Stockholm? Former Scandinavia tour members

I have never been on the Scandinavia tour but have been to Stockholm twice. I suggest checking out Sodermalm, is the neighborhood just south of Gamla Stan (Old Town). Take the T Bana to the Mariatorget stop. There is a nice litte park there, great neighborhood with fun bars, cafes, restaurants. The Rival Hotel faces Mariatorget Square. It is a great hotel owned by Benny Andersson of ABBA.

On this website, things recommended as not covered in the tour to consider on your own are: "Royal Armory; Skansen; archipelago cruise; Millesgården sculpture museum; Drottningholm Palace; Royal Palace Museums; day trips to Uppsala or Sigtuna; overnight trips to Helsinki or Tallinn." Of those, I saw the following (I went on my own and was not on a tour): Royal Armory: if you like armor, go; if not, skip it. Millesgården sculpture museum: wonderful, one of the highlights of Stockholm for me. Of the listed ones I went to, this is my top pick.
Drottningholm Palace: I don't like palaces as a rule, but I did like this one. If you do like palaces, don't miss it. I took the boat over; if you do this, be sure to use sunscreen, as I got a nasty sunburn! Royal Palace Museums: not sure, but I know I saw the Coaches. They were...Royal Coaches. I've seen similar in Lisbon and other places. I saw Helsinki on the same trip, along with Stockholm, Oslo, and Bergen; of the four, Helsinki was the least enticing. I've never been to Tallinn, I didn't get to Skansen, Sigtuna, or Uppsala, and I flew from Helsinki to Stockholm rather than taking the boat, thus missing the archipelago. I agree that walking around Soedermalm was very nice, as were the "back lanes" in Gamla Stan. I just enjoyed Stockholm in general - a very nice city to hang out in.

I haven't been on the tour but these are some suggestions. If the weather is nice, I'd recommend lunch at Rosendalsträdgårdskafe. This is not a tourist place. It is an apple orchard and garden with a cafe with lovely organic salads, sandwiches, and cakes. You can sit outdoors at picnic tables. It is one of my favorite places for lunch. www.rosendalstradgard.se/section.php?id=0000000052 I also really like Östermalms Saluhallen. This is an old-fashioned indoor market. You can pick up things for a picnic or have lunch in the market. There are other markets in Stockholm, but I think this one is the most impressive. www.saluhallen.com Stockholm is best seen from the water, so again if the weather is nice, you might want to do something by boat. You could take the boat to Drottningholm or visit one of the islands in the achipelago. For Skansen, check their website. On the weekend they often have special things like folk dancing. You might want to time your visit accordingly. If you want a really fabulous view of Stockholm, go to the street called Fjällgatan on Södermalm which is up on a cliff and has great views looking back on Gamla Stan. If you are a "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" fan, you might see about the Millennium walking tours of Södermalm. I haven't done this. If you like opera or ballet, you might see if anything is on during your visit at the Opera House (www.operan.se). They sell last-minute tickets at half price starting one hour before the performance.