Visitor guide
Drottningholm Palace (Drottningholms slott) visitor guide — everything you need to know before visiting
Everything you need to plan a visit to Drottningholm Palace near Stockholm — what the palace is and why it matters, what your ticket covers, how admission works, when it is open, how to get there by metro and bus or summer boat, and how to fold it into a Stockholm trip. Written for first-time visitors and checked against the Royal Palaces' own published information.
- Book in your languageYour currency, final price.
- Pro tips includedBest times, secret spots, the room most miss.
- Ready before you flyMobile ticket, ready in your inbox.
- 24/7 human supportReal people, any hour, any time zone — 24/7, in your own language, right through to your visit day.
What is Drottningholm Palace?
Drottningholm Palace (Drottningholms slott) is a 17th-century royal palace on the island of Lovön in Lake Mälaren, about 10 km west of central Stockholm. It is Sweden's best-preserved royal palace of its era and the country's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 1991. The King and Queen live in the southern wing, while the Baroque and Rococo state rooms, the gardens and the pavilions are open to visitors.
A visit to Drottningholm Palace centres on its Baroque and Rococo interiors, the formal Baroque garden and English landscape park (free to walk), and — in the warmer months — the Rococo Chinese Pavilion out in the grounds. The 18th-century Court Theatre nearby is a remarkable separate sight, run by a different organisation.
A dowager queen's Baroque vision
Drottningholm Palace was the project of Hedvig Eleonora, the dowager queen who rebuilt it after an earlier house on the island burned down in 1661. She commissioned an entirely new Baroque palace from Nicodemus Tessin the Elder, who began work in 1662; after his death in 1682, his son Tessin the Younger carried it through. Between father and son, the essential Drottningholm was made.
The two Tessins gave Drottningholm Palace its long symmetrical facade, ceremonial state rooms, grand staircase and formal gardens stepping down toward the water — a Swedish answer to the great palaces of France and Italy. Hedvig Eleonora, widow of Karl X Gustav, drove the entire Baroque vision from the ground up.
The grand staircase and state rooms
Inside Drottningholm Palace, a visit follows the ceremonial route the court once used. The grand Baroque staircase rises through painted walls and sculpture toward a ceiling that dissolves into illusionistic sky, leading to Karl XI's Gallery and Queen Hedvig Eleonora's State Bedchamber — a ceremonial room among the most lavish Baroque interiors in northern Europe. Allow about an hour to an hour and a half.
The state rooms of Drottningholm Palace trace changing taste across a century. The library and the connecting state apartments carry you from heavy Baroque grandeur toward the lighter Rococo of the following period. Karl XI's Gallery celebrates the battles of Hedvig Eleonora's son, Karl XI.
The Chinese Pavilion (seasonal)
A short walk from the main palace, in the park at Drottningholm, stands the Chinese Pavilion (Kina slott) — an exquisite Rococo pleasure palace built in the 1760s at the height of Europe's fascination with China. It is not Chinese architecture in any literal sense but a European fantasy of it, a chinoiserie retreat of lacquered panels and intimate rooms made for royal leisure rather than state ceremony.
The Chinese Pavilion at Drottningholm opens only in summer — daily from June to August and at weekends in May and September — so plan around the season. When it is open, the combined Palace + Chinese Pavilion ticket lets you see both buildings on one visit. After the weight of the state rooms, the Pavilion's delicacy is a genuine change of key.
The park, the gardens and the Court Theatre
The grounds are one of Drottningholm's great free pleasures. Behind the palace lies the formal Baroque garden — clipped parterres, avenues and sculpture arranged on a strict axis — and beyond it opens the looser, more romantic English landscape park, with winding paths, ponds and trees framing the palace. Both are free to walk and need no ticket at all.
On the Drottningholm estate, the 18th-century Court Theatre (Drottningholms Slottsteater) is remarkable for still using its original working stage machinery. It is run by a separate organisation with its own guided-tour tickets and is not part of any ticket we sell, so you can plan a visit there independently if it appeals.
What your ticket includes
Drottningholm Palace has two tickets. The Palace ticket admits you to the Reception Halls — the grand staircase, Karl XI's Gallery, the State Bedchamber and the other state rooms — at any time during opening hours on your date. The combined Palace + Chinese Pavilion ticket adds the Rococo Pavilion in the park, in its summer season. The gardens and park are free to all.
At Drottningholm Palace, children aged 6 and under go free with an adult and need no ticket; everyone aged 7 and over needs one. A free English audio guide for the Reception Halls is available in the Royal Palaces app, so you can explore at your own pace.
How admission works
Admission to Drottningholm Palace is valid for one visit on the date you choose, at any time during that day's opening hours — there is no time slot to keep. Arrive when it suits you, show your e-ticket at the entrance and stay as long as you like inside.
Because your Drottningholm Palace ticket is tied to a date rather than an hour, you can travel out by boat or bus without watching the clock. We buy your admission and send a mobile or print-at-home e-ticket, so there is nothing to collect on arrival.
Opening hours and the best time to visit
Drottningholm Palace opens daily 10:00–17:00 from May to September. From October to April it opens on Saturdays and Sundays only, 10:00–16:00, usually adding Good Friday and Easter Monday. It closes for most of December, then opens daily from New Year's Eve to 6 January.
For the quietest visit to Drottningholm Palace, arrive soon after the 10:00 opening. For the fullest day, come between June and August, when the palace, the Chinese Pavilion (daily 11:00–17:00) and the summer boats from Stockholm are all running.
Getting there from Stockholm
To reach Drottningholm Palace year-round, take the metro (T-bana) to Brommaplan and change to a bus to the Drottningholms slott stop — about 30–45 minutes from central Stockholm. Bus tickets aren't sold at Drottningholm, so buy them in the SL app before you travel.
In summer, sightseeing boats sail to Drottningholm Palace from Stadshuskajen beside Stockholm City Hall, about an hour across Lake Mälaren. Many visitors sail out for the scenery and return by the quicker bus and metro.
Tickets, tiers and booking ahead
For Drottningholm Palace we book the Palace ticket and, in the Pavilion's summer season, the combined Palace + Chinese Pavilion ticket — each valid for one visit at any time during opening hours on your date. Children aged 6 and under go free with an adult and need no ticket.
Drottningholm Palace opens on weekends only from October to April and closes for most of December, so fix your date first. We buy your admission and email a mobile or print-at-home e-ticket in English, ready to show at the entrance.
Nearby: royal and old Stockholm
Drottningholm Palace is one chapter of a wider royal story and pairs naturally with central Stockholm. The Royal Palace in Gamla stan (the Old Town) is the monarchy's official city residence — a striking contrast to Drottningholm's lakeside calm — while Stockholm City Hall stands on the waterfront where the Drottningholm ferry departs. On Djurgården, the Vasa Museum houses the salvaged 17th-century warship from the same royal century.
Because Drottningholm Palace lies west of central Stockholm while sights like the Royal Palace, Stockholm City Hall and the Vasa Museum cluster in the Old Town and on Djurgården, give Drottningholm its own outing and arrange the flexible city sights around your day at Drottningholm.
Frequently asked questions
Is Drottningholm Palace worth visiting?
For most travellers it's a highlight of a Stockholm trip — Sweden's best-preserved royal palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with sumptuous Baroque and Rococo state rooms, a Rococo Chinese Pavilion and beautiful free gardens on a lake island, reached by a scenic ferry in summer.
Where is Drottningholm Palace?
On the island of Lovön in Lake Mälaren, about 10 km west of central Stockholm — roughly 30–45 minutes by metro to Brommaplan and then bus, or about an hour by sightseeing boat in summer.
How long do I need for a visit?
About 1–1.5 hours for the Palace state rooms, plus 30–60 minutes for the free park and, in season, the Chinese Pavilion — a relaxed half-day. Add travel time from Stockholm each way.
What's the difference between the two tickets?
The Palace ticket admits you to the Reception Halls for the day. The combined Palace + Chinese Pavilion ticket adds the Rococo Pavilion in the park, available in the Pavilion's summer season. The gardens and park are free with either.
Is entry timed?
No. Your ticket is valid for one visit at any time during opening hours on the date you choose, and you can stay as long as you like once inside.
Is the Chinese Pavilion open all year?
No. It opens in summer only — daily from June to August and at weekends in May and September — and is closed from October to April. The main palace is open all year on its own calendar, and the park is free to walk every day.
Can I visit the Court Theatre with my ticket?
No. The 18th-century Court Theatre, famous for its original working stage machinery, is run by a separate organisation with its own guided-tour tickets. It's not part of our Palace or combined ticket, but it's on the same estate if you'd like to arrange a tour separately.
Do children need a ticket?
Children aged 6 and under go free with an adult and don't need a ticket. Everyone aged 7 and over needs one.
How do I get to Drottningholm from central Stockholm?
Take the metro (T-bana) to Brommaplan, then a bus to the Drottningholms slott stop — about 30–45 minutes in total. Buy bus tickets in the SL app; they aren't sold at Drottningholm. In summer, sightseeing boats also sail from Stadshuskajen by City Hall (about an hour).
Should I take the ferry or the bus?
In summer, many visitors sail out from Stadshuskajen for the scenery and return by the quicker metro-and-bus route. Outside the boat season, or in poor weather, the metro to Brommaplan and the bus is the dependable choice.
How do I receive my ticket?
Once you book, we buy your admission and email you a mobile / print-at-home e-ticket. Show it at the palace entrance on your visit date.
What are the opening hours?
May–September: daily 10:00–17:00. October–April: Saturdays and Sundays 10:00–16:00, usually plus Good Friday and Easter Monday. Closed for most of December, then open daily from New Year's Eve to 6 January. The Chinese Pavilion opens 11:00–17:00 in its summer season.
Can I take photographs?
Yes, for private use — without flash, lights, tripods, selfie sticks or other fixed equipment, and without disturbing other visitors or guided tours. Drones and 360° cameras are not allowed.
Is the palace accessible?
It is a historic building with stairs, so check the Royal Palaces' accessibility information for Drottningholm before you go. Accessible parking is available free of charge near the palace. Prams can't be taken inside; they are left in the entrance arcade.
When is Drottningholm least crowded?
Soon after the 10:00 opening is usually calmest, especially on weekdays in May, June and September. Midday in July and August is busiest.
What if the palace is closed on my date?
Our calendar only offers days the palace is open, so you can't book a closed day. If the palace itself closes unexpectedly on your date, you're refunded in full; all sales are otherwise final.
Can I combine it with central Stockholm?
Yes — the Royal Palace in Gamla stan, Stockholm City Hall and the Vasa Museum pair naturally with a Drottningholm day. Because the palace is west of the centre, give it its own outing and arrange the flexible city sights around your day at Drottningholm.
How far ahead should I book?
As soon as your dates are fixed. From October to April the palace opens on weekends only, and it closes for most of December, so check your day on our calendar before planning the rest of your trip.
Sources
This guide is written by the concierge team and cross-checked against the official operator every time we update it. Primary sources:
About our service
We are an independent concierge and booking service for travellers visiting Drottningholm Palace. We are not the palace, the Royal Palaces or an official box office; we buy your admission ticket on your behalf and deliver it by email for a service fee.
Ready to book?
See all ticket options and availability on the home page.
See ticket options