In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The changing of the guard at the Royal Palace is free. The ceremony in the Outer Courtyard begins at 12:15 on weekdays, including Saturdays, and at 13:15 on Sundays and public holidays, and lasts about 40 minutes. The parade’s start changes with the season: a mounted parade on selected days from April to August, and from Mynttorget in the Old Town in November and December, circling the palace. The Swedish Armed Forces, who run the guard, say times and places are subject to change, and give a day-by-day calendar. Prices are in Swedish kronor. Or book a tour: the Gamla Stan tour with the changing of the guardad is from SEK 167 (GetYourGuide).
The ceremony
The parade marches to the Outer Courtyard of the Royal Palace, where the guard changes. The Armed Forces’ page for the Royal Guard holds the calendar, and the Royal Court’s palace pages point to it for dates and times.
Guardsmen in the Outer Courtyard of the Royal Palace. Photo: Dennis G. Jarvis, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
| When | Ceremony begins |
|---|---|
| Weekdays, including Saturdays | 12:15 |
| Sundays and public holidays | 13:15 |
| Parade | When | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Mounted, with the Life Guards’ Dragoon Music Corps | Selected days from April to August | The cavalry barracks at Lidingövägen 28, then Sturegatan, Stureplan, Birger Jarlsgatan, Nybroplan, Hamngatan, Kungsträdgårdsgatan, Strömgatan, Gustav Adolfs torg and Norrbro |
| On foot | As the calendar lists | The Army Museum at Riddargatan 13, then Artillerigatan, Strandvägen, Nybroplan, Hamngatan, Kungsträdgårdsgatan, Strömgatan, Gustav Adolfs torg and Norrbro |
| On foot, selected days | Selected days | Sergels torg, then Hamngatan, Kungsträdgårdsgatan, Strömgatan, Gustav Adolfs torg and Norrbro |
| From the Old Town | November and December | Mynttorget, circling the Royal Palace into the Outer Courtyard. On certain winter days the parade leaves the Army Museum instead |
- No promise for a day. The Armed Forces keep a daily calendar and say times and locations are subject to change. Check it the day before.
- The Royal Guards have had a presence at the palace since 1523, the Royal Court says, when 100 to 200 soldiers also looked after the city’s security and fire protection. Units from across Sweden make up the guards today, and the Life Guard has the main responsibility.
Tours worth paying for
The guard is free to watch, and a tour adds a guide and Gamla Stan. The listing below is a reseller’s tour. Prices are the lowest “from” prices, per person.
Gamla Stan tour with the changing of the guard
From SEK 167 · 1 hour · English · 4.4 stars from 21 reviews
Stockholm: Gamla Stan Tour & Changing of the Guard Ceremonyad meets at the Royal Palace for the ceremony, then walks Gamla Stan’s streets and courtyards with a guide, ending with an optional upgrade to a palace entry ticket. The listing says “Skip the ticket line”; the guard needs no ticket, and the palace states that it has no skip-the-ticket lines at its entrances. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
What to see
The palace is in Gamla Stan, and the ceremony is in its Outer Courtyard.
The guard marching in the Outer Courtyard. Photo: UKgeofan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- The parade. In November and December it starts at Mynttorget and circles the palace before it enters the courtyard. In summer the routes run through the city from Lidingövägen or the Army Museum, along Nybroplan and Norrbro.
- The ceremony. About 40 minutes in the Outer Courtyard.
- The palace. One ticket covers the Royal Apartments, the Treasury and the Tre Kronor Museum, and the Royal Armoury is under the same roof at its own price. See Royal Palace tickets.
- Gamla Stan. The cathedral, the Nobel Prize Museum and Stortorget are a few streets away. See Gamla Stan.
Norrbro, with the Royal Opera and Gustav Adolfs torg beyond. Photo: dustyd, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
The order that works: be at the Outer Courtyard before 12:15 on a weekday or 13:15 on a Sunday, and go into the palace afterwards, since the Apartments and the Treasury are open to 16:00. What to skip: the Royal Armoury on a Monday, when it is closed.
Rules, times and getting there
- Sundays and holidays: the ceremony is an hour later, at 13:15.
- Winter: the parade starts at Mynttorget in November and December, and on certain winter days at the Army Museum.
- Summer: the mounted parade runs on selected days from April to August.
- Getting there: the palace is in Gamla Stan. Stockholm public transport has the fares.
- The one thing that ruins a visit: assuming a mounted parade. It runs only on selected days from April to August, and in November and December the parade is on foot from Mynttorget.
The guard is free, like Monteliusvägen and the metro art. What to book in Stockholm has the closed days for every sight. Gamla Stan and the Royal Palace are next door, and the Gamla Stan walk builds a day round the 12:15 ceremony. Stockholm walking tours compare the guided options. 3 days in Stockholm puts the guard at midday. For a bed in the Old Town, see where to stay in Stockholm.
Common questions
What time is the changing of the guard in Stockholm?
The ceremony in the Royal Palace's Outer Courtyard begins at 12:15 on weekdays, including Saturdays, and at 13:15 on Sundays and public holidays. It lasts about 40 minutes. The Swedish Armed Forces say that times and locations are subject to change.
Is the changing of the guard free?
Yes. The ceremony in the Outer Courtyard needs no ticket.
Where does the guard parade start?
It depends on the season. In November and December the parade leaves Mynttorget in the Old Town and circles the Royal Palace. From April to August a mounted parade with the Life Guards' Dragoon Music Corps runs on selected days from the cavalry barracks at Lidingövägen 28. The foot parade leaves the Army Museum at Riddargatan 13 or, on selected days, Sergels torg.
Is there a parade every day?
The Armed Forces keep a day-by-day calendar on their page for the Royal Guard. The mounted parade runs on selected days only, and the parade on foot departs from different places on different days. The page makes no promise for a given day.
How long has the guard been at the Royal Palace?
The Royal Court says the Royal Guards have been at the palace since 1523, when they were 100 to 200 soldiers who also kept the city's security and fire protection.
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