Guide for Winter in Kiruna, Swedish Lapland

Swedish Lapland is a magical winter experience. Lapland is the term used when describing all of Northern Scandinavia and it is what I imagine as a quintessential Scandinavian winter. It has all the winter activities like dog sledding, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, ice skating, ice fishing, snowmobiling, and more. Kiruna and the rest of Swedish Lapland is very rural, with very little population compared to the rest of Sweden. There will be untouched wilderness to explore. Here is your guide for winter in Kiruna, Swedish Lapland.

About Kiruna

Kiruna is known as a mining town as it is home to the worlds largest iron ore mine. They are actually in the process of moving the entire town of Kiruna because they are expanding the mine. Although, before mining came into this town, there were the Samí People, who are the Indigenous People of this region. You can still see them and some of their culture there today.

Winter Weather in Kiruna

Winter in Kiruna is roughly between November-March and the peak of winter activities are from December-March. I went at the end of March and we were able to do all the winter activities we wanted, with it still being a bit warmer than peak winter.

December-January, Kiruna experiences polar nights, which means that is is complete darkness and you won’t see the sun in this time. However, this makes seeing the Northern Lights even better as there are greater chances to see them and they might be more vivid. Temperatures in the winter will average -15 C or 5 F, so break out all your heavy winter gear.

I wish I was more prepared in navigating my trip to Kiruna. Knowing the options: below is a guide for how to get there, getting around, where to stay, what to do, where to eat, and some packing essentials to ensure a smooth trip.

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How to get to Kiruna

Overnight train or fly. If you are within Sweden or a reasonable distance then the overnight train route is a great option to experience the whole of Sweden. From Stockholm to Kiruna was around 15 hours and you are able to book a train cabin with a bed and bring your ski gear for no extra cost. Just know that it is not cheaper than flying, especially if you book a train cabin with a bed (we had a 6 person bed cabin). HOWEVER it is a cooler and more environmentally friendly way to travel.

Buy train tickets on SJ Stockholm (ex.) –> Kiruna

Kiruna also has a small airport with a couple of flights going in and out (I believe) everyday. This option is definitely more time and money efficient. We did a mix of both, where we took the sleeper train up, then to save time we flew back down to Stockholm. 

Note: Bolts are EXPENSIVE from the airport, you won’t get it for less than $40 USD. Therefore, try and get on the local bus to get into town or your hotel. Since the town and airport are small, the airport bus will usually run on the same time schedule as flights getting in and out and should only cost ~$11 USD pp.

Getting around Kiruna

Kiruna is not the most walkable city especially if in the winter as it is ICY (see in the packing essentials list, but you WILL NEED ice spikes for your shoes). Also if you’re not staying in the center of town, things might be a bit far way. There is a bus that goes through Kiruna, however – depending on where you stay, if you want to eat at specific restaurants, and when you want to do things, it might not have the best routes or times. Therefore, if you really want to drive around town, see things the Ice Hotel or go to Abisko National Park on your own time, I would HIGHLY recommend renting a car.

For example, we realized we wanted to go to Abisko National Park, although there are only 2 train times that go there and we would have to time our hike perfectly to catch the train back to Kiruna. Same with the Ice Hotel, we wanted to go and there is a bus that goes there from Kiruna, although there were 2 times that it went there and we weren’t able to get the times to match up to also get back to Kiruna. However, getting around to a restaurant, we were able to walk. It was an it was an icy walk with not the best sidewalks. BUT if you are just in Kiruna to do winter activities at your resort and booked tours that will pick you up, you won’t need a car. So it’s just dependent on what and where you want to go.

Where to stay in Kiruna

I stayed at Camp Ripan and really enjoyed the experience. They pride themselves on being a sustainable and family run lodging. Located on the outskirts of Kiruna (still fairly easy to get to from the train station or airport) and right on site they have cross country skiing trails, snowshoeing/hiking trails, a spa, a restaurant, and gear rentals. They have everything right there, so you don’t need to leave. Each lodge also has their own kitchen with cooking supplies so you can easily walk to the Coop (grocery store) nearby and grab some food to cook some of your own meals.

However, here are some other great options for where to stay:

• Reindeer Lodge
• Aurora Camp
• Scandic Kiruna
• The Ice Hotel (pricy)

What to do in Kiruna

You can book tours in advance to do most of these things, or a lot of times the hotels here can rent you the gear and you can go out on your own and they can tell you where to go. Here is a list of the most popular or unique things to do.

• Northern Lights Hunting (walk outside or book a tour)
• Dog Sledding (book a tour) Note: try to book a tour where you actually drive the dog sled, it’s so much cooler!
• Cross Country Skiing (bring or rent on-site)
• Snowshoeing (rent on-site)
• Snowmobiling (book a tour)
• Ice Fishing (book a tour)
• Ice Skating (rent on-site)
• Sauna / Spa (on-site)
• Ice Hotel (car or bus)
• Mining Museum (car needed)

Where to eat in Kiruna

Try to get some unique foods that are native to this area like reindeer, arctic char, moose, cloudberries, or juniper berries. I personally only ate at the Camp Ripan Kitchen, Spill, and got food from the grocery store. However, the other restaurants on the list are highly rated.

• Camp Ripan Kitchen ($$$)
• Spill saluhall & eatery ($)
• Stejk Street Food ($)
• OTs Bodega ($)
• Hos Meier ($)
• Empes Gatukök ($)

Get premade food or some simple food to cook at Coop or any grocery store: Food isn’t the cheapest in Kiruna so grocery store food is great to save some money.

Packing Essentials

• Waterproof winter coat
• Turtleneck base layer
• Mid-layer pullover
• Long-johns or leggins
• Waterproof pants or bib
• Wool socks
• Waterproof hiking boots
• Shoe spikes!! You can also buy them there, but in the peak seasons, they might have low stock
• Waterproof mittens or gloves
• Wool beanie
• Face mask for added warmth

Remember that layering is key. Here is the recommend layering technique:

• Base layer: fits tightly to the body made from wool, synthetic fibers, or a blend of both to move sweat away
• Mid layer: Can be made from natural or synthetic fibers, this layer traps the body heat in
• Outer layer: Should be waterproof, windproof, and breathable. Needs to be durable so nylon or polyamide materials are best
• Also wear some wool socks, waterproof mittens, and a fleece-lined hat and boots for optimal warmth.

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Let me know if you end up going to Kiruna and found this helpful in navigating your own trip 🙂

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