Classic short breaks in Sweden

Whether you’re travelling as a couple, a family or a larger group, a classic short break in Sweden makes for a memorable getaway. Across three to four nights, you’ll experience spectacular landscapes, Arctic adventure and plenty of aurora hunting.

You can browse and book one of the tours above. Or go bespoke, adjusting our short breaks to create your ideal trip. Take your pick from awe-inspiring destinations, like Lulea, Kiruna and Abisko — and adapt a tour to suit your budget and interests.

Our short breaks to Sweden are between three nights and four nights long. Most are based across a long weekend, departing on Friday and returning home on Monday or Tuesday.

If you want a longer northern lights holiday in Sweden, take a look at our exclusive aurora holidays and Abisko northern lights holidays.

You can also book northern lights mini breaks in our other Nordic destinations:

• Short northern lights breaks in Iceland
• Short northern lights breaks in Finland
• Short northern lights breaks in Norway

The northern lights are visible in Swedish Lapland any time from September to March.

In September and October, the landscape blazes with golden autumn colours. From November to March, this northerly region of Sweden is snowy and cold.

Our winter breaks — including our New Year and February half-term holidays — are popular with travellers keen to see the aurora borealis. That’s because, during long winter nights, you have a much better chance of seeing the northern lights.

If you’re unsure when to book your weekend break in Sweden, just get in touch with the Aurora Nights team. We can recommend the best month to visit.

That all depends on the kind of weekend break you’re looking for.

Sweden offers outdoor adventure, stunning natural landscapes, traditional Sámi culture and — of course — the aurora borealis. We can customise any Swedish short break to include your choice of sights and activities.

Here’s a taste of what you can see and do:

• Travel beyond the treeline, across the icy tundra or to the top of Mount Ednamvarri on an epic snowmobile safari.
• Embrace relaxation. Sample Swedish sauna culture. Or soak in your own hot tub, with the stars and the aurora borealis above.
• Try your hand at exciting Arctic activities, like skiing, ice skating, ice fishing or ice climbing.
• Hone your night sky photography skills. Get the kit and expert guidance you need to take beautiful photos of the northern lights.
• Wrap up warm for a cocktail at the Icehotel ice bar. Or — for an enchanting experience — stay the night in an exclusive ice suite.
• Discover Sámi culture. Visit huskies and reindeer. Savour Sámi cuisine in a traditional tipi. Then, embark on sledding adventures through the snowy landscape.
• Enjoy unforgettable northern lights experiences. See the aurora from your glass-roofed igloo or at a wilderness dinner underneath the starry night sky.

It all depends on the type of accommodation you’re looking for.

You can stay in a traditional Swedish cottage, a log cabin with a hot tub or a glass-roof tipi with panoramic views.

For something truly out of the ordinary, there’s the Aurora Sky Station atop Mount Nuolja, the inimitable Icehotel and the unique treetop rooms at the Treehotel.

There’s a huge and varied selection of accommodation to choose from in Sweden. So we’re confident of finding exactly the right stay for your weekend break.

Yes, you can. On our Sweden city breaks, you’ll use Kiruna and Lulea as a base for exciting Arctic adventures.

The university city of Lulea sits on the north-eastern coast of Sweden, surrounded by lakes and evergreen forests. It forms part of the Lulea archipelago, a collection of over 1,000 islands, which are connected by ice roads in winter.

You can also enjoy a Swedish city break in Kiruna, 200km north of the Arctic Circle. Kiruna is home to Sweden’s tallest mountain and acts as a gateway to Abisko National Park — one of the best places in the world to see the northern lights.

If Stockholm is on your wishlist, talk to us about planning a longer northern lights holiday to Sweden. On a longer trip, there’s time to explore Sweden’s capital city before travelling north in search of the northern lights.

Our Sweden mini breaks include the following as standard:

• Accommodation
• Transfers
• Half-board or full-board dining
• Arctic clothing for the duration of your trip
• Your choice of guided Arctic activities

Please note that flights are not included in our northern lights holiday packages. But if you’d like advice on the best airports and airlines to use when travelling to Swedish Lapland from the UK or US, just let us know. We’ll be happy to help.

During winter, temperatures in Swedish Lapland don’t rise above freezing. So in cities like Kiruna and Lulea — and certainly in the Arctic countryside — people dress for warmth and comfort.

We provide warm Arctic outerwear for the duration of your trip. This includes a snow jacket, thermal overalls, snow boots and Arctic gloves.

We recommend that you bring thermals, lots of layers, a warm hat, gloves and thick socks. You’ll also need to bring a winter coat for travel to and from the airport.

Read more: What to wear on a northern lights trip

When you book a northern lights trip with Aurora Nights, you can count on:

• Tailor-made trips — we craft bespoke northern lights adventures, tailoring a trip to your budget and interests
• Exceptional experiences — with in-depth knowledge of Swedish Lapland, our team can recommend the very best the region has to offer
• Expert local guides — our experienced guides show you a lesser-seen side of Sweden — and they’re great at tracking down the aurora, too
• A hassle-free holiday — we take care of holiday organisation so you can relax and look forward to your northern lights adventure

Whether you book a classic short break, an exclusive aurora holiday to Sweden or an Abisko northern lights holiday, it’s sure to be a trip you’ll remember forever.

Choose one of the tours above and make an enquiry. We can then customise your tour to perfectly meet your requirements.

Can’t see a tour you like? Then just get in touch with the Aurora Nights team and we’ll be happy to build your Sweden trip from scratch.