Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Arctic Sweden and Norway by Rail: Kiruna, Abisko, Narvik and the Lofoten
10 days from Stockholm by night train into Swedish Lapland: Kiruna and the Icehotel, two nights in Abisko, the Ofoten line to Narvik and three nights in the Lofoten Islands.
10 days · Stockholm to Leknes (Lofoten) · up to 12 guests
Abisko from the slopes of Nuolja, at the edge of Abisko National Park Photo: Helleborus, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abisko_%C3%96stra_over_view.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 10 days, 9 nights
- Start and end
- Stockholm to Leknes (Lofoten)
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Mostly easy walking in towns and on station platforms, with two longer days on foot: about 10 to 12 km on the Kungsleden in Abisko on gravel path and boardwalk with little climbing, and up to about 8 km around Reine and Henningsvaer. Each long day has a shorter option, and you can sit any walk out. You lift your own bag onto the trains.
- Meals included
- 9 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,565 (estimated price)
- Season
- Summer, midnight sun in June and early July
Highlights
Why this trip
- The night train from Stockholm, waking to birch forest and fells somewhere past the Arctic Circle
- The Icehotel art hall at Jukkasjarvi, kept frozen all summer, and an afternoon with a Sami host
- A morning on the first stage of the Kungsleden along the Abisko canyon
- The chairlift to the Aurora Sky Station on Nuolja under the midnight sun
- The Ofoten line from Abisko down to Narvik, past lakes, snowfields and the Rombaksfjord far below
- Reine and Hamnoy early, before the day traffic, then a boat into the Trollfjord
- Henningsvaer on its skerries, and a farewell dinner in the Lofoten
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,565 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Stockholm
Stockholm Arlanda Airport to your hotel in central Stockholm
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Stockholm
- By train
Fly into Stockholm Arlanda (ARN), about 40 km north of the city.
Evening
We meet you in arrivals and take the Arlanda Express train or a van into the centre, about 20 to 40 minutes, to a hotel close to Stockholm Central, where the night train leaves tomorrow. Plan to land by about 3 pm to make the evening briefing; earlier is better, as the afternoon is free. Stockholm is built across fourteen islands where Lake Malaren meets the Baltic, and an easy first walk from the hotel takes you over the bridges to Gamla Stan, the old town, and its narrow lanes around Stortorget. In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group to go through the week: what goes in the bag for the train, what the weather does in the Arctic, and how the rail days are paced. Then we walk to a welcome dinner of Swedish dishes at a local restaurant.
Included
- Meet and transfer from Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the early evening briefing
Gamla Stan, the Vasa and the night train north
Stockholm, then the overnight train towards Kiruna
- Breakfast
- Stay in Night train to Kiruna
- By ferry
Morning
A morning walk with your guide through Gamla Stan: the Royal Palace, Stortorget and its painted merchant houses, the cathedral, Storkyrkan, and the narrow lane of Marten Trotzigs grand. A short ferry or tram ride takes us to Djurgarden for the Vasa Museum, where a 17th-century warship that sank on its maiden voyage in 1628 stands almost complete after more than three centuries on the harbour floor.
Afternoon
The afternoon is free, so leave your bags at the hotel and walk Sodermalm, swim off a city jetty in warm weather, or sit over a long fika.
Evening
In the early evening we board the night train at Stockholm Central. Each pair has a 2-berth compartment with bedding, and the dining car is open for a relaxed dinner on your own account. Through the light night the train runs north through Uppland, along the Gulf of Bothnia and on into Norrbotten.
Included
- Guided walk through Gamla Stan
- The Vasa Museum
- Overnight train from Stockholm, in a 2-berth sleeper compartment
Free time: Afternoon free in Stockholm before the train
Activity: Pack a small overnight bag for the train; your main bag goes on the rack in the compartment.
Across the Arctic Circle to Kiruna and the Icehotel
Night train to Kiruna, then Jukkasjarvi and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kiruna
- Drive about 45 min
Wake to pine forest, bogs and rivers as the train climbs inland past Boden and crosses the Arctic Circle before Gallivare.
Morning
The train does not stop there, so your guide tells you when we pass the marker; breakfast is on board.
Afternoon
We reach Kiruna, Sweden's northernmost town, in the late morning, take the van to the hotel, a short drive from the station, and sit down to lunch. Kiruna exists because of its iron ore, and the mine has made the town move: much of the old centre is being rebuilt about 3 km east, and you see the new square and town hall on the way. In the afternoon a short drive takes us to Jukkasjarvi on the Torne River, home of the Icehotel. Its art hall is kept frozen all year, so in summer you walk through suites and an ice bar carved by artists from river ice, in thick capes at about minus five degrees. Beside it stands Jukkasjarvi's old wooden church by the river.
Evening
Back in Kiruna the evening is yours, in light that does not fade in June.
Included
- Breakfast on the train
- Sit-down lunch in Kiruna
- The Icehotel art hall and ice bar at Jukkasjarvi
- Jukkasjarvi's old wooden church by the Torne River
Free time: Evening free in Kiruna
Activity: The Icehotel art hall is kept at about minus five degrees; warm capes are lent at the door.
A Sami host, then the train to Abisko
Kiruna to a Sami camp near Kiruna, then the Malmbanan to Abisko
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Abisko
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
This morning we drive a short way out of town to spend time with a Sami host family. Sapmi, the Sami homeland, spans the north of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia, and reindeer herding is still a living trade here.
Afternoon
In summer the herds are often up on the fells, so the visit is about the people and the way of life: a lavvu tent, how the reindeer year runs, the language, duodji crafts and joik, and a lunch cooked over the fire, often suovas, smoked reindeer. Back in Kiruna we see the church, one of Sweden's largest wooden buildings, moved east to the new centre in 2025. Then we take the iron ore line northwest, about 1 hour 15 minutes on a train timed to the timetable we confirm for your date, along the shore of Tornetrask to Abisko. Our base is a short walk from the Abisko station and the park. After checking in, an easy walk follows the Abiskojokk river into its canyon, cut deep into the bedrock.
Included
- Visit and lunch with a Sami host near Kiruna
- Kiruna Church
- Train from Kiruna to Abisko along Tornetrask
- The Abisko canyon walk with your guide
Free time: Evening free in Abisko
Activity: The canyon walk is about 3 km on paths and boardwalk. On rail days you carry your bag onto the train; your guide helps at each station.
The Kungsleden and the Aurora Sky Station
Abisko National Park, on foot, then up Nuolja by chairlift
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Abisko
Abisko sits in a rain shadow, so it is often drier and clearer than the mountains around it, and the national park, founded in 1909, is one of Sweden's oldest.
Morning
After breakfast we set off on the Kungsleden, the King's Trail, which starts here and runs about 440 km south through Lapland. The first stage follows the Abiskojokk through birch forest, with the river in rapids beside the path and the mountains of Lapporten, the Lapland gate, in view ahead.
Afternoon
We walk about 5 to 6 km out, eat a packed snack by the water, then turn back for a late sit-down lunch in Abisko. The afternoon is free to rest.
Evening
In the evening we have dinner together, then ride the chairlift up Nuolja to the Aurora Sky Station, about 900 m up, where in June and early July the sun stays above the horizon at midnight over Tornetrask.
Included
- Guided walk on the first stage of the Kungsleden
- Sit-down lunch in Abisko
- Dinner in Abisko
- Chairlift to the Aurora Sky Station on Nuolja
Easier option: Walk the first 2 to 3 km along the river and back, about 5 km in all, and rejoin the group at lunch.
More active option: Continue with your guide to a turnaround point about 8 to 10 km out on the trail, 16 to 20 km round trip, with a packed lunch by the river in place of the sit-down lunch, back by late afternoon.
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: About 10 to 12 km (16 to 20 km on the active option) on gravel path and boardwalk with little climbing. The Sky Station lift is an open chairlift of about 20 minutes each way; bring warm layers and gloves. On evenings when the summer sessions do not run, we ride the lift in daytime.
The Ofoten line to Narvik
Abisko to Riksgransen and over the border, then down to Narvik by train
- Breakfast
- Stay in Narvik
- By train
Morning
A slow morning: walk the shore of Tornetrask, visit the national park's nature centre, or sleep in.
Afternoon
Late in the morning or around midday, on a train timed to the timetable we confirm for your date, we board for about 1 hour 40 minutes of the most dramatic rail on the trip. The line climbs past Bjorkliden and Riksgransen, where snow often lies into summer, crosses into Norway at the watershed and then drops about 500 m to the sea at Narvik, clinging to the mountainside above the Rombaksfjord, with tunnels, snow sheds and waterfalls between the views. The Ofoten line was opened in 1902 to carry Kiruna's ore to an ice-free harbour, and ore trains still use it. In Narvik we check in a short walk from the station, find lunch on our own account at a cafe nearby, then visit the war museum, which tells the story of the battles for the port in 1940. Late in the afternoon the Narvikfjellet cable car takes us above the town for the view across the Ofotfjord, subject to the season's operating days; we confirm at booking.
Included
- Train on the Ofoten line from Abisko to Narvik
- The war museum in Narvik
- The Narvikfjellet cable car, subject to the season's operating days; we confirm at booking
Free time: Morning free in Abisko; evening free in Narvik
Activity: Sit on the left of the train, facing forward, for the fjord views.
Narvik to the Lofoten Islands
Narvik over the Tjeldsund bridge and the Lofast road to Svolvaer, then on to Leknes
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Leknes
- Drive about 4.5 h
From here our own minibus and driver take over. This is the one day over our 4-hour driving guideline, about 300 km and 4 hours 15 minutes at the wheel, because there is no rail into the Lofoten and the ferry routes are slower; we break it into three parts.
Morning
The driver loads the bags and we leave Narvik at about 8:30 am after breakfast along the Ofotfjord, stop for coffee at the Tjeldsund bridge, then take the Lofast road, opened in 2007, through tunnels and over bridges that tie the islands to the mainland.
Afternoon
In Svolvaer, the Lofoten's main town, we sit down to a seafood lunch by the harbour with the peak of Svolvaergeita, the Goat, above. The afternoon road runs past fjords, white beaches and cod-drying racks to central Vestvagoy, where we stay three nights near Leknes.
Evening
You unpack once, and the evening is free.
Included
- Scenic drive on the E10 and the Lofast road with your guide
- Coffee stop at the Tjeldsund bridge
- Sit-down lunch in Svolvaer
Free time: Evening free
Activity: The longest drive of the trip, broken by a coffee stop and lunch.
Reine, Hamnoy and the end of the road at A
Leknes to Hamnoy, Reine and A, then Nusfjord on the way back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Leknes
- Drive about 2.5 h
Morning
We leave early, because the road west to Reine is narrow and fills with coaches and campervans by mid-morning. The first stop is Hamnoy, where red rorbuer fishing cabins stand on stilts below sheer granite peaks, then Reine across its bridges, in what many call the most photographed view in Norway. We go on to A, the village at the end of the E10, where you can walk among the stockfish racks and the old fishing station buildings and look out to the open sea.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in Reine, with fish caught in these waters. If the weather is clear and the trail is open, anyone who wants can climb Reinebringen with your guide, about 448 m up steep stone steps, while the others stay in Reine.
Evening
On the way back we stop at Nusfjord, where the entry fee is included,, one of the best preserved fishing villages in Norway, and are back near Leknes by late afternoon for a free evening, perhaps a walk on the beach at Haukland if the weather is kind.
Included
- Hamnoy and Reine early with your guide
- A, the village at the end of the E10
- Sit-down lunch in Reine
- Nusfjord fishing village, entry fee included
Optional experiences
- Reinebringen climb with your guide, weather and trail permitting, no fee
Easier option: Stay at the viewpoints and the harbour in Reine and A; the walking is short and mostly flat.
More active option: Climb Reinebringen with your guide, about 448 m by a long stone staircase, for the view over Reine, if the trail is open.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: Up to about 8 km on foot with the Reinebringen climb; about 3 km without it.
The Trollfjord by boat and Henningsvaer
Leknes to Svolvaer for the Trollfjord boat, then Henningsvaer
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Leknes
- Drive about 2.5 h
Today is the boat day. We leave at about 8 am, timed to the first sailing we confirm for your date, and drive back to Svolvaer into the Raftsundet strait and the Trollfjord, a narrow arm of the sea about 2 km long with steep mountain walls on both sides. Sea eagles often hunt along the cliffs, and the skipper slows the boat when they are near. Back on land we drive out along the skerries to Henningsvaer, a fishing village spread across small islands joined by bridges, with its football pitch on the rocks at the edge of the sea.
Afternoon
Lunch is in the village, and the afternoon is free to wander the harbour, galleries and cafes.
Evening
In the early evening we return to Leknes for a farewell dinner together, to toast the trains, the fells and the islands. In June the sun circles low over the sea all night.
Included
- Boat trip from Svolvaer into the Raftsundet and the Trollfjord
- Henningsvaer with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in Henningsvaer
- Farewell dinner
Free time: Afternoon free in Henningsvaer
Activity: The boat runs in most summer weather; if it is cancelled, your guide moves it to day 8 or plans a sheltered fjord route.
Fly home from the Lofoten
Leknes to Leknes Airport, or to Harstad/Narvik Evenes
- Breakfast
- Drive about 15 min
Morning
A last breakfast with the mountains outside the window, and the morning is yours. Walk to the shore, find a bakery for a cinnamon bun, or sit out with a coffee while the group says goodbye. Leknes Airport (LKN) is a few minutes from town, with short flights to Bodo and connections to Oslo and onward home, and we take you there in time for your flight. If you are flying from Harstad/Narvik Evenes (EVE), we drive you there instead, about 280 km and 4 hours or more back along the E10, over our 4-hour driving guideline, so we leave after an early breakfast and stop for coffee on the way; book a flight leaving after about 2 pm. If you want to stay on, we can add nights in the Lofoten or arrange a Hurtigruten coastal voyage north or south; ask when you book. Your guide sees you to the airport and checks your flight before saying goodbye.
Included
- Transfer to Leknes Airport (LKN), or to Harstad/Narvik Evenes (EVE)
Free time: Morning free
Activity: From Leknes, any flight after about 10 am works. From Evenes, about 280 km and 4 hours or more by road, book a flight after about 2 pm.
- Stockholm1 night
- Night train to Kiruna1 night
- Kiruna1 night
- Abisko2 nights
- Narvik1 night
- Leknes3 nights
- Leknes (Lofoten)end
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: In June and early July the sun does not set in Kiruna, Abisko or the Lofoten, and Abisko's mosquitoes are at their peak. August is warmer and calmer, with long evenings. September brings autumn colour on the fells, cooler days and the first chance of an aurora at Abisko on clear nights. Weather in the Lofoten changes fast in any month, and a boat trip can move to another day.
Want this plan in your inbox?
Get the day-by-day itinerary by email, or ask us anything about this trip. A trip planner replies the same or next business day.
Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want the night train and the Arctic railways as part of the trip, not just a way to get there
- Walkers who like a long day on a trail with an easier option the same day
- The midnight sun in June and early July
- Solo travellers who want their own sleeper compartment and room, priced up front
- Anyone who has seen the fjords of the south and wants the far north
Not for you if you want
- Travellers who need step-free access: train steps, platforms and village lanes are part of every day
- The northern lights: summer nights are light; choose our winter Lapland trip instead
- Anyone who wants Bergen, the Flam railway and the southern fjords in the same 10 days
- Travellers with heavy luggage they cannot lift onto a train rack
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
9 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Stockholm1 night
- Night train to Kiruna1 night
- Kiruna1 night
- Abisko2 nights
- Narvik1 night
- Leknes3 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 9 nights: 1 in Stockholm, 1 on the night train in a 2-berth sleeper compartment, 1 in Kiruna, 2 in Abisko, 1 in Narvik, 3 in central Lofoten near Leknes
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard, named when we confirm your dates
- Rooms and sleeper compartments shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Transfer from Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) on day 1
- Overnight train from Stockholm to Kiruna
- Train from Kiruna to Abisko
- Train on the Ofoten line from Abisko to Narvik
- A local van and driver in Kiruna
- Our own minibus and driver from Narvik to the end of the trip
- Boat trip into the Trollfjord
- Transfer to Leknes Airport (LKN) or Harstad/Narvik Evenes (EVE) on day 10
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, with a Sami host near Kiruna and local guides where sites require them
Activities
- Gamla Stan walk and the Vasa Museum, Stockholm
- The Icehotel art hall and ice bar, Jukkasjarvi
- Sami visit with lunch, near Kiruna
- Kiruna's new centre and Kiruna Church
- The Abisko canyon walk
- A guided walk on the Kungsleden, Abisko National Park
- The Aurora Sky Station chairlift, Abisko
- The war museum, Narvik
- The Narvikfjellet cable car, Narvik, subject to the season's operating days; we confirm at booking
- Hamnoy, Reine, A and Nusfjord (entry fee included), Lofoten
- The Trollfjord boat from Svolvaer
- Henningsvaer, Lofoten
Meals
- 9 breakfasts, including one on the train
- 6 sit-down lunches (days 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9), including the Sami lunch
- 3 dinners: welcome in Stockholm, Abisko, farewell in the Lofoten
- Lunch on day 6, the short rail day to Narvik, is your own
Not included
- International flights to Stockholm and home from the Lofoten
- Visas or travel authorisations, where needed
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed, including dinner on the night train
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities
- Personal expenses
- Extra nights before or after the trip
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,565 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Nine nights, including a 2-berth sleeper on the night train, 9 breakfasts, 6 sit-down lunches and 3 dinners, all train tickets, airport transfers at both ends, a local van in Kiruna and our own minibus and driver in the Lofoten, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every visit in the day plan, including the Icehotel, the Sami visit, the Aurora Sky Station lift and the Trollfjord boat.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That is small enough to sit together on the train, fit into one minibus in the Lofoten and hear the guide on the Kungsleden, and to keep seat and sleeper bookings simple.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the welcome dinner in Stockholm to the airport on the last day. A Sami host leads the visit near Kiruna, and a skipper runs the Trollfjord boat. We name your guide before you travel.
What is the night train like?
Each pair has a 2-berth compartment with beds made up, a washbasin and a window; showers and toilets are in the carriage. The dining car serves dinner on your own account, and breakfast is included. It takes about 16 to 17 hours, leaving Stockholm in the early evening and reaching Kiruna in the late morning.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderate. The Kungsleden day is about 10 to 12 km on a mostly flat path, and the Reine day can include the steep Reinebringen climb. Both days have an easier option of about 3 to 5 km. You need to lift your own bag onto the trains and manage station steps.
I am travelling solo. What does it cost?
A room and a sleeper compartment of your own cost from CAD 1,565 more, shown before you book. You are not put in a 4-share cabin with strangers. Single compartments depend on what the train operator releases for your date, so we confirm yours at booking, before any payment, and you join the same lunches, dinners and visits as everyone else.
When is the best time to go?
June and early July for the midnight sun in Kiruna, Abisko and the Lofoten, though Abisko's mosquitoes are busy then. August is warmer with long evenings. September brings autumn colour on the fells and a first chance of the northern lights at Abisko, with cooler days.
Will we see the northern lights?
Not in June, July or most of August, because the sky never gets dark enough. On September departures there is a chance at Abisko on clear nights, but nothing is promised. For the aurora, our winter trip to Kiruna, the Icehotel and Abisko is built around it.
Is the Icehotel open in summer?
Yes. The Icehotel at Jukkasjarvi keeps an art hall of ice suites and an ice bar frozen all year, so you see carved ice even in July. The large winter hotel built from Torne River ice each year melts away in spring, so the summer visit is the year-round part.
Do I need a visa?
Canadian and US passport holders do not need a visa for a tourist stay of up to 90 days in Sweden and Norway, which are both in the Schengen area. Your passport is registered at the border, and the ETIAS travel authorisation is expected from late 2026 or 2027; we tell you before you travel if it applies.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we can quote the trains, hotels and visits for you.
How does booking work?
Pick your start date and request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until then. The small group starts from CAD 9,215 per person sharing, taxes included, and a room and sleeper of your own is from CAD 1,565 more.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
Book your Tour
Get in Touch
- Toll Free1-888-961-6584
- Local1-289-271-9767
© 2026 See Sight Tours. All rights reserved.