There are warm bathroom facilities (toilets and sinks) built into the Icehotel. You will wake up to a warm glass of lingonberry juice (a delicious berry that grows wild in Northern Sweden), and then you can take a sauna and a shower before departing the Icehotel. The sauna and showers are comfortable, single-sex, shared facilities. If you choose to stay in a heated hotel room, you will have private shower facilities.

We’ll have a continental breakfast in the warm dining room at the Icehotel, and then a bus will take us to the airport to fly back to Stockholm.

We should arrive at the Stockholm airport (Arlanda) at around 2pm. We will shuttle you directly to the Clarion Hotel, my favorite hotel in downtown Stockholm. The Scandinavian design of this new hotel is a work of art. I find it innovative and simple, as well as both grand and cozy. And I can honestly say that the bed in my room was the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept on. I’m sure you’ll enjoy your stay here.

The rest of the afternoon you’ll have to yourself to explore Stockholm. I’ll provide you with a list of recommended museums, sites, and activities in Stockholm, as well as a shopping guide. Some interesting places are:

• Walking among the shops and cafes in Old Town (Gamla Stan), or Central Stockholm (Norrmalm), or the new hip area Södermalm – the island where the hotel (Clarion) is located.
• Touring the art exhibits, cafes, and library at the Stockholm Culture House. http://www.kulturhuset.stockholm.se/english/default.asp - I highly recommend this one.
• The Vasa Museum – a 17th century Swedish warship wrecked and recently excavated and rebuilt. http://www.vasamuseet.se/Vasamuseet/Om.aspx.
• The Butterfly House/Bird House/Botanical Gardens. http://www.fjarilshuset.se/
• The Historical Museum of Wines and Spirits. http://www.vinosprithistoriska.se/
• Simply seeing a movie – almost all English movies are in English, subtitled in Swedish.

Dinner this evening will also be on your own. I’ll provide you with a list of great restaurants for all kinds of ethnic foods, cozy Old Town cafes, and the newest trendy places in town.

You will have concert tickets for after dinner. About 2 months before your trip, I’ll send you information about what’s playing in town, and you can choose your favorite show, be it the opera, the symphony, jazz, rock, ballet, modern dance, etc. You may also choose tickets to a sports event, depending on this year’s schedule.

After the concerts, we will have a party at the beautifully designed Clarion Hotel bar. Some of my Swedish friends will join us at the party, so you’ll have a chance to intermingle with some interesting locals. We’ll have a private room at the bar, and as the night goes on you can wander into the main bar with live music, and enjoy one of the hippest new scenes in Stockholm.