Thinking of Visiting Stockholm from Feb 17th to Feb 23rd

Average hours of sunshine per day in Stockholm during February: 2.4. The period you're looking at, being later in the month, should be a bit better than average, but it doesn't sound like a good time of year to me. I'm sure there are tons of indoor activities, though. Are you the sort of traveler who doesn't spend a lot of time wandering around outdoors? In that case case, it might be OK for you.

Actual weather data on wunderground.com indicates that there were about 16 days in February 2018 when the temperature didn't reach 32F. Remember that the day's high temperature is not what you'll experience if you're outdoors at 8 AM or 8 PM.

Thanks. We visited both Prague and Parisian those months and walked around. But of course Stockholm is north of both. We do like to do outdoor activities but we also like cultural activities too. Thanks for the response.

I visited Stockholm in the summer and loved it, but even so I'm not sure it has a week's worth of activities, unless you want a slower paced trip. It's a smaller city than, say, Paris or London, so it can be "done" in 3-4 days. I also loved the interplay of water and islands in the city, and I'm not sure that will be visible or palpable in the winter.

Remember that the Skansen will not be open then. Everything else should be, although some things may be on shorter hours (I assume, for instance, that English language tours of Drottningholm Palace will be curtailed). Check websites for any place that interests you, to avoid disappointment.

I didn't get to take any day trips, but the one that interested me was Uppsala, a university town. Again, as a university town it should be busy in February.

While hotels may be reasonable, do look at other prices. I was there in 2003 and don't have more current information, but I remember it seeming expensive, even being used to New York City prices. Rick's book did have some great budget tips (like the lunch specials all over on weekdays).

The hours of daylight may be somewhat longer, over 9 hours per day for late February.
weatherspark.com timeanddate.com wunderground.com
(added) From the weatherspark site, it's overcast about half the time & partly to mostly cloudy about a third of the time, leaving, on average, little clear, sunny weather.
As you can see, temperatures start to improve quickly starting in March.

A week is a long time for Stockholm but it is a very comfortable city to be in, and getting the week pass on an Access card for the transit system (break even @ 3 days) means one of the more expensive items there becomes cheap. You could look into things like the opera or symphony. Day trips that are interesting (transport included with the Access pass) are Sigtuna which is just nice enough to justify the trip, the bronze age Jordbro Grave Field (15 min walk from the suburban train), and Uppsala (small funds add on for the Access card).

Winters in Stockholm are much milder than say the Midwest. Minimum winter temps similar to Washington DC or Seattle, maybe 5 degrees F colder. Not sure where you live.

The Express is something everyone seems to take but it is expensive and doesn't work as well as the suburban train for most areas of the city. The Access card covers the airport transport via city bus + train if you are a tad adventurous.

I lived in Stockholm for two years. I always recommend that people visit in the summer because the Swedish summer is just glorious.

In February, it will be cold and overcast. The temperature will likely be in the 20s or 30s. I’d suggest good shoes with traction as when it ices up, course sand is scattered on the sidewalk. I wore hiking boots often when I was out and about in winter.

The must-do sights are the Vasa Museum and the City Hall. There are quite a few museums, depending on your interest that can fill up your time. The Nordic Museum, The National Gallery, Modern Museum, Thielska Gallery, Photography Museum, Historical Museum, Nordic Museum, Royal Armory, and Abba Museum can be worthwhile depending on your interests.

Skansen IS open in February but with reduced hours. Skansen can be disappointing in the off-season as there are fewer activities and many of the historic buildings are either closed or lack interpreters.

There may be winter activities that you can do. There is an ice rink in the middle of Kungsträdgården. If it is cold enough, they plow a track on one of the nearby lakes (http://www.hellasgarden.se/en/) and you can rent the skates. Hellasgården also has cross country skii rental if there is snow.

You can make sure to take a coffee break (”fika”) to warm up with a cinnamon or cardemum bun at a traditional bakery like Vetekatten or Sturekatten. During lent, there are pastries called ”semlor” which Swedes go crazy for and you should be sure to try them. They are buns with almond paste and whip cream, sprinkled with powdered sugar (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semla).

"Skansen IS open in February but with reduced hours. "

Oops - that's what I get for assuming and not checking! Sorry.

I visited Stockholm in mid-November 2009. It was cold (google says the high was 37), the sun set by 3:30pm and it was dark by 4:30pm. And it was absolutely wonderful. The usual off-season caveats come with this - cold, dark, reduced hours. But if it's go to Stockholm in February or don't go at all - Definitely go!

We (me and three female friends) stayed in a hostel in Gamla Stan and every morning walked to Cafe Kaffekoppen (the red building on Stortorget) for cups/bowls of hot chocolate and cinnamon buns as big as your head. We did visit the Skansen, and while a lot of the buildings were closed, the baker and glass-blower were open, as were the animals. We took a tour around the - bay? Lake? Not out to the archipelago. Again, it was grey and the windows were up to keep the heat in the boat, but it was still fun. There was a market with beautiful fruits and veggies; I bought a banana that was literally frozen. We also toured the palace and Vasa Museum. I wish we had been able to visit Drottningholm Palace, but it was closed on weekdays. You'll want to double-check this; I'm assuming the same hold true for February. The ice bar is good, touristy fun.

The only thing I will caution is that you are there for a while. We were there two full days and saw a lot. If we'd had a week, would we have lingered and perhaps not rushed? Sure. But I don't feel like we short-changed any of the places we went. And in the cold, you won't want to meander over an outdoor meal. As others have said, you might find yourself pressed to fill the week. Unfortunately, I haven't been anywhere else in Scandinavia, so I can't make any real suggestions. My mom took the ferry to Helsinki in the '70s, and my aunt found Tallinn to be very interesting. Perhaps add one of those places?

every morning walked to Cafe Kaffekoppen (the red building on Stortorget) for cups/bowls of hot chocolate and cinnamon buns as big as your head.

I’ll second Kaffekoppen and its neighbor Chokladkoppen. They are both in Stortorget on Gamla Stan.