2-Hour RIB Speed Boat Tour of the Stockholm Archipelago

What two hours in a rigid inflatable actually gives you

• Reach water the cruises never see

  A rigid inflatable clears the city in minutes, which leaves most of your two hours for open Baltic and empty channels.

• Be handed everything warm at the dock

  Overalls, a wind jacket and a beanie come with the fare, so wear whatever you like underneath and turn up as you are.

• Ride in a group of eight, not a hundred and seventy

  Your captain guides as well as drives, so the bays come with local history rather than a recorded loop.

• Get both halves of the archipelago

  Full throttle between the islands, engine off in the sheltered bays — the calm and the speed in one trip.

• See Gamla Stan from sea level

  The Old Town waterfront passes at eye height on the way out, which no land tour of Stockholm can show you.

• Cancel free until the day before

  Full refund up to 24 hours ahead, and a full refund from the operator if fog or a thunderstorm makes it unsafe to sail.

This is one of the highest-rated Stockholm Archipelago tours you can book, and the reason is easy to see once you are aboard. A rigid inflatable can sit quietly in a sheltered bay while your captain tells you what you are looking at, then cover ten kilometres before the next stop. You get both halves of the archipelago in one trip: the calm and the speed.

The practical gain is range. A large cruise ship spends much of its ninety minutes clearing the city. You are past that in a few minutes, which leaves the balance of your two hours for water the bigger boats cannot justify going near — wilder rock, emptier channels, and the open Baltic beyond the summer houses.

Everything you need to enjoy it comes with the fare. Overalls, a wind jacket and a beanie are handed to you before you board, along with insurance, because at speed on the Baltic the wind finds you even in August. You stay warm, which is exactly what lets you enjoy the fast parts.

During this archipelago speed boat tour your captain guides as well as drives, so you get local history and island detail in the bays and full throttle in between. It is a small group in a small boat, and it feels much more like being taken out by someone who knows the water than like joining a tour.

Your two hours on the water

1. Meet at Strandvagen kajplats 19. Dock 19, along the same waterfront as the classic ships and about ten minutes from Ostermalmstorg.
2. Get kitted out. Overalls, wind jacket and beanie are handed to you before boarding, so wear what you like underneath.
3. Out past Gamla Stan. The Old Town waterfront from sea level, then the channel opens and the speed picks up.
4. Into the archipelago. Inhabited islands and summer houses first, then the wilder rock and forest further out, with stops to look and listen.
5. Back under the bridges. Along the Södermalm and Nacka shore to the same dock, two hours after you left.

Who the RIB suits, and who should take a cruise instead

What the fare covers

Included

• Beanies
• Warm overalls
• Wind jackets
• Insurance

Not included

• Nothing stated

Finding kajplats 19, and what to wear under the overalls

You meet at the dock — Strandvagen kajplats 19, on the same waterfront as the sightseeing berths, a little further east. Come in comfortable shoes and travel light, because there is no space for luggage or large bags on board. Everything warm and waterproof is supplied, so you do not need gear of your own.

This one is made for couples, friends and anyone who enjoys an active day out. The minimum age is 12, which keeps the boat quick and everyone aboard up for the pace. If you are travelling with younger children, or would simply rather take the archipelago sitting down, the guided cruises on Stockholm Archipelago tours cover the same water at a calmer pace.

The trip sails rain or shine, and the kit they hand you is built for it. In the rare event of heavy fog or a thunderstorm the tour is cancelled and you are refunded in full, and you can cancel yourself up to 24 hours ahead for any reason at all.

Know before you go

• Minimum age is 12. The listing also excludes pregnant travellers and anyone with back problems. Take a cruise instead rather than risk being turned away.
• There is no toilet on board. Go before you leave the dock; the whole trip runs two hours door to door.
• Luggage stays ashore. There is no stowage for cases or large bags, so bring only what fits in a pocket or a small secured bag.
• Expect to get damp. The supplied kit handles the wind; spray still reaches your face and hands, so wear clothes underneath you do not mind.
• Wear flat, secure shoes. You board from a floating dock and the boat moves. Leave the heels and loose sandals at the hotel.
• Allow fifteen minutes to kit up. Overalls take longer to get into than people expect, and the boat does not wait.

What travellers said about the RIB

More traveller feedback across the fleet sits on Stockholm Archipelago tours reviews.

Read all reviews →

Frequently asked questions