Why go now?

Because you get more sun for your sterling. Stockholm's high latitude means that night lasts only four or five hours in summer, so there's that bit more time to appreciate your surroundings. This solar bonanza doesn't last for long, so locals make the most of it, with outdoor cafés lining the streets and Stockholm's many green spaces blossoming with free exhibitions. From 27-30 July, the city capitalises on its status as one of the most attractive harbours in the world by hosting the Tall Ships Race (00 46 8 411 56 28; www.tsr07.se), the biggest annual international event for large sailing ships.

Touch down

Stockholm's main airport is Arlanda, 42km north. SAS (0870 60 727 727; www.flysas.com) flies here from Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Heathrow, London City and Manchester. British Airways (0870 850 9850; www.ba.com) flies from Heathrow. The quickest way into town is by train. The Arlanda Express (www.arlandaexpress.com) runs four times an hour and takes 20 minutes to reach Central Station (1) for a one-way fare of 200 krona (Skr200/£15.30). For twice the journey time and half the fare, use the Flybussarna (www.fly bussarna.se) airport bus (every 10-15 minutes, 40 minutes, Skr95/£7.30).

Ryanair (0871 246 0000; www.ryanair.com) flies from Stansted to Stockholm's Skavsta and Vasteras airports (both of which are further out from the city centre), and from Prestwick to Skavsta. The Flybussarna service takes 80 minutes to reach Central Station from Skavsta, and 75 minutes from Vasteras (both Skr130/£10 single), with buses meeting incoming flights. From Central, you can connect to all of Stockholm's Tunnelbanan (metro) lines (Skr90/£6.90 for an all-day ticket).

Get your bearings

To the west, an enormous lake: Malaren. To the east, the Baltic Sea. In between lies Stockholm, a city perched elegantly atop a collection of 14 islands. More islands spray out eastwards – up to 14,000 of them make up the Stockholm archipelago. To the north of Gamla Stan (the old town) lies the main island, which contains the modern districts of Norrmalm and Vasastadan; to the south is the funkier suburb of Sodermalm ("Soder"), full of bars and clubs. Road, rail and pedestrian bridges link the islands. The tourist office (2), a place of serene efficiency, is at Stockholm House at 27 Hamngatan (00 46 8 50 82 85 08; www.stockholmtown.com); it opens 9am-7pm Mon-Fri; 10am-5pm Sat; 10am-4pm Sun. A Stockholm Card covering public transport and admission to most attractions costs Skr290 (£22.30) for 24 hours.

Check in

Central? Chic? Head for the Nordic Sea Hotel (3) at Vasaplan 4 (00 46 8 50 56 30 00; www.nordicseahotel. se). Looming next to Central Station, from the street it looks like a rather dull office block. Inside, however, it is a dimly lit designer den of urban sophistication. A vast aquarium dominates the foyer, and tucked round the corner is the Absolut Icebar, chilled to minus 5C, where vodka is served in ice glasses and reservations (00 46 8 50 56 31 24) are recommended. Double rooms from Skr1,240 (£95) including breakfast.

In Gamla Stan, the Victory Hotel (4) at 5 Lilla Nygatan (00 46 8 50 64 00 00; www.victoryhotel.se), named after Nelson's flagship, has a nautical theme throughout: model boats festoon the foyer, and the bedrooms are all named after ships' captains. Doubles from Skr1,850 (£142) including breakfast. If that doesn't float your boat, try the Maladrottningen (5), moored off Riddarholmen island (00 46 8 54 51 87 80; www.malardrottningen.se). Converted from a vast private yacht, it now has 60 cabins/rooms and an authentically shipshape interior. Doubles (some are bunk beds) start at Skr1,050 (£81) including breakfast.

Take a hike

At the southern end of Drottninggaten lies Riksbron Bridge (6), where brackish lake meets salty sea in a series of slow-moving breakers. Walk over to Helgeandsholmen (the island of the Holy Spirit) and under the archway between the two halves of Riksdagshuset (7), the parliament building. Turn left and follow Slottskajen round the mighty walls of Kungliga Slottet (8), Stockholm's square-faced palace. The entrance to the Royal Apartments, Treasury and Chapel is on Slottsbacken (open 10am-5pm daily, admission Skr130/£10 for a combined ticket). Inside, the rooms are stuffed with gilded decor and chandeliers. Time your exit to coincide with the changing of the guard at 12.10pm, when squads of blue-and-gold-clad soldiers seek to outdo each other in synchronised jogging. From the castle, head on to Trangsund to Storkyrkan (9), the brick-built cathedral (open Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun noon-4pm; admission Skr25/£2), with its terrifying 15th-century sculpture of St George and the Dragon. After that, freestyle onwards through Gamla Stan's maze of alleys.

Lunch on the run

Until 17 August, Stockholm's National Museum (10) at Sodera Blasieholmshamnen is hosting an exhibition entitled Swedish Turn-of-the-Century Art, including works by Carl Larsson, the godfather of Swedish interior design. It opens 11am-5pm daily except Monday, with late opening to 8pm on Tuesday, admission Skr80 (£6.20). Take a look, then take a bite at its Atrium restaurant, housed at the bottom of a beautiful light well, with Greek frescoes lining the walls. The buffet costs Skr95 (£7.30).

Take a view

Sodermalm is the only district in central Stockholm with any sort of elevation, so take the Katarinahissen elevator (11) that runs from Slussen to the Gondola Café (open 7.30am-10pm daily, Sundays from 10am), seven storeys up. From here there's a fantastic view of the city, including the tangle of roads, bridges and water locks of Slussen itself.

Window shopping

In the old town, stroll southward down Osterlanggaten (mainly galleries and antique shops) via Jarntorget (a crooked square lined with cafés), and back round on to Vasterlanggatan (mainly plastic viking helmets and waffle kiosks). At 54 Vasterlanggatan, The Old Picture Company (12) (00 46 8 22 12 22; www.theold picturecompany.com) sells vintage photos of Stockholm, starting at Skr10 (80p).

An aperitif

Try the F12 terrace bar ( www.f12.se/terrassen) on the steps of the Royal Academy of Art at 12 Fredsgaten (13), a great place to enjoy the evening sun as it (slowly) sinks. A beer costs Skr48 (£3.70) until 9pm, at which point the bar converts into a club, and prices rise accordingly.

Dining with the locals

You'll need to have booked long in advance to get a table at the opulent Operakallaren restaurant in the Opera House (14) at Karl XII's Torg. Instead, nip round the side to Bakfickan, or "back pocket" (00 46 8 676 58 00; www.opera kallaren.se), which shares the main restaurant's kitchen, but not its prices. Here you perch at a horseshoe-shaped bar to tuck into Swedish specialities such as meatballs and mash with lingonberry sauce (Skr139/ £10.70). Alternatively, try Catelin (15) at 9 Storkyrkobrinken (00 8 46 20 18 18), a charming, wood-panelled place with a covered garden, which serves reindeer fillet main courses for Skr219 (£17). Wine doesn't come cheap in Stockholm. Here, bottles start at a pretty typical Skr259 (£20).

Sunday morning: go to church

Stockholm does two types of churches: short, fat, colourful ones, such as St Jakobs Kyrka (16) and Katarina Kyrka (17), and tall, thin, elegant ones, including Riddarholmskyrkan (18) at Birger Jarls Torg, the spire of which puts the word "steep" into steeple. Services are no longer held here, but it's worth paying the Skr30 (£2.30) entrance fee (daily 10am-4pm) to visit its solemn interior – the burial place of Swedish kings.

Out to brunch

Sundberg Konditori (18) at 83 Jarntorget, the self-styled "oldest confectionery in Stockholm" is worth a visit for its Larsson-referencing interior, and the splendid copper samovar of coffee in the centre of the room. A cheese sandwich and as much coffee as you can drink costs Skr30 (£2.30); panini are Skr65 (£5).

Take a ride

... on a commuter ferry (00 46 8 679 58 30; www.waxholmsbolaget.se) out to the islands of the archipelago. The journey to nearby Vaxholm, with its traditional painted wooden houses, takes an hour and costs Skr65 (£5) each way. There are also plenty of sightseeing boats to choose from near the ferry's moorings in front of the Grand Hotel (19).

A walk in the park

For child-friendly green spaces, visit Djurgarden and its central attraction, Skansen (20), at 49-51 Djurgardsslatten: part zoo, part re-enactment of historic Stockholm. Open 10am-10pm daily; admission Skr110 (£8.50). Alternatively, cross the Skeppsolmen bridge near the National Museum (10) to Skeppsholment, the tiny, tree-lined island next to Durgarden. Here the hip Modern Art Museum (21) (00 46 8 5195 5200; www.modernamuseet.se) has works by Pollock, Bacon and Warhol among others. Open Wed-Sun 10am-6pm, Tues 10am-8pm, closed Mon; admission Skr80 (£6.20).

Cultural afternoon

Back in 1628, King Gustav Adolf built a vast warship, the Vasa, which was launched with much ceremony and regal back-slapping from the Stockholm docks. Embarrassingly for all concerned, it sank within minutes and was pickled for 333 years in the mud. Eventually raised in 1961, the Vasa is on display at the Vasa Museum (22) (00 46 8 519 548 00; www.vasa museet.se), a boat-shaped building on Djurgarden. Open 8.30am-6pm daily; admission Skr80 (£6.20).

Write a postcard

A pack of 10 Carl Larsson postcards costs Skr50 (£3.90) from the National Museum (10). Take them to the green-clad hill from which Stockholm's old observatory (23) rises: the view of the rooftops may inspire lofty thinking.

Icing on the cake

You can chart your own course through the islands of Stockholm in a canoe. For a fresh perspective on the city, Djurgardsbrons Sjocafe (24) at 2 Galarvarvsvagen (00 46 8 660 57 57) hires them out for Skr75 (£5.80) per hour; rowing boats are Skr85 (£6.50) per hour.