Escape to Swedish Lapland for a long weekend. On our short breaks to Sweden, you can discover stunning scenery and exciting Arctic adventures by day. Then, chase the aurora borealis by night.
Our bespoke trips are tailored to you. Take your pick of unforgettable activities — like snowmobiling, husky sledding and ice fishing. Choose unique accommodation, too. How about a stay at the famous ice hotel? Or in a cosy wilderness cabin?
The Aurora Nights team knows Swedish Lapland inside out. So — whatever kind of northern lights short break you have in mind — we’re here to make it happen.
Explore our short breaks in Sweden
Credit Abisko Mountain Lodge
The Complete Abisko Experience
This four-night Northern Lights adventure holiday to Abisko - the world-renowned Aurora destination - is packed with daily activities included!
Price per person (excl. flights)
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from £2,000
The Complete Icehotel Winter Experience
Our 4-night Complete Icehotel Winter Experience combines staying 2 nights at the original Icehotel and 2 nights at Máttaráhkká Northern Lights Lodge.
Price per person (excl. flights)
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from £2,650
The Iconic Icehotel & Abisko Aurora Chase
This short break combines two ‘Arctic Icons’ - the famous original Icehotel and the Abisko Sky Station, both fantastic locations for Northern Lights sightings.
Price per person (excl. flights)
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from £2,250
The Northern Lights Special Holiday
Our most popular 3 night Northern Lights Special Holiday staying at the exclusive 7 bedroom Máttaráhkká Northern Lights Lodge.
Price per person (excl. flights)
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from £2,000
The Sorbyn Chill and Thrill Winter Package
Sorbyn Lodge is the ideal place for mixing a bit of relaxing with a bit of adventure, then add in some of the best fine dining too!
Price per person (excl. flights)
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from £2,000
The Tree Hotel and Northern Lights Quest
If you are looking for a special Northern Lights break with a difference then combining the Tree Hotel on the Eastern Side of Swedish Lapland with Abisko on the Western Side brings you unique accommodation and great Northern Lights hunting.
Price per person (excl. flights)
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from £2,750
Short breaks in Sweden: FAQs
Why choose a classic short break to 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.
How long are your northern lights short breaks?
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:
When is the best time of year to book weekend breaks in Sweden?
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.
What can you see and do on a Swedish weekend break?
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.
Where will I stay?
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.
Can I book a Sweden city 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.
What’s included in your Sweden mini breaks?
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.
What should I wear on a northern lights weekend break?
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
Why book your Sweden mini break with Aurora Nights?
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.
How do I book my northern lights short break?
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.
Reviews
See what our clients say
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.
Sarah Brooks
A well organised trip which was tailored to our specific requests. The arrangements all ran perfectly and any queries prior to the holiday were handled very quickly and professionally. The standard of accommodation and organised tours was very high. I would use this company again and recommend them.
Iain Baxter
Superb holiday to Iceland, well organised, advice regarding trips informative and far exceeded our expectations (Glaciers and ice Cave) run by South Coast. Hotel Ranga is a lovely hotel, perfect to see Northern Lights (which we did see on our 3rd night), very comfortable, food excellent, staff helpful and informative. SouthCoast Adventure tour company were excellent, guides knowledgeable, and clearly very experienced.
Helen Middleton
My wife and I had an awesome and memorable trip to Iceland thanks to Alex at Aurora Nights. Alex tailored the itinerary to exactly what we wanted to see and chose excellent hotels to stay at. We totally enjoyed the city of Reykjavik and the many beautiful waterfalls. He went above and beyond to not only recommend sights to see around the Golden Circle and Ring Road, but also mapped it out so we were prepared to drive through the country during unpredictable weather and road conditions. And we were especially pleased to see the Northern Lights on our visit. Alex was very flexible to make changes to our plans and choosing the wonderful Sky Lagoon to replace our tickets for the Blue Lagoon due to the closure from the volcanic activity. We highly recommend Alex and Aurora Nights.
Lisa Kovens-Harris
We had five fantastic days in beautiful Iceland, as we had never been before Aurora Nights helped with everything and made the holiday so easy and stress free. We stayed at Hotel Ranga which was amazing, we very much enjoyed the tours and the guides were brilliant, very knowledgable and friendly. We will certainly be returning to Iceland and wouldn’t hesitate to book through Aurora Nights again, special thanks to Abigail as her experience and reccommendations made the trip even better.
Lauren Mitten
Fantastic trip with great hosts & made even more special by seeing the Northern Lights twice!!
Wendy Naphine
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
David Watson-Cammock
Cannot thank this company enough. Our break to Iceland was the second time we’ve let them organise everything for us and once again they didn’t disappoint. Everything ran seamlessly and the organised tours were wonderful. This company knows what they are doing. If you want to experience the geysers, the volcano, the northern lights and all the other exciting things that Iceland has to offer then this is the company to use.
Carol Wrack
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