Stockholm ferries and boat tickets

Does the SL ticket cover the boats?

Yes, on the SL commuter boats and on Waxholmsbolaget between Strömkajen and the Vaxholm area. No, on the outer archipelago in summer, the Cinderella boats, the Fjäderholmarna boats and the sightseeing tours.

SL's boat lines are part of normal SL traffic, and you use the same tickets as on the buses, metro and trams. Rederi Ballerina runs lines 80 and 89, and Djurgårdens Färjetrafik runs lines 82 and 84. Waxholmsbolaget, the archipelago boat company owned by Region Stockholm, accepts any SL ticket on the stretch from Strömkajen to the Vaxholm area. Beyond that, you need its own ticket, except in low season with a long SL period ticket. The table shows what each boat takes.

For journey planning and SL tickets, use the SL app or sl.se.

How does the Djurgården ferry work?

Line 82 is a short SL crossing from Slussen via Skeppsholmen to Allmänna gränd on Djurgården, beside Gröna Lund. It runs all year, and any SL ticket is valid on board.

Djurgården ferries have crossed this water since 1897. Today the boats, Djurgården 8, 9, 10 and 11, run on HVO fuel from a provisional terminal at Slussen while the area is rebuilt; a new terminal at Skeppsbron is planned for 2029. From Allmänna gränd it is a short walk to Gröna Lund, Skansen, ABBA The Museum and the Vasa Museum.

It is the simplest boat ride in Stockholm: no booking, just your SL ticket, and fine views of Gamla Stan, the Royal Palace and Skeppsholmen on the way. Sit outside if you can. If you would like commentary on the same water, the open electric boat takes 50 minutes with a live guide.

Can you take the public boat to Vaxholm on an SL ticket?

Yes. Since 30 April 2025, any SL ticket, from a single ticket to a period ticket, is valid all year on Waxholmsbolaget boats between Strömkajen and the area around Vaxholm. The trip takes about an hour, 55 to 80 minutes depending on stops.

The boats leave from Strömkajen, in front of the Grand Hôtel and across the water from the Royal Palace. In Vaxholm you can walk the old town, eat by the harbour and take the short ferry across to Vaxholm Fortress, founded by King Gustav Vasa in 1548 to guard the sea approach to Stockholm; its museum opens in summer. If you continue beyond the Vaxholm area, you need a Waxholmsbolaget ticket for that part of the trip. By road, bus 670 runs from Tekniska högskolan.

Would you prefer a guide and a plan? The Vaxholm day trip with a local guide (4.7 from 49 reviews) takes a small group out by archipelago boat, round the town and to Vaxholm beach, then by taxi boat to the fortress, with museum entry included. For a longer look from the deck, the Archipelago Cruise on a Classic Ship has a 3-hour sailing that goes as far as Vaxholm and back, without landing. More about the town is in the archipelago guide.

Vaxholm with a guide: about an hour by archipelago boat, the old town and the beach, then a taxi boat to Vaxholm Fortress with museum entry included. 7 hours in a small group, rated 4.7.

★ 4.7 (49) · 7 hours · Full refund up to 24 h ahead

Explore the Vaxholm day trip →

Where do you buy a Waxholmsbolaget ticket?

In the SL app, or by tapping a contactless bank card on the reader on board. The boats have been cashless since April 2020, and Waxholmsbolaget's own app closed in April 2025.

• In the SL app: search for your trip on waxholmsbolaget.se first so you pick the right fare, then buy it in the SL app and pay by card or Swish.
• On board: tap a contactless card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay on the reader, and a paper ticket prints.
• Keep the slip: even with an app ticket, you get a paper slip from the crew or the reader, and you show it when you leave the boat.
• Fares by distance: single fares follow six fare zones, so a trip to Sandhamn costs more than a trip to Grinda.
• Combination ticket: since 10 June 2026, one ticket in the SL app covers Waxholmsbolaget and the rest of SL traffic for 3 hours from activation. Scan it at the reader on board.
• On-board kiosks: they take cards only, like the ticket readers.

Timetables are on the Waxholmsbolaget website, where the autumn timetable runs until 12 December 2026. In winter, ice can change timetables at short notice, so check before you travel.

What are the available ferry trips from Stockholm?

Four kinds: the SL city boats (lines 80, 82, 84 and 89), Waxholmsbolaget's boats to the archipelago, Strömma's Cinderella boats in summer, and the overnight ferries to Finland, Åland and Estonia.

• City boats: line 82 to Djurgården, line 80 from Nybroplan to Nacka Strand, Lidingö and Ropsten, line 84 from Strömkajen out to Värmdö, and line 89 from Klara Mälarstrand by City Hall to Ekerö, where some trips use an electric hydrofoil boat.
• Archipelago boats: Waxholmsbolaget, founded in 1849 and owned by Region Stockholm, runs about 20 boats from Arholma in the north to Landsort in the south. By boat from the city, Grinda is about 1.5 hours and Sandhamn about 2.5 hours. There are fewer departures in winter.
• Cinderella boats: Strömma's summer boats from Strandvägen, berth 14, to Vaxholm, Grinda, Gällnö and Sandhamn, with a cafeteria, restaurant and bar. They are ticketed separately from SL.
• Fjäderholmarna: the closest archipelago islands, 20 to 30 minutes from Slussen or Strandvägen, in summer.

For longer trips, Viking Line sails from Stadsgården on Södermalm and Tallink Silja from Värtahamnen. The ferries to Helsinki sail overnight, about 17 to 18 hours, via Mariehamn on Åland, and Tallink sails overnight to Tallinn in about 16 hours; both lines also sail to Turku. There is no direct ferry to Copenhagen, where the train takes about 5 hours. The details are in day trips by boat.

Are the trams in Stockholm covered by the SL ticket?

Yes. The trams, the metro, the buses and the SL boats all take the same SL ticket, so you need a valid ticket on the trams just as on the ferries.

Buy SL tickets in the SL app or at SL ticket machines and centres. If you plan to use public transport over several days, look at SL's period tickets in the app: they cover the trams, the Djurgården ferry and the boats to Vaxholm with one ticket. An SL ticket valid for 30 days or longer also covers the whole Waxholmsbolaget network from mid-September to the end of April.

Ticket types and rules are explained on the SL website. For a plan that combines trams, walks and boats, see Stockholm in three days.

What is the most efficient way to travel around Stockholm?

Walk the centre, take the metro for longer distances and use the Djurgården ferry to reach the museums on Djurgården. One SL ticket covers the metro, buses, trams and city boats.

Stockholm is built on islands joined by dozens of bridges, and Visit Stockholm says the best way to see it is on foot: Gamla Stan, Norrmalm, Södermalm and Östermalm are all within walking distance of each other. The metro is fast for longer hops and well known for the art in its stations. The Djurgården ferry from Slussen is a pleasant shortcut to Gröna Lund, Skansen and the Vasa Museum.

For neighbourhoods on the water, the SL boats double as commuter lines: line 80 links Nybroplan with Nacka Strand and Lidingö, and line 89 runs from Klara Mälarstrand along Lake Mälaren to Ekerö. Plan journeys in the SL app, and see Visit Stockholm for ideas on what to see. The homepage has more on getting around.

How do you keep boat travel simple and affordable?

Use your SL ticket for the city boats and the boats to Vaxholm, buy Waxholmsbolaget tickets only for trips further out, and look at island-hopping and period tickets if you plan several days on the islands.

• Vaxholm on an SL ticket: any SL ticket covers the boats from Strömkajen to the Vaxholm area all year, so a day on Vaxholm needs no extra boat ticket.
• Low season: from 14 September to 29 April, an SL ticket valid for 30 days or longer covers all Waxholmsbolaget lines. A temporary fare reduction on 30-day tickets runs until the end of 2026.
• Island hopping: Waxholmsbolaget sells multi-day island-hopping tickets. Check the current versions on waxholmsbolaget.se or in the SL app before you go, and use them on Waxholmsbolaget boats.
• Pack a picnic: fika on the rocks is part of an island day, and many island cafés open less often outside summer.
• Book a tour for what it adds: a guide, a meal or speed, not transport.

The Live Guided Archipelago Cruise (4.5 from 6,226 reviews) shows the inner islands in two hours with a live guide. The Archipelago Cruise on a Classic Ship offers 1.5, 2.5 or 3 hours. The Grinda RIB trip is a quick way to spend two hours ashore in the middle archipelago. Every tour on this site gives a full refund if you cancel up to 24 hours ahead.

Two hours from Skeppsbron with a live English guide: Fotografiska, the Djurgården canal, Fjäderholmarna and the inner islands towards Vaxholm, with a café on board. No stop ashore. Rated 4.5 from 6,226 reviews.

★ 4.5 (6,226) · 2 hours · Full refund up to 24 h ahead

Explore the live guided archipelago cruise →

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