Travel to one of Earth’s last great wildernesses. This region of Sweden is home to spectacular Arctic scenery and traditional Sámi culture. It’s also one of the best places in the world to see the northern lights.
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Northern Lights Holidays to Swedish Lapland
On a northern lights holiday to Swedish Lapland, there’s so much to discover. The famous Icehotel. Snowmobile adventures. Cosy log cabins. And — of course — the incredible aurora borealis.
From family holidays to romantic getaways. Weekend breaks to once-in-a-lifetime adventures. Book a tailor-made trip with Aurora Nights and get the Swedish northern lights experience you’ve been dreaming of.
Swedish Lapland
Sweden aurora tours
Abisko Northern Lights Holidays
Travel to Abisko National Park — a land of lakes, mountains and pine-forested valleys — and one of the best places to see the Northern Lights.
Classic short breaks in Sweden
Experience the magic of the Arctic on a short getaway to Swedish Lapland, with up to four days of outdoor adventure and aurora hunting.
Exclusive Northern Lights holidays in Sweden
Embark on a luxury Northern Lights holiday to Swedish Lapland, staying in exceptional accommodation and enjoying private tour experiences.
Aurora Nights
Frequently asked questions
Have a different question? We are always happy to help.
Where is Swedish Lapland?
Lapland is a region in the Arctic Circle. It includes parts of Sweden, Finland and Norway.
Swedish Lapland is in northern Sweden. It stretches from Lulea, a coastal town in the northeast of Sweden, to Abisko, which sits close to the border with Norway.
Is Sweden a good place to see the northern lights?
A large part of Swedish Lapland sits in the aurora belt. This is where you’ll find destinations like Abisko, Kiruna and Lulea.
These places are surrounded by wilderness and have very little light pollution. They also have long winter nights. So they’re some of the best places in the world to see the northern lights.
Can you guarantee that I’ll see the northern lights on Sweden aurora tours?
Unfortunately, there are no guarantees. Weather conditions and solar activity are variable. But you do have a very high chance of seeing the aurora borealis in Swedish Lapland. And we do everything we can to maximise those chances.
On an Aurora Nights trip you get aurora wake-up calls. You stay in hotels out in the Swedish wilderness where the northern lights are brightest.
You also go on exciting night time adventures with expert aurora guides. Our guides have unbeatable local knowledge. And they’ll keep a close eye on weather and aurora forecasts so, when the northern lights do make an appearance, you’ll be in the right place to see them.
Read more: Chances of seeing the northern lights
What can you see and do on a Sweden northern lights holiday?
Relaxation. Outdoor adventure. Fine dining. Spectacular natural landscapes. And the aurora borealis overhead. There’s so much to see and do on a Swedish Lapland break.
Depending on your tour and the time of year you visit, you can enjoy activities like these:
- Go ice climbing on a frozen waterfall. Ski and skate your way across the icy sea. Or try your hand at ice fishing.
- Sample Swedish cuisine on an aurora wilderness dinner, out on a frozen lake with the starlit sky and (hopefully) the aurora borealis above.
- Get up close with Arctic animals. Learn the art of mushing on a husky sled, go on a moose safari and take a reindeer sleigh ride through snowy landscapes.
- Embark on snowmobile adventures. Venture above the treeline and onto the Arctic tundra. Or head up to the top of Mount Ednamvarri, a great place to catch a glimpse of the northern lights.
- Warm up after winter activities in a private hot tub under the stars. Enjoy traditional Swedish sauna culture. Or treat yourself to a relaxing Swedish massage.
- Go on an aurora photography adventure, with all the kit and expert guidance you need to take beautiful photographs of the northern lights as they dance across the sky.
When is the best time to visit Swedish Lapland?
You can see the northern lights in Swedish Lapland any time from September to March.
In September and October, the landscape blazes with golden autumn colours. From November to March, Swedish Lapland is snowy and cold.
Long nights increase your chances of seeing the aurora. So a winter break is best if seeing the northern lights is your priority. You can even book a northern lights holiday for Christmas or New Year.
If you’re unsure when to visit Swedish Lapland, just get in touch with our team. Tell us what you want to do on your Swedish Lapland aurora trip and we’ll recommend the best month to visit.
What accommodation options are there on a Swedish Lapland holiday?
Hotels in Sweden are like nothing else. Traditional Swedish cottages. Log cabins with their own private hot tubs. Tipis with glass roofs and panoramic windows.
A few standout options? Get closer to the aurora at the Aurora Sky Station atop Mount Nuolja. Spend an unforgettable night in Sweden’s Icehotel. Or stay in one of the unique treehouse rooms at the Treehotel.
Whether you’re travelling with family, as a couple or as a group, we can book accommodation that perfectly fits your requirements.
Why book your Swedish Lapland northern lights tour with Aurora Nights?
When you book a northern lights trip with Aurora Nights, you can count on:
- Tailored trips — we want you to remember your holiday in Sweden forever, so we create bespoke trips tailored to your interests, budget and schedule
- Exceptional experiences — the Aurora Nights team has in-depth knowledge of Swedish Lapland, so our bespoke itineraries are constantly updated to include the very best of the region
- Experienced local guides — our Swedish guides, many of whom we’ve worked with for over a decade, are experts on the local landscape, culture and the aurora
- A hassle-free holiday — the Aurora Nights team takes 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, the Aurora Nights team promise to make it extra special.
What’s included in northern lights holiday packages to Sweden?
Each of our northern lights holiday packages to Sweden includes:
- Accommodation
- Transfers
- Half-board or full-board dining
- Arctic clothing for the duration of your trip
- Your choice of guided Arctic activities
We can tailor almost every Swedish Lapland holiday package. So let us know if you have your heart set on a particular activity, accommodation or destination.
Please note, flights are not included in our holiday packages. But we do offer advice on the best airlines and airports to use when travelling to Swedish Lapland from the UK or USA.
What should I wear on a northern lights holiday to Swedish Lapland?
In winter months, temperatures in Swedish Lapland don’t rise above freezing. So you should wear warm, comfortable clothing.
We provide Arctic outerwear, including a snow jacket, thermal overalls, snow boots and Arctic gloves.
We recommend that you bring thermals and lots of warm layers. A hat or a head warmer, gloves and warm socks are essential. And you’ll need your own winter coat for arrival and departure.
Read more: What to wear on a northern lights trip
Can I combine a trip to Swedish Lapland with other destinations?
Absolutely. The Aurora Nights team can tailor a northern lights holiday in Sweden to meet your requirements. If you want to book a longer aurora trip, we can plan a holiday that includes Swedish Lapland and any of our other destinations:
- Northern lights holidays in Iceland
- Northern lights holidays in Finland
- Northern lights holidays in Norway
Just tell us where you’d like to go and we can suggest some itineraries.
How do I book my Sweden northern lights holiday?
Start by contacting the friendly Aurora Nights team. You can send us an email, give us a call or fill in the website form. We’ll then chat about dates, accommodation, activities and budget. And plan the Sweden aurora holiday you’ve been dreaming of.
Reviews
See what our clients say
Hotel Ranga was perfect, with amazing food. It is in the middle of nowhere, very quiet and with the weather being bad there wasn’t the possibility of leaving the hotel in the evening so mightn’t suit all for that reason. Super Jeep tour we thoroughly enjoyed with 2 lovely guides.
Hotel Borg was in the perfect location. For us, one night in Reykjavik would be ample.
Blue Lagoon was a wonderful experience only heightened by the appearance of the northern lights on our walk home from dinner. All in all we had the best holiday and we plan to return to Iceland hopefully sooner rather than later.
Lisa McAleer
Thoroughly enjoyed the trip. The Abisko Mountain Lodge was fantastic, every member of staff was friendly welcoming and charming. Accommodation, upgraded room was excellent. The food in the lodge definitely deserves the high reviews. Good breakfast, great hime made lunch soups and extremely tasty evening dinners.
The included trips were great. The only let down was the camera night, couldn’t see the lights no one fault, but we were walked through thigh high snow to be left on a frozen lake for the duration of the trip. There was no warning of the difficult walk and we had a 91 year old with us and I have hip problems! That said the guide was great, as were the ones on the skimobile and husky rides. We went up to the sky station in a snow storm with high winds, added to the experience!
Would go back in a heart beat.
We had little communication with Weekend a la carte, no need as all communications were clear and contained all the information we needed. Very informative emails
Would use again if going back
June Day
This was a bucket list trip. The company are specialists and I’ve valued their advice. Everything from the when to go for the best opportunity to see the lights and equipment needed and provided.Our activities included, the Ice Hotel, night photo shoot, snowmobiling, guided walk and the sky station meal. All excellent and well run by knowledgeable experts and guides. The Abisko Lodge is warm comfortable and relaxing the food is excellent and the staff welcoming, friendly and very helpful. I would highly recommend if you’re looking for a different and exciting experience.
Jean Lavender
I found Aurora nights just through a google search. Alex, my Aurora expert was so helpful in helping us have the perfect trip to the Arctic. He had personal experience of the activities and places to visit there that would make our trip really special. This followed through to a particularly unforgettable and wonderful holiday. Everything was sent to us with care and attention before hand and we were supported by the team throughout our holiday. All of the recomendations were wonderful especially the Ice Hotel, dog sledding and of course the beautiful Northern Lights. The transportation arrived on time every time. I would highly recomend this company for their experience in the field and their due care and attention to you as a customer. It was faultless and we had the most awesome time.
Heatherbelle Bates
My daughter and I had an amazing time on our trip, we didn’t want it to end! Everything went according to plan, each excursion was well organized and everyone involved with each activity, as well as everyone at the lodge was kind, friendly, positive and happy, which makes such a difference to your whole experience. The food at The Abisko Mountain Lodge was also incredibly good. Our room was large, comfortable and well-furnished. The bathroom too was also spacious and well-equipped. The outdoor clothing provided was of very good quality which kept us warm, and the staff members are happy to change items if they are not quite the right size for you. This is my second trip with Weekend a la carte and I’m sure there will be more as I have complete trust in them. I highly recommend Aurora Nights, it was fabulous.
Jane Ashworth
We had a wonderful time! The food at the lodge was amazing and there were some great vegetarian dishes. I had the best beetroot I’ve ever had (beetroot tartare).
Everyone was really friendly and all the guides were good fun and very knowledgeable.
A special thanks to William and Petri who were really friendly and really added a personal touch to our trip. The activities were really well planned and we especially enjoyed the trip with the huskies. The area we were in is stunning and the lodge was very nice. We would definitely recommend this to friends and family.
Fiona Green
We booked with Aurora for a short winter break to celebrate an event. We wanted something special and that’s what we got. Clear information was backed up with straightforward booking detail, and we had a super, holiday with no complications.
The holiday exceeded my expectations and I will use Aurora in the future. Thank you!
David Foley
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
Ready for an aurora adventure?
Book with Aurora Nights, the Northern Lights holiday experts. We will personally plan your bucket-list Northern Lights adventure holiday to Swedish Lapland, Iceland, Norway and Finland.
