Abisko National Park is by far one of the best places to visit in Sweden during winter. Whether you are planning a northern lights trip, looking for winter activities, or simply want to cosy up in the snowy landscape, then this is one of the best trips you can do. Unlike visiting Abisko National Park in the summer, when the landscape is colourful and rugged, the winter provides the perfect snow-covered paradise.

One of the best things about Abisko as a winter destination is that there are loads of opportunities for tours and activities that will give you the best Swedish experience. Whether is hiring snowshoes or touring skis, trying ice climbing, or taking a sled to the grocery store then they have it! In this guide I will take you through everything we did in our 4 days in Abisko National Park in the end of January / beginning of February as well as a few tips and things to know!

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How to get to Abisko National Park

There are a few ways to get to Abisko National Park depending on where you are travelling from. Below I have briefly outlined each transport method.

Train to Abisko

If you are travelling from Norway or elsewhere in Sweden, you can take the train directly to Abisko. There are two stations: Abisko Touriststation and Abisko Östra. Both stations are stops on the line from Stockholm to Narvik run by Vy Natttåg. The train journey from Stockholm takes around 18 hours. Alternatively, you can take the train from Narvik which is a 1h 30 minute journey. The best way to plan a trip by train is to use this page.

Flying to Abisko

If you want to save a bit of time, you can fly to Kiruna and either take the train or a transfer from the airport to Abisko. The travel time from Kiruna is about 1.5 hours. To get from the airport to the city centre of Kiruna you will need to take the airport bus to the station, and then the train to Abisko. This is the cheaper of the two options but a little bit more complicated. Alternatively, you can book a transfer with Visit Abisko. This option is seamless as their transfers run in relation to flight times – however it is more expensive.

Where to stay in Abisko National Park

When visiting Abisko National Park, you have the option to either stay in a nearby town such as Björkliden, Riksgränsen or Kiruna, or stay in Abisko itself. From my experience, I would recommend staying in one of the accommodations in Abisko itself – this way you get more time to spend in the landscape and really take advantage of all it has to offer. If you were to stay in Kiruna, you will likely only visit the national park for a tour or day trip which doesn’t give you so much time in the park or the possibility to take advantage of its location for spotting the northern lights.

The best two places to stay in Abisko National Park are Abisko Mountain Lodge or STF Abisko Touriststation. The Mountain Lodge is the more luxurious and comfortable accommodation, with cosy interior and private rooms etc. It is in Abisko Östra, the main village, where you will find the grocery store and a nice walk. All activities will pick you up from this location, however, if you want to visit Lake Torneträsk or the Canyon you will need to walk to the STF Tourist Station.

The STF Abisko Touriststation is owned by the Swedish Tourism Organisation and is more of a mountain station, with a hotel and hostel as well as a shop and restaurant. This is where we stayed and somewhere I would stay again. It is very central in the national park, close to the lake and the Abisko Canyon Walk and both the restaurant and bar are great. If you want to travel to Abisko on more of a budget you can stay in one of the shared hostel rooms, otherwise they have private rooms in the hotel. Find more information and book it here.

STF Abisko Touriststation, Abisko National Park

Abisko in Winter Activities and Things to Do

Looking out for Northern Lights

If you’re visiting Abisko National Park in the winter, you’re probably looking for the northern lights. Abisko has been named the number one place in the world to see the Northern Lights, mostly due to the “blue hole effect” that means that even when the weather conditions are not optimal, there is still a chance that they will show up. There are a few different ways you can experience the northern lights depending on your budget, time, and the weather!

Take a Guided Aurora Tour

The first option is to take a guided Northern Lights Tour. These usually last around 4 to 6 hours and are great if the weather is not looking optimal as they will drive you to the destination with the highest possibility that night. The guides are experts on the area and now exactly where to go each evening – making the likelihood of seeing the lights much higher! This small group tour is recommended.

Head up to the Aurora Sky Tower

Secondly, you can head up to the Aurora Sky Tower, the observation tower located on the mountain opposite the STF Touriststation. The sky tower looks out over the entire landscape, giving you incredible views when the aurora does show up. The best thing about this trip is that you get the opportunity to wait for the lights to show up while waiting inside a warm and cosy space.

To get to the Aurora Sky Tower you will need to take the cable car up. All throughout the winter you can either head up to the sky tower in the evenings for either a sky station visit or a five-course dinner.

Aurora Spotting Solo

Alternatively, you can stay at the hotel and hope to see the northern lights by yourself. While perfectly possible if you are visiting during perfect weather conditions, it does often involve monitoring the aurora prognosis and Abisko webcam all night until something shows up. This can be any time from 5pm to 4am. One of the best spots for watching the aurora in Abisko is to follow the hiking trail down to Fågelkullen (map). Here you can see the mountains, the lake, and get a full view of the northern skies.

Aurora from behind the STF Abisko Touriststation

Ice Climbing a Frozen Waterfall

Abisko National Park is full of frozen waterfalls – from the rocks by the ride of the road to the more intense waters in Abisko Canyon. So, there’s no better time to try ice climbing. Like rock climbing, you use ice axes and crampons to scale the frozen walls. Honestly, this was one of my favourite experiences we had in Abisko this last winter and I am not usually one for heights or climbing. It was so amazing to be able to scale these frozen cliffs (and so beautiful!). We took this experience with Abisko Adventure and I could not recommend it more!

We took this ice climbing tour which lasted 3 hours. It is a small group tour (max 6 people) and we had the chance to climb the ice wall about 5 times each. If you visit between the end of February and middle of March, you will also have the possibility to climb the waterfall in Abisko Canyon which I am sure is even more incredible!

Swim in Lake Torneträsk

If you are a little more daring, you might want to try taking a cold winter dip in the frozen lake Torneträsk (map). While it may seem crazy (especially when the temperature outside can be as low as -25), this is quite a common thing to do in Sweden during the winter! In my experience, there is nothing more special than being submerged in the water surrounded by ice and the mountain landscape!

If you need to warm up afterwards, you can always hire the sauna close by to warm up!

However: I only recommend trying this if you have experience with cold swimming. Do not go alone and do not stay in the water longer than you are comfortable doing so. Although this area is relatively safe, close to the STF and civilisation, ice bathing can be dangerous if you are not in good health or properly prepared.

A Traditional Swedish Sauna

The best way to warm up in the winter is to hire a sauna, and luckily there are quite a few around Abisko! If you are staying at the STF Abisko Turiststation you will find several saunas that are free to use! Depending where in the hotel you stay there are a few different options – but in the hostel part there is a male and female separated sauna, with mixed hours. The sauna is close to the backdoor which gives the perfect opportunity to take a refreshing dip in the snow! Similarly, Abisko Mountain Lodge has a sauna included in the accommodation!

If you want a little more special experience, you can hire the traditional sauna by Lake Torneträsk. This is a wood heated sauna big enough for 10 people. The best part about this is that it is right by the lake so not only can you take a jump into the snow, but you can actually cool down in the swimming hole in the lake!

Dog Sledding

A dream winter activity is taking a dog sled tour through the snowy landscape – and this is one of the best things to do in Abisko. This tour takes you from Abisko to Kiruna through the mountains led by a pack of beautiful dogs. You get the chance to pet the dogs, stop for a Swedish fika, and visit an authentic Arctic wilderness camp. This is truly magical and a once in a lifetime adventure. Find more information here.

Hike Abisko Canyon

If you’re looking for a beautiful and not too difficult hike in Abisko then the best is the walk around Abisko Canyon. To get here, you will need to follow the yellow marked trail from the STF Turiststation. The walk is only around 1.5km. It takes no more than 30 minutes but gives amazing views – especially when the river is frozen! You can find a map on this page.

Explore the Abisko winter landscape with snowshoes

Snowshoes are another fun winter activity to try while in Abisko. These shoes are designed specifically for walking in deep snow and allow you to hike in so many more places. You can either hire snowshoes from the STF shop or take a snowshoe tour through the landscape. Hiring snowshoes costs around 350kr a day (find updated price list here). If you ask the staff, they will be able to point you on a great walking route.

When it comes to tours, there are a few different options! The best thing about the tours is not only do you get to test the snowshoes, but the guides take you through the landscape on a mini tour. They point out different animal footprints, plants and natural features along the route! We did this morning snowshoe hike and found it very interesting. You can also take an evening aurora snowshoe hike if you want to see the northern lights in a special way!

Ice Fishing on a Frozen Lake

A real arctic experience, ice fishing is one of the cosiest activities you can do! Not only will you head out to the frozen lake and make a hole in the ice, but you will get the try riding in a snowmobile on the way there. While you fish, you can stand by the warm fire with a warm drink and really take in the snowy landscape. Find the activity on this page.

Explore the Mountain on Touring Skis

One of the best ways to experience the winter in Abisko is to explore the landscape on skis. Rather than alpine skis, touring skis are most common in Sweden – a type of cross-country skis made for exploring the mountain landscape. You can either hire touring skis from the STF hire shop (find updated price list here) and explore the landscape yourself, or take a guided tour. If you haven’t done much cross-country skiing or tour skiing before I would recommend the tour. It can be quite a difficult technique to pick up the first time you do it so it can be good to get tips from an expert. If you love, it – you can always hire skis and head out yourself the next day! This is the best tour for beginners, run by the Swedish Tourist Organisation.

We went out skiing by ourselves and took this route. We followed the blue trail from Abisko Turiststation until it hits the brown trail, whereby we followed that to Abisko Östra Village. From here you can take the path that follows the railway back.

Naturrum

Naturrum is a nature museum of sorts, something you will find throughout most National Parks and unique nature reserves around Sweden. The purpose of Naturrum is to teach you about the history and nature of the landscape. In the case of Abisko, you will find exhibitions about the changing landscape, the arctic winter, the animals that live there and the Sami people. The museum is quite small and takes around an hour in total to walk around.

Visit the Sami Village

The Sami Village is an open-air museum of sorts located in Abisko National Park, with different homes – huts and timber structures – that were traditionally used by the Sami. The museum has signs by each structure with information about what they were used for.

To get to the Sami Village in Abisko you will want to follow the blue trail from the carpark behind the Touriststation. The walk is about 10 minutes (map).

Other Tours and Activities for Abisko in Winter

Frequently Asked Questions

How many daylight hours does Abisko get in winter?

The hours of daylight in Abisko during winter vary throughout the season, with the darkest period being from the first week of December to the first week of January when the sun doesn’t rise at all and the area experiences polar night. In January the daylight hours increase rapidly, with an average of 4 hours. February onwards, the days are much longer with 6+ hours of daylight. You can find the exact daylight hours here

How long should I stay in Abisko National Park?

When visiting Abisko in the winter, you will want to spend at least 3 to 4 days in the National Park. This will give you enough time to explore the park and try a few activities. If you are visiting to see the Northern Lights, you will want a few nights to ensure that you get good weather conditions.

Can you stay in Abisko National Park?

Yes, you can stay in Abisko National Park. There are a few different hotels, hotels and guest houses available for rent depending on what sort of accommodation you are looking for. Abisko Mountain Lodge or STF Abisko Touriststation are two of the most highly recommended.

Do you need cash in Abisko?

Generally, Abisko and Sweden are cash free. However, it can always be a good idea to bring a small amount of cash with you in the case of an emergency.

Can you see the northern lights in Abisko?

Yes, Abisko National Park is one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights. Even on cloudy, windy days, the nature of the landscape can create the “Blue Hole Effect”, pushing the clouds away to make a clear sky.

What months can you see the northern lights in Abisko?

The best months for spotting the northern lights in Abisko are from November to March. These are the winter months where the days are much shorter and darker. If you want to experience the snowy winter, then the months of January and February are generally better as the days are longer and there are many more possible activities.

Visiting Abisko in Winter: A Complete Guide

A visit to Abisko National Park in winter is one of the best trips you can do to experience the winter landscape in Sweden. From the darker days in November, December and January, to the bright snowy landscapes in February and March, Abisko is the perfect place to text different winter activities, and of course spot the northern lights! With this guide, I hope you can plan the best Abisko winter itinerary!

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