Outdoor and Water Activities in Stockholm: Summer 2026 Guide
Stockholm is one of the easiest cities in the world to enjoy outdoors in summer. Water on every side. Forest you can reach by metro. Daylight until almost 11 pm in June and July. The locals are out on lakes, in saunas, and barefoot in parks from late May through September, and visitors are very welcome to join.
These are the outdoor and water activities I send visitors to first.
SUP yoga and sauna at Sickla Strand
Yoga on a paddleboard on a calm Stockholm lake, followed by a sauna at the water's edge. It is the most "Stockholm summer" experience I can think of, and the activity I built my whole season around.
A class starts on shore with a short briefing, then we paddle out to an anchor point and run a 45 to 50 minute flow on the boards. Vinyasa one week, yin the next, depending on weather and energy. Boards are wide and stable and very forgiving. You do not need yoga experience, you do not need paddleboard experience, you just need to be able to swim. The class is taught in English.
Afterwards: sauna by the water. Most people swim between the heat and the cool-down. This is the part visitors do not expect and end up loving the most.
How to book
Two ways:
- –Drop-in classes: Open SUP yoga classes run weekly through the season (late April through September). 350 kr per class including board and sauna. 1000 kr for a 10-class pass. Booking goes through Smashing Balance.
- –Private events: For groups of 3 or more, private SUP yoga is usually a better fit. From 500 kr per person, sauna included, optional add-ons like trail running and food. Email hello.yogawithcamilla@gmail.com with your dates and group size for a quote.
Sickla Strand is in Nacka, 10 to 15 minutes from central Stockholm by tunnelbana (Sickla or Hammarby Sjöstad). Bring a swimsuit and a towel.
Wild swimming at the city badplatser
Stockholm has free public swimming spots within walking distance of almost every neighbourhood. The water is properly swimmable from late June through August. A few worth seeking out.
- –Långholmen. A small island west of Södermalm with rocky swim spots, grass for sunbathing, and a beach on the western side. The classic.
- –Smedsuddsbadet, Kungsholmen. Proper sandy beach in the city, family-friendly, kiosk nearby.
- –Fredhäll. Cliffs on the north side of Kungsholmen, less of a swimming spot, more of a sunset one. Locals bring wine.
- –Hellasgården, Nacka. A lake, a sauna, and a swimming dock in the forest, 20 minutes from town. Pay a small entry fee, stay all day.
- –Sätrabadet. A 30 minute trip south, but a proper beach with shallow water, good for families travelling with small kids.
All free except Hellasgården. None require booking.
Kayaking the city centre
Paddling a kayak through central Stockholm is one of the more surreal ways to see the city. You pass under Slussen, alongside Gamla Stan, out toward Djurgården. Some routes take you into the inner archipelago in a few hours.
Långholmen Kajak rents single and double kayaks by the hour or day, from the southern shore of Långholmen. They also run guided tours if you want company and route planning. Kajak och Uteliv at Tantolunden is the other obvious rental spot, slightly more central. Beginners are absolutely welcome, the water inside the city is calm.
Trail running in Nackareservatet
Stockholm's wild forest, 15 minutes from Slussen by bus. Pine, blueberry, small lakes, and around 50 km of marked trails. You can run 5 km, you can run a half marathon. The terrain is gentle by Swedish standards, with enough rocks and roots to keep it interesting.
Start at Hellasgården (bus 401 from Slussen). Loop one of the lake-circling trails. Finish with a sauna and a swim. This is the runner's version of a perfect Stockholm day.
If you are travelling as a group and want a guided version, I run private trail runs as an add-on to SUP yoga days, usually a gentle 5 to 7 km in Nackareservatet followed by the SUP and sauna at Sickla. The two sit in the same forest, 20 minutes apart by car.
Cycling routes
Stockholm is flatter than people expect and has good cycle paths along most waterfronts. Two routes worth doing if you have a half day.
- –Djurgården loop. From Djurgårdsbron, around the perimeter of the island, past Rosendal and Blockhusudden, back through Skansen. About 12 km, mostly traffic-free.
- –Söder waterfront. Slussen along Söder Mälarstrand to Långholmen, across to Reimersholme, back through Hornstull. About 8 km. Swimming stops built in.
Rent a city bike for the day at any rental shop, or use the public bike share if you have time to sort out a temporary account.
Stand-up paddleboarding (just the paddling, no yoga)
If yoga is not your thing but the lake is calling, you can rent a regular paddleboard for an hour or a day. Sickla SUP rents from the same dock I use for the yoga classes. Hornsberg has rentals on the north side of Kungsholmen. The inner harbour is calm enough for first-timers.
A small note: if you have already paddled and liked it, the yoga version is the natural next step. Most of the people in my drop-in classes had paddled once or twice before deciding to try the yoga version.
Floating saunas and sauna culture
Sauna is not just a Finnish thing, and the Swedes do their own quieter version of it. A few public and floating saunas worth booking.
- –Hammarby Bastuförening. A floating sauna on Hammarbykanalen, bookable by the hour, with a ladder straight into the water. The most loved one in town.
- –Centralbadet. A historic art nouveau bathhouse in the city centre, full spa experience with saunas, steam, and a pool.
- –Hellasgården. Forest sauna with a swimming dock on a lake.
- –Sickla Strand (with me). Sauna at the water's edge, included in every SUP yoga session.
The Swedish way is: heat, cold water, heat again, then sit in silence afterwards. Not performance. Not even particularly social. Just a quiet reset.
If you only do one thing
Pick the one with water and sauna in the same hour. SUP yoga at Sickla Strand is the activity I keep landing on when visitors ask. Book a drop-in class or email hello.yogawithcamilla@gmail.com for a private group experience.
- No. No yoga experience, no paddleboard experience. The boards are wide and stable. You just need to be able to swim. Most people in any given class are first-timers.
- SUP yoga with me is in English. Most rental and guided activities in Stockholm operate in English by default in summer because so many visitors come through. Swedish is rarely needed.
- For SUP yoga: if there is lightning or strong wind I will reschedule or refund. Light rain we still run, with a warm sauna afterwards. For most other outdoor activities, summer rain in Stockholm passes quickly. A light waterproof solves most of it.
- In July and August, Stockholm lake water sits around 20°C, which is comfortable for swimming. In May and September it is colder (12 to 16°C). The sauna afterwards is what makes the cooler months still enjoyable.
- Board, paddle, life jacket if you want one, dry bag for your phone, sauna access, and the instruction itself. You only need to bring a swimsuit and a towel.