Swedish Lapland: arctic winter adventures with children

When autumn draws to a close in southern Europe, winter has already arrived in northern Scandinavia and in Swedish Lapland, Sweden’s Arctic region. Snow wraps the landscape, and ice begins to form on the sea, lakes, and rivers. The days grow ever shorter, and at night the sky turns green, red, and purple under the dance of the Northern Lights.

Swedish Lapland is one of Europe’s most authentic winter destinations and invites you to experience nature and culture stretching from Abisko and Kiruna in the north to Luleå and Haparanda along the Gulf of Bothnia. Between December and early January, above the Arctic Circle, you can experience the polar night, when the sun remains below the horizon all day. During the brief “blue hour,” the landscape and sky are tinged with a magical blue glow—a natural phenomenon you can only admire in the Arctic. From the end of February, the days lengthen and there is plenty of time to try a wide range of activities.

The region is distinguished by its small family businesses and local entrepreneurs, who preserve traditions and offer authentic, tailor-made experiences, far from mass tourism. The varied environment makes it possible to live winter in many different ways: hikes through forests of snow-laden trees, adventures on the frozen Gulf of Bothnia, or across the expanses that stretch between the mountains.

Driving your own dog-sled is an unforgettable experience, as is an icebreaker cruise with a dip among the ice floes, lunch around a fire in the heart of nature, or the thrill of watching the Northern Lights on a frozen river. Throughout the region you can also discover the ancient traditions of Sámi culture, which still lives in close interaction with nature.

Visiting Swedish Lapland with the family means slowing the pace while experiencing the grandeur of nature and the Arctic lifestyle, through experiences shaped by respect for this northern environment.

Explosion of northern lights forecast for the winter at Swedish Lapland

Anyone visiting Lapland naturally dreams of witnessing the magical spectacle of the Northern Lights. The coming winter offers particularly good chances of seeing this natural phenomenon because we are at the peak of the eleven-year solar cycle, with maximum solar activity and therefore optimal conditions to admire one of nature’s most fascinating light shows.

One of the best places in the world to observe the Northern Lights is in Swedish Lapland, in Abisko National Park, not far from the Norwegian border. Here, a unique microclimate often guarantees clear skies and an almost total absence of light pollution. Visitors can join guided tours with professional photographers to learn how to capture the phenomenon, or ride the chairlift to the Aurora Sky Station on Mount Nuolja for an extraordinary view.

But this magical light is not only admired in Abisko. All of Swedish Lapland offers extraordinary opportunities to experience this natural show—on foot, with snowshoes, or by snowmobile. Many accommodations organize dedicated excursions that make the experience unforgettable. The Northern Lights season runs from September to March.

Experiences on the frozen gulf of Bothnia

When the Gulf of Bothnia freezes, starting in December, it’s possible to venture out on the frozen sea on foot, by snowmobile, or even by car! Along the Luleå coast, when the ice thickness reaches around half a meter, about 30 km of ice roads, 40–45 meters wide, are marked out to reach several islands in the archipelago by car. In addition, from the harbor a 10-kilometer ice track is prepared—ideal for walking, skating, or trying a run with the spark, a kind of kick-sled.

From Brändön Lodge, located on an island north of Luleå, you can enjoy exciting excursions on the frozen sea by snowmobile or on cross-country skis. Another truly unforgettable experience is an icebreaker cruise. Between December and March, you can go out with the Polar Explorer or the Arctic Explorer to witness the power of the ships breaking the ice, walk in the heart of this Arctic landscape, and—wearing a survival suit—float among the ice sheets.

ICEHOTEL 36: the legendary arctic hotel opens on 12 December 2025

The ICEHOTEL, located in the village of Jukkasjärvi, just outside Kiruna, is the first, largest, and most iconic ice hotel in the world. Since 1989 it has enchanted visitors from all over the globe with its glittering suites, the famous Ice Bar, and a gallery exhibiting ephemeral artworks crafted from snow and pure water from the Torne River.

In mid-November, 29 artists from 9 countries gather to transform 2,000 tons of ice into spectacular installations. ICEHOTEL no. 36 will be inaugurated on 12 December 2025 and will include 12 art suites and 20 ice rooms. When the hotel melts in spring, a permanent part remains: ICEHOTEL 365.

Powered by solar energy, it allows you to experience the magic of winter year-round. The ICEHOTEL also offers a wide range of activities and culinary experiences, confirming itself as a destination that combines world-class creativity, adventure, and sustainability.

Authentic Sámi cultural experiences in Swedish Lapland

In Swedish Lapland lives Europe’s only Indigenous people — the Sámi — whose culture and traditions remain an integral part of daily life in the region. Italian families who choose to visit can meet Sámi families, listen to their stories, savor traditional dishes cooked over the fire inside the lavvu (the typical Sámi tent), and discover the central role of reindeer herding in Sámi culture.

In Jokkmokk, near the Arctic Circle, Silba Siida and the Sámi couple Anna and Erik welcome guests to meet their reindeer and enjoy an authentic experience. After a meal of local specialties, visitors can listen to the joik, the ancient form of song that carries stories, emotions, and collective memory.

Further south, on the coast near Luleå, Marita of Dálvvás Sámi Culture Experiences brings her reindeer from the mountains to the plains during winter. Guests can feed them by hand and then taste dried reindeer meat and flatbread while sitting inside the lavvu. Evening visits offer the chance to walk in the forest along the river, admire the Northern Lights, and warm up by the fire with a lingonberry drink.

Arctic wellness: traditional sauna, ice dips, and gastronomy

This year’s Eurovision Song Contest shone a spotlight on Sweden’s vibrant sauna culture with the song Bara Bada Bastu. In the far north, this tradition is deeply rooted, and visitors can experience it first-hand. At Kukkolaforsen, on the Sweden–Finland border along the Torne River just north of Haparanda, there are as many as 16 saunas in nature, of every size and type—from the classic wood-fired sauna to the unique smoke sauna.

At the exclusive Arctic Bath, a circular building that floats on the Lule River in summer and is surrounded by ice in winter, guests can take part in the sauna ritual followed by a plunge in the river’s waters—an invigorating experience that awakens the senses and recharges body and mind. Here a gastronomic journey for true food lovers is offered in a Scandinavian-design restaurant where every dish pays homage to the nature of the North, balancing tradition and innovation.

Hemmagastronomi is a gastronomic meeting point in Luleå, offering a welcoming atmosphere and seasonal dishes that showcase the best local produce. A truly out-of-the-ordinary culinary experience is the Aurora Hideaway Dinner at Brändön Lodge, where guests enjoy a three-course candlelit dinner in a small mobile cabin set on the frozen surface of the Gulf of Bothnia, surrounded by the winter landscape.

Meanwhile, in Kiruna, Camp Ripan offers an internationally award-winning spa experience founded on the play of contrasts. In the Aurora Spa you move between indoors and outdoors, hot and cold, snow and water, light and darkness. As at Arctic Bath, natural products are used, based on oils extracted from local seeds such as blueberry and lingonberry, cloudberry, and birch leaves. The cuisine here is strongly linked to the Sámi heritage and is certified with the Slow Food Sápmi label, guaranteeing food that is genuine, fair, and sustainable.

Arctic adventure in Swedish Lapland: husky, reindeer, and moose up close

For every child, a dog-sled ride is an unforgettable experience that should be part of any trip to Lapland. Kiruna Husky, one of the many small husky kennels in the region, is based amid magnificent nature south of Kiruna and offers both daytime excursions and evening tours under the Northern Lights. Driving a team of eager huskies in front of the sled is an experience that blends adventure and tranquility. With a bit of luck, you may also spot the local wildlife.

In the vast forests of northern Sweden live hundreds of thousands of moose, the largest wild animals in Scandinavia. At the Cape Wild nature center just outside Luleå, visitors have the unique opportunity to approach these majestic animals in a safe, natural environment. Nine tamed moose live in the large forest enclosure, and it’s unforgettable to come face to face with the “King of the Forest.” During a guided visit, guests learn fun facts and behaviors, and the bravest can even feed them by hand.

During a stay at the Filipsborg estate in Kalix, you can join an exciting tour with the chance to get close to a free-grazing reindeer herd. You travel by car or on snowshoes to the areas where the animals usually move or gather, experiencing an authentic encounter in Arctic nature.

Stay in glass igloos and the opening of an exclusive retreat

In Swedish Lapland there are accommodations for every taste. From historic city hotels like Haparanda Stadshotell to unique architectural experiences like the Treehotel, set among the treetops… a super-fun experience for families and children.

On a peninsula just outside Luleå, the Ice & Light Village has recently opened, offering accommodation in five exclusive glass igloos with modern design. Surrounded by wonderful nature and absolute tranquility, the place invites relaxation and a break from the hectic pace of everyday life. Days can be dedicated to various Arctic activities, while evenings are for unwinding in the sauna or heated outdoor tub under the starry sky—and, with a little luck, beneath the magical dance of the Northern Lights. Families will love it!

Images: Swedish Lapland / Hakan Stenlund, Asaf Kliger, Peter Rosén, Ted Logart, Damien Noss (via italian press office Gateway South)