Things to do in Kiruna
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Kiruna
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Early aurora returns, autumn ruska colours, mosquito free hiking by September and cheaper, quieter stays.
Dark shoulder, snow not settled and most winter activities not yet running. Cheapest lodging but weakest for first timers.
Polar night with blue twilight days, ICEHOTEL winter building open from mid December and peak festive prices.
Prime deep winter, light returning, deep reliable snow and all activities running at their coldest.
Smart aurora window with long light days and dark nights. Ski in sunshine and watch aurora the same day.
Spring thaw, winter activities winding down and the ice hotel melting back into the Torne. Quiet and muddy.
Midnight sun, hiking, midnight golf and river life. No aurora because it never gets dark.
Warmest high summer hiking, Kungsleden in full flow and Kebnekaise season, with July mosquitoes at their worst.
What's on
- ICEHOTEL opening mid-December
The seasonal ice hotel opens for winter.
- Lucia Dec 13
Lucia celebrations and Christmas markets locally.
- Kiruna Snow Festival late January
Snow sculpture competition, reindeer racing and winter games in the centre.
- Sami National Day February 6
Cultural events for Sami National Day.
- Jokkmokk Winter Market first weekend of February
Major Sami gathering about 2.5 hours south, worth a detour.
- Bjorkliden snow golf spring
Snow golf at Bjorkliden in spring.
- Kiruna Festival Usually late June
City music festival under the midnight sun, free entry.
- Midsummer late June
Midsummer celebrations in late June.
- Fjallraven Classic Usually early to mid August
110 km Nikkaluokta to Abisko trek.
- BAMM Bjorkliden Arctic Mountain Marathon Usually mid August
Mountain marathon at Bjorkliden.
Worth the trip for
Best things to do in Kiruna
ICEHOTEL
The original ice hotel rebuilt each winter from Torne River ice, with art suites and an ice bar to visit by day.
LKAB's Visitor Centre
A guided bus tour 540 metres underground into the working iron ore mine that built and is moving Kiruna.
Luossavaara
Walk 10 to 15 minutes from streetlights for a free aurora check under some of Europe's most reliable skies.
Kiruna Church
Huge wooden church shaped like a Sami hut, rolled 5 km in 2025, now an exterior sight until it reopens.
Jukkasjarvi Church
Swedish Lapland's oldest surviving church, from 1607, small and red and actually open to step inside.
Nutti Sami Siida
Sami run open air site where you can feed reindeer, hear joik and eat food cooked over fire in a lavvu.
Kristallen
New city hall anchoring a self guided walk between Kiruna's new centre and its emptying old centre.
Midnattssolstigen
Free 5 km trail to Kiruna's best viewpoint for the mine, the lake, midnight sun and aurora checks.
Where to stay in Kiruna
New City Centre
first trip, all-round base, best without a car
Closest to restaurants, LKAB departures and tour pickups, with the easiest car free winter trip.
Camp Ripan and the Luossavaara edge
aurora from your door and families
Darker skies, cabin space and ski tracks from the door, a short walk or drive from the centre.
Jukkasjarvi village
ICEHOTEL-centred trip
Quiet Torne River village by the ICEHOTEL and Sami site, magical for two nights, limiting for five.
Think twice about
- Old Kiruna centre deformation zone
Streets and buildings are closed, fenced and being demolished as the mine undermines them. Do not wander into emptied blocks or book unlisted stays there.
- Outlying cabin bases without a car
Alta, Kaalasjarvi and Kurravaara are dark and isolated, good for aurora but a problem in deep cold without transport.
Best restaurants in Kiruna
Camp Ripan Kitchen
Kiruna's best dinner, built on reindeer, Arctic char, moose and cloudberries from named local suppliers.
ICEHOTEL Restaurant
The Ice Menu serves local char, reindeer and cloudberries on plates made of Torne ice.
Stejk Street Food
Arctic cheese steaks and burgers with reindeer and moose, Kiruna's best cheap eat by a wide margin.
SPiS Mat & Dryck
Locals' lunch to dinner all rounder at the SPiS hotel, with a bakery side for fika and bread.
Spill Saluhall & Eatery
Casual food hall sibling of SPiS for an easy, unplanned meal in the centre of Kiruna.
Mommas Steakhouse
Big room steakhouse inside Scandic Kiruna, the most convenient good dinner for new centre guests.
The Old Homestead
Pulled bear and reindeer stew in a fire lit log homestead by the Torne in Jukkasjarvi.
Arctic Thai & Grill
The Thai place the whole town swears by, generous, hot, fast and cheap after a cold excursion.
Best bars in Kiruna
ICEBAR
One very cold, photogenic drink in a glass made of ice, a tourist ritual that earns its place once.
Outdoor things to do in Kiruna
Dog Sledding, Kiruna
Drive your own husky team on a half day tour ending with fika in a fire hut, Kiruna's defining excursion.
Abisko National Park
Abisko's blue hole gives clearer skies than Kiruna, plus a canyon by day and the Sky Station lift by night.
Snowmobiling, Kiruna
Drive a snowmobile through forest and over lakes to the ICEHOTEL or on an evening aurora run.
Kungsleden
Sweden's classic King's Trail and the Kebnekaise summit base, best from late June to mid September.
Luossavaarabacken
Kiruna's local downhill hill and groomed cross country tracks, the cheapest proper winter sport in town.
Ice Climbing, Abisko
Quiet winter tier of ice fishing, snowshoe walks and guided ice climbing in Abisko canyon.
Kiruna Golf Club
Local course whose whole point is teeing off at 11pm in full midnight sun daylight.
Bjorkliden Snow Golf
Short snow golf course near Bjorkliden played with orange balls onto whites instead of greens in spring.
Best hotels in Kiruna
Scandic Kiruna
New centre main hotel with 231 rooms, a sky bar and Mommas restaurant, best for a car free base.
Elite Hotel Frost
Kiruna's new luxury hotel with full spa, pool and two restaurants for recovery after cold excursions.
Best Western Hotel Arctic Eden
Dependable mid range hotel with pool, sauna and a well reviewed breakfast, less corporate than Scandic.
SPiS Hotel & Hostel
Clean, simple and warm budget hotel and hostel near the centre, sharing the town's tour pickups.
Hotell Samegard
Museum run budget rooms, simple and central for a low cost stay.
Kiruna City Studios
Self catering apartments that are the smart cheap play for groups cooking some of their own meals.
Camp Ripan
Family owned cabins with Kiruna's best restaurant, an aurora spa and darker skies on the town edge.
Camp Alta
Darker, cheaper lakeside cabins 13 km out, rustic and best for aurora first groups with a car.
Is Kiruna expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | SEK 1,500 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | SEK 3,750 a person |
| Splurge | SEK 7,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- ICEHOTEL: months ahead
- LKAB's Visitor Centre: weeks ahead
- Nutti Sami Siida: a few days ahead
- Esrange Space Center Visitor Centre: a few days ahead
- Dog Sledding, Kiruna: weeks ahead
- Abisko National Park: weeks ahead
- Snowmobiling, Kiruna: weeks ahead
- Ice Climbing, Abisko: a few days ahead
- Book ICEHOTEL ice suites months ahead for December to February.
- Book the LKAB mine tour days to weeks ahead and check English departures before fixing dates.
- Book top dog sledding, Abisko aurora nights and dinners at Ripan Kitchen and ICEHOTEL Restaurant before you fly in season.
Is Kiruna safe?
- Temperatures of minus 20 to minus 30 are normal. Wear merino, insulation and windproof layers, with no exposed skin in wind.
- Use a headtorch and reflective band at night, spikes for ice underfoot, and tell your lodging your night walk plan.
- Reindeer on the road are the main driving hazard, with moose at dusk. Slow down for any animal at the verge.
Kiruna travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- One night in an ice room as your whole trip risks broken sleep and one cloudy aurora night.
- Paying premium for a Kiruna only aurora bus when Abisko is clear, or the reverse. Pick operators who drive to clear sky.
- The priciest packaged Sami sled excursion draws sharp value complaints. Pick the site visit or food format deliberately.
- Expecting nightlife or an old town scene. Kiruna evenings are sauna, dinner, a sky bar and the sky.
Getting around Kiruna: public transport and more
- Fly to Kiruna Airport via Stockholm, or take the overnight SJ train and do not schedule a same day flight off it.
- Kiruna centre is walkable but the three bases are taxi or bus distances in winter cold. Check the day's bus timetable.
- A rental car helps for Abisko and Nikkaluokta but needs studded tyres, darkness awareness and care for reindeer on roads.
Who Kiruna suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Kiruna your trip
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