Swedish Lapland covers a full quarter of Sweden’s total area, yet just two percent of the country’s population lives here. In practice that means in this vast northern wilderness you’ll most likely meet more reindeer than people. If you’re after Santa’s village and commercial Christmas glitz, you’ll need to cross over to neighbouring Finland, because here it’s pure, raw and incredibly quiet Arctic wilderness that reigns.
Winter above the Arctic Circle isn’t just an ordinary season — it’s more like a universe of its own, full of extremes and contrasts. For several weeks the sun never rises above the horizon, and temperatures routinely drop to levels where even your breath freezes on your jacket collar. Your reward, though, is a dark sky that explodes at night into green plasma, and endless plains of glittering snow stretching all the way to the horizon.
I’ve put these tips together so you can make the most of your trip north, and so you know where to save and what to watch out for. I’ll show you where to base yourself strategically, how to choose a dog sledding tour and how much this whole Arctic adventure costs. You’ll also learn the best time to go, so you can dodge the clouds of summer mosquitoes or, on the flip side, the harshest winter frosts.
A summary for those who don’t have time to read the whole article
- Best base: For chasing the northern lights, the absolute top choice is the village of Abisko with its cloud-free microclimate; for activities and amenities, the town of Kiruna will serve you well.
- Dog sledding and snowmobiles: These activities form the core of the winter fun, but set aside a generous budget, because prices for a half-day trip commonly start at €80 to €140.
- Ice hotel: You can visit the iconic ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjärvi on a day visit for just 325 SEK, a great alternative to a pricey night in the freezing cold.
- Sámi culture: The Indigenous people of the north are not a tourist attraction but a proud nation with their own parliament, whose winter market in Jokkmokk is one of the highlights of the season.
- Summer hiking: The legendary Kungsleden (King’s Trail) offers 440 kilometres of hikes with excellent mountain hut facilities, so you don’t need your own tent.
- Getting north: The easiest way is to fly via Stockholm to Kiruna, or you can opt for the romantic overnight Arctic train.
- Budget: While a tour operator will charge you over €2,900 for a week, on your own you can comfortably stay under €1,000 per person.
When to visit Swedish Lapland
Choosing the right season is absolutely crucial for a trip north, because Lapland transforms beyond recognition with every passing month. If your main goal is the northern lights and winter fun, the ideal window opens in February and March. By then the days are lengthening, the sun has strength, the snow forms perfect glittering drifts, yet there’s still enough darkness for the evening green show in the sky. December and January do offer the magical polar night, when the sun never rises and the landscape drowns in stunning blue and purple shadows, but you’ll have to reckon with extreme frosts dropping to around minus thirty degrees.
Summer above the Arctic Circle is a completely different world, ruled by the phenomenon of the midnight sun. During June and July there’s daylight a full 24 hours a day, which is absolutely ideal for long mountain hikes or night fishing on the lakes. But the summer months have one huge catch: gigantic clouds of mosquitoes and tiny biting flies called knott. In still air by the water, they can eat you alive.
That’s why experienced travellers often recommend heading out on summer treks only at the turn of August and September, when the season known as ruska begins. The first night frosts reliably wipe out the insects, and nature turns a stunning blaze of autumn colours. September’s northern lights come with one enormous visual bonus, too, because the lakes aren’t frozen yet, so the green lights mirror beautifully right on the water’s surface.
Where to stay in Swedish Lapland
💡 Tip for accommodation and experiences: We prefer to look for accommodation on Booking.com, which usually has the best cancellation terms. For tickets, tours and activities, it pays to compare and book through GetYourGuide.
The foundation of a successful Arctic expedition is good logistical planning and choosing the right accommodation to match your itinerary. Distances in the north are enormous, so it doesn’t pay to rely on a single spot but rather to combine several locations depending on what you want to do. If you fly into Kiruna and want quality amenities with a touch of luxury, definitely check out Camp Ripan. This resort offers beautiful standalone cabins with huge windows and a fantastic Arctic wellness centre where you can warm up in the saunas after a day out in the cold. A great, modern alternative right in the newly built town centre is Scandic Kiruna, which scores with generous breakfasts and excellent access to local transport.
For northern-lights hunters it’s an absolute must to move to the lakeside in Abisko National Park. Here you’ll find the legendary mountain station STF Abisko Turiststation, which offers everything from cheaper beds in shared rooms to private hotel rooms and standalone cabins. But you’ll need to book months in advance, because in high season the place is hopelessly sold out.
If you’re drawn instead to the coast and the frozen sea, the modern town of Luleå has the excellent Clarion Hotel Sense, with views straight out onto the icy expanses of the bay. Special mention goes to the ski resort of Åre, which lies a little further south in the Jämtland region but serves as a perfect gateway to the north. For lovers of design and top-notch service, there’s Copperhill Mountain Lodge, a huge wooden hotel perched right on the mountaintop with its own gondola and luxurious copper accents.
Where to eat in Swedish Lapland
When you get hungry after a whole day out in the freezing air, Swedish cuisine will get you back on your feet in no time. Despite the higher prices, you’ll find great places here that cook with honest Arctic ingredients, including reindeer meat, polar fish and cloudberries.
Our tips for specific restaurants
In Kiruna, don’t miss the restaurant Spis Mat & Dryck, which offers great lunch menus and turns into a cosy spot with a fantastic atmosphere in the evening. For coffee lovers and fans of a traditional fika, Café Safari is a must, where they have the best cinnamon buns for miles around. If you make it to Jokkmokk, stop by the restaurant Restaurang Ájtte right in the museum, where they do perfect vegetarian soups and traditional Nordic specialities. And if you’re craving a real gourmet experience, the Icehotel Restaurant in Jukkasjärvi serves a luxurious Arctic tasting menu you won’t forget in a hurry.
20 things to see and do in Swedish Lapland
Let’s take a look together at the best tips and activities the Swedish north has to offer. I’ll show you how to save on pricey entry fees and what to watch out for most in the extreme cold.
1. Kiruna and the unique relocation of an entire town
Your journey will most likely begin in Kiruna, a town with an utterly fascinating fate. It sits right on top of a huge deposit of high-quality iron ore, mined here by the state-owned company LKAB in the largest underground mine of its kind in the world. Mining is now so massive that it has literally undermined the very foundations of the town, whose centre was in real danger of collapsing into the ground. So the Swedes took an unprecedented step and are gradually moving the entire town three kilometres east.
This gigantic process is being watched with bated breath around the world, and the relocation of the over-hundred-year-old wooden church Kiruna kyrka is scheduled for 2025. This majestic structure, weighing 672 tonnes and forty metres wide, will be transported whole along a five-kilometre route to its new spot, a technical operation the world has never seen before. Once this architectural gem is safely settled in the new centre, you’ll be able to explore a town being reborn before your very eyes.
💡 Tip: If you’re interested in industrial history, definitely book a tour of the LKAB mine itself. A bus takes you hundreds of metres underground into a vast visitor centre, where you’ll see for yourself why an entire town of a hundred thousand people had to be set in motion. Availability and tour times change with current mining operations, so you’ll need to secure your tickets online well in advance.
2. ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjärvi and a night in the freezer
About a twenty-minute drive from Kiruna you’ll find a phenomenon that essentially defined winter tourism in Scandinavia. The local ICEHOTEL is the very first ice hotel in the world, with a tradition dating back to 1989. Every autumn, workers carve huge blocks of perfectly clear ice from the nearby Torne River, from which artists from around the globe build a brand-new, breathtaking structure. In spring, all this beauty simply melts and flows back into the river; for the 2026/2027 season, the 37th edition opens.
A night in an ice room is an experience balancing on the edge of luxury and Arctic expedition. The temperature inside stays steadily at minus five degrees, and you sleep in a special insulated sleeping bag on a bed covered with reindeer hides. Don’t look for toilets and showers in the room, of course: in the middle of the night you have to get dressed and dash across a freezing corridor into the adjacent warm building. The price for this chilly bit of fun starts at roughly 6,000 SEK (about €540), while more luxurious art suites cost much more.
💡 Tip: The vast majority of visitors agree that paying for a day visit at 325 SEK is more than enough (about €30). You can leisurely walk through all the ice rooms, have a drink at the ICEBAR and return for the night to a normal, pleasantly heated guesthouse. Thanks to the new ICEHOTEL 365 hall, which is cooled by solar energy, you can even see the ice sculptures in the middle of summer.
3. Dog sledding and the silence of the Arctic forest
Dog sledding, or a husky safari, is right after the northern lights the main reason people travel north. The silence of the snowy forest, broken only by the happy panting of the dogs and the crunch of the sled, is utterly hypnotic on the mind. The usual price for this half-day experience is between €80 and €140 per person, which isn’t cheap, but it’s absolutely worth every cent.
When booking, think carefully about whether you want to drive the sled yourself or just be a passenger. Steering a pack of enthusiastic dogs is actually quite physically demanding: you have to balance the sled in corners and actively help the dogs uphill by kicking off. So the huge adrenaline mixes with a decent physical workout. If you’re not sure about your fitness, the option with a guide as driver is a completely worthwhile one, far more relaxing, and it lets you take photos the whole way.
💡 Tip: Many operators cancel rides for safety reasons as soon as the temperature drops below minus twenty degrees. Breathing in icy air during physical exertion is dangerous for both people and animals. December and January tend to be extremely cold, which is why February and March are statistically a far more reliable choice for this activity.
4. Snowmobiles for adrenaline lovers
While the dogs represent romance and a connection with nature, snowmobiles mean pure adrenaline and enormous efficiency. It’s by far the best way to get deep into impassable wilderness, onto frozen lakes and endless white plains in a short time. To drive this powerful machine you only need an ordinary valid car driving licence, and prices are very similar to the dogs, between €80 and €130.
Before the ride, operators bundle you up thoroughly into special heavy thermal overalls, and you get a warm balaclava, a protective helmet, chunky gloves and snow boots. Without this gear you’d quickly freeze at speeds of around fifty kilometres an hour on an open plain. Driving itself isn’t hard — you give it throttle with the thumb of your right hand and brake with your left — but it demands constant focus on the terrain and respect for the machine’s huge power.
💡 Tip: Choose a longer trip of at least three hours, combined with lunch by a fire out in nature. The hour-long speed runs around Kiruna often take you only along tracks near roads, where you won’t get that true feeling of Arctic isolation and won’t have time to properly get the hang of it.
5. Sámi culture and respect for traditions
The Sámi are the Indigenous people of northern Scandinavia and at the same time the only officially recognised Indigenous nation in the European Union. Swedish Lapland is their historical homeland, which they call Sápmi in their own language, and they even have their own functioning parliament here. It’s absolutely crucial to realise that the Sámi are not some historical tourist backdrop, but a living, modern culture that often fights very hard for its land rights against mining companies.
Reindeer herding still forms the absolute core of Sámi culture and traditional livelihood. If you want to get to know this fascinating world up close and with respect, choose programmes run directly by local Sámi families. A great example is the organisation Nutti Sámi Siida, where you’ll learn about the real life of herders in the modern world, feed the curious animals and sit around a fire in a traditional tent called a lávvu.
💡 Tip: A local speciality the Sámi traditionally eat is suovas, or smoked reindeer meat. As tourists, though, you can also request a vegetarian meal when booking a programme, often served with thick black coffee and delicious sweet bread baked right over the open fire.
6. The Jokkmokk winter market with its huge tradition
The absolute highlight of the social year across the whole north is the famous winter market in the little town of Jokkmokk. It’s held regularly at the start of February and boasts an incredible, unbroken tradition lasting more than four hundred years. Into this peaceful town of just five thousand permanent residents, tens of thousands of people from all over the world descend for three days, and the place turns into the epicentre of all things Nordic.
The market works as a gigantic showcase of beautiful Sámi crafts called duodji, of the traditional throat singing known as joik, and of local Nordic specialities. The atmosphere here is absolutely electric, popular reindeer races take place on the frozen lake, and the snowy streets are full of people in colourful traditional costumes. It’s a one-of-a-kind cultural experience that lets you peer into the soul of real Lapland far more deeply than any museum exhibition.
💡 Tip: If you plan to visit Jokkmokk during the market, you have to book accommodation even a year in advance. Capacity across the wider area vanishes at lightning speed, prices soar to dizzying heights, and at the last minute you won’t even find a spot for a motorhome.
7. Ájtte: a fascinating museum of Sámi culture
Once you’re making the trip to Jokkmokk, your first steps should lead to the Ájtte museum. It’s Sweden’s main museum dedicated to Sámi culture and mountain nature, put together in an absolutely brilliant and engaging way. Here you’ll gain full context on the history, mythology and daily struggle for survival in the inhospitable conditions of the Arctic, which will help you better understand everything you see outside.
The exhibitions are divided into several thematic sections and guide you through the whole year of a Sámi herder. You’ll see original silver jewellery, beautifully carved knives of birch wood and reindeer antler, but you’ll also learn about the dark chapters of Swedish history, when the Sámi were forcibly assimilated. The museum is highly interactive, works great for families with children, and doesn’t shy away from complex political topics of the present.
💡 Tip: Set aside at least three hours for the visit and definitely don’t skip the on-site museum restaurant, where they serve excellent creamy vegetarian soups and blueberry desserts that will reliably save you after three hours of walking through the exhibition.
8. Abisko and the blue hole for northern-lights hunters
The village of Abisko and the national park of the same name are the absolute holy grail for all northern-lights hunters. It lies roughly a hundred kilometres northwest of Kiruna on the shore of the vast Torneträsk lake and owes its fame to a unique meteorological phenomenon called the blue hole. Thanks to the specific rain shadow of the surrounding mountains, the clouds often break above the lake even at times when the rest of the region lies beneath cloud cover. So statistically you have the highest chance of a clear sky here.
The main magnet is the famous Aurora Sky Station on Mount Nuolja. A slow chairlift takes you up there (in winter a ticket costs from 220 SEK upwards), and at the top you find yourself in absolute darkness with a perfect view of the iconic mountain profile known as Lapporten. The price of the special evening Night Visit package ranges between 750 and 900 SEK, and the experience of watching the celestial show from this observatory is truly exceptional and photogenic.
💡 Tip: If you want to save on the expensive chairlift, just dress warmly in the evening and walk five hundred metres away from the lit-up STF station down to the lake. The darkness there is exactly the same, your chances of spotting the northern lights are completely comparable, and it won’t cost you a cent.
9. Kungsleden, or the King’s Trail
Kungsleden is an absolute legend in the outdoor world — people book time off years ahead for it and then talk about it for years afterwards. The most popular northern section runs from Abisko to the settlement of Nikkaluokta, and it’s 108 kilometres of pure Arctic beauty that an averagely fit walker can manage in five to seven days of total disconnection from civilisation.
A huge advantage of this trek is the perfectly functioning system of mountain huts run by the Swedish Tourist Association (STF). They’re about ten to twenty kilometres apart, so you don’t have to lug a heavy tent or a week’s worth of food on your back. In the huts you can light a fire, cook a meal on a gas stove and, for a fee of around 470 to 520 SEK (roughly €45), lay your head down in the warmth. Some of them, such as Alesjaure, even have their own sauna.
💡 Tip: The trail gets its biggest rush in August, when the mass event Fjällräven Classic takes place, drawing over a thousand people. A far better time is the first half of September, when the mosquitoes have reliably vanished, nature glows with autumn colours, and in the evening you can already watch the northern lights through the hut window.
10. Kebnekaise: climbing the roof of Sweden
During a trek along the King’s Trail, the route swings towards the Kebnekaise fjällstation mountain station, which is the ideal starting point for conquering Sweden’s highest mountain. The Kebnekaise massif itself looks incredibly majestic, and climbing it is a lifelong dream come true for many Swedes. The station offers excellent facilities with a restaurant, showers and the option to rent all the necessary gear.
The climb to the summit, though, requires very good physical fitness and ideally some mountain experience, because the route crosses a glacier that is noticeably melting due to global warming, so the southern summit of the mountain gets lower year by year. If you’re not confident in your abilities, definitely hire an experienced mountain guide at the station, who will safely lead you through the critical sections and lend you an ice axe and crampons.
💡 Tip: Be aware that the weather in this massif can change from one minute to the next. Always carry plenty of warm layers in your backpack, a reliable waterproof jacket, and definitely don’t count on mobile signal, which is often completely absent in the surrounding mountains.
11. Sarek: the last true European wilderness
If the King’s Trail is a well-maintained, clearly marked highway, then Sarek National Park is like an impassable, wild jungle. It rightly and often gets the label of Europe’s last great wilderness, because you’ll find absolutely no marked trails, comfortable huts or bridges over the raging glacial rivers here. It’s just you, a printed map, a compass and a huge backpack that at the start of the trip can easily weigh twenty-five kilos.
Fording the local rivers genuinely threatens your life, and mobile signal simply doesn’t exist for the entire duration of the march. Sarek acts as a huge magnet for experts and solo adventurers seeking absolute disconnection from creature comforts. The atmosphere of jagged peaks and deep valleys here is truly unbeatable, but mistakes are unforgiving in this harsh environment.
💡 Tip: If you don’t have tough multi-day treks with a full pack under your belt and can’t reliably read a map without GPS navigation, keep Sarek on your dream list for now. Better to build up experience on more accessible Swedish routes, where you’re guaranteed help.
12. Åre: the largest ski resort in Scandinavia
Although Åre lies geographically a little further south in the Jämtland region, it belongs among the absolute jewels of the winter north. It’s the largest and best-equipped ski resort in all of Scandinavia, run by the company SkiStar, and it stands up to the strictest comparisons with Alpine resorts. You won’t find three-thousand-metre peaks here and the pistes are a touch shorter, but you’re more than compensated by the absolute certainty of quality natural snow and half-empty slopes.
The scenery here is stunning, because you ski on the slopes of the huge Åreskutan mountain with views of the frozen lake deep in the valley. The resort regularly hosts World Cup races, offers perfect infrastructure for families with children and boasts a legendary après-ski scene. Ski pass prices are comparable to a better Austrian resort, but you’ll pay significantly more for food and alcohol on the slopes due to Swedish taxes.
💡 Tip: A huge advantage of Åre is how easy it is to reach. Comfortable overnight trains run here from Stockholm, from which you step off in the morning practically right at the bottom station of the gondola, so you don’t waste time on lengthy car transfers.
13. Luleå and its fascinating winter ice roads
On the coast of the frozen Gulf of Bothnia lies the town of Luleå, which is an important northern hub with a completely different atmosphere from inland Kiruna. A huge draw of this town in the winter months are the so-called ice roads, which road crews mark out each year right on the frozen sea and lakes. These routes commonly serve locals as shortcuts and connect the mainland with nearby islands.
Driving an ordinary car across the frozen sea is a surreal experience guaranteed to send shivers down your spine. The ice has to be thick enough, so the routes usually only open in February, when winter reaches its absolute peak. Besides cars, these wide ice boulevards are heavily used by local cross-country skiers and long-distance skaters, creating an incredibly lively winter community right out on the ice.
💡 Tip: If you don’t fancy venturing onto the ice in a rental car, hire special long-distance skates in the town centre (långfärdsskridsko). Swedes clip them onto sturdy boots and, with poles in hand, cover huge distances on the cleared tracks near the coast.
14. Gammelstad: a unique UNESCO church town
Just outside the town of Luleå you’ll find the historical gem of Gammelstad, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s the best-preserved so-called church town in Sweden. It’s made up of a stunning fifteenth-century stone church surrounded by more than four hundred traditional, deep-red wooden cottages, packed tightly one next to another.
In the past, these little cottages served worshippers from distant corners of the parish as places to sleep when they travelled at weekends to Sunday services or major church holidays. Journeys through the harsh landscape back then took too long for people to make it home the same day. A walk through the narrow snowy lanes between the red walls feels like a trip in a time machine back to the depths of the Nordic Middle Ages.
💡 Tip: Definitely stop by the local visitor centre, where you’ll get a detailed map, and take the chance to peek inside some of the cottages, which are occasionally open to the public and furnished in period style with period furniture.
15. Arctic sauna and the ice bath isvak
The sauna, or bastu, is an absolute religion in Sweden, and in the cold north that goes double. It’s not some overpriced luxury wellness experience but an absolute necessity and the main place for social gatherings after work. After a whole day spent in minus twenty degrees, there’s no better feeling than shutting yourself inside a red-hot wooden hut on the shore of a frozen lake.
An inseparable part of a true Swedish sauna, though, is a hole cut in the ice called an isvak. The shock of plunging into the icy water floods your body with so many endorphins that you’ll feel reborn. After such a dip, the outdoor frost on the way back to the cabin will feel like a pleasant spring breeze, and your immune system will get the very best possible workout.
💡 Tip: Saunas follow strict etiquette, and complete nudity is often required, with everyone sitting on their own clean towel. If you visit a mixed public sauna on the beach, subtly observe what rules the locals are following about swimwear at the time.
16. Tree hotels and Arctic lodges
The Swedes are absolute masters at blending breathtaking modern design with rugged nature. Besides the ice hotel in Jukkasjärvi, the north offers several other one-of-a-kind places to stay that have made the rounds of the world’s architecture magazines. The most famous is Treehotel in the village of Harads, where you can spend the night in ultra-modern pods suspended high in the treetops. On offer, for instance, is a UFO-shaped cabin or the perfect mirror cubes that blend into the forest.
Another huge hit are luxurious Arctic lodges and floating glass igloos, such as the stunning Arctic Bath. This circular structure resembling a nest floats on the Lule River and in winter freezes right into the ice. It offers absolute luxury, top-class cuisine and views of the northern lights straight from your bed. For this luxury you’ll naturally pay — easily several hundred euros a night. But at least you’ll have a story to tell.
💡 Tip: Even if you can’t afford a night at these prices, a publicly accessible path runs around the Treehotel, from which you can view and photograph these architectural gems from a safe distance, at least from the outside, on an ordinary walk through the forest.
17. The midnight sun and summer Lapland
Summer Lapland offers an experience that will completely upend your body clock. Thanks to its location above the Arctic Circle, during June and July the sun doesn’t set at all here, and the landscape bathes in endless daylight. This opens up unlimited possibilities for hiking, because you don’t have to worry about reaching your destination before dark, so planning routes is much freer.
This non-stop light show gives people a huge dose of energy, so it’s not at all unusual to set off on a demanding mountain hike at midnight. The golden light just above the horizon also creates absolutely perfect conditions for photographing nature, because the so-called golden hour lasts all night here. Summer in the north is simply about making the most of every minute outdoors.
💡 Tip: Don’t forget to pack a really good eye mask. Most Nordic cabins do have blackout blinds, but sleeping in full daylight is a very tough task for the brain at first.
18. Canoeing and fishing on the lakes
Summer in the north belongs, no question, to water sports and quiet gliding across the surface. Sweden is laced with tens of thousands of lakes, and thanks to the right of free access to the countryside (allemansrätten) you can pull up your canoe at any deserted little island and pitch a tent there for the night. Boat rentals operate at every larger lake and will happily give you a map of recommended campsites with fire pits. In the province of Dalsland you can even buy a special DANO card for about €5, which lets you camp at prepared spots.
Fishing here is considered an absolute national sport. Along the entire Baltic coast and Sweden’s five largest lakes you can fish with an ordinary rod completely free, while for inland lakes and rivers you need to buy a permit called a fiskekort. These can now easily be clicked together online and cost from 50 to 200 SEK (about €5 to €18) per day, a small investment in fantastic relaxation by the water.
💡 Tip: Swedes protect their nature fiercely and follow the “catch and release” rule for trophy fish. Taking home more fish than you can realistically eat for dinner that day is considered a gross violation of the local ethic.
19. Mosquitoes and knott flies: the dark side of summer
If you decide to head north in July, I have to warn you very strongly about the local insects. In still air and near water, summer Lapland turns into a real hell, because billions of aggressive mosquitoes and tiny biting flies called knott swarm here. These little beasts can wriggle through even the smallest mesh in ordinary mosquito nets, and their bites itch unpleasantly for several days afterwards.
Ordinary repellents unfortunately work here about as well as splashing yourself with plain water. Luckily, every local supermarket sells strong Swedish repellents (for example the brand Mygga) built precisely for the conditions here. The key defence, though, is the right clothing — long trousers, sturdy shirts and a hat with a net over your face the moment you stop.
💡 Tip: The amount of insects drops dramatically above the tree line and on open, windy plains. If you want to avoid mosquitoes entirely, plan your summer trip for the very turn of August and September, when the first frosts reliably wipe them out.
20. Fika and local treats for the cold
When you’re freezing in the north, you simply must reward yourself with traditional local treats. During the day, definitely stop for a so-called fika, the sacred Swedish ritual of a coffee break with sweet pastries, where time stands still. In local cafés they’ll serve you a perfect cinnamon bun (kanelbulle) or a cardamom brioche with your hot black coffee, and you’ll pay roughly 65 to 100 SEK (€6 to €9) for this set.
If a bigger hunger strikes at noon, look for signs outside restaurants reading dagens lunch. It’s a great-value lunch menu costing 110 to 145 SEK, where besides the main course you also get unlimited access to the salad buffet, coffee and water. Locals love reindeer meat or fermented herring, but vegetarians here always have a choice of excellent creamy soups, hearty cheese pies and local forest berries, such as the immensely prized yellow cloudberries.
💡 Tip: On long cross-country skiing or snowmobile trips, keep a thick blueberry soup called blåbärssoppa in your thermos. It’s drunk hot, gives you an instant energy boost, and it’s the very best liquid jumper you could wish for out in the snowdrifts.
How to get to Swedish Lapland
Covering the two thousand kilometres to find yourself deep above the Arctic Circle is surprisingly easy these days, but it takes a bit of strategic planning. If you want to save time, the fastest option is clearly flying. From most major European hubs, the easiest route is with carriers such as SAS, Norwegian or Lufthansa with one connection at Stockholm’s Arlanda airport. From there, domestic flights link directly to Kiruna (KRN) or Luleå (LLA). A return ticket booked early will cost you roughly €140 to €250. Direct flights to the north appear only very rarely and tend to take the form of seasonal charters.
For train romantics and lovers of slow travel there’s the fantastic journey on the overnight express known as the Arctic Circle Train. These trains are run by SJ or Vy and set off from Stockholm in the early evening. The trip to Kiruna and Abisko takes 15 to 18 hours, and you wake up in the morning in the middle of the snowy wilderness. A ticket for an ordinary seat starts at 475 SEK, while a more comfortable berth costs from 835 SEK. Places in the sleeper cars vanish at lightning speed, though, so you have to buy them even several months in advance. The northern line, called the Malmbanan, also tends to be very congested in winter with ore freight trains, so delays can happen.
If you decide on a road trip and rent a car on the spot, an amazing adventure awaits. The main arteries of the north are the E10 and E45 roads. Swedish rental companies are perfectly prepared for extreme winter, their cars have top-quality studded winter tyres and often even electric engine heating. The roads here aren’t salted, just ploughed and gritted, so you’re constantly driving on packed snow and ice. The biggest danger behind the wheel, though, is the ever-present darkness and the reindeer, which often gather near roads and, during the polar night, you’ll see at the last moment. Distances are deceptive — for example the drive from Kiruna to Abisko is a hundred kilometres and takes you about an hour and a half of careful driving.
How much does a week in Lapland cost
Swedish Lapland is expensive, I won’t kid you. But travellers’ willingness to pay here stems from the fact that these are unique experiences you simply can’t find anywhere else in Europe. If you put the trip together yourself and skip the luxury services of tour operators, you can manage the whole trip on a reasonable budget. Below I bring you three rough options you can count on when planning a week-long trip (5 to 7 days).
1. Budget option on your own (around €800 per person) This option requires careful planning and buying discounted flights via Stockholm early. You’ll stay in the cheaper shared rooms of the STF mountain station in Abisko and cook your own food from local supermarkets, which saves you enormous money on restaurants. You’ll chase the northern lights on foot under your own steam by the lake for free, and as your main paid experience you’ll treat yourself to a day visit to the Icehotel.
2. The golden middle road (€1,000 to €1,450 per person) On this budget you’ll enjoy a comfortable flight and stay in a warm, private cabin, for example at Camp Ripan in Kiruna. During the day you’ll go for the lunch menu (dagens lunch) and won’t skip the afternoon coffee with traditional pastries. Most importantly, this budget lets you pay for two major winter activities, such as a half-day dog sledding trip and a snowmobile excursion.
3. Arctic comfort with no compromises (from €2,900 upwards) If you long for absolute carefree luxury, you’ll have the whole trip put together turnkey by a specialised tour operator. You’ll stay in architectural gems like Arctic Bath or spend a night right in an art suite at the Icehotel. Every evening a private guide picks you up and drives you in a special van far from civilisation to see the northern lights.
Where to go next from Swedish Lapland
The Swedish north could fill a lifetime of trips — but to get you started, we’ve put together a few more guides that will come in handy when planning:
- Want to get an overall picture of what the rest of the country has to offer? Read our comprehensive article Sweden: 30 things to see and do.
- If you’re flying straight north and need details on the region’s largest town, check out Kiruna: 18 things to see and do.
- For all the sky-phenomenon hunters, we’ve written a detailed guide Northern lights in Sweden: when, where and how not to miss them, where you’ll find the best tricks.
- Interested in the whole region from a broader perspective? In the article Lapland: 20 things to see and do you’ll find more inspiration.
- Not sure when to travel? A practical weather overview is in the guide When to go to Sweden: weather month by month.
Frequently asked questions
Before you set off above the Arctic Circle, you might have a few practical questions buzzing in your head. Here I’ve put together answers to the things you ask most often about a trip to the far north 😉.
When is the best time to visit Swedish Lapland?
For pure winter activities and ideal conditions for observing the Northern Lights, February and March are absolutely the best months. The cold is no longer as harsh as in December, the days are noticeably longer, and the sun gives the snowy landscape a beautiful sparkle. If you want to experience the midnight sun and go on long hikes without snow, head there during July. However, expect large numbers of insects, so a great alternative is late August or early September, when nature blazes with autumn colours and the mosquitoes have already disappeared.
What’s the best way to get there from abroad?
The fastest and overall most convenient option is to fly via Stockholm directly to the smaller airports in Kiruna or Luleå. Airlines like SAS or Norwegian often serve these routes, and tickets can be found at very reasonable prices during sales. For more adventurous types, a great choice is the overnight train from Stockholm, which takes around fifteen to eighteen hours but brings you straight to the national parks and saves you one night’s accommodation.
How much does a week-long trip roughly cost?
If you go with a standard travel agency package, expect to pay starting from €2,800. However, if you plan the trip yourself independently, book flights well in advance, and occasionally cook from supplies bought at the supermarket, you can easily stay within €1,000 per person. This price already includes one or two more expensive winter activities, such as a dog sledding experience.
What should I wear in the freezing cold?
The key to survival is the layering principle and completely avoiding cotton, which doesn’t wick away sweat in the cold and you’d quickly get chilled. Choose quality merino wool as your base layer, put a warm fleece or proper wool sweater over it, and top it off with a quality windproof down jacket. You don’t need to buy expensive expedition suits, though, because for all paid winter activities, instructors will lend you massive Arctic coveralls and warm snow boots on site.
Can you visit Lapland in summer too?
Absolutely, and it’s a fantastic experience for lovers of long treks, wilderness camping, and water sports on the lakes. You’ll enjoy the continuous midnight sun, walk the famous Kungsleden (King’s Trail), or rent a canoe. The key is not to forget quality Swedish mosquito repellent, because Central European brands don’t work at all against the local insects. A great solution is also to go in early September.
Is Arctic Lapland suitable for children?
Sweden is generally a very baby-friendly country, but in the Arctic winter you must be extremely careful about hypothermia, as younger children get cold much faster than adults. Most of the more demanding winter activities, such as longer snowmobile rides, also have strict age limits or require children to sit in covered sleds safely pulled by a guide.
How much does a husky sledding trip cost?
It’s one of the most expensive items on the itinerary, with a half-day trip typically costing €80 to €140 per person. The price may vary slightly depending on whether you want to actively drive your own sled or just comfortably be driven by an experienced guide wrapped in warm blankets. Also keep in mind that for safety reasons, rides are cancelled when the temperature drops below minus twenty degrees.
What’s the difference between Swedish and Finnish Lapland?
Finnish Lapland, especially the popular Rovaniemi area, has heavily invested in Santa Claus-themed tourism, commercial villages, and crowds of families with young children. The Swedish side has taken a different path and is much rawer, emptier, and focuses on pure nature, authentic Sámi culture, and the silence of vast, undisturbed wilderness.
Tips and Tricks for Your Vacation
Don’t Overpay for Flights
Search for flights on Kayak. It’s our favorite search engine because it scans the websites of all airlines and always finds the cheapest connection.
Book Your Accommodation Smartly
The best experiences we’ve had when looking for accommodation (from Alaska to Morocco) are with Booking.com, where hotels, apartments, and entire houses are usually the cheapest and most widely available.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Good travel insurance will protect you against illness, accidents, theft, or flight cancellations. We’ve had a few hospital visits abroad, so we know how important it is to have proper insurance arranged.
Where we insure ourselves: SafetyWing (best for everyone) and TrueTraveller (for extra-long trips).
Why don’t we recommend any Czech insurance company? Because they have too many restrictions. They set limits on the number of days abroad, travel insurance via a credit card often requires you to pay medical expenses only with that card, and they frequently limit the number of returns to the Czech Republic.
Find the Best Experiences
Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can book guided walks, trips, skip-the-line tickets, tours, and much more. We always find some extra fun there!
