Abisko for the Northern Lights: A Practical Guide (and What We’d Do Differently)

Checked October 2026 · 6 min read

Abisko is a small village on a long Arctic lake, about 195 km north of the Arctic Circle, and one of the most reliable places in Europe to see the northern lights. It is also easy to get slightly wrong: two trains a day, one restaurant on the park side, a chairlift with its own calendar. This is everything we would want to know before booking, in the order you will need it.

Best for	The aurora, quiet, long nights, a national park at the door
Season for the lights	Late September to March
Nights	Three if the lights are the reason; two if it is one stop of many
Base	STF Abisko Turiststation (park side) or Abisko Östra (village side)
Getting there	Night train from Stockholm, or fly to Kiruna and take the train, about an hour
Map	Every place in this guide on one map

Why Abisko

The mountains to the west catch the weather first. Abisko sits in their rain shadow, one of the driest places in Sweden, under a gap in the cloud known as the blue hole. It is far from any town, so the sky is properly dark. The aurora oval passes overhead; cloud is what decides most nights.

When to go

• Late September to mid November: dark nights are back, the lake is still open, few people. Services on the park side are reduced.
• Mid November to March: full service, snow, the Aurora Sky Station open. Polar night from early December.
• February and March: dog sledding, snowshoes, ice climbing, longer days, still dark nights.
• Late May to mid July: midnight sun. No aurora.

How many nights

Three if the lights are why you are going. A single cloudy night takes a third of a short trip. We had one clear night out of three, and it was the first.

Getting there

• Night train from Stockholm. Until mid December 2026 with a change in Boden; from 13 December 2026 the direct Stockholm to Narvik sleeper returns.
• Fly to Kiruna, then about an hour by train. There are only a couple of trains a day.
• From Narvik on the Ofoten line, about 1 h 45 from the fjord to the border.

Two stations on the same line: Abisko Turiststation is the national park, Abisko Östra is the village and the shop.

Flying in? Sleep in Kiruna first. Our flight could not land on a frozen runway and took us back to Stockholm; by the evening flight, the last train had gone and the only way in was a private transfer (2,200 SEK; the train is 186 SEK). One night in Kiruna before anything you cannot refund turns that into a spare day, and the ICEHOTEL is just outside town.

The booking order

1. Aurora Sky Station dates, before you pick yours. Its seasons change every year. It was closed on ours.
2. Train or flight. Flying? First night in Kiruna.
3. Your room, park side or village side.
4. Dinner, with the room, at least a day ahead. There is nowhere else to eat within walking distance of the park side.
5. The aurora tour, a day or two out, once you can see the cloud forecast.
6. Narvik, if you go on. One night is enough.

Where to stay

• Park side, STF Abisko Turiststation: inside the national park, trails from the door, the darkest sky. Hostel and hotel buildings, breakfast included (the salmon is smoked on site). The catch is the evening: one restaurant, and late arrivals can find it full. We ate supermarket snacks on our first night.
• Village side, Abisko Östra: the shop, cabins, guesthouses, a few minutes on foot from the station there.
• Kiruna: more choice and more tours, a longer ride to the dark. Best as your first night, not your base.

An aurora night, decision by decision

1. Late afternoon: open two forecasts. Cloud first, aurora activity second. A strong forecast under full cloud shows nothing.
2. Check the moon. A bright moon washes out a weak aurora.
3. Clear sky near you? Go out on foot. From the Turiststation garden, a path runs down to Torneträsk, where the sky opens over the water.
4. Cloud over Abisko? That is the night for a guided tour. Guides share sightings and drive to wherever the sky is open, sometimes into Norway. Ours did (about 2,100 SEK for two), and we saw moose by the road rather than the lights.
5. Not sure if it is aurora? A faint aurora looks grey-green to the eye, like thin cloud. Hold up your phone: the camera shows the colour.

Our clear night came in the hotel garden, at the hour the forecast gave for the peak. It lasted about an hour and a half.

If you’re stuck between

• Two nights or three? Three, if the lights are the reason.
• Abisko or Tromsø? Abisko if the sky is the trip. Tromsø for a city, fjords and tours.
• A tour or on your own? Both: night one on foot, a tour if it clouds over.
• Train or plane? The train stops in the park. Flying? Sleep in Kiruna first.
• Autumn or winter? Autumn for quiet, February and March for snow and sledding.

What to do by day

The canyon a few minutes from the station, the path to Torneträsk, the first kilometres of the Kungsleden (440 km in all; the Abiskojaure cabins are 14 km in), the Nuolja chairlift and the view of Lapporten when it runs (day tickets by the day before), and in late winter, dog sledding, snowshoes and ice climbing on the frozen canyon falls.

Plan around these

• Tromsø, Norway. A city on the coast: milder, wetter and cloudier than Abisko, with restaurants, fjords, whale trips and tours that drive to clear sky. Worth adding if you have five nights or more; look at tour prices first.
• Aurora Sky Station. Its season changes every year, and it was closed on our dates. Check it before you choose your nights.
• Narvikfjellet cable car. It was not running when we were there. The town bus to the Narvikfjellet stop and a short walk up gets you to the viewpoint anyway.

What to wear and carry

Thermal base, fleece, down jacket. Warm socks, hat, gloves, neck gaiter. Heat packs in the pockets, a thermos, a tripod, a head torch with a red light, and the evening train time written on paper, because phones die fast in the cold.

Check the official sites before you go: STF Abisko Turiststation, SJ for the night train, Vy for the Ofoten line, the Aurora Sky Station and Abisko National Park.

Every place in this guide, on one map

Open the full map page →

Questions people ask

Is Abisko good for the northern lights?

It is one of the most reliable places in Europe, because it sits in a rain shadow under a frequently clear patch of sky. No place can promise a clear night.

How many nights do I need in Abisko?

Three if the lights are the main reason; two if Abisko is one stop on a longer route.

How do I get from Kiruna to Abisko?

By train, about an hour, a couple of times a day, or by road along Torneträsk. Miss the evening train and the way in is a private transfer.

Can I eat at the Abisko Turiststation in the evening?

Yes, at its restaurant, the only one within walking distance. Book at least a day ahead.

Is an aurora tour worth it?

On a cloudy night, yes: the guide drives to wherever the sky is open. It cannot promise the lights.

Is Abisko better than Tromsø for the aurora?

For clear skies, usually yes. Tromsø offers more to do around the nights.

We planned the moon, the solar cycle and the dates. The night still decided. In Abisko, waiting is the activity, and a night without the lights is still a night spent looking up.

Is Abisko on your list? Tell us in the comments.