The 15 Best History Tours in Sweden

1.Ghost Walk and Historical Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 2,206 reviews · from $31Our pick

Walk through Gamla Stan with a Swedish- or English-speaking guide such as Callum, Cody, Chris, Reece, or Louis. In 1.5 hours, you’ll hear grim tales of executions, plague, poltergeists, and murder while exploring courtyards, passageways, old walls, and a crypt.

“Chris, our tour guide, was absolutely brilliant! He immersed us in the history of Stockholm for 1.5 hours in an interactive and humorous way, always staying true to the motto of the tour with a few scares here and there. An absolutely fantastic experience that I can recommend to everyone with this guide.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.The Original Stockholm Ghost Walk and Historical Tour – Gamla Stan

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,165 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $38

Walk Stockholm’s medieval Gamla Stan with an English-speaking guide such as Chris, Callum, Reese, or Cody. Expect 90 minutes of murders, plague tales, executions, legends, humor, and narrow lanes, with a possible visit beneath the old German church. Wear warm clothes and sturdy shoes.

“This was such a fun walking tour! Our guide Callum was hilarious, engaging, and very knowledgeable. While the theatrics were a bit over the top, it’s what made the tour a great time.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Old Town Historical Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 344 reviews · from $52

Join Kiki, a native English-speaking Authorized Stockholm Guide, for a relaxed two-hour walk through Gamla Stan. Follow cobbled lanes past Stortorget, the German church, the narrowest street, the Royal Palace, St. George and the Dragon, and Stockholm’s Cathedral in a group of up to 10.

“Kiki was an amazing tour guide. She really gave a great historical tour of the old city and was engaging. She really shared the love of her city and made the start of my vacation great. Would recommend highly for any visitor. She also added personally recommendations of other things to do and eat while I am here.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Viking History, Runes & Countryside 9h Tour to Sigtuna & Uppsala

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 283 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $298

Travel from Stockholm into the countryside with guides such as Olof, Calle, or Gabriel. Read Viking runes at Broby and Jarlabanke, visit Sigtuna and Old Uppsala, and see Uppsala Cathedral and castle. This small-group tour runs about nine hours and includes central hotel or selected cruise-port transfers.

“Great trip for history buffs. The day is well paced with a good balance between travel and exploring. Our guide Olof was very knowledgeable. Lots of opportunities for bathroom and snack breaks.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Stockholm Viking History Full Day Tour to Sigtuna + Uppsala

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 218 reviews · from $266

Spend 8 to 9 hours exploring Viking sites near Stockholm with a guide such as Åsa, Calle, Olof, or Gabriel. Walk through old Sigtuna, see Broby Bridge’s graves and Jarlabanki’s reconstructed bridge, then visit Old Uppsala and its great cathedral. Hotel pickup, transport, and drop-off are included.

“Our guide was Åsa. We have had a lot of guided tours but you don’t often get an archaeologist and university teacher as your guide! We learned a lot from Åsa, we were very lucky to have her as a guide! She speaks fluent English and was very friendly, very talkative, informative and funny! We had a perfekt day! The tour was good organised, the bus was also comfortable, the driver was very good.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Viking History and Swedish Countryside Tour to Sigtuna & Uppsala

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 162 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $274

Spend about nine hours with a guide such as Urban, Olof, Angus, or Carl tracing Viking and medieval Sweden from Stockholm. See Jarlabanke’s Bridge, ancient runes, Viking house foundations, Sigtuna, Old Uppsala, and Uppsala Cathedral. Hotel pickup, minibus transport, and a small group are included.

“This bus tour is the best way yo see the towns of Sigtuna and Uppsala along with their history. The drive thru the countryside is beautiful!”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Viking History Small Group Tour from Stockholm: Half Day Including Sigtuna

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 111 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $193

Travel from Stockholm into the countryside with a live English-speaking guide, visiting Broby Bro’s Viking graves, Jarlabanke’s rune stones, Arkils tingstad, and Sigtuna, Sweden’s oldest city. Hotel and cruise-port pickup is included in the central area, while lunch in Sigtuna is at your own cost.

“Somewhat disappointed as we did not visit everything we were told and the stop in Sigtuna was only 45’ which included lunch. This stop needs to be at least 90’ so you can visit the old town smalls square and museum. I would suggest the full day tour instead if time in Sigtuna is longer.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Stockholm Old Town Gamla Stan, Historic Walking Tour, Small group

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 54 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $48Top rated

Walk Stockholm’s Gamla Stan with Kiki in a group capped at 10 people. Over two hours, you’ll see old lanes, Stortorget, German and Finnish churches, the Royal Palace, and the narrowest street in the Old Town, with practical advice on food and sightseeing.

“Kiki was phenomenal! Amazing personality and highly knowledgeable. Enjoyed every second of the tour.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Private Full Day Viking History Tour from Stockholm Including Sigtuna and Uppsala

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 51 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $672

Travel from Stockholm into Sweden’s Viking past with a private guide, visiting Broby Bro, Jarlabanke Bridge, Arkils tingstad, Sigtuna, Uppsala Cathedral, and Gamla Uppsala. Guides such as Olaf, Calle, Gabriel, and Nadia bring the stories to life, while lunch and fika are at your own expense.

“This tour provides a wonderful opportunity to get out of Stockholm, see the rural beauty of Sweden and get exposure to the history of Sweden during the heydey of the Vikings. It's a great counterpoint to the city/old-town tours that focus only on historical Stockhom. Our tour guide Calle, was well-versed in Scandanavian midieval history but was just as happy to explain any aspect of Swedish life from ancient to modern-day. For information, this is a private tour, only two of us participated, and full day so the prices are accordingly higher than the small or large group tours. I would strongly recommend this if you are looking for a…”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Sigtuna and Uppsala Viking History Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 41 reviews · 8.5 hours · from $255

Join an English-speaking guide, often Urban, for a full day of Viking sites around Stockholm. Visit Jarlabanke’s Bridge, Granby’s runestones, Sweden’s oldest town, Uppsala Cathedral, and Gamla Uppsala. Hotel pickup, a van, and guided visits make this a practical choice for history fans.

“La nostra guida è stata stupenda, gentile, è passato a prelevarci proprio alla soglia dell' hotel, e lì a sera ci ha riportati. Abbiamo visitato numerosissimi luoghi che sarebbero stati impossibili da visitare in autonomia. La guida è cordiale e gentile, non ha mai smesso di parlare dei luoghi e narrare storie di questi, non si ferma nemmeno alla guida, è instancabile! La guida ha un accento particolare, non è British, quindi per i non esperti della lingua può essere più faticoso seguire a pieno, ma nulla di impossibile, basta essere consapevoli di poter perdere qualche parola, che cmq si può dedurre dal contesto. La consigliamo!”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.3-4h Viking History Short Day Tour from Stockholm

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 41 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $143

Leave central Stockholm for a small-group tour of Viking sites around Täby and Vallentuna. With guides such as Jonathan, Olof, Angus, and Erik, you’ll see rune stones, a Viking burial ground, an ancient assembly site, and a 1190 church.

“Both tour guides were very knowledgeable and made the trip very interesting They even had umbrellas ready so when it rained we were covered”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Viking Culture and Heritage Small Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 29 reviews · 3 hours · from $138

Leave central Stockholm with an English-speaking guide such as Erik and visit Broby bro, Jarlabanke Bridge, and Arkils tingstad. See 1,000-year-old runestones, Viking graves, ancient roads, and countryside sites in a group of no more than 16.

“È stata una bellissima esperienza. La guida ci è venuta a prendere in hotel e ci ha portato sulle tracce dei vichinghi in paesini fuori Stoccolma e in una foresta piena di rovine vichinghe che conduceva ad un lago ghiacciato. Il tutto innevato e a -10 gradi. Munitevi di dopo sci e abbigliamento adeguato altrimenti rischiate di non riuscire a terminare il tour per il freddo pungente. Bellissime le storie sui vichinghi del posto che ci ha raccontato in loco la guida e in macchina durante il viaggio di andata e ritorno. Veramente consigliato.”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Private Half Day Tour: Viking History Trip from Stockholm Including Sigtuna

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 26 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $532

Travel from Stockholm with a private guide such as Olof, Jakob, or Gustav to Broby Bro, Täby, Arkils tingstad, and Sigtuna. Read Viking runestones, visit church ruins, hear stories of Estrid and Jarlabanke, and stop for lunch at your own expense.

“Fantastic tour with great guide Calle, very personable, fun, and full of information, we couldn't have asked for a better escort through the Viking history, Thank you!”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Private Tour: 3h Viking History from Stockholm to Runic Kingdom

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 23 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $431

Leave Stockholm with a private guide and vehicle for four Viking-era sites in Täby and Vallentuna. Hear about Estrid, Jarlabanke, rune stones, Viking law, and Swedish medieval church art. Pickup is offered from central hotels and several cruise ports at 9:30 a.m.

“The guide was very friendly and addressed all of our questions. He was also interested in our general backgrounds.”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Lund’s Medieval and Modern History: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 11 reviews · 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $9Best value

Start at Lund Central Station and follow an English VoiceMap audio walk through Stortorget, Lund Cathedral, Kulturen, the Botanical Garden, Professorsstaden, Skissernas Museum, and AF Borgen. The private, self-guided route lasts about an hour and works offline with downloaded audio, maps, and geodata.

“Great tour! Lots of information and takes you through Lunds University, which has a beautiful campus. Keeps you you on track, if you take a wrong turn.”

Check availability →Read our full review