In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Vaxholm is the easy one: Waxholmsbolaget’s boat from Strömkajen takes about an hour, any SL ticket covers it, so a single is SEK 43 each way, and it runs all year. Grinda and Sandhamn need a Waxholmsbolaget ticket, SEK 61 to SEK 186 a single by distance, and Sandhamn takes bus 433 to Stavsnäs first. Strömma’s Cinderella boats to Grinda and Sandhamn do not run until April 2027. The Vaxholm fortress museum is closed for the winter. Or book a tour: a guided archipelago cruisead from SEK 296 sees the islands without landing, and the winter kayak tour with fika and saunaad is from SEK 1,251 (GetYourGuide).
Which island
| Trip | On your own | Cost | Open in winter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vaxholm | Waxholmsbolaget boat, about 1 hour; or SL bus 670, about 50 minutes | SEK 43 each way on an SL ticket | The town and the boat; the fortress is shut |
| Grinda | Waxholmsbolaget line 11 from Strömkajen, 1 hour 55 minutes by the 08:15 boat | A Waxholmsbolaget single, SEK 61 to SEK 186 | Weekday boats |
| Sandhamn | Bus 433 from Slussen to Stavsnäs, then line 16 for 55 to 65 minutes | A Waxholmsbolaget single, about 1.5 hours in all | Yes, via Stavsnäs |
| Fjäderholmarna | Boat from Slussen, about 20 minutes | A boat ticket in season | Summer only; the winter boat tour sails round it |
Tours
The cruises on GetYourGuide are sightseeing cruises, not island days. The guided archipelago cruise on a premium shipad, Strömma’s own 2.5 to 3 hours, is from SEK 296 against SEK 395 on Strömma’s site, 4.3 stars from 12,060 reviews. The live guided cruisead is 2 hours from SEK 283, 4.5 from 6,424, and the cruise with fikaad 2 hours from SEK 330, 4.6 from 1,904. Boat tours compares them.
For a real island day there are two options. The Vaxholm and archipelago small-group day tripad is 7 hours, SEK 2,179, rated 4.7 from 49 reviews, with its first date on 1 June 2027. On your own Vaxholm is SEK 43 each way, or part of a SEK 180 24-hour SL ticket, so the tour buys a guide and a cruise and costs about 25 times as much. The kayak tours paddle rather than land: the archipelago islands kayak tour with a picnicad is SEK 1,390 (4.9 from 287 reviews), and the winter kayaking tour with fika and a hot saunaad is from SEK 1,251, 5.0 from 879 reviews.
Two operators, two kinds of boat
Waxholmsbolaget is the county’s own archipelago line, run by Region Stockholm, which owns SL. It runs all year on timetables that change four times a year, sells tickets in the SL app, and honours SL tickets on part of its network. Strömma runs the Cinderella boats (Cinderellabåtarna) and the steamer S/S Stockholm from Strandvägen, seasonally, with every ticket sold in advance.
Waxholmsbolaget’s M/S Sandhamn in front of Vaxholm Fortress. Photo: Arild Vågen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Vaxholm
SEK 43 each way on an SL ticket · about 1 hour by boat · all year
Vaxholm is a town of wooden houses and a harbour, with a fortress, Vaxholms kastell. The Waxholmsbolaget boat leaves Strömkajen and stops at Nacka strand, Hasseludden and Gåshaga first. It takes 62 minutes on the 08:15 boat, which arrives at 09:17. Any SL single ticket (SEK 43, valid 75 minutes) or travelcard covers it, and the SL app shows which boats count. Keep the paper receipt and give it to the crew when you leave the boat. SL bus 670 from Östra station (Tekniska högskolan metro) takes about 50 minutes.
Vaxholm Fortress on its island across the water from the town. Photo: Arild Vågen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Strömma runs two boats to Vaxholm from Strandvägen, with a café on board. The steamer S/S Stockholm takes 1.5 hours, with live commentary at 12:00 and 15:00, and sails on Saturdays and Sundays at 12:00 until 27 December 2026. The round trip is from SEK 395 and one way from SEK 245. M/S Cinderella II takes 50 minutes. Every Strömma ticket is sold in advance, and a sold-out departure has no tickets on board. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.
Vaxholm Fortress Museum
Adult SEK 120 · closed for the winter · open 24 and 25 October 2026
The fortress museum (Vaxholms kastell) is a summer attraction: its 2026 season ran from 14 May to 6 September, with an autumn-break opening on 24 and 25 October 2026, and the museum says it is closed during the winter season. Tickets are SEK 120 for adults, SEK 100 for pensioners, SEK 60 for ages 13 to 18, and children under 13 with an adult go free. The boat to the fortress, Kastelletbåten, cost SEK 110 return in 2026, and an SL ticket is valid from Strömkajen to Kastellet on the listed Waxholmsbolaget boats. In winter the trip is the boat, the harbour and the town.
Grinda
Waxholmsbolaget line 11 · 1 hour 55 minutes · from SEK 61 a single
Grinda is a nature reserve in the middle archipelago with sandy shallow beaches, woodland walks and a harbour with restaurants and cafés. In winter the way there is Waxholmsbolaget line 11: from 14 September to 12 December 2026 the 08:15 boat from Strömkajen reaches Vaxholm at 09:17 and Södra Grinda at 10:10, Monday to Thursday, and a second boat leaves Strömkajen at 14:45. Strömma’s Cinderella boat to Grinda (1.5 hours, from SEK 245) is not running until April 2027. The Waxholmsbolaget timetable tool shows the return boat for your day, so plan the last boat back before you go.
A jetty on Grinda looking out over the channel between wooded islands. Photo: PierreSelim, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
Sandhamn
Bus 433 and line 16 · about 1.5 hours · from SEK 61 a single
Strömma calls Sandhamn one of Sweden’s premier sailing centres. It has a village of archipelago houses, a bakery, kayaks and bikes for hire, and the Trouville beaches about 20 minutes’ walk from the village. The year-round route is bus 433 from Slussen to Stavsnäs, about an hour, then Waxholmsbolaget line 16, 55 to 65 minutes. Pay with an SL travel card, in the SL app or on board. On weekdays boats leave Stavsnäs at 07:00, 09:45, 14:45 and 18:15 (Monday to Thursday), and leave Sandhamn at about 08:05, 13:30, 17:00 and 19:10 (Monday to Wednesday), on the timetable valid from 17 August to 12 December 2026. Strömma’s direct summer boat from Strandvägen, 2 hours 30 minutes from SEK 265, is not running until April 2027.
Sandhamn harbour, with the village houses behind the jetties. Photo: ArildV, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What runs when
| Service | Now | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Waxholmsbolaget, Vaxholm and the inner islands | All year, on any SL ticket | Winter timetable from 13 December 2026 |
| Waxholmsbolaget to Grinda and Sandhamn | Weekday boats on the autumn timetable to 12 December 2026 | A new timetable on 13 December |
| Strömma, S/S Stockholm to Vaxholm | Saturdays and Sundays at 12:00 to 27 December 2026 | |
| Strömma, Cinderella boats to Grinda and Sandhamn | Not running | From April 2027 |
| Vaxholm Fortress Museum | Open 24 and 25 October 2026 | Closed for the winter |
| Fjäderholmarna | Summer season only | The winter boat tour sails round it from 1 December 2026 |
Tickets
SL tickets work between Strömkajen and Vaxholm with the nearby islands, 44 jetties in all. Beyond that area you need a Waxholmsbolaget ticket, which you buy in the SL app or on board with a Visa or Mastercard. A single is valid 180 minutes, and a round trip costs the same as two singles.
| Group | Adult single | Discounted (ages 7 to 19, students, 65 and over) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SEK 61 | SEK 39 |
| 2 | SEK 84 | SEK 52 |
| 3 | SEK 104 | SEK 64 |
| 4 | SEK 125 | SEK 79 |
| 5 | SEK 154 | SEK 95 |
| 6 | SEK 186 | SEK 114 |
The journey planner shows the price for your route. Children aged 7 to 11 travel free with an SL ticket only inside the SL area, and not on Waxholmsbolaget’s own tickets.
Which to take
- A first island, any season: Vaxholm, SEK 43 each way.
- A beach and woods in autumn: Grinda on a weekday morning boat.
- A sailing village: Sandhamn via Stavsnäs, a long day.
- The islands from the water, with a guide: a cruise from SEK 296.
- An island on the water in winter: the kayak tour with fika and a sauna.
- A palace on the water: day trips from Stockholm covers Drottningholm and the Mälaren boats.
Stockholm public transport has the SL tickets and the Djurgården ferry. Boat tours covers the city and winter cruises, and Gamla Stan is what the boats pass first. What to book before you go to Stockholm lists everything else that needs a ticket.
Common questions
What is the easiest archipelago day trip from Stockholm?
Vaxholm. Waxholmsbolaget's boat from Strömkajen takes about an hour (62 minutes on the 08:15 boat), and any SL ticket covers it, so a single is SEK 43. It runs all year, and SL bus 670 from Tekniska högskolan takes about 50 minutes.
Do the archipelago boats run in winter?
Yes. Waxholmsbolaget runs all year, and its autumn timetable is valid to 12 December 2026. Strömma's Cinderella boats to Grinda and Sandhamn do not run until April 2027, and its Vaxholm steamer runs on Saturdays and Sundays at 12:00 until 27 December 2026.
How much is a boat to Grinda or Sandhamn?
A Waxholmsbolaget single is SEK 61, 84, 104, 125, 154 or 186 for an adult, by distance, valid 180 minutes. A round trip costs two singles. Strömma's summer Cinderella boats are from SEK 245 to Grinda and SEK 265 to Sandhamn.
How do I get to Sandhamn in winter?
Take bus 433 from Slussen to Stavsnäs, about an hour, then Waxholmsbolaget line 16 for 55 to 65 minutes. In all it takes about 1.5 hours, and you can pay with an SL travel card, in the SL app or on board.
Is the Vaxholm fortress open in winter?
No. The museum is closed for the winter season, apart from an autumn-break opening on 24 and 25 October 2026. Adult tickets are SEK 120.
Is a tour worth it for Vaxholm?
Rarely on cost. The trip is SEK 43 each way on an SL ticket, against SEK 2,179 for the small-group day trip, which first runs on 1 June 2027. A guided archipelago cruise from SEK 296 sees the islands from the water but does not land.
