The boat leaves from Klara Mälarstrand in central Stockholm and crosses Lake Mälaren to Drottningholm. Visit Stockholm gives the journey time as 60 minutes. On departures aboard the early 20th-century M/S Prins Carl Philip, the route also stops at Fridhem, Mälarhöjdsbadet and Kungshättan. At those intermediate piers, raise the semaphore signal on the dock to tell the captain you want to board.

The palace grounds include the main palace, formal gardens, the Chinese Pavilion and the Court Theatre. The palace’s state rooms can be visited independently or on a guided tour in Swedish or English; family tours are available for younger visitors. The Chinese Pavilion has an audio guide, while visits to the Court Theatre are by guided tour. The palace park is open year-round. Admission tickets for the palace, pavilion and theatre can be added when booking the boat. The pages do not give ticket prices.

M/S Prins Carl Philip departures have a café selling sandwiches, pastries, snacks and drinks. Lunch can be pre-booked on selected departures. From June 25 to August 22, Stromma says it runs extra daily departures on the faster Express Boat, M/S Nya Hjelmare Kanal. The operating vessel is shown during booking. The 60-minute figure is the boat journey time; the material does not give a total visit duration.