The 8 best things to do in Kiruna and Swedish Lappland

Bathed in clear Arctic light and sitting atop one of the world’s largest iron mines, Kiruna is an intriguing outpost in northern Sweden. And the wilderness that fans out from the town – the homeland of the Indigenous Sámi people – is simply breathtaking in its bleak beauty.

Kiruna’s mine has been its lifeblood since the 1880s, providing livelihoods for just about everyone in town. Yet what the mine giveth, it also taketh away: thanks to the spiderweb of underground shafts, Kiruna is sinking rather rapidly – and a massive effort to move the town, brick by brick, is well underway.

Stretching north from Kiruna, Lappland is a region as rich in traditional Sámi culture as it is in thrilling outdoor activities. Many visitors come here to see the astonishing spectacle of the northern lights (aurora borealis). There’s also world-class hiking through natural parks, with highlights including the Kungsleden, one of Europe’s best long-distance trails, and summiting Mt Kebnekaise, Sweden’s highest mountain. In winter, you can go dogsledding through snowbound forests, ride Icelandic horses by ice-blue lakes and sleep amid ice sculptures at the Icehotel.

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Ready for some Arctic magic? These are the top experiences in Kiruna and Swedish Lappland.

1. Tour a city on the move – literally 

Not that long ago you’d awaken in Kiruna at 1:30am to find the ground shaking. Hundreds of meters below the old city center, dynamite for mining operations would detonate as residents slept aboveground. More than a century of such intense activity took its toll: old Kiruna is on the verge of collapsing into the mine, and authorities have launched a long project of moving the city to a new site 3km (1.9 miles) east.

The ongoing relocation efforts – set to be completed in 2035 – are surprisingly fascinating. Start with a map from the tourist office that details when each relocation stage will take place. If you want a local perspective on the many changes underway, sign up for A City in Motion, a 2.5-hour tour run by the tourist office.

The sections of the old town that aren’t all but deserted are a demolition site. The early-20th-century Kiruna Kyrka, which looks like a huge Sámi kåta (log hut), made its very slow move in August 2025. And the new town center is already shaping up, with excellent services and some striking architecture.

Planning tip: The three-hour Stejk Kiruna City Tour gives an entertaining overview of the community and finishes with a local touch: stir-fried moose and reindeer at the Stejk food truck and lavvu (a temporary Sámi dwelling of similar design to a tepee).

2. Explore Kiruna’s subterranean depths

The giant slag heaps marking the aboveground part of the LKAB Iron-Ore Mine – responsible for producing an astonishing 80% of the world’s iron ore – dominate the city. Each day 68 cars carrying 80,000 tons of the stuff head west to Narvik, Norway, to be shipped onward around the world.

Departing daily from the tourist office, three-hour tours take you into the mine’s subterranean depths, through tunnels and past machines hundreds of meters below the earth’s surface. Expect an up-close look at the infrastructure that makes modern life possible.

Planning tip: You might not expect a remote Swedish city of 22,000 to have a vibrant Thai community, but you'll be pleased to try some of the popular restaurants. At the southern entrance to the new town, Annis serves Thai dishes alongside Swedish meatballs, while Arctic Thai & Grill (next door to Arctic Eden Hotel) offers curries, stir-fries and other welcome hits of spice.

3. Sleep in a building made of ice 

Every November there’s a flurry of activity by the Torne River in Jukkasjärvi, 20 minutes from Kiruna. From a humble start in 1989 as a small igloo built by Yngve Bergqvist to house an art gallery, the Icehotel has grown into a legendary snow-and-ice edifice that’s created anew each winter, its rooms filled with ice sculptures. Come mid-December, guests check into the Icehotel’s individually styled art suites for a memorably cold night’s sleep.

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After leaving their possessions in lockers overnight, guests retire to their ice beds, each topped with a thick mattress covered in reindeer hides; sleeping bags also help keep things warm. (With all that insulation, expect to sleep naked – you’ll roast otherwise.) Come morning, hot lingonberry juice and a spell in the sauna warm things up further. Many guests spend just one night in the cold accommodations, then continue their stays in satellite bungalows.

Planning tip: Kiruna is its liveliest during the late-January Snöfestivalen, a festival of snow sculpting that draws snow and ice artists from all over and also involves Sámi reindeer-sled racing.

4. Trek through a forest via dogsled or on an Icelandic horse

In the pale blue winter half-light of the Jukkasjärvi forest, there is little noise, apart from the panting of dogs, the coarse scrape of a sled across the ice and the crunch of heavy boots in the snow. Out here such sounds seem amplified in the mute, snow-muffled landscape. And then there’s the quiet thrill of standing tall behind a sled in perpetual motion, as dogs pull you through forests and across frozen lakes.

In Jukkasjärvi, head to Nutti Sámi Siida – an outdoor museum featuring traditional Sámi structures and reindeer pens (and sensational Sámi fare at Ovttas) – where you can make the arrangements for a dogsledding excursion or longer expedition in the surrounding country. Another option (in Kalixfors, 20 minutes south of Kiruna) is Kiruna Husky.

Alternatively, the Icelandic horses of Ofelaš (30 minutes from Kiruna) can take you through these remote forests year-round. This terrific Nature’s Best–certified Sámi outfitter arranges trekking on horseback, catering to all levels of experience and budget. Short rides for beginners set out into the nearby hills and along the lakeshore, while longer expeditions can be combined with a Sámi food experience.

Detour: Jukkasjärvi Kyrka is one of Lappland’s oldest churches, its brightly painted altarpiece featuring scenes of famed Sámi revivalist preacher Lars Levi Laestadius. The birch-and-reindeer-horn organ has three sounds: birdsong, drum and reindeer hooves.

5. Seek out the northern lights at Abisko National Park

A unique local microclimate known as the “blue hole” – which has to do with Arctic winds colliding with Sweden’s northern mountains – grants Abisko (Ábeskovvu in Sámi) with the driest climate in Sweden and the most clear nights of any aurora-viewing destination. While sightings are never guaranteed, Abisko is widely regarded as one of the best and most reliable places to spot the dancing rays.

Across the highway from the STF Abisko Turiststation, a chairlift takes you 1164m (355ft) up Mt Nuolja to the Aurora Sky Station. In summer, the deck and on-site cafe afford wonderful views of the surrounding wilderness, bathed in the pearlescent light of the midnight sun. In winter, if you’re lucky, you’ll see the northern lights in all their eerie, haunting glory.

Planning tip. Learn to photograph the aurora with STF Abisko–based Lights Over Lapland.

6. Hike the mighty Kungsleden (or at least a portion of it)

With a full length of 450km (180 miles), Kungsleden (King’s Trail) is Sweden’s most important hiking route, connecting Abisko in the north to Hemavan in the south. The trail passes through spectacular wilderness that includes Sweden’s highest mountain, Kebnekaise. You can camp along its length or stay in STF-run mountain huts, lodges and hostels.

Well-trod sections of the trail range in duration from three days and 51km (32 miles) to intense eight-day hikes of up to 166km (103 miles). Expect to traverse mountain passes and valleys, follow wooden walkways across wetlands and trails through pine forests, and perhaps hop in a rowboat or on a ferry to cross an alpine lake. You may catch sight of some of Sweden’s more charismatic creatures, including brown bears, wolverines, elk and (if you’re very lucky) the nocturnal Eurasian lynx.

Planning tip: The hiking season runs from June to August, when buses stop at Abisko Östra (main village) and the nearby STF Abisko Turiststation, the official starting point of the Kungsleden. Boats also operate in the summer. For information on reaching other trailheads, ask at the Abisko Turiststation.

7. Attend the Jokkmokk Winter Market, the Sámi event of the year

On the first weekend in February, tens of thousands of Sámi visitors from all over Scandinavia descend on northern Sweden for the Jokkmokk Winter Market, the oldest and largest of its kind. Even though temperatures can plunge to way below freezing, this is by far the most exciting time to be in this Arctic village.

Crowds gather on the iced-over Talvattisjön to watch men race against reindeer – spectators dive out of the way when uncooperative reindeer refuse to stick to the lake's frozen track. In town, the blues, reds, greens and yellows of traditional sashes, mittens and hats stream between hundreds of stalls featuring the widest array of Sámi duodji (handicrafts) in the country, as Sámi traders network and old friends catch up.

The event has been going strong since 1605, when King Karl IX decreed that markets should be set up in Lappland to increase taxes, spread Christianity and exert greater control over the nomadic Sámi. The Winter Market is preceded by the smaller Historical Market, with several days of folk music, plays, cinematography, photography exhibitions and food tastings.

Detour: Jokkmokk’s superb Ájtte Museum offers a thorough introduction to Sámi culture. In this artfully designed structure, each spoke radiating from the central chamber tackles a different theme – from traditional dress and Sámi folktale creatures to religious practices. To learn about Sámi culture in a more offbeat way, arrange for a session of Sámi storytelling and singing with Arctic Stories’ Juhán Niila Stålka, a master of yoik (a traditional form of singing that’s a pillar of Sámi culture).

8. Set out on adrenaline-inducing ice drives at Arvidsjaur

Like much of Lappland, Arvidsjaur really comes into its own in winter. Between December and April, test drivers from different car companies (as well as motorheads) descend on the town to put BMWs, Audis and Porsches through their paces on special ice tracks marked on nearby frozen lakes. Snowmobiles whiz around the town, while husky sleds carry passengers through the snow.

Based at Lapland Lodge, Snowmobile Adventures offers four levels of excursions: beginner, advanced, mountain safari and extreme safari. Try a two-hour starter tour or a six-hour pro-rider safari. Lapland Ice Driving organizes ice-driving trips (three to six hours) in an Audi TT Quattro – allowing you to practice your spins and skids on a frozen lake, just like the pros.

Planning tip: If you prefer your transport without a motor, try your hand at mushing with Nymånen Dogsledding, one of the largest Siberian husky kennels in Lappland. Outings start at two hours.

This article was adapted from Lonely Planet’s Scandinavia guidebook, published in July 2025.