Cruise from Stockholm (Sweden)

Photo: neandertours.de

Cruise terminals and getting to the city

Stockholm distributes cruise ships among several berths. When planning your time ashore, the precise quay listed in your travel documents is therefore more important than the general port name. Calls in the inner city berth at Stadsgården, Frihamnen or Värtahamnen; these locations are not all within the same walking distance of the Old Town and city centre.

According to the city’s information, Stadsgården 160 is about a ten-minute walk from Gamla Stan. From Stadsgården 165/167, it is approximately a twenty-minute walk to the Old Town; for these quays, Stockholm also gives an estimated ten-minute journey by bus or taxi. The Stockholm Cruise Center terminals are at Stadsgården 165/167. A call there therefore offers a different starting point from a berth farther east: Gamla Stan is within reach, but the journey to the modern city centre of Norrmalm is longer.

Frihamnen lies northeast of the city centre. The city places quays 634/638 and 650 about three kilometres from the centre and gives an estimated journey time of around twenty minutes by bus or ten minutes by taxi. The Stockholm Cruise Center is located at quay 638. The port authority describes Frihamnen as a major cruise port with three cruise berths and a large terminal facility; quay 638 is specifically designated as a cruise terminal. The quay numbers are not interchangeable: according to the port authority, quay 634 has its own usage restrictions and is not the Cruise Center.

Värtahamnen 523 is also about three kilometres from the city centre, according to the city’s information; estimated journey times are ten minutes by taxi or twenty minutes by bus. The approximate travel times published by the city are intended as a guide; traffic on the day of the call affects the actual journey time.

Gamla Stan, the city centre and getting around

Gamla Stan is the historic Old Town on the island between Norrmalm, the city centre to the north, and Södermalm to the south. It is not the same as the modern city centre around the shopping and transport districts. If you want to visit sights in the Old Town, take into account the quay specified and the walk from there; at Frihamnen or Värtahamnen, taking a bus or taxi into the city is a more practical option than a longer walk.

For onward travel, Stockholm Central Station and the central bus station, Cityterminalen, are next to each other in the city. The station operator describes Cityterminalen as a hub for national and international buses, as well as connections to the airport and ports. The railway station and bus station therefore provide a shared point of reference for arriving and departing by long-distance public transport.

Stadsgården lies on the southern shore of Saltsjön. The port authority defines the area as extending from Slussen in the west to Londonviadukten in the east, and distinguishes the cruise quays 160/167 from the ferry terminals 163/164. So, being on the same waterfront does not mean that all ships use the same terminal.

Nynäshamn is a separate location: the port authority lists its cruise port and Seawalk separately. A call there is not an inner-city berth at Stadsgården, Frihamnen or Värtahamnen. To compare other Baltic ports, see the port profiles for Helsinki, Tallinn and Copenhagen. For finding your way around Stockholm, the specific port and quay listed remain decisive.