Ferry to Grinda: routes, operators and travel times
Strömma's Cinderella boats from Strandvägen take 1 hr 30 min and run from 30 April to 27 September 2026, and Waxholmsbolaget sails from Strömkajen all year.
Two operators serve Grinda, which has two piers: Grinda Södra and Grinda Norra.
The operators and other ways to get there
Waxholmsbolaget: from Strömkajen via Vaxholm, all year
Departs from: Strömkajen, via Vaxholm. Travel time: Waxholmsbolaget gives about an hour and a half from Strömkajen. Season: Services all year. According to the Archipelago Foundation, there are several departures a day in summer. The operator calls Grinda one of its most popular destinations.
Strömma's Cinderella boats: from Strandvägen in season
Departs from: Strandvägen, berth 14. Travel time: Strömma gives 1 hour 30 minutes. 2026 season: 30 April–27 September.
By your own boat
There is a guest harbour in Hemviken and a natural harbour in Hästholmssundet on the south side of the island.
Water taxi and charter
Grinda Wärdshus says it can arrange a water taxi, charter boat, helicopter or seaplane to the island, and a hovercraft in winter.
Grinda Södra vs Grinda Norra: which pier should you choose?
From both Grinda Södra and Grinda Norra it is about a 10–15 minute walk to the Wärdshus in the middle of the island, and Södra is the busier pier.
The boats call at two piers: Grinda Södra and Grinda Norra. Choose your pier according to where you are going on the island.
Södra Grinda is the busiest. Grinda Wärdshus says it is about the same distance – around 10–15 minutes – to walk from either pier to the Wärdshus in the middle of the island.
The two piers compared
| Södra Grinda | Norra Grinda | |
|---|---|---|
| Busiest | – | |
| To the Wärdshus | Approx. 10–15 min | Approx. 10–15 min |
| Child-friendly swimming | ||
| Barbecue areas | By the pier | By the campsite |
| Framfickan and the guest harbour | – | |
| Closest accommodation | The cottage village, a few hundred metres | The campsite, a few hundred metres |
Busiest
Södra Grinda: the Wärdshus, Framfickan and the guest harbour
Grinda Wärdshus: Restaurant, hotel and hostel, according to the Archipelago Foundation. Framfickan: Bar and restaurant down by the water, next to the guest harbour. General store and café: Both on the island – the café in summer. Swimming and barbecues: Child-friendly swimming and barbecue areas by the southern steamboat pier. The cottage village: Easiest to reach from here – it is only a few hundred metres away.
Closest to the campsite
Norra Grinda: camping and swimming
Camping: Grinda's campsite is at Norra Grinda, a few hundred metres from the pier. No pitch booking – put up your tent wherever you like on the camping area and pay the fee at the reception or the general store. Swimming: The County Administrative Board lists child-friendly swimming by the northern steamboat pier too.
Timetables, tickets and prices for the ferry to Grinda
The Cinderella boats cost from SEK 235 (2026), and SL tickets are not valid on them. On Waxholmsbolaget, SL tickets are valid only as far as Vaxholm, and the single ticket for the rest of the way is valid for 180 minutes.
Planning the trip to Grinda means keeping track of the right departures and ticket systems, especially since the operators handle booking, payment and validity differently.
Tickets and the SL card
Find current timetables from Waxholmsbolaget and Strömma: Search for departures in Waxholmsbolaget's timetable and pick the right pier – Grinda Södra or Grinda Norra. The Cinderella boats' departures and availability are on Strömma's site.
Waxholmsbolaget: No seat booking – you just board. SL tickets are valid between Strömkajen and Vaxholm, but not all the way to Grinda; for the rest of the trip you buy a Waxholmsbolaget ticket. In low season, 14 September–29 April, SL's 30-day, 90-day and annual tickets are valid on all Waxholmsbolaget services.
Single ticket: Waxholmsbolaget's single ticket is priced in zones by distance and is valid for 180 minutes. You buy it in the SL app or by card on board – the boats don't take cash.
The Cinderella boats: From SEK 235 according to Strömma (2026). The ticket guarantees you a place on board but not a seat. SL tickets are not valid.
Seasons: when do boats run to Grinda?
The Cinderella boats run from 30 April to 27 September 2026 and Waxholmsbolaget all year. From 14 September to 29 April, SL's 30-day, 90-day and annual tickets are valid on all Waxholmsbolaget services.
Waxholmsbolaget serves Grinda all year. There is most to do on the island in summer.
Boats and services on Grinda
Waxholmsbolaget
All year. Several departures a day in summer.
The Cinderella boats
30 April–27 September 2026.
Grinda cottage village
From just before the turn of April and May to the third weekend of October.
Sea Lodge and Grinda Bageri
From Midsummer to mid-August.
Christmas buffet at the Wärdshus
Weekends 28 November–14 December.
SL period ticket on all services
Low season 14 September–29 April: SL's 30-day, 90-day and annual tickets.
Summer – Boats: Several departures a day with Waxholmsbolaget, according to the Archipelago Foundation, and the Cinderella boats 30 April–27 September 2026. On the island: A café in summer, and summer events such as music evenings, regattas and barbecue nights.
Rest of the year – Waxholmsbolaget's boats run all year. The Cinderella boats don't run out of season. Always check the departures – including the trip home – before you go.
Things to do on Grinda island: food, beaches and activities
Grinda Wärdshus has looked out over Saxarfjärden since 1906, the nature and culture trail is about 2.5 km long, and Klubbudden is the island's highest point at 35 metres.
Grinda is a nature reserve owned and managed by the Archipelago Foundation.
Eating and drinking: the Wärdshus, Framfickan and the general store
Grinda Wärdshus
A restaurant with a terrace. The house has looked out over Saxarfjärden since 1906, and in 2026 the National Romantic Art Nouveau villa celebrates its 120th year.
Framfickan
A large wooden deck by the water with food and drink. Framfickan is drop-in only – you can't book a table – and also sells takeaway pizza.
The general store and café
Groceries for self-catering and picnics, coffee and cake, and ice cream. The café serves breakfast and simple lunches: salads, filled baguettes, pancakes and sausages.
Grinda Bageri
In the harbour, from Midsummer to mid-August, every day 07:30–17:00, with freshly baked stone-oven bread and breakfast.
Grinda Sea Lodge
A guesthouse with an outdoor restaurant, a barbecue grill in the evenings and simple lunch dishes. Open from Midsummer week to mid-August; in early and late summer only for larger groups and weddings.
Beaches, trails and Grinda with kids
Three bathing spots
Swimming on Grinda
According to the County Administrative Board, there is child-friendly swimming by both the southern and the northern steamboat piers, and another bathing spot at Källviken, where the Archipelago Foundation also highlights the rocks. There are dry toilets at all the bathing spots, and Källviken has accessible entries into the water.
Klubbudden 35 m
Trails, views and activities
The nature and culture trail: About 2.5 km around the south-east of the island, starting at the Hemviken farm. The view: Klubbudden is the island's highest point, 35 metres. Stockholm Archipelago Trail: Parts of the 270 km trail cross Grinda. Kayak and SUP: Rent them at the harbour office. Other: A sauna, an outdoor gym at Grinda Sea Lodge, and boules and table tennis next to Framfickan. The sauna at the Sea Lodge is right by the water and can be rented.
Swimming, animals and play
Grinda with kids
Swimming: Child-friendly swimming by both steamboat piers. Animals: Cows, horses and other animals graze at Grinda lantbruk (the island farm). The general store: Worms and fishing rods from Midsummer, puzzles and crafts, and behind the store a play cupboard with games to borrow.
Where to stay on Grinda: day trip or overnight?
With a boat trip of about 1.5 hours, Grinda works as a day trip. If you stay, camping costs SEK 200 per tent per night, a 2-bed cottage SEK 825–1,100 per night and a hotel double room SEK 1,045–1,195 per person with breakfast.
When you take the ferry to Grinda, you need to decide whether to stay for the day or book somewhere to sleep. The island is close enough to Stockholm for an easy day trip, but the evening calm after the last archipelago boat has left is hard to beat.
Day trip or overnight stay?
Approx. 1.5 hours there
Day trip
The boat from Strömkajen takes about an hour and a half, so a day trip works well.
Sauna, paddling and the evening
Overnight
If you want time for the sauna, paddling and an evening on the island, there are several places to stay.
What does a night cost? High season
Grinda Wärdshus's prices per night in high season, for a tent and for a whole cottage.
SEK per night
SEK 200
Camping
SEK 1,100
2-bed cottage
SEK 1,300
4-bed cottage
- Camping: Per tent per night, SEK 1,000 per week.
- 2-bed cottage: SEK 825 per night in low season.
- 4-bed cottage: SEK 975 per night in low season.
The hotel: A double room including breakfast buffet costs SEK 1,045 per person in spring and autumn and SEK 1,195 in July–August. All prices include VAT, and Grinda Wärdshus reserves the right to change prices.
Places to stay on Grinda
Grinda hotel
30 double rooms, next to the Wärdshus. The rooms are in four archipelago houses and all have their own shower and toilet.
Grinda cottage village
27 cottages with 2, 4 or 6 beds, electricity and simply equipped kitchens, along the island's southern ridge. Bring your own sheets and towels or rent them for SEK 180 per set.
Grinda Sea Lodge
A guesthouse with 44 beds in total in 2- and 4-bed rooms on the south of the island. Breakfast is included; the rooms have washbasins with cold water, and there are composting toilets and showers on site.
Hostel
Available, according to the Archipelago Foundation and the County Administrative Board.
Camping
At Norra Grinda, with no pitch booking. The fee gives you access to waste disposal, dry toilets and a shower in the guest harbour's service building 12:00–14:00 in high season.
Dogs
The hotel, the cottage village and the Sea Lodge have dog-friendly rooms and cottages; the dog supplement is SEK 200 per stay.
By your own boat to Grinda: the guest harbour
The guest harbour in Hemviken has room for about a hundred boats, and the marine fuel station with 98 petrol, diesel and bottled gas is closed 22:00–05:00.
The guest harbour is in Hemviken on the south side of the island, a few swimming strokes from Framfickan.
About a hundred boats
The guest harbour in Hemviken
Space: About a hundred boats. Natural harbour: In Hästholmssundet. Rules: In the reserve you may not moor at the same shore for more than two days in a row, or along stretches of shore marked with a solid line on the map. Booking: 28 of the berths can be booked in advance. Mooring is on a buoy or a mooring line.
The harbour office
Services for harbour guests
As an overnight guest you have access to electricity, showers, toilets and disposal of household waste and septic tanks. Showers and toilets are included in the harbour fee. Electricity is limited to 24 sockets at a time. The harbour hosts answer the harbour phone around the clock, and the harbour should be quiet from 22:00.
Open all year
The marine fuel station
Grinda has one of the few remaining marine fuel stations in the archipelago, with 98 petrol, diesel and bottled gas. The station is unmanned but has a card machine, and is closed 22:00–05:00.
Practical tips for your boat trip to Grinda
On Waxholmsbolaget, an ordinary bike travels free if there's room, a bike trailer costs SEK 120, and pushchairs are free when you travel with a child under 7.
A few things that make the trip and the visit smoother.
The trip home
Check the pier
See in the timetable whether your boat leaves from Grinda Södra or Grinda Norra.
The semaphore
At piers where the boat only stops on request, raise the semaphore so the crew can see you want to board.
Bikes and pushchairs
Waxholmsbolaget takes an ordinary bike at no extra cost if there's room; a bike trailer costs SEK 120. Pushchairs are free when you travel with children under 7.
Rules in Grinda nature reserve
Under the County Administrative Board's regulations it is prohibited, among other things, to bring a dog off the lead; light fires except at designated sites – there are barbecue areas by the southern steamboat pier and at the campsite; camp except at designated sites – the campsite is near the northern pier; break twigs or damage trees and bushes; disturb wildlife.
Packing list for the day trip
- Windproof layer
- Swimwear
- Sun protection
Out in the archipelago it is windier than in the city. Bring a windproof layer, swimwear and sun protection.
Frequently asked questions about the ferry to Grinda
5 questions
01How do I get to Grinda island from central Stockholm?
Both operators give about the same travel time: Strömma's Cinderella boats from Strandvägen take 1 hour 30 minutes, and Waxholmsbolaget gives about an hour and a half from Strömkajen via Vaxholm. The Cinderella boats only run in season – 30 April–27 September 2026.
02Can you bring a dog or a bike to Grinda?
Dogs: Allowed on the boats. On the Cinderella boats, pets may not be in the cafeteria. In Grinda nature reserve, dogs must be kept on a lead.
Bikes: Waxholmsbolaget takes an ordinary bike at no extra cost if there's room. The Cinderella boats take bikes for a fee, but not e-bikes or cargo bikes.
03Do you need to book a boat ticket to Grinda in advance?
Waxholmsbolaget has no seat booking – you just board. With Strömma you book a ticket for the Cinderella boats; the ticket guarantees you a place on board but not a seat.
04Is the SL card valid on the ferry to Grinda?
Partly. Grinda is outside the area where SL tickets are valid – Waxholmsbolaget's list of piers within the SL area includes Strömkajen and Vaxholm, among others, but not Grinda.
The operator itself uses Grinda as an example: if you travel from Strömkajen to Grinda, you can use an SL ticket between Strömkajen and Vaxholm, then buy a Waxholmsbolaget ticket for the rest of the trip.
In low season, 14 September–29 April, SL's 30-day, 90-day and annual tickets are also valid on all Waxholmsbolaget services. SL tickets are never valid on Strömma's Cinderella boats – you need the operator's own ticket.
05How far is it to walk from the pier on Grinda?
Grinda Wärdshus says it is about the same distance from Södra and Norra Grinda – around 10–15 minutes – to the Wärdshus in the middle of the island. The cottage village is a few hundred metres from Södra Grinda and the campsite a few hundred metres from Norra Grinda.
Sources
Details checked against these sources in September 2026.
The facts on this page are based on these sources. Under each one you can see which details we took from it. Opening times, prices and departures change – always check with the source before you go.
- Waxholmsbolaget: Destination Grinda · in Swedish"You can travel to Grinda from Strömkajen, via Vaxholm. The trip from Strömkajen takes about an hour and a half." Grinda has services all year; timetable in table 11
- Strömma: Ferry to Grinda with the Cinderella boatsfrom SEK 235, 1 hr 30 min
- Strömma: FAQ about the Cinderella boatsdeparting from Strandvägen berth 14
- Waxholmsbolaget: All SL tickets are valid between 44 piers · in SwedishGrinda is NOT on the list; the operator uses Strömkajen–Grinda as its example of partial validity via Vaxholm
- The Archipelago Foundation: Grinda · in Swedishboats all year, several departures a day in summer; the Wärdshus with restaurant, hotel rooms and hostel; Framfickan; general store, café and campsite; Grinda lantbruk with cows and horses; guest harbour in Hemviken, natural harbour in Hästholmssundet
- County Administrative Board of Stockholm: Grinda nature reserve · in Swedishchild-friendly swimming by both piers and at Källviken; barbecue areas by the southern pier and the campsite; camping only at the campsite near the northern pier; Klubbudden 35 m; nature and culture trail approx. 2.5 km; dry toilets at all bathing spots; regulations
- Grinda.se: Activities · in SwedishFramfickan; Sea Lodge with BBQ and 44 beds; hotel with 30 double rooms; guest harbour for about a hundred boats; kayak and SUP at the harbour office; sauna; outdoor gym; Stockholm Archipelago Trail 270 km
- Grinda.se: Accommodation · in Swedishcottage village with 27 cottages; camping without pitch booking
- Grinda.se: CampingNorra Grinda; fee at the reception or the general store; dry toilets, shower in the guest harbour's service building 12:00–14:00 in high season
- Grinda Wärdshus: Find usSödra Grinda busiest; approx. 10–15 min from both piers to the Wärdshus; water taxi, charter, helicopter, seaplane, hovercraft in winter
- Grinda Wärdshus: The Wärdshus · in Swedish"has looked out over Saxarfjärden since 1906") and Grinda 120 years (National Romantic Art Nouveau villa
- Grinda Wärdshus: Framfickandrop-in only, takeaway pizza, fully licensed
- Grinda Wärdshus: General store & cafébreakfast and simple lunches; worms, fishing rods, crafts, play cupboard
- Grinda Wärdshus: Grinda Bageri · in SwedishMidsummer to mid-August, every day 07:30–17:00
- Grinda Wärdshus: Grinda Sea LodgeMidsummer week to mid-August; 44 beds; sauna for rent by the water
- Grinda Wärdshus: Christmas on Grinda · in Swedishfondue Christmas buffet, weekends 28 November–14 December
- Grinda Wärdshus: Accommodation prices · in Swedishhotel SEK 1,045/1,195 per person; cottages SEK 825/1,100 and 975/1,300 per night
- Grinda Wärdshus: Cottage village27 cottages, 2/4/6 beds, sheets SEK 180, dog supplement SEK 200
- Grinda Wärdshus: Hotelfour archipelago houses, own shower and toilet
- Grinda Wärdshus: Opening hoursthe cottage village from just before the turn of April and May to the third weekend of October
- Grinda Wärdshus: Guest harbour28 bookable berths, buoy or mooring line, electricity, showers, toilets, waste and septic tank disposal
- Grinda Wärdshus: Safety & serviceharbour phone around the clock, quiet from 22:00, 24 electrical sockets
- Grinda Wärdshus: Marine fuel stationopen all year with a card machine, closed 22:00–05:00
- Waxholmsbolaget: What you can bring · in Swedishordinary bike free if there's room, bike trailer SEK 120; pushchair free with children under 7
- Waxholmsbolaget: Single ticket 180 minutes · in Swedishzone fares by distance