Swedish Lapland in Winter: Kiruna to Abisko and the Norwegian Border, 3 Days

Kiruna is Sweden’s northernmost town, and it is in the middle of moving. Under it lies Kiirunavaara, which the state mining company LKAB calls the world’s largest underground iron-ore mine. In 2004 it became clear that the mine would swallow the old town centre, so a new centre is being built about 3 km further east. This trip starts at Kiruna’s airport, takes in the moving town and the Icehotel at Jukkasjärvi, then follows the E10 west into the mountains to Abisko, Björkliden and Riksgränsen at the Norwegian border before driving back. It makes about 316 km in three days.

Most people come in winter for the northern lights. The Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF), which has its head office in Kiruna, says that in Scandinavia the most active displays are often seen before midnight. It runs a free app, IRF Aurora Alert, that sends a notice when the aurora is visible over Kiruna, and an all-sky camera that photographs the whole sky once a minute. Nobody can promise you a display, however. You need a dark, clear sky, and the clouds decide most nights.

The darkness is real. The Kiruna tourist office says the polar night there lasts about 28 days, and the sun comes back at the beginning of January. Abisko lies further north, and there the sun stays below a flat horizon from about 7 December to 6 January. What you get instead is a couple of hours of twilight around midday.

Swedish law requires winter tyres from 1 December to 31 March whenever there are winter road conditions, which the Swedish Transport Agency defines as snow, ice, slush or frost on any part of the road. Up here that is the whole season. The tread must be at least 3 mm deep. Since 1 December 2024, non-studded winter tyres must carry the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol. Studded tyres are allowed from 1 October to 15 April, and outside those dates too if winter conditions are expected. Don’t mix studded and non-studded tyres on one car. Ask at the rental desk which tyres your car has.

Then there are the reindeer. Kiruna is in Norrbotten, the county where, according to figures reported by SVT, 5,608 reindeer were hit by vehicles in the five years from October 2018 to October 2023. Many accidents are never reported to the police. In early winter, when the roads ice up and the gritters start spreading salt, the animals come to the road to lick it. Where you see one reindeer there are usually more. Slow down, and if you hit one, call 112.

Day 1 — Kiruna to Jukkasjärvi (24 km)

Pick up the car at Kiruna Airport and drive about 7 km into town. Go first to Kiruna Church, the large wooden church that was consecrated in 1912. On 19 and 20 August 2025, LKAB moved it on a specially built 5 km route to its new site between the cemetery and the new town centre. It was turned round on the way, so its altar now faces west. The church is closed while the ground around it is finished and the interior restored. The parish plans to reopen it sometime in 2027, so for now you see it from outside. Nearby is the new town centre, which was opened with a three-day celebration in September 2022. LKAB expects the old centre to be closed by about 2035. Around 6,000 residents have to move.

Fill the tank in Kiruna, where there are several stations. Then drive about 15 km east to Jukkasjärvi on the Torne River. Its wooden Jukkasjärvi Church has a central part from about 1607; the choir and porch were added in 1726. The carved teak triptych behind the altar is by the artist Bror Hjorth and was a gift from LKAB in 1958, for the church’s 350th anniversary. The parish lists it as open every day from 09:00 to 15:00.

About 1 km away is the Icehotel. It was first built in 1989, and every winter it is built again from snow and ice and melts back into the Torne River in spring. The new winter building, ICEHOTEL 37, opens on 11 December 2026. Before that, and all year round, you can visit ICEHOTEL 365, the permanent building with its ice suites. A day ticket costs SEK 325 for adults until December 2026; prices for the rest of the winter had not been published when we wrote this. The site takes cards only. Sleep in Jukkasjärvi, whether in a warm room or, if you dare, on ice.

Day 2 — Jukkasjärvi to Abisko (113 km)

Drive back through Kiruna and take the E10 west. This is the road to Narvik in Norway, and after Kiruna the settlements are few. The only fuel station we could find between Kiruna and the border is in Abisko, about 100 km away, so leave with a full tank. For most of the way the road runs above the shore of Torneträsk, a long lake that freezes in winter.

Abisko National Park was set up in 1909. The E10 and the railway both run through it. Park by the STF Abisko Turiststation, the Swedish Tourist Association’s mountain station, and walk to the naturum visitor centre next to it. The park’s official site says the canyon of the Abiskojåkka river is easy to reach from there; it is one of the reasons the park was created. In winter, ask at the station about the state of the path before you go.

Across the lake you can see Lapporten, the U-shaped valley in the photo above. Its Northern Sámi name, Čuonjávággi, means “goose valley”. The mountains on either side are about 1,554 m and 1,738 m high.

At night, the Aurora Sky Station sits 900 m above sea level on Mount Nuolja, a ride of about 2 km by chairlift. In the 2026/27 season the Night Visit runs from 19 October 2026 to 27 March 2027. It starts with a guided walk from Abisko Turiststation at 20:30, and you must be back at the lower station by 01:30. It costs from SEK 1,295 per adult, includes insulated overalls and boots, and is open to ages 12 and up with an adult. There are only 40 places, so book ahead; drop-in is possible only if there is room. If the station has to close for safety reasons, the evening is moved to a lavvu tent in the national park, and there is no refund if the chairlift cannot run. Sleep in Abisko.

Day 3 — Abisko to Kiruna via Riksgränsen (179 km)

The E10 carries on west past Björkliden, a small ski village about 9 km from Abisko. Between Abisko and Björkliden the road passes the slopes of Nuolja, where Trafikverket, the Swedish Transport Administration, triggers avalanches on purpose from December to May. The blasting is usually done between 05:30 and 07:30, and the E10 and the railway are closed while it happens. If an avalanche blocked the road, the detour would be 620 km, so don’t plan this day early in the morning. Trafikverket has an SMS service that tells you when blasting is planned.

Bad weather can close the mountain road too. In February 2015, for example, the E10 was shut in both directions between Björkliden and Riksgränsen, and on the Norwegian side as well, because of storms and avalanche risk. Check Trafikverket’s live traffic information before you set off, and turn back if the road is closed.

About 31 km further on, Riksgränsen stands just before the Norwegian border. The ski resort here opens late because of the darkness: its 2027 season runs from 18 February to 23 May. Before then there is little to do but look at the mountains and the border. This trip turns round here. Drive back the way you came, about 140 km to Kiruna Airport, and fill up in Abisko on the way.

Costs

Use the cost calculator to price fuel and nights for your dates. Sweden has no vignette for cars and no road tolls on this route, so the drive itself costs only fuel. Budget for accommodation, fuel for about 316 km, car rental with winter tyres from Kiruna Airport, the Icehotel day ticket (SEK 325 until December 2026) and the Aurora Sky Station Night Visit (from SEK 1,295). Bring proper winter clothing for standing outside at night.

This trip is also in the free Roadcut trip planner: change the number of days and where you sleep each night, pick your vehicle to see the fuel cost, check the weather on the road, and open each day in Google Maps, Apple Maps or Waze.