Drottningholm Palace

A Baroque palace on an island in Lake Mälaren

Drottningholm Palace stands around ten kilometres west of central Stockholm on the island of Lovön in Lake Mälaren and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. Built in the 17th century, this Baroque palace is considered Sweden's best-preserved royal palace from the period.

Drottningholm isn't a museum piece frozen in time – it's the private residence of the Swedish royal family. One wing is permanently closed to the public as a result, but the rest of the palace is open to visitors. That's part of what makes a visit special: you're walking through a residence that is still lived in today, not a historical stage set.

Park, Chinese Pavilion and palace theatre

The World Heritage listing covers more than the state rooms. The sprawling palace park combines a formal French Baroque garden with an English landscape park and is free to enter – for many visitors, it's the highlight of the whole trip.

Two buildings make Drottningholm distinctive:

• The Chinese Pavilion (Kina slott), a playful Rococo pavilion in chinoiserie style, originally a birthday gift for the queen. Open in summer from 11:00 to 17:00, on the same days as the palace.
• The 18th-century palace theatre (Slottsteatern), whose historic stage machinery and scenery survive in original condition. It's still an active venue – Monteverdi's opera L'incoronazione di Poppea is scheduled for August 2026. Guided tours run in summer, some in English.

What to expect on a visit

The palace tour takes you through richly furnished Baroque and Rococo rooms with ceiling paintings, galleries and the palace chapel. Allow around an hour for this. Individual rooms can close temporarily, for instance for royal occasions – 2026 includes the king and queen's golden wedding anniversary and special events marking the 400th birthday of Queen Christina.

Add the park, the Chinese Pavilion and a theatre tour, and you're easily looking at half a day. That combination is exactly what makes Drottningholm worth the trip – the palace alone justifies the journey, but the ensemble of palace, garden and theatre is what sets it apart.

Tickets, opening hours and prices

In summer (June to September) the palace is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00. From October to December it opens only on selected weekends (Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 to 16:00); from December to February it's largely closed. If you're visiting outside peak season, check the exact opening days in advance.

Admission costs 170 SEK for adults, 150 SEK for students, 85 SEK for children aged 7 to 17, and is free under 6. The combined ticket for the palace and Chinese Pavilion costs 250 SEK (adults). The theatre tour is charged separately, from around 250 SEK. Book ahead via the official booking site or buy on arrival. Current times and prices are listed on kungligaslotten.se.

Getting there and what to combine it with

By public transport, take the Tunnelbana to Brommaplan and change to the connecting bus – about an hour from central Stockholm. The most atmospheric option in summer is the boat transfer: Strömma excursion boats depart from Stadshusbron and Klara Mälarstrand, among other points, taking about an hour across Lake Mälaren, from 245 SEK.

Drottningholm sits apart from the inner-city sights and works best as its own half-day trip. If you want to continue the royal theme in the city centre, visit the Royal Palace in Gamla Stan (the Old Town). For help planning your visit, see the guide Day trips from Stockholm.