market, one of the world’s oldest fish markets dating back to the 13th century.
• Cobblestone alleys in Strangehagen, one of Bergen’s quaint neighborhoods.
• Old telephone booths converted into Little Free Libraries. There’s one across the street from Løvetann Café & Bistro.
• Red wooden tiny house next to Joanna Paints / JM Atelier, an art gallery.
• Subtle street art on most blocks throughout the city.

Flying back to Washington, D.C. via Amsterdam, we got a bonus day for 24 hours thanks to a KLM canceled flight. KLM put us up in a nice hotel and paid for our meals and clothes until we flew out the next day.