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Winter & Spring

Expand your range of travel experiences and enjoy a true winter with us. A winter filled with powdery, thick, chalk-white snow, magical silence and clear, starry nights.

Foto: Jessica Nildén

Čakčadálvi – pre-winter, or autumn winter

Pre-winter makes its entrance in November-December. Days get shorter and nature turns white as the snow comes to stay. The ski enthusiasts eagerly wait for trails and slopes to open. During this time of the year, the reindeer hurry to graze any grass or sedges remaining and the reindeer herds are moved to the winter grazing lands in the forest. It is also a time for slaughter; mostly calves are slaughtered during the early winter. In Kiruna, the polar night begins in the second half of December when the sun does not rise above the horizon.

The Arctic night

Kaamos

Kaamos means darkness in Finnish and the polar night in Kiruna is a time of darkness. Depressing and not a speck of light as far as the eye can see. That may be something you have heard at some point. But is that really the whole truth?

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Foto: Jessica Nildén
Animals and nature in focus

Dogsledding

Have you ever dreamt of gliding across the snow fields as a real musher? Hearing the Huskies howl in excitement? Feel the cold on your cheeks while surrounded by the amazing winter wonderland?Kiruna in Swedish Lapland offers many different options to experience a genuine dogsledding adventure in subarctic climate.

Your guide to dogsledding

Dálvi – Winter

Dálvi, winter, is the longest of our eight seasons and lasts from December to March. The cold grabs hold of the landscape, freezing it into the most exquisite formations. Howling blizzards haunt the mountain regions. Here we love the outdoor activities winter brings and on clear nights, the northern lights can often be seen dancing across the sky. During winter the reindeer are looked after daily, but also during this season they graze freely, mostly on lichen that are found under the snow. The reindeer is adapted to the harsh Arctic climate and can store both water and energy when the temperature drops.

Book winter activities

Arctic fun in the snow!

Restaurant, Sustainable

Restaurant Ovttas
Sustainable, Wellness

Jukkasjärvi sauna ritual
Skiing

Try alpine skiing
Horseback riding, Multiday tour, Sámi, Sustainable

Winter week on horseback (7 days)
Icehotel 365, en isupplevelse året runt
Ylva Sarri
Sights, Sustainable

Tour to ICEHOTEL & Jukkasjärvi
Sights, Sustainable

Visit Icehotel - Entrance
Snowmobile

Låktatjåkko snowmobile tour
Northern lights, Snowmobile

Aurora snowmobile tour
See all winter activities
Your guide to northern lights experiences

Aurora Borealis

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What's on in winter?

Foto: Anette Andersson

Keb Classic - Winter

Christmas market Kiruna C – every Advent weekend!

Kiruna Snow Festival - celebrating 40 years!

Jokkmokk market

Britta Marakatt-Labba's first retrospective in Sweden

Creative Saturdays - Odd weeks
See all events

Giđđadálvi — Spring Winter

The spring-winter, giđđadálvi in Sámi, falls in March/April and brings light and warmth after months of winter. This is the peak season for skiing and ice fishing. Or if you prefer a more relaxing day, you can carve yourself a snow sofa, roll out your reindeer skin, light a fire and enjoy a coffee in the brilliant sunshine. The spring-winter spells busy times for reindeer-herding Sámi. This is when the reindeer are moved from their winter pasture in the forest land up to the mountains. It’s easier to watch over the herd in the mountains, and pregnant cows get the peace and quiet they need before giving birth.

4 ski resorts - 1 destination

World-class skiing

Skiing in Kiruna in Swedish Lapland means extensive areas, no crowds, high-class slopes and lots of off-piste, cross-country skiing, heliskiing, snowboard parks or many miles with trails with perhaps Scandinavia’s most beautiful scenery.

Find your ski slope
Axel Adolfsson
Offpiståkare i Riksgränsen
Wellness on the ice

Ice-fishing

Ice fishing is an important part of our Arctic everyday life and something that the locals long for every year. It may seem strange to the uninitiated, just sitting on the ice for countless hours seemingly not doing much at all. That's exactly the charm of it all! That special combination of the soothing feeling that blends with a dose of excitement while waiting for the fish to bite.

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The arctic beach season
James Cripps

Tour skiing

Snowmobile transfer to Kebnekaise

Giđđa — Spring

After spring-winter comes spring and in Kiruna this usually occurs in May. Up in the mountains the nights are still cold and the conditions for ice fishing and skiing can still be excellent. At the end of May, the sun stops going down and the period of midnight sun begins. The reindeer calves are born and take their first stumbling steps, watched over by their mothers.

The return of the midnight sun

10 tips for May

May is a fantastic month to experience Kiruna. This is the period when night becomes day when the midnight sun lights up our existence. To the mountains the snow is still there, the temperature is comfortable and the mosquitoes have not made their entrance yet. Here are ten tips for you who visit Kiruna in May.

How to dress for the winter season

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About reindeer management
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Kiruna - month by month

City transformation

Our eight seasons

Wildlife meetings

Malmvägen 9B

SE-981 30 Kiruna

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