This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
What to do in Malmö, Sweden - A local's guide
We love to explore our home town wherever we live. Malmö is no exception to that. People always ask what to do in Malmo and there is so much to do all year round that even after two years we still find new things to do and see all the time.
Save this on Pinterest to read it later!
Ready to take your travel photos to the next level?
Grab my photography E-Book and never take blurry or crooked photos ever again!
How to get around Malmö
Getting around in Malmö is easy. All the main sights are within walking distance and there is a great bus and train network connecting the city with other points of interest around it.
With its environmentally friendly and future oriented approach the easiest way to buy tickets for public transit is to download the Skånetrafiken app. You can easily choose, buy and scan tickets from our phone and don’t have to worry about losing our ticket.
If you decide to walk, pack comfortable shoes and you’re good to go (no pun intended). Almost everything is close enough to walk to and if not you can always use one of the many bike or scooter rental companies.
Swedish for beginners
I still don’t speak Swedish fluently but knowing some words definitely helps to blend in. You know, like a local. But English will do just fine. Everyone understands and speaks it, even older people.
A quick Swedish lesson to help with some common phrases that totally let you get away with looking like a local.
Tjena (shena) – a casual way of saying hi (hej in Swedish).
Läget – a short version of “Hur är läget”, which means What’s up?
Where to stay in Malmö
There are lots of great places to stay in Malmö, the more central the better. Gamla Stan, the old town, has nice hotels like Scandic at Gustav Adolf Torg (there’s also another location at Triangeln) or Best Western Plus.
What to do in Malmö
The best time to visit Malmö is in the summer because it’s nice and warm and the chances of rain are less than the rest of the year (no guarantee though).
Ribersborg beach & sauna
One of my favourite things to do in Malmö in the summer is to head to Möllan’s Ost and stock up on delicious cheeses and home-made bread from Jakob’s Stenungsbageri. We take those to the beach and enjoy the view, a cold dip and watch the sunset on most days.
For a typical Swedish experience we like to go to Ribersborg Kallbadshuset, a sauna at the end of a peer at Ribersborg beach. Having a sauna followed by a cool dip in the Öresund is a Swede’s favourite thing to do in Malmö, right after playing boule and having fika.
Boulebar
If the weather is being typically Swedish (meaning unpredictable) we hang out at Boulebar at Dottningtorget instead. The place is located in a converted horse stable from the 1800s, with a modern French beachy vibe. We get a bunch of friends together, rent a lane and have a fun afternoon playing boule and drinking wine.
It’s 150 SEK per person for 90 minutes, food and drinks cost extra. In the summer they also have four lanes outside.
Museisparvagen, an old tram from the 1920s
For another fun daytime activity we recommend hopping on Museelinjen at Tekniska Museet. It’s an old tram from the 1920s that takes you around the city, starting at Banerskajen. The tram ride takes about 20 minutes, then goes via the Turbinkanalen and Kung Oscar’s vag to Stadsbiblioteket. From there the journey returns via Malmohus Castle to Bastionen where the tram turns and goes back to Banérskajen. It’s 30 SEK per person, 10 SEK for kids between 6 and 16, and free for children under 6. The tickets are valid for the whole day.
English quiz or comedy night
A fun evening activity is quiz night at Fagan’s Irish pub on Thursdays. The quiz starts at 20:30 and takes about 2 hours. It’s in English and you can win some free drinks and have a great time. Each team can be a maximum of 5 people, pick a team name and start answering, or in our case – guessing.
When we don’t feel like quizzing we get tickets for Malmo’s english speaking comedy night. It’s hosted once a month in the Scandic hotel in Triangeln and really works out your belly muscles. Tickets are around 180 SEK per person and include a drink.
Things to eat in Malmö
We know you’re thinking of meatballs or some sort of fish when you’re thinking about Swedish food, and you’re not wrong. But there’s so much more!
Malmö is a very international city with lots of foods from all over the world.
More cool guides
Shop
Hi, I’m Nadine
Part-time traveler with full-time wanderlust.
I explore the world one weekend and one vacation at a time and share my experiences, travel and photography tips, and food recs on this blog.
I believe the answer to (almost) any question is traveling.
Have you tried it?
Follow my adventures