A Weekend in Gothenburg with a Toddler: A Two Day Itinerary from a Local

If you are looking for a European city break that is easy for families, Gothenburg is the absolute perfect answer. The flights are short, almost everyone speaks perfect English, and the entire city is wonderfully compact and walkable.

Because Gothenburg is my home city and we visit multiple times a year so I know a weekend here offers the perfect mix of incredible food, open green spaces, and family-friendly entertainment. Here is exactly how to spend two perfect days in Gothenburg with a toddler.

Day One: Haga, Slottsskogen and the Fish Church

Arrive the evening before if you possibly can. You want a full first day of exploring rather than a stressful half day spent unpacking luggage. The absolute best base for this specific itinerary is the Haga or Linné area, which puts you within very easy walking distance of everything on day one and just a short tram ride from Liseberg on day two.

Morning: Haga Nygata

Start your morning with a Swedish fika, the concept of having a social coffee, slowing down and enjoying the moment. Your first stop is Kafé Magasinet on Tredje Långgatan, which is easily my favourite cafe in the city. Its a light airy orangery with plants everywhere and has open spaces and a chilled atmosphere which makes it perfect for kids who can't sit still. 

Once calm and caffeinated head to Haga Nygata, the beautiful cobblestoned main street of Gothenburg's old town. The street features independent cafes, lovely bookshops, and the kind of beautiful homeware stores that make you wish you had checked more luggage! 

You will probably see tourists queueing nearby for the famous Hagabullen, a giant cinnamon bun the size of a dinner plate. As a local, I will be completely honest with you: it is highly overrated, dry, and mostly just a tourist novelty. Save your money, order a normal sized, tastier cinnamon bun from Kafé Magasinet instead, and enjoy a proper slow Swedish fika there.

Want to stay at the best family-friendly places in Gothenburg?

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Late Morning: Slottsskogen

From Haga, the Slottsskogen park is a 15 minute walk uphill, or a very short tram ride on Line 1 or 2 towards Linnéplatsen. It is Gothenburg's main city park and widely considered one of the absolute best urban parks in Sweden for families.

The free zoo inside the park is your first destination. It features moose, reindeer, seals, and penguins as permanent residents, plus a lovely seasonal petting zoo with farm animals that runs throughout the summer. Entry is completely free! The enclosures are cleverly designed at ground level for close up viewing, meaning a child sitting in a pram can see the animals perfectly clearly without constantly needing to be lifted up.

After the zoo, head to the Natural History Museum located directly inside the park, which is also free to enter. The absolute star of the museum is the only mounted blue whale in the world, displayed right inside the body of the actual animal. A fully preserved 16 metre blue whale that you can actually walk right up to is fascinating for kids and adults alike!

Finish your park visit at Plikta, the enormous adventure playground sitting right in the middle of Slottsskogen. It features fun climbing structures, wide slides, and a huge sandpit section. Enough to keep kids entertained for hours. 

Afternoon: Paddan Canal Boat

Walk down to the waterfront at Kungsportsplatsen to catch the Paddan canal boat for a 50 minute guided tour through Gothenburg's canals and historic harbour. It's a peaceful way of exploring the city and seeing it from a completely different perspective.

The boats run from mid April to mid September, and with a young child there will be plenty for kids to look at out and see and the 50 minute length is highly manageable.

Recommended tour: Gothenburg: City Canal Sightseeing Cruise

(Use code TODDLERTRAVELDIARIES5 for 5% off via the GetYourGuide app.)

Evening: Dinner at Feskekôrka

For an early dinner, head over to Feskekôrka, which literally translates to the Fish Church. It is Gothenburg's iconic indoor seafood market and it has recently reopened after a massive, spectacular renovation.

This is the absolute best place in the entire city to grab incredibly fresh prawns, beautiful cured salmon, or brilliant traditional fish and chips. You can sit right by the canal to eat, and the lively, highly casual atmosphere makes it incredibly easy and totally stress free with a noisy toddler. West coast seafood is what Gothenburg famous for, and this is exactly where you want to eat it.

Day Two: Liseberg

Your entire second day is dedicated to Liseberg because this theme park is massive, incredibly fun, and trying to combine it with other activities means you will end up rushing both. If you want an unforgettable experience for your child then you can stay at the Grand Curiousa Hotel on site meaning early access to Liseberg and a magical design including a slide and merry-go-round in the hotel itself!

Surviving Kaninlandet

Liseberg is one of the largest and most visited amusement parks in all of Scandinavia, and it has been a massive part of Gothenburg's identity since 1923. For families travelling with young children, the highlight is Kaninlandet, or Rabbit Land.

This is a brilliant dedicated area for children under 110cm with rides perfectly scaled to small people, including a gentle roller coaster, a fun boat ride, and a circus tent featuring indoor play. The famous Liseberg rabbit characters appear constantly for hugs and photographs. The rides in Kaninlandet work perfectly for children from around 18 months upwards.

If you are visiting with a toddler who still uses a dummy, there is a cute Liseberg ceremony where the kids hand their dummy over to the Liseberg rabbit, who then pass them onto the baby rabbits. The children then receive an official diploma confirming they are now a big kid. It is totally voluntary and is a great way of encouraging them to give up their dummy if you are at that stage. 

Summer visits: The full park is open from May to September. Arrive exactly when the gates open, usually 10am or 11am, to absolutely maximise your time in Kaninlandet before the massive queues build up in the late afternoon.

Winter visits: In December, the entire park magically transforms into the festive Gothenburg Christmas market featuring roughly a million fairy lights and an incredible atmosphere. You can see Father Christmas here too for a fraction of the price than visiting a Santa's Grotto in the UK.

Lunch and Dinner Logistics

Liseberg has multiple restaurants and cafes inside the park serving standard amusement park quality food like burgers and waffles. However, if you want something significantly better for an early dinner, head to the Gothia Towers entrance located directly adjacent to the park.

Take the lift up to the Heaven 23 bar on the 23 floor. They serve what I am entirely willing to say is the absolute best räkmacka, or open prawn sandwich, in all of Gothenburg. It is an enormous, incredible sandwich served 200 metres above the city with spectacular panoramic views. It is the perfect place to decompress once you have finally persuaded your toddler to leave the theme park!

Bonus Day: Escape to the Car Free Archipelago

If you have an extra day in the city, or if you would simply rather explore stunning nature than tackle a busy theme park, you absolutely must head out to the Gothenburg archipelago. Just a short tram ride from the city centre takes you straight to Saltholmen, where passenger ferries regularly depart for the beautiful southern islands.

These islands are completely car free, making them an absolute paradise for families with toddlers. You can spend the entire day safely exploring the smooth granite rocks, swimming in the surprisingly warm sheltered bays, and letting your children try traditional Swedish crab fishing right from the wooden jetties. It is breathtakingly beautiful and offers a completely different, peaceful pace from the city centre.

To plan the perfect island escape, read our complete Gothenburg Archipelago with Kids: A Local Guide where I break down exactly which islands to visit and the ferry routes!

Where to Stay

For a complete breakdown of Gothenburg accommodation by neighbourhood with detailed family notes and current prices, read our highly detailed Where to Stay in Gothenburg with Kids guide. For this specific two day itinerary, these three options are absolutely perfect:

1. Liseberg Grand Curiosa Hotel (prices from around £180 per night)

Best for: Families who want to be connected directly to the Liseberg entrance, featuring a working Victorian carousel right in the lobby!

This is easily the most incredibly family-friendly hotel in Gothenburg. It is directly connected to the Liseberg entrance, meaning absolutely zero commute on your theme park day. Every single room is beautifully styled around a different fun theme from the park's deep history. There is a Merry-Go-Round and a slide meaning there is lot sof fun to be had directly in the hotel! Excellent family rooms and highly useful connecting rooms are readily available, and children under twelve stay completely free in a parent's room. A cot is available on request and this will be a really memorable stay for your kids.

2. Clarion Hotel Draken (prices from around £135 per night)

Best for: Families who want to perfectly base themselves in the Haga area, featuring an incredible 34 floor rooftop bar for the adults.

Opened recently in a beautifully converted theatre building, this hotel sits just a five minute walk from Haga Nygata and all the best cafes. The tram network stops right at the front door, and Slottsskogen park is within incredibly easy walking distance. Great family rooms are available here. A cot is available on request at this hotel.

3. Gothia Towers (prices from around £150 per night)

Best for: Families who want the absolute most complete hotel facilities directly opposite Liseberg, featuring a brilliant Kids Corner and fantastic restaurants.

These are three massive towers located directly opposite Liseberg. They feature a brilliant Kids Corner with toys and a play kitchen for younger children, plus a great Kids Hangout area for older ones. Children under twelve stay entirely free in a parent's room, and a massive breakfast buffet is always included. A cot is available on request at this hotel.

Final Thoughts

A weekend in Gothenburg works so incredibly well because the city is the exact right scale for a toddler. It is large enough to have brilliant variety, but small enough to easily cover in two days without spending half your holiday sitting in transit. It is one of the easiest, most underrated Scandinavian city breaks available.

For absolutely everything else you can do in the city, read our Top 10 Things to Do in Gothenburg with Kids: A Local’s Guide

Recommended tour: Gothenburg: City Canal Sightseeing Cruise

(Use code TODDLERTRAVELDIARIES5 for 5% off via the GetYourGuide app.)