Abisko has a worldwide reputation as probably the best place on earth for consistent sightings of the Northern Lights. Its unique Micro Climate results in many more clear nights than the rest of the region and this translates into +/- 83% of our clients seeing the Northern Lights each season!
Abisko Aurora Breaks
We have market leading breaks to what we call the Northern Lights Capital that bring you not only the best there is in Abisko but also combined with other highlights in Swedish and Norwegian Lapland as well as Iceland.
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We don’t refer to Abisko as being the northern lights capital lightly but with around 80% of nights in a season experiencing some level of aurora activity it ranks as one of the best places for consistent sightings. Being situated in a low precipitation zone Abisko is in an elevated position surrounded by mountains bordering Sweden and Norway. These mountains funnel weather fronts coming off the North Atlantic Ocean and disperse them leaving on average the clearest number of nights in a season.
And as every Northern Lights Holiday hunter will tell you it’s clear nights that make all the difference when looking for the northern lights. Being 300 kilometres above the Arctic Circle you are also situated in an area where even a low KP index will often result in strong northern lights showing. To refresh yourself on the science of the northern lights then read about what are the northern lights and when can the Northern Lights be seen and where are the best times and places to see the Aurora’s.
So having decided that Abisko is where you wish to go in search of the magical aurora borealis you need to plan on how to get there. The best way is flying to Kiruna in Swedish Lapland and we can transfer you to Abisko or you can arrive by train into Abisko.
Abisko is 90 kilometres from Kiruna on a wonderfully scenic road that twists itself around the periphery of Lake Tornetrask, one of Sweden’s largest lakes. In winter when this massive expanse totally freezes it takes on a surreal quality particularly in the mid-winter months when the soft shades of the Kaamos light reflect over the lake.
You know you are entering Abisko when the evocative Laporten Mountain appears in view.
We use Abisko Mountain Lodge as our base in Abisko. Run by the effervescent Mina and Dick Johansson, who have run the lodge for the past 15 years, this is the perfect base for your northern lights break. Attracting an international clientele who have come in search of the northern lights the lodge provides 18 standard rooms (3 star) and 4 deluxe rooms( 4 star) in a separate annexe. There is an open lounge bar and connected dining room where the most amazing meals are dished up by the skilled chefs.
The beauty of being based in Abisko is that you do not need to do any aurora chasing for if the northern lights are out just walk away from the lodge to a good viewing position and admire one of nature’s most amazing phenomenon.
Having got to Abisko what kind of northern lights holiday should you consider? We believe that 4 nights is the optimum number of nights to spend in Abisko, balancing out having an active programme with maximising your chances of seeing the northern lights.
Our ever popular Complete Abisko break is designed to make the most of your time. This 4 night break combines 3 days of arctic experiences with 2 special nights of aurora hunting. Snowmobiling and husky adventures in Abisko National park are special ways of spending your day time and we include these in the Complete Abisko Itinerary. As far as the nights are concerned Abisko has two stand-out northern lights experiences. Firstly you have the aurora sky station, accessible by chairlift, widely regarded as one of the best places on earth to see the northern lights from. With its commanding vistas and position towards the northern sky line we have personally witnessed some awe inspiring displays from this location.
As Abisko is very near to the Norwegian Fjords in Narvik it is possible to do day train trips (weather dependent). This old railroad is still used to take iron ore from the mine in Kiruna down to the coast and has an interesting history.
Photographers have swarmed to Abisko and provide great ‘photograph the aurora’ evenings. We work exclusively with Chad Blakely and his team on a tour that runs from outside the front door at Abisko Mountain Lodge. Spend an evening in a wilderness location with guide and cameras set for northern lights photography and with a bit of luck capture images you will treasure.
As mentioned, Abisko is near the border with Norway and increasingly we get requests from clients wishing to combine Sweden and Norway in one epic northern lights holiday. We designed our Aurora Addicts break to combine the wilderness and beauty of Abisko with the fun and energy of Tromso, the world’s most northern city. This 6 night trip gives you the opportunity of searching for the northern lights by land, sky and sea!
The Adventure Tour Company has extensive contacts throughout Swedish Lapland and over time have developed a range of market leading holidays to the region. Many of these journeys combine with Abisko to create longer and varied northern lights holidays.
The Original ICEHOTEL is based near Kiruna ( little over an hour away from Abisko) and the Iconic Ice Hotel & Abisko Explorer provides a wonderful combination for clients who wish to experience one of the world’s most unusual hotels with some northern lights hunting.
A visit to Abisko can be combined with a stay at the intimate 7 bed Máttaráhkká Northern Lights Lodge for a fabulous twin centre break, or be included in our Aurora Grand Slam break that also includes a night in a wilderness cabin and the ICEHOTEL.
If you want to see as much of Swedish Lapland as possible then our Best of Lapland break combines northern lights hunting in Abisko with stays at the ICEHOTEL and Sweden’s more recent Icon- the Tree Hotel. This journey takes you from the coastal region in Eastern Sweden through the Arctic Circle by train to the ICEHOTEL and then on to Abisko where you finish your northern lights holiday.
Whether you base yourselves in Abisko for the duration of your northern lights or use it as a platform to spring off to explore other parts of Sweden, Norway or Iceland you know you are in for a special northern lights holiday experience.
See what our clients say
Thank you for arranging a fabulous holiday, we had a really enjoyable time and would love to return in the future. Hotel Ranga is a lovely place to stay and the owner greeted guests in the restaurant, which was an unexpected welcoming touch. We didn’t see the Northern Lights due to the weather and the trip to the Eyjafjallajokull glacier and volcano was substituted by an excursion to Thorsmork, also due to the weather, which we thoroughly enjoyed; the brochure description doesn’t do it justice. We found Iceland and the people there really charismatic. Although the wind and snow cut short the amount of travelling we could do, we still covered a reasonable amount of what we wanted to see and our appetites are whetted for a return, perhaps in Spring or Summer. We found a couple of great places to eat near the Hotel in Reykjavik. Messin does tasty fish dishes and the Icelandic Street Food restaurant was excellent, offering simple but hearty soups with refills included in the price – great value.
We enjoyed both the hotels that were arranged by weekend a la Carte Aurora nights. The Porsmork trip was very enjoyable, both guides were fantastic and informative.
The Northern Light hunt trip out of Reykjavik with Superjeep was an adventure and we got to see the lights, worth braving the cold at -6.
An excellent holiday which was enjoyed by all. The super jeep ride on the second day to the Eyjafjallajokull volcano was memorable and thanks to our driver Margaret who proved to be a really good guide. We thoroughly enjoyed the facilities in the hotel Ranga. The staff were very helpful and we managed to see the Northern Lights. The Hotel Reykjavik Centrum was very nice with amazingly helpful staff. All in all, the whole holiday was brilliant.
We had a fantastic 4 nights that included glaciers, waterfalls, geysers, the aurora borealis and more! Lovely hotels, especially Hotel Ranga. We filled every moment and felt thoroughly invigorated on our return.
We did the aurora nights break and had a great time overall. Everything related to flights, hire car, and hotels ran smoothly. There were a few issues largely relating to the weather and driving conditions (we travelled in mid March), but what we did manage to do was amazing.
The blue lagoon was easy to access from the airport and was a brilliant experience. We booked the standard package and it came with a free drink and face mask. Facilities were clean and organised with free toiletries in the shower rooms, which helps if you’ve gone there straight from the airport.
The drive to Hotel Ranga afterwards was long but fine (check out the road on google streetview to know what to expect). The hotel and staff were great. We were limited to one option as vegetarians on the bar and a la carte menus, but the food was lovely and if you are a meat eater you will see options of unusual dishes like puffin and reindeer.
Our northern lights super jeep trip was cancelled on both nights due to a poor forecast, but we were lucky enough to get an aurora wake up call from Hotel Ranga the first night. We couldn’t use the hottubs as there are only a few and they were always taken in the limited time we spent at the hotel, so don’t go expecting to get lots of time in one and you won’t be disappointed. View them as an add on if you can time it right. We were travelling with an 11 year old, so we didn’t stay up really late. If you are a couple you probably have a better chance of getting one later on.
The glacier/volcano super jeep trip was outstanding. Our driver, Íbí was excellent. She went above and beyond and gave us such an awesome experience. We were also super lucky with the weather the first two days and had great views across Iceland.
The ice cave tour was also incredible and the guides running it were excellent. The group size was much bigger than expected (especially after the more exclusive volcano super jeep tour), but it was broken down into smaller groups that were managed well, with plenty of time factored in for photographs. There were several unexplained delays getting to the cave during the tour that meant we weren’t able to ‘mini tour’ the rest of the South Coast afterwards, so if you plan to do the ice cave don’t overplan for the afternoon as you may not have much time. Not a huge disappointment for us as we got to experience the cave, but I imagine someone who planned a full itinerary afterwards might be frustrated by the estamiated timings not always being right and subject to change with the weather (which was wicked that day).
Driving around Reykjavik was a horrible experience as we arrived around rush hour and weren’t prepared for all the traffic, having only experienced quiet roads along the south coast. It was difficult finding a parking space, so be prepared to drive around a little when you arrive. If you haven’t driven on the right before and are not a confident driver this could leave you feeling stressed. Again, check out the roads into Reykjavik on Google maps to get a sense of what awaits if you aren’t used to self-driving.
We didn’t get to tour the golden circle because of road conditions/ice/road closures, so we spent the day in Reykjavik instead. This turned out okay for us as we did some of the attractions (Lava Centre and Fly Over Iceland – both hughly recommended), but it ended up being an extra expense and we missed out on the golden attractions. Again, not a big issue if you are aware this could happen. The weather is so changeable that having a plan B is a good approach.
Weekend a la Carte sent us a text warning us about the bad weather conditions, which we’d already seen on the Safe Iceland app, but we were grateful for anyway. It was good to know they were looking out for us!
All in all, a remarkable trip, with some unique experiences. If you book this in the knowledge that nature will have her own way, and you may not see everything you want (especially in winter), you will have a great time. Ranga is definitely the best place to maximise your chances of seeing the lights.
We had the most fabulous time and everything worked like clockwork. The guides were extremely knowledgeable and extremely competent. The food was excellent and the experiences, especially Husky Homes, were brilliant. We saw the aurora lights at the mountain top in Abisko where the photography tour will be an enduring memory of a wonderful time. I would very much recommend Weekend a la Carte as a proficient tour operator.
This vacation has without without doubt, has been the best experience we have ever had. The organisation from the minute we landed in Kiruna until we departed at the close of our trip was second to none. The transition between hotels was always seamless and punctual. Everywhere we stayed was beautifully clean and the meals were top quality. Every driver was polite, entertaining and very knowledgeable, furnishing us with invaluable information about Sweden and the activities in which we were to participate. The snowmobiling was wonderful giving access via our guide, to stunning panoramic views of the mountain whilst viewing reindeer in their natural habitat.
Our guide demonstrated how to use the snowmobile safely he was pleasant and informative. When visiting the reindeer on the Sami reservation; we found the brother and sister team who hosted lovely. Again they were so hospitable and helpful and feeding the reindeer up close was a wonderful experience.
They provided additional activities for us to try and we were treated to a traditional Sami lunch in their hut. They provided us with invaluable information appertaining to their culture and caring for their reindeer. The reindeer were in superb condition and happy in their environment. Similarly, when out with the dog sleds the experience was magical. Two hours of beautiful scenery, and frozen lakes, finishing with a one-on-one experience massaging the dogs. Magic! We were so impressed with the care that was placed upon ensuring the dogs were comfortable, well-nourished and so loved by their owners/handlers.
Now to the photographic experience. A large group of us were treated to a demonstration of how to operate some serious camera equipment with tripod. Each of us was loaned the camera and given assistance setting up the camera on a frozen lake in preparation for the appearance of the Northern Lights. We were taken to this lake on large wooden sleighs pulled by a snowmobile. We cannot speak too highly of the two young men who accompanied us on this experience. They could not do enough for us. They were there to offer assistance with our cameras throughout the two-plus hours we were on this beautiful lake.
They advised where to position the camera and when the Lights appeared, what a performance. We had a two-hour display of this most breathtaking phenomenon. We were so fortunate to be able to experience this once-in-a-lifetime occurrence for which we are so grateful. We will never forget this memorable holiday and cannot thank you and everyone who assisted in making a lifetime dream come true. Karen & Andrew Adamson
An amazing trip and excellent service provided by all involved. Great value for money too. Food was excellent. Accommodation was wonderful and the trips booked were outstanding. An amazing trip
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