Gothenburg: A Perfect 2 day Itinerary

‘I’ve got to be in Gothenburg in a couple of weeks – fancy a weekend there?’

That’s pretty much all it takes with me, so off we went. My husband was sent to Gothenburg for a week with work, so we flew out on a Friday night, had the weekend together and then he stayed on to work. I couldn’t stay the whole week as I’d already committed to a work event in the UK on the Wednesday and a conference in The Netherlands on the Thursday so I stayed until Tuesday – the start of a busy week for me.

I’d no idea what Gothenburg offered, but I was so pleasantly surprised and found it to be a really beautiful city. Here’s how to make the most of your time there.

Famous Gothenburg trams and street views

Important Information about visiting Gothenburg

• The time difference is +1 hour to the UK
• Swedish is the official language, but English is really widely spoken so it’s super easy to navigate
• The transport system is really easy to use, with trams running everywhere and the ability to swipe your card on the terminals on board (just inside the tram, past the driver) for payment. It’s then unlimited riding for 90 minutes since the first swipe at around ￡3.
• The weather in Gothenburg is warmest in July and August at around 25 degrees, though I visited in May to a 27 degree heatwave. The city is coldest between November and March, hovering around 5 degrees.
• A lot of attractions are closed outside of peak summer season; even when I visited in May most museums were closed during the week.
• Gothenburg is a super live-able city, but visiting as a tourist in winter would mean very little is open and the weather was poor. I’d therefore recommend only visiting May – September.
• Hotels in the centre of Gothenburg come at a premium. We stayed at the Radisson Blu Scandinavia which was lovely but not cheap. Much better value was our second hotel of the week, the Scandic Gothenburg Central, which was just as nice and half the price (in return for an extra 10 minute walk).
• Prices in Gothenburg were surprisingly affordable. We found them to be comparable, if not slightly cheaper, than the UK. Public transport is very good money.

Around Gothenburg

Itinerary Day 1 – Central Gothenburg

Day 1 is all walkable around the central area of Gothenburg, where the majority of hotels and main sites are situated.

Trädgårdsföreningen Park & Palm House

The garden society park and palm house are a lovely way to start your time in Gothenburg, running alongside the water. We spent about 30 minutes meandering on through.

In the park

The palm house and sleeping ducks in the park

City Canals

Gothenburg is a city of rivers and canals, with pretty views where ever you look. We followed the river out of the park and round in to the central area, all providing nice views in the gorgeous clear light.

Pretty sunshine views

Gothenburg Cathedral

A calm oasis in the middle of a shopping district, Gothenburg Cathedral is a really peaceful spot. There’s live music on inside on most days, and even better there’s an ice-cream van right outside and some shady benches, perfect for a sunny day!

Pretty by day or night

Gustav Adolfs Torg

One of the main squares in the city, Gustav Adolfs Torg is a lovely place for lunch. There are loads of food vans that pull up here from 11am onwards, or there are lots of restaurants around if you want something a bit more formal.

In the square

Gothenburg City Museum

Just down the road is the wonderful Gothenburg City Museum. Home to exhibits which tell the story of the city over the last 12,000 years it covers everything from Prehistoric times, to the Vikings and the modern age. We found the history really interesting around the formation of the city and its origins, and we found the museum itself to be really well done and laid out – easily spending 2 hours to read through things.

Inside the museum

German Church

Just next door is the majestic German church, built for the many migrant Germans that settled here when the city was formed in the 1600s. Interestingly, German is still the language I heard most out and about – which made me feel quite at home!

The imposing German Church

Kronhuset

Kronhuset is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Gothenburg and is now converted in to a lovely little shop and restaurant area. I couldn’t resist the lemon meringue pie!

Lilla Bommen and Maritiman

Finshing up activities for the day, head down to the port where you can see all the amazing ships, especially Maritiman which is a living maritime museum home to multiple ships including submarines, destroyers and boat bars! We had a really fun 2 hours exploring and finishing up with a cocktail on board – even better!

Lilla Bommen harbour

Maritiman ships

Avenyn

After a long day exploring, head to Avenyn for dinner. It’s lined with lots of restaurants and I can recommend Thai Moon for some tasty Asian food with incredible cocktails, but there’s loads to choose from whatever you fancy.

Itinerary Day 2 – Further Afield

On Day 2, it’s time to leave the main city centre and either walk (around 45 mins each way) or take the tram a bit further out.

Gothenburg Botanical Garden

Oh how I fell in love with the Botanical Gardens, they are an absolute cut above other gardens I’ve been to in Europe and the Japanese Garden was beyond beautiful. I spent 3 hours and my entire morning there, though if gardens aren’t your thing or the weather is bad, you won’t need as long.

Haga

Haga is the old historic area of the city and a great spot for lunch. We wandered a few of the boutique shops and then sat in the sunshine with food and drink for a couple of hours. It’s a really nice place to just ‘get lost’.

Haga streets

Skansen Kronan

This old fortress sits perched on a hill and it’s quite a climb to get up – but worth it for the views. Unfortunately for us we got to the top (in 27 degree heat I may add) and it was closed for a wedding – gah! It should have provided lovely views out over the city.

Looking up to Skansen Kronan

Boat Trip

If you’re not exhausted, head back to Lilla Bommen for an afternoon/evening cruise. The local company, Stromma, do lovely afternoon cruises round the local islands, and sunset and dinner cruises too. Or if you want a cheaper option, their sister company Paddan, run cruises along the local canals in the city – a perfect way to finish off your visit to this wonderful city.

Enjoying island views on a boat cruise of the Archipelago

Have a little longer?

If you have a little longer in the city than just 2 days then I really do believe that the Gothenburg Islands are a true hidden gem of Europe and you should absolutely visit if you can. If you don’t have that much time, then there’s also a half day option (but it’s not a patch on the full day!).

Full Day: Gothenburg Islands

Then there’s only one option. Gothenburg is home to over 30 beautiful islands in a North and South archipelago. I chose to visit Branno Island in the South and it was one of the most beautiful days I’ve ever had on a trip.

Beautiful Branno

Half Day: Nya Älvsborg Fortress

With half a day, an easier option is to take the Stromma ferry over to Nya ?lvsborg, an old defensive fortress on an island. It’s fun to explore and a nice way to spend a sunny day away from the crowds of the city parks.

At the Fortress

I really did enjoy it more than I expected to and loved the sunshine I was treated to on my visit. I don’t think it’s a city for winter, but it is a perfect spring/summer destination away from the main European tourist trail. Hope you enjoyed the trip – stay safe and happy travelling!

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