Do the locals do — Recommended by an almost local.

Get your Go City and SL travel pass (app) ready. Museums are generally free for under 18s. Adults are the ones that needed to pay.

Transport used to be free with Go City but not anymore. One way transport on the bus cost SEK 43 (SGD 5.75) regardless of distance. I bought a 7 day pass for SEK 470 after realising how expensive transport is. Visit here for more information.

It is always a challenge traveling with children but Stockholm is very much child and elderly friendly. Transport is free if they are on a stroller upon boarding.

Day 1: Distract and Conquer

We arrived early on Sunday morning. The plan was to distract and keep the preschooler up as long as possible to combat jet lag.

First stop, Sparvagsmuseet (Transport Museum) since my boy loves buses. Everything screams vintage and I love it!

The Singapore Mobility Gallery had one real bus on display a few years back but it was removed which disappoint my child greatly. This museum made him so happy.

This museum is not part of Go City, so I did not activate my pass on this day.

After two hours, we headed out across the street and grabbed some snacks from the supermarket before hanging out at the playground nearby for a while before chilling at a deck near the waters behind this playground.

My son said the red houses look like those in his story books.

Day 2: Hop On Hop Off

We were wide awake and came out too early, so we hanged out with Karl XII first while waiting for the Hop On Hop Off Open Top Bus to start operations.

I activated my Go City Pass for the ride. We took one full round and hop off at the last stop, walked to the first stop and hopped on another one again.

I managed to drag my child to Gamla Stan (Old Town) for lunch before heading back at late afternoon.

Day 3: The Great Outdoors. On a quest to use my Go City pass again.

I visited this place with my niece and nephews when they were younger. It was a much better experience seeing people in traditional costumes doing traditional crafts previously.

Summer holiday activities has not started when I was there yet so many places are not open. The preschooler was hungry when we arrived and we spend a lot of time looking for restaurants that are open.

Since our lunch place was near the entrance, I did not want to walk back to the crowd and decided to exit and visit another place with my child.

The amusement park is a short walk from where we were. I went past it on my previous trip and now I finally got to visit with my child.

He only asked for a balloon and ice cream (luckily no rides), so we just walked around aimlessly before heading back.

Day 4: Another day of museums

We started the day taking the bus to the park before heading to the museum.

I needed the toilet at this point but I can’t find any public toilets so I had to convince my child we had to head to the next destination ASAP. Public toilets are also expensive.

The museum we wanted to visit is only open at 11am. Luckily the one next to it is already open so I finally got my toilet break.

In awe with the displays. Is this the reason why this country is so strong in STEM?

The little boy kept running around and exploring everything. Maybe he will be an engineer in future…

Next…

I love the real life size displays. Can we have something like these in Singapore too? We spent some time here before heading back.

Day 5: Free Activities Day

By this day, I already made up my mind not to extend my Go City Pass because I find it a struggle to use it since my child’s mood and interest is unpredictable.

There are so much more places to visit with the pass and will be good to go on hop on and off boats and tours with the card but all I really needed was the SL Pass to get around on the bus, train and even tram.

We started the day by taking the bus to The Royal Palace. I was hoping to catch the changing of guards since we missed it on Day 2.

The boy remembered the route and told me he did not want to go there again but I made him. I was afraid he will throw a tantrum. Stressed.

We reached 30 minutes before the parade and the preschooler was already whining after waiting for 10 minutes. I wanted him to at least watch and appreciate it and chose not to give in to him.

We went for another walk in Gamla Stan where I bought some goodies and gifts back before we headed to Hard Rock Cafe for lunch.

At 3pm when we reached the park, he asked me why the kids are all younger than him. I told him because kids his age are in school. No such problems after 4pm though.

Day 6: Swedish National Day

It was a holiday so we got an additional day to hang out. I was really happy to see my niece and nephew playing with my son.

We had picnic and there was opera in the park which the crown princess graced the event.

Events like this in Singapore Botanical Gardens were too hot and humid. We can never replicate this because the weather in Stockholm summer was cold but so suitable for such events.

Day 7: Shopping Day

My sister asked my niece to babysit my son at The Post Museum while we went shopping at Gamla Stan (Again!). Museums are free for them so no brainer. I just had to buy more tourist stuff back.

We had lunch and ice cream before we headed back to town. My niece wanted to buy some clothes so I went along and bought her some.

Day 8: Another chilled day with teenage babysitters.

I visited this museum before and I had no interest to go in again so the arrangement that kids go in and adults go for coffee was good for me. Free entry for kids again.

Lazing around with coffee and enjoying the view and weather. Shiok.

I went thrift shopping with my niece alone in an attempt to establish myself as a trusted adult figure in the family after this and called it a day. Really not easy.

My son cried to sleep on this night which was the last night. He said he likes his cousins and did not want to leave. I joined him in crying as well. We wiped off each other’s tears.

Day 9: Goodbye is never easy.

I woke up before 4am because I could not sleep and did some last minute packing and had another cup of coffee and chat with my sister.

She helped me carry all my luggage down and we bade goodbye after loading everything into the cab.

With a sibling so far away, it felt like a part of me was missing. I was holding in my tears until the cab drove off. I cried whenever they leave Singapore and I cried whenever I leave Sweden.

Till we meet again Stockholm family.