Sunny morning stroll
Get your bearings as you whizz round the grand old port on Stromgatan – this road is hemmed with fairytale buildings so huge that they dwarf the cruise ships on the water. Stop for a tour of the opulent 17th-century Opera House (Kungliga Operan AB; 1pm – pick up tickets at midday; £7.50) – no surface has been knowingly left unadorned.
Alfresco lunch
A quick wander over Skeppsholm bridge and you’re on the island of the same name (home to the Modern Art Museum). A cultured crowd lunches on the terrace of Hotel Skeppsholmen (Gröna Gången 1; 00 46 8 407 2300, www.hotelskeppsholmen.com), which has a knock-out view back towards the harbour. Try the cep-filled potato dumplings. Mains around £19.
Souvenir pitstop
Jump in a taxi and make for PUB (Gamla Brogatan 9) – not one of the city’s many drinking dens but its coolest department store, with clothes from hip Scandinavian labels Acne, Dagmar and WeSC.
Decadent drinks and dinner
The name says it all: Riche (Birger Jarlsgatan 4; 00 46 8545 03560, www.riche.se) is where the posh set come to dine, then dance along to Motown in its Lilla Baren bar. It’s been here since 1896, though you wouldn’t know from the sparse decor. Try the king crab claws. Mains around £28.
Wee small hours: Continue with the back-in-time theme at Berns Salonger (Berzelii Park; 00 46 8566 32200, www.berns.se; until 4am), a ballroom-turned-nightclub that’s also been here since the 1890s. Sweden’s prettiest young things check each other out under its dripping chandeliers, between its gilded pillars, and on its terrace overlooking Berzelli Park.
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Sunglasses brunch
Nobody in SoFo on Södermalm island will care if you’re wearing shades on a cloudy day – they’ll also have them clamped to their faces. The city’s hippest ’hood is the place for a strong Swedish coffee: grab one at Nytorget Urban Deli (Nytorget 4; 00 46 8599 09180, www.urbandeli.org) alongside its signature brunch of scrambled egg, bacon, chorizo and French fries. Mains around £16.
Only in Stockholm
There are more than 24,000 islands in the Stockholm archipelago and hopping between them is a breeze. Jump aboard one of Stromma’s majestic early 20th-century vessels (00 46 8120 04000, www.stromma.se; £22pp) for a three-hour cruise through inky water towards the pine-littered Velasmund nature reserve and the island of Tynningo, a popular holiday spot with stressed Stockholmers.
Bed for the night
In a sea of bleached, bland Scandinavian design, Story Hotel (Riddargatan 6; 00 46 8545 03940, www.storyhotels.com) stands out for its ornate funky and oriental touches (check out the bathroom sinks), buzzing Paris-inspired bar and pretty bedroom terraces. Doubles from £99, B&B.