Best Travel Guide Kiruna | ArrivalGuides.com

KirunaGuide was updated: 2023-12-21

Just 250 kilometres north of the polar circle, the summer sun shines for almost two months without going down, while the polar nights offer the most intense Northern Lights that can be seen. In Kiruna, the northernmost city in Sweden, you can go slalom skiing until midsummer or spend the night in a magnificent hotel built from ice. The phrase "kingdom of contrasts" is overused, but Kiruna truly embodies it.

Do & See

Explore Kiruna, a unique city in Swedish Lapland, where adventure meets heritage. Witness the natural spectacle of the Northern Lights, marvel at the Ice Hotel's artistry, and immerse in the native Sami culture. Kiruna's diverse offerings include dog sledding across snowy landscapes and exploring architectural gems like the Kiruna Church. Experience the midnight sun in this city that's as vibrant as it is serene.

Midnight Sun

If you have never been in Northern Scandinavia during the midsummer period, the bright nights are perhaps the most fascinating and apparent phenomenon. The sun doesn’t set at all. You can get spectacular views of the surroundings from the city mountain, Luossavaara, about 4 km outside Kiruna. The midnight sun can be experienced between 27 May and 14 July in Kiruna.

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Northern Lights

Between September and April, there is the chance of experiencing the northern lights, provided that it is a starry night. The aurora borealis, or Northern Lights, is a stunning natural light display in the Earth's sky, caused by solar winds disturbing the magnetosphere and ionizing atmospheric particles. You can look up the northern lights forecast online.

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Esrange Space Center

Situated 40 kilometres from Kiruna, the Esrange Space Center is Europe's premier civilian space base. It's a hub for high-altitude balloons, aurora borealis studies, rocket launches, and soon, satellite launches. Esrange offers guided tours year-round, where visitors can delve into both its rich heritage and exciting future. Learn about the significance of space exploration and the impending advancements in the industry at the unmanned exhibition outside its gates.

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Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi

The world-famous Ice Hotel is located in Jukkasjärvi, 17 km from Kiruna. The world’s largest hotel of its kind, made out of thousands of tonnes of snow and ice, is rebuilt every winter. You’ll be nice and cool as you sleep after a drink in the Icebar, beautifully chiselled out of pure blue ice from the River Torne. Open from mid-December to the end of April. In the summer, you can experience ice art in the hotel’s Art Centre.

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Kebnekaise Peak & Mountain Station

From Nikkaluokta, 66 km west of Kiruna, there are first-rate skiing and trekking trails to, among other places, the top of Sweden’s highest mountain — Kebnekaise (2,096 m). Walk the first 19 km to Kebnekaise mountain station, where you register for the next day’s guide-led route to the top. The trip takes about 8–10 hours and requires a good level of fitness. Minimum age is 16.

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Kungsleden — The Royal Trail

The famous long-distance hiking trail offers spectacular vistas of the natural world. It's 467 km long and starts in Abisko, 93 km northwest of Kiruna. STF Singi mountain cabin lies directly west of Kiruna. For information on suggested routes and accommodation, visit Svenska Turistföreningen’s (the Swedish Tourist Organisation) website.

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