7 Magical Things to Do in Abisko in Winter [2024-2025]

One of the most memorable places I’ve ever visited in my 70-something countries of travel was my trip to Abisko in winter. It was before I was even blogging, but visiting Swedish Lapland in winter all covered in snow still remains one of the top travel highlights of the last decade or so I’ve been traveling.

While I’m sure Abisko, Sweden is a lovely place to visit at any time of year, it truly shines in winter. Personally, I visited Abisko in February and I found the weather conditions to be perfect: plenty of snow, sufficient daylight (well, okay, like six of seven hours of it), and enough dark nights to see the Northern lights dancing overhead literally every night!

7 Best Things to Do in Abisko in Winter

Take advantage of the “Blue Hole” to go Northern lights chasing.

I’ve gone on several trips to see the Northern lights in the Arctic, visiting Northern Norway twice, Northern Finland twice, and Northern Sweden once — all in the winter season, that’s how obsessed I am with seeing the aurora.

But what I quickly learned was that often, while the Northern lights may roar overhead, if there are clouds between you and the lights, you won’t be seeing anything. The geomagnetic activity that creates the aurora is way above where you’ll usually see clouds settle.

While many people choose to go to Norway or Iceland in hopes of seeing the Northern Lights, the fact that most of these countries’ popular destinations are coastal doesn’t do you any favors. Coastal climates such as Tromso are more temperamental with more frequent cloud cover in winter, decreasing your chances of seeing the Northern lights.

Yet on the other hand, Abisko, Sweden is inland and it has a particular microclimate that’s been blessed with clearer weather than other places in the Arctic, due to the so-called “Blue Hole” effect, which caused by the effect that Lake Torneträsk and its surrounding mountains have on the weather of the region.

As a result, Northern lights spotting is one of the top things to do in Abisko in winter! The statistics say that if you stay in Abisko for three nights, you have an 80% chance of seeing the Northern lights in Abisko (my full guide to seeing them is here!)

Anecdotally, I stayed for three nights and saw them every night of my stay to some degree or another, the most spectacular show on my final night. In contrast, I spent 7 days in Tromso one winter and saw the Northern lights only twice in the city itself. And on my more recent trip to Tromso, I spent 3 weeks in the city and only saw them three times!

In fact, on that first trip to Abisko, I had to take a pricy Northern lights tour from Tromso to see even a fraction of the spectacle I saw in Abisko just a 5-minute walk from the door — and we went all the way to Finland to achieve that!

Even with Abisko’s relatively high odds, I struggled to see the Northern lights on my first two nights despite there being plenty of solar activity. Had I gone on a guided excursion for the Northern lights in Abisko, I undoubtedly would have had a different experience those first two nights and gotten to see more.

The great thing about doing a Northern lights tour is that your guides will do their best to find (relatively) cloud-free skies. They’ll look at all the stats to predict when the aurora will peak, as well constantly monitoring the weather, in order to take you to places where you can see the Northern lights the best and ideally have some beautiful compositions for your photos.

This Northern lights photography tour is slightly more expensive than other options, since it’s photography-focused and includes high-quality camera rentals. The tours are restricted to 8 people per group, so you’ll want to save your spot in advance.

For this particular tour, you are given a high-quality camera with all the settings dialed in for you plus a sturdy tripod to use (all you have to bring camera-wise is your own memory card, or buy one off them). Of course, if you have your own photography gear, you can use that instead.

Book your Northern lights photography tour here!

However, since this tour comes with a lot of inclusions, it does come at a steeper cost. If budget is a concern, I recommend this similar Northern lights chasing tour which lasts for 3.5 hours and takes you to various places where you can get stellar compositions for your photos.

However, keep in mind that this does not include any photography equipment. If you don’t have a DSLR/mirrorless camera (and tripod) setup capable of setting up long exposure photos, it’s not the ideal tour for you if having your own photos of the Northern lights is the goal.

Book your budget Abisko Northern lights tour here!

Alternately, you can do what I did and just hope for luck with the lights! It worked for me one night out of three, and maybe it’ll work for you too, and it won’t cost you a cent.

If you do attempt to see it on your own, I suggest staying somewhere away from the Abisko village, like STF Turiststation which is located in the Abisko National Park away from most of the light pollution.

Go dog sledding and cuddle some husky pups.

While seeing the Northern lights was incredible, it wasn’t my favorite of all the things to do in Abisko.

That honor belongs to the incredible dog-sledding tour I took in Abisko. Especially since it came with a side of husky pup cuddles (obviously there won’t always be puppies, but we got lucky when we visited!)

While I’m generally quite wary of animal tourism, dog sledding is an activity I can happily make an exception for. Huskies have been domesticated for exactly this kind of life for thousands of years; it’s literally what they were bred and born to do. An Alaskan husky getting to run in the Swedish wilderness is miles-and-away more ethical than that same dog being stuck in a city apartment.

The huskies in Sweden live in great conditions, and they are given tons of love and rest time in between sled rides, as well as dedicated days off. Every dog’s individual personality is known and respected; for example, the staff knows exactly which dogs to pair up based on their personalities and friendships within the pack.

They also know what order to place the dogsled teams in; some teams prefer to be leaders others have their own rivalries! As for the huskies, they truly seem to love what they do. They get so excited as they’re being harnessed up that they literally will start howling in anticipation!

This tour is a great choice for families; kids older than 5 can participate. A professional musher will lead the sled ride (about 12 kilometers), safely navigating you through the Arctic landscapes so you can sit back and take as many photos and videos as you desire.

They currently only have availability three times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday) but it books up pretty quickly so spots are limited!

This tour includes any warm clothing you need to borrow and transfers from Abisko or Björkliden to the dog sled camp outside of Kiruna, as well as a fika stop with cinnamon buns and coffee. Note that this tour does not include a full lunch.

I strongly recommend booking it online in advance

Chase (frozen) waterfalls in Abisko National Park.

Fun fact: Abisko National Park was one of the first national parks in all of Europe! When you visit for yourself, you’ll see why.

It’s a truly breathtaking place all year-round, I imagine, but in the winter Abisko National Park becomes utterly magical under a heavy layer of snow. What’s most impressive are the impressive waterfalls you’ll find just a short but snowy hike from STF Abisko Turiststation.

Not sure where to go? The front desk staff will happily help draw you a map. It took us about 15-minutes trudging through Abisko’s winter wonderland to come across these beautiful waterfalls, and boy was it worth the cold!

These frozen waterfalls were truly beautiful and I had never seen anything like it before (and wouldn’t again until I visited Korouoma Canyon in Finnish Lapland).

Take it up a notch and go ice climbing up the waterfalls!

If you’re feeling exceptionally brave, we saw people ice climbing up the waterfalls, using a modified top-rope style set-up with pickaxes and crampons. Back when I saw this when I visited, that elicited a big old nope from me — it’s not something I thought I’d ever want to do.

Many years later, now that I love rock climbing, it’s on my bucket list to return and try ice climbing! Of course, unless you’re an experienced ice climber (who is?), this is something you’d want to do with an expert, certified tour guide.

This 3-hour tour introduces you to all the basics of ice climbing, so you can learn what it takes to climb a fully-vertical wall of ice and how it differs from standard rock climbing, all by a licensed wilderness guide.

Of course, you’ll be given all the necessary safety gear: alpine boots, crampons, a harness, ice axes, a helmet, etc. Just bring your own warm clothing and any food and drinks you might need during your climb!

Book your ice climbing excursion here!

Visit a Sámi reindeer farm.

Did you know that the European Arctic has a large Indigenous population? The Sámi people have lived in the Sápmi region, which encompasses parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia, for at least ten thousand years.

The Sámi have thrived despite harsh Arctic climates and arguably harsher ‘human climates’, where European settlers have attempted to force assimilation through legal and cultural erasure.

They’ve managed to preserve their traditions, language, and culture throughout all the challenges they’ve faced. Despite the division of their ancestral lands into four distinct modern-day nations, Sámi culture is alive and well, and there are ways you can experience it if visiting Abisko in winter!

One of the most popular ways for tourists to the Arctic to learn about Sámi culture is by visiting a reindeer ranch, as reindeer have historically held a central role in Sámi life.

Historically, the Sámi hunted reindeer, but since the 1500s the Sámi began herding reindeer and domesticating them in a manner similar to cattle. While this is still a huge part of the Sámi economy, the focus of reindeer herding has shifted in recent years towards tourism rather than animal agriculture.

This Sámi reindeer tour is the one I would recommend as it is Sámi operated, allowing you to have the chance to visit the open-air museum Márkanbáiki, located in the town of Jukkasjärvi, about an hour away.

The tour includes roundtrip transportation to the museum and the chance to meeting and feeding the reindeer their favorite snack of Arctic moss. You’ll also get to learn about Sámi culture and have free time to explore the premises or eat lunch (which can be purchased separately) in a traditional Arctic lavvo.

Book your Sámi reindeer tour here!

Visit the incredible Icehotel — the first of its kind.

One of the most famous places in Sweden, a visit to the famous Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi is likely one of the top things to do on your Swedish Lapland itinerary.

I love visiting ice hotels — I’ve also visited the Tromso Ice Domes, the snow hotel in Rovaniemi, as well as the ice hotel in Alta — although I’ve never gotten the chance to stay the night in one.

Getting there from Abisko is a pain, as it’s located closer to Kiruna than Abisko. There is no public transportation between Abisko and the ice hotel, so you’d need to rent a car. It’s far easier to go on a guided day trip like this one, especially if you are not a highly experienced winter driver.

The Icehotel is an incredible feat of engineering, which mashes up a hotel with an art exhibition — all of this 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. The original Icehotel was first created in 1989, but the actual ice structure is completely redone each year (hence the serious price tag on the cold rooms).

Incredibly, in 2016 they created a whole new hotel: a permanent structure with ice rooms that you can even visit (and stay in!) in the summer months, called Icehotel 365. Before you go worrying about the carbon footprint of such an undertaking — it’s completely operated by solar panels so it’s eco-friendly!

While maintaining a temperature below freezing is not much of a concern if you’re visiting Abisko in winter, it’s pretty amazing to think that this structure still exists in the summer when temperatures can reach 17° C (63° F)!

Keep in mind that the winter Icehotel is constructed at the start of winter each year! It takes a team of 40 artists each year several weeks – not to mention months of planning – to create the ice hotel completely from scratch each year, which is truly incredible.

However, if the seasonal Icehotel is not yet open, you can still check out the Icehotel 365 which is open all year round. This structure has luxury suites you can stay in, and if no one is in the rooms, you can take a peek inside.

The day tour consists of a guided tour of the art suites, ice bar, and ice church – yes, you can actually get married here! – plus leisure time to explore the hotel, take photos, or even dine or drink there (not included). It’s only available on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, so plan ahead! Tours end at the end of March.

Book your day tour of the Icehotel here!

Explore the cute and curious town of Kiruna

Kiruna is an easy day trip from Abisko. Alternately, if you fly into Kiruna in the morning, you can explore the city before your afternoon train to Abisko (or on the other hand, you can explore the city a bit before your return flight or train out of Kiruna).

Kiruna is a historic mining town, and herein lies the curiosity of this city: it’s actually in the process of being moved two miles away from its current center. There is a giant crack in the earth progressing towards Kiruna at a slow but steady rate, at which point, at some time in the future, will swallow up Kiruna as it currently exists. Check out this fascinating article which explains the situation far better than I ever could.

The town is in the process of slowly being moved bit by bit – annoyingly, the first bit to move was the train station, which is why it’s so inconveniently far out of town! You’ll want to take a taxi as the path into town is along an icy highway.

There’s actually quite a lot to see in this charming Arctic city, so let me break down a few of my favorite sights.

You can’t miss the wooden Kiruna Church – one of the largest wooden structures in all of Sweden! The church is unique for having a Gothic Revival style on the outside with an Art Nouveau inside, with more than 100 years of history. And yes, it too will eventually be deconstructed and moved two miles away!

The town center is quite cute, and there’s lots of great shopping to be had for a town of its size. I really loved popping into the local design shop, Kvadrat, which had great mugs, textiles, text art, and other unique souvenirs.

Sadly, my favorite restaurant SPiS Mat & Dryck is now closed; however, I hear great things about Stejk Street Food and Ann’s, so that’s where I would recommend you eat.

Unfortunately, it can be hard to DIY a day trip to Kiruna from Abisko, since the first train of the day leaves Abisko Östra at 12:36 PM and arrives in Kiruna at 1:47 PM. That might be okay… if the final train didn’t leave at 3:30 PM!

Since the station isn’t that close to the center you would barely have any time in the city. Therefore, it’s best to visit either on your way in or out of Kiruna Airport (we did it after arriving on a morning flight from Stockholm and taking the 3:30 PM train to Abisko).

Alternately, you can take the day trip to the Icehotel on your final day in Abisko and use it as a transfer service, as they are happy to drop you off in Kiruna on the way back and keep your luggage in the van for you.

Where to Stay in Abisko

Abisko is a rustic village of 85 people, and therefore, there’s not a ton in the way of guesthouse and hotel options.

Most of the places to stay veer towards the budget end of the spectrum, with a number of hostels and affordable guesthouses, as well as one traditional mountain lodge.

You can spend anywhere from around $35 USD for a bunk in a dorm to around $250 for a cabin sleeping 4-6 people.

Budget

The owners of the dog sledding tour included above, Abisko Hostel & Huskies is a fantastic place to stay in Abisko if you are traveling on a budget.

This is actually where I had booked to stay in Abisko in 2016; unfortunately, the hostel ended up having an unforeseen issue and wasn’t able to host me, so it rebooked me at STF Turiststation (below), a more expensive place, in a better room at no extra cost to me.

That sort of above and beyond mentality was really encouraging, and while I didn’t get to see their facilities firsthand, I loved the dog-sledding tour I did with them.

With seriously affordable dorms and doubles and perks like a free sauna and shared kitchen, I can definitely recommend this hostel to budget and/or solo travelers in Sweden!

Check out photos, reviews, and prices here.

Mid-Range

I personally stayed at STF Turiststation and can highly recommend it – it was literally the best hostel I’ve ever stayed at, hands down, with not one but two incredible kitchens, a free sauna, and an incredible restaurant.

The breakfast and lunch buffets offer a great value in pricy Sweden, and while the dinner is definitely more expensive, it’s also incredibly delicious and well worth shelling out for on a special occasion.

Plus, you’re literally in Abisko National Park, just a 10-minute walk from the lake or frozen waterfalls: how much better can a location get?

Check out photos, reviews, and prices here.

Luxury

I’d recommend Abisko Mountain Lodge for a low-key but luxe stay in Abisko.

There aren’t a ton of luxury offerings in Abisko, so this is the closest option I could find.

While STF Turiststation is great, it is more a traditional hostel in that it’s mostly bunk bed rooms, with limited twin room options.

Abisko Mountain Lodge, on the other hand, is definitely more of a traditional hotel.

They have a variety of rooms from singles to doubles and even full cottages that sleep four.

There’s a sauna, restaurant, lounge area, and breakfast is included with most rooms!

Check out photos, reviews, and prices here.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance!

When planning any trip, especially a winter trip, be sure not to forget about travel insurance!

I use SafetyWing and its Nomad Insurance to insure all of my trips for its affordable rates and comprehensive coverage for all my travel needs.

For a trip as expensive as traveling to Sweden (and the unpredictability of Arctic winter weather), it’s especially important for me to have coverage.

SafetyWing Nomad Insurance provides both travel insurance (coverage for trip delays, cancellations, interruptions — the likelihood of which increases in winter) and travel medical insurance (coverage for things like accidents, illnesses including Covid, etc. — also more likely in winter!).

Coverage is really affordable — for me, it costs roughly $11 USD for a week of coverage outside of the U.S., with a policy max of $250,000 after a deductible of $250. Not bad!

Check SafetyWing for a quote here!

Allison Green

Allison Green is a former teacher who has been travel blogging since 2016, visiting 75+ countries in total. She has a Masters in Teaching and a B.A. in English and Creative Writing. As a former educator, she merges her writing and educational experience to encourage ethical, sustainable travel. She has been a speaker at the World Travel Writers Conference and TBEX. Her writing, photography, and podcasting work has appeared in National Geographic, CNN Arabic, CBC Canada, and Forbes, amongst others. When she’s not on the road, she lives in Bangkok, Thailand.