Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Swedish Lapland: Kiruna, the Icehotel and Abisko
6 days in Swedish Lapland from December to March: two nights in Kiruna with huskies and the Icehotel, then three nights in Abisko for the Aurora Sky Station, a day on a frozen lake and four chances at the Northern Lights.
6 days · Kiruna to Kiruna Airport · up to 12 guests
The Icehotel at Jukkasjarvi, near Kiruna, at dusk Photo: Stephan Herz (User:Stephan_Herz), CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Icehotel-se-01.JPG)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 6 days, 5 nights
- Start and end
- Kiruna to Kiruna Airport
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 1.5 h on day 3No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Easy
Short walks of 1 to 3 km on snow, a husky ride of about 10 km sitting or standing on the sled, a day on a frozen lake with about 2 km of walking, and a snowshoe walk of about 3 to 4 km over 2 hours with a shorter loop if you prefer. Aurora evenings mean an hour or two outside in deep cold, including an open chairlift ride up Mount Nuolja, and you can always stay in. No day has more than about 1.5 hours in the minibus.
- Meals included
- 5 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 850 (estimated price)
- Season
- December to March
Highlights
Why this trip
- A husky ride of about 10 km through the forest near Jukkasjarvi, two to a sled
- A guided visit to the Icehotel on the Torne River, with the option of a night in a cold room
- The chairlift up Mount Nuolja to the Aurora Sky Station on a dark winter evening
- A day on a frozen lake: ice fishing, a snowshoe walk along the shore and lunch cooked over a fire
- Three nights in Abisko, the clearest-sky base on the route, with three aurora evenings planned
- The frozen Abisko canyon and the birch forest of Abisko National Park on snowshoes
- A full winter outfit lent to you for the whole trip
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
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 850 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 1.5 h, on day 3.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Kiruna
Kiruna Airport (KRN) to your hotel in Kiruna
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Kiruna
- Drive about 15 min
Fly into Kiruna Airport, about 10 km from town, usually on a connection from Stockholm Arlanda: plan to land by about 3 pm. A driver meets you at arrivals for the short transfer to the hotel. Kiruna is Sweden's northernmost town, built around the iron-ore mine in the Kiirunavaara mountain, and the town itself is moving: the mine has spread under the old centre, so homes, shops and even the church are being rebuilt or carried a few kilometres east. At about 5 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group, fits everyone with the winter outfit you keep for the week (thermal overall, boots, mittens, socks and a balaclava) and runs through the plan, the cold and the aurora forecast.
Evening
Then we sit down to a welcome dinner of northern Swedish food, perhaps Arctic char or reindeer. If the sky is clear and the forecast strong, your guide takes anyone who wants to go to a dark spot at the edge of town afterwards.
Included
- Pick-up at Kiruna Airport (KRN)
- Winter outfit fitting and welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
- An aurora outing at the edge of town if the sky is clear and the forecast strong
Free time: Free until the 5 pm briefing
Huskies and the Icehotel
Kiruna to a husky kennel and the Icehotel at Jukkasjarvi, then back to Kiruna
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kiruna
- Drive about 45 min
The husky ride goes first, in the best of the short winter light. We drive about 20 minutes east towards Jukkasjarvi to a kennel in the forest, where the dogs start barking as soon as the sleds come out. After a safety talk from the mushers you ride two to a sled, one standing on the runners and one sitting, swapping halfway, on a trail of about 10 km through snowy pine and over frozen marsh.
Afternoon
Lunch is a hot, sit-down meal in Jukkasjarvi. In the afternoon a guide takes us through the Icehotel, built on the bank of the Torne River from blocks of its own ice: the ice bar, the main hall and suites carved by artists, different every winter, and the year-round Icehotel 365 building. Before heading back we look into the old wooden church in Jukkasjarvi village, one of the oldest in Swedish Lapland.
Evening
The evening is free in Kiruna, or stay behind for a night in an Icehotel cold room if you booked the upgrade.
Included
- Husky ride of about 10 km near Jukkasjarvi, two to a sled
- Sit-down lunch in Jukkasjarvi
- Guided visit to the Icehotel: the seasonal ice building and Icehotel 365
- The wooden church in Jukkasjarvi village
Optional experiences
- A night in an Icehotel cold room in place of the Kiruna hotel, quoted when you book
- Snowmobile safari from Jukkasjarvi (a valid car driving licence is needed to drive)
Easier option: Ride as the passenger for the whole husky trail, wrapped in a reindeer skin, or swap the husky ride for a calmer visit to a Sami reindeer herding family near Jukkasjarvi (ask when you book).
More active option: Drive the sled for the whole trail, if your sled partner agrees and the musher is happy with your braking.
Free time: Evening free in Kiruna
Activity: Huskies pull hard. Standing on the runners means holding on and using the brake on the downhill parts; the mushers teach you first. Inside the Icehotel it stays at about -5 C.
Kiruna's new centre, then along Tornetrask to Abisko
Kiruna to Abisko on the E10, along the shore of Tornetrask
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Abisko
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
Upgrade guests are collected from the Icehotel after breakfast. We start with a short walk in Kiruna's new town centre with your guide, past the new town hall and to Kiruna Church, the big wooden church moved in one piece from the old centre in 2025, with the mine mountain on the skyline behind. Then we drive about 95 km north-west on the E10, about an hour and a quarter, with a stop on the shore of Tornetrask, a lake about 70 km long, frozen and white from shore to mountains in midwinter.
Afternoon
We reach Abisko for a sit-down lunch and settle into the hotel, our base for three nights. In the afternoon twilight your guide leads a short walk into the Abisko canyon, where the river has cut through layered rock and freezes into ice falls and blue ice.
Evening
Dinner is together at the hotel, and if the sky is clear we walk down to the lake shore afterwards, a few minutes away, to watch for the Northern Lights away from the village lights.
Included
- Walk in Kiruna's new town centre and Kiruna Church with your guide
- Photo stop on the shore of Tornetrask
- Sit-down lunch in Abisko
- Guided walk into the frozen Abisko canyon
- Dinner in Abisko
- Aurora watch on the Tornetrask shore if the sky is clear
Optional experiences
- LKAB's visitor mine tour in Kiruna, on the days it runs (book ahead; we add a morning in Kiruna and leave for Abisko after lunch)
Activity: The canyon path is short but can be icy; we lend ice grips for your boots.
A day on the ice and the Aurora Sky Station
Abisko to the frozen lake and back, then up Mount Nuolja
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Abisko
- Drive about 30 min
Today is spent on a frozen lake.
Morning
In the late morning a local guide takes us out onto the ice of Tornetrask, or onto a smaller lake near Abisko in December before Tornetrask is safe to walk on. We drill holes with a hand auger and fish for Arctic char and trout, while those who would rather move snowshoe along the shore with your guide.
Afternoon
Lunch is cooked over a fire in a tent or hut on the ice: fish if anyone catches some, a reindeer stew if not.
Evening
The afternoon is free to rest, take a sauna if your hotel has one, or eat an early dinner. In the evening we take the open chairlift up Mount Nuolja to the Aurora Sky Station, at about 900 m above the dark valley, with a view over the lake and no lights in it. Warm drinks, a small exhibition and a terrace to watch from. If the forecast makes another evening much better, your guide moves the visit when tickets allow.
Included
- Ice fishing on Tornetrask (or a smaller frozen lake in December) with a local guide
- Snowshoe walk along the shore
- Lunch cooked over a fire on the ice
- Aurora Sky Station on Mount Nuolja, with the chairlift up and down
Optional experiences
- The Aurora Sky Station's set dinner at the top (book ahead)
Easier option: Stay by the fire on the ice instead of snowshoeing, and skip the chairlift if the cold or the height do not suit you: watch from the lake shore near the hotel instead.
More active option: A longer snowshoe loop of about 5 km along the shore with your guide while the others fish.
Free time: Afternoon free in Abisko; dinner on your own
Activity: The chairlift is open to the air and the ride up takes about 20 minutes in the dark; with the full outfit and a blanket it is cold but fine.
Snowshoes in Abisko National Park and a campfire night
Abisko, the national park and a dark spot outside the village
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Abisko
- Drive about 15 min
Evening
A free morning, for sleeping in after a late night, a cross-country ski on the prepared tracks, or the train along the lake to Riksgransen on the Norwegian border for mountain views. Around midday your guide leads a snowshoe walk of about 3 to 4 km into Abisko National Park, set up in 1909 and one of the first national parks in Europe, through low mountain birch bent by the snow, looking for the tracks of hare, fox and ptarmigan. On a clear day the U-shaped gap of Lapporten, the mountain gate to the south-west, stands out across the valley. After a rest we sit down to a farewell dinner together. Then we drive a few minutes out of the village to a dark spot by the lake, light a campfire, hand round hot drinks and wait for the sky. Your guide checks the forecast and the cloud cover all day and picks the spot with the best chance.
Included
- Guided snowshoe walk in Abisko National Park
- Farewell dinner
- Campfire aurora evening at a dark spot outside the village
Optional experiences
- Cross-country ski hire
- Train to Riksgransen and back
- Snowmobile safari (a valid car driving licence is needed to drive)
Easier option: Take the shorter snowshoe loop of about 1.5 km and head back to the hotel early.
More active option: A longer guided snowshoe or a morning cross-country ski on the tracks near the village before the group walk.
Free time: Morning free in Abisko
Activity: Snowshoeing is walking with wide feet: no skill needed, but deep snow is tiring, so we set the pace to the slowest walker.
Abisko to Kiruna Airport
Abisko to Kiruna Airport (KRN) on the E10
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
A last breakfast with the lake and the mountains outside, and time to hand back your winter outfit at the hotel.
Afternoon
Mid-morning we drive back along the shore of Tornetrask and through the forest to Kiruna, about 105 km and an hour and a half, arriving at Kiruna Airport around midday. Your guide sees you to check-in before saying goodbye. Most flights from Kiruna connect through Stockholm Arlanda, so book a flight leaving after about 1 pm. If the E10 is closed by a storm, as happens a few times each winter, we take the train from Abisko instead. If you would like more time in Sweden, Stockholm is an easy addition: we can suggest hotels and what to see, from Gamla Stan, the old town, to the archipelago. If you want a second week in the snow, our Finnish Lapland trip from Rovaniemi is a short flight away via Helsinki or Stockholm.
Included
- Drop-off at Kiruna Airport (KRN)
Activity: Book a flight from Kiruna leaving after about 1 pm.
- Kiruna2 nights
- Abisko3 nights
- Kiruna Airportend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: For a few weeks around the December solstice the sun does not rise in Kiruna or Abisko; days are a few hours of blue twilight, so the outdoor activities sit in the middle of the day. February is often the coldest month. March has 11 to 12 hours of daylight, deep snow and milder days. The Northern Lights are possible on any dark, clear night through the season; cloud is what most often hides them. Tornetrask usually freezes hard enough to walk on from about January.
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 best realistic chance at the Northern Lights, with three nights under Abisko's often clear sky
- First-time winter visitors who want huskies, the Icehotel and a frozen lake in one week
- Solo travellers, couples and families with older children
- People who do not want to buy a full set of Arctic clothing for one trip
Not for you if you want
- Anyone who needs a guaranteed aurora: nobody can promise one
- Travellers who cannot face an hour or two outside at -20 C or an open chairlift in the dark
- A deep Sami culture trip: a reindeer visit is an option here, not the focus
- A ski holiday: skiing is optional around the planned days
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
5 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Kiruna2 nights
- Abisko3 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 5 nights: 2 in Kiruna and 3 in Abisko
- Hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Private transfers from and to Kiruna Airport (KRN)
- A private minibus and professional driver for the group throughout
- Transport to the kennel, the Icehotel, the frozen lake, the trailhead and the aurora spots
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from the day 1 briefing to the airport on day 6
- Local mushers, an Icehotel guide and a local ice-fishing guide for those activities
Activities
- A full winter outfit for the whole trip: thermal overall, insulated boots, mittens, woollen socks and a balaclava
- Husky ride of about 10 km near Jukkasjarvi
- Guided visit to the Icehotel, Jukkasjarvi
- The wooden church in Jukkasjarvi
- Walk in Kiruna's new centre and Kiruna Church
- Guided walk in the frozen Abisko canyon
- Ice fishing and a snowshoe walk on a frozen lake near Abisko
- The Aurora Sky Station on Mount Nuolja, with the chairlift
- Guided snowshoe walk in Abisko National Park
- Aurora evenings on the lake shore and by a campfire in Abisko, plus an outing in Kiruna if the forecast is strong
Meals
- 5 breakfasts
- 3 lunches: in Jukkasjarvi on day 2, in Abisko on day 3 and over a fire on the ice on day 4
- 3 dinners: a welcome dinner in Kiruna, the first night in Abisko and a farewell dinner on day 5
Not included
- International flights to and from Kiruna
- Visa or ETIAS travel authorisation fee, if it applies to your dates
- Travel insurance, which should cover weather delays
- Lunches on days 5 and 6, and dinners on days 2 and 4
- Drinks, including alcohol, which is expensive in Sweden
- A night at the Icehotel, quoted as an upgrade
- The Aurora Sky Station dinner
- Optional activities: snowmobile safari, LKAB visitor mine tour, cross-country ski hire, the train to Riksgransen
- Thermal base layers, hat and liner gloves
- Tips
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 850 (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?
Five nights in 3-star-plus hotels, 5 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 dinners, airport transfers in Kiruna, a private minibus and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, a full winter outfit for the week, the husky ride, the Icehotel visit, the Aurora Sky Station with its chairlift, the ice-fishing day, snowshoeing in Abisko National Park and the planned aurora evenings.
Will we see the Northern Lights?
We cannot promise it, and nobody honestly can. Kiruna and Abisko lie under the band where the aurora is most often active, and Abisko's rain-shadow often keeps its sky clearer than the coast, but you still need solar activity and a clear, dark night. We plan four chances over five nights, and your guide calls hopeless nights off early.
Can I sleep at the Icehotel?
Yes, as an optional upgrade. On night 2 you can swap the Kiruna hotel for a cold room at the Icehotel, kept at about -5 C, with a thermal sleeping bag on a bed of ice and reindeer skins, and warm bathrooms nearby. Prices vary by room type and date, so we quote it when you book and collect you there next morning.
Is warm clothing included, and how cold does it get?
Yes. We lend every guest a thermal overall, insulated boots, mittens, woollen socks and a balaclava for the whole trip. In December to February expect around -10 to -20 C, sometimes below -30 C; March is milder. Bring thermal base layers, a warm mid layer, a hat, thin liner gloves and indoor clothes for the evenings.
How big is the group, and who leads it?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests in one minibus. A See Sight Tours guide stays with the group from the first evening briefing to the airport on the last day, watches the weather and aurora forecast, and works with local mushers, an Icehotel guide and an ice-fishing guide for those activities.
How fit do I need to be?
Not very. The walks are 1 to 4 km on snow, you can ride the husky sled as a passenger, and the ice day has a fire to sit by. The hardest part is the cold: an hour or two outside on aurora evenings and an open chairlift ride up Mount Nuolja, which you can skip.
I am travelling solo. What does a room of my own cost?
A room of your own for all five nights is from CAD 850 on top of the small-group price, shown before you request to book, with nothing added later. Solo guests share a sled with another guest or the guide, and join the same group, table and activities as everyone else.
When is the best time to go?
Any departure from December to March has dark skies for the aurora. December and January bring the polar night, with a few hours of blue twilight and the most hours of darkness. February is often coldest. March has long bright days, deep snow, the Icehotel at its fullest and the most reliable lake ice.
How does booking work?
Pick a start date and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until then. The small group starts from CAD 4,995 per person sharing, with taxes; prices are indicative until we confirm your dates and name the hotels.
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, driver and vehicle, from CAD 8,990 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we quote the hotels, activities and transfers for you.
Do I need a visa for Sweden?
Canadian and US citizens do not need a visa for a short stay in Sweden, which is in the Schengen area. Europe's ETIAS travel authorisation is due to start for visa-free visitors, and we tell you before you fly whether it applies to your dates. Other passports should check Schengen visa rules.
Should I choose Swedish Lapland or Finnish Lapland?
Choose Swedish Lapland for mountains, the Icehotel and three nights in Abisko, one of the clearest-sky aurora bases in Scandinavia. Choose our Finnish Lapland trip for Rovaniemi, the Arctic Circle, Santa Claus Village, a reindeer farm and a smoke sauna at Yllas. Both run December to March for 6 days, and they combine well.
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.