If you choose to purchase using these links, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. As we left Kiruna we left the barren tundra landscapes behind us, drove a couple more hours through dense pine forests and then saw the scenery change into agricultural fields and meadows dispersed with small towns and reindeer farms. Really cold. This includes a northern lights safari by snowmobile, a dog sledding tour, a visit to a reindeer farm and maybe even an overnight stay at the magical ICEHOTEL. However, reaching Lapland without flying requires some time and planning. You can take your chances on these, but as the locals say - some wild mushrooms you can eat many times, and others just the once! One of these is a hike of 11km down a track which passes through an area of dwarf woodland before running around a small lake to reach Swedens northernmost point; dont forget your camera and mosquito repellent. It was before the entrance to Muddus National Park that I saw my first elk and first black grouse. Swedish Lapland is a remote destination. I headed straight to Kiruna. The journey itself was one of the most scenic on my Swedish Lapland road trip and in Kvikkjokk you can do several short day hikes. Sweden's northernmost and largest province is also the most remote and sparsely populated. Take them on a birdwatching adventure you might catch a hoard of reindeer in the distance, too. From here theres a choice of routes: 34km direct to Ammarns, or 24km to Rvfallet and then another 20km into Ammarns. The Best Things to Do in Swedish Lapland - Travel + Leisure Good budget options are the Malmfaltens Folkhogskola or the Spis Hotel & Hostel. how to get to swedish lapland Swedish Lapland's main airports are Lulea, Skellefte Airport, and Kiruna, which are all serviced by SAS and Norwegian Airlines. From Rovaniemi there are buses to Ivalo and Inari. Basically, if it involves getting outside and into nature, those canny Swedes have come up with a fun way to do it. We actually flew from Heathrow into Arvidsjaur (via Stockholm), and out of Lulea (via Stockholm) back to Heathrow, and found the entire trip to be a breeze. Lappland travel - Lonely Planet | Sweden, Europe The sun barely dips below the horizon for a few months now, lingering in the skies all night. Kiruna to Lapland - 2 ways to travel via train, bus, and car - Rome2rio The last day of my Swedish Lapland itinerary was mostly about heading back to Lule in time for the night train back to Stockholm. Jukkasjrvi makes for a nice budget day trip from Kiruna. What we discovered during our time there, is that fika is actually not a type of coffee at all, but a wonderful social construct: the art of enjoying a proper coffee break. Traditional dishes such as reindeer stew and chanterelle soup are cooked over an open fire and youll sleep in either a Sami-designed, grass-roofed log cabin or a traditional goathie hut. It makes for a great day trip from Kiruna and there are lots of great day hikes you can make. Second of all, as an anthropologist I was interested in this multicultural border land where Swedes, Sami and Finnish people live together. This is an 18 hour journey with a change in Trondheim. Once an important forestry centre, now a quiet, unassuming little place with just one main street, it is named after the wife of King Gustav IV Adolf, Fredrika Dorotea Vilhelmina (as is its southerly neighbour, Dorotea). The land of the Midnight Sun and Northern Lights is home to mountains, forests, marshes, wild rivers and archipelagos. The reindeer-calving season also means cute little reindeer calves with wobbly-knees are a common sight. However, its Jokkmokk, just north of the Arctic Circle, that is the real centre of Smi life not least during its Winter Market when thousands of people brave the chill to buy and sell everything from reindeer hides to wellington boots. Most people start the trail at Abisko, but its equally feasible to begin further south. The northernmost parts of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia, also known as Spmi, is the land of the indigenous population the Sami people, who have lived here for thousands of years. This section of the trail finishes at Kebnekaisefjllstation, from where its possible to leave the main trail and head to Nikkaluokta, 19km away (served by buses to Kiruna). Flights run from Stockholm Arlanda Airport to the Swedish Lapland airports of Arvidsjaur, Gllivare, Kiruna, Lule and Skellefte. In fact, why not check out flights on Skyscanner now? How to see Swedish Lapland on a budget - Routes North The route, which passes through the national parks, is traditionally split into the five stages described below. The remains of the plane were left behind as a memorial and a campfire place was built as well. The shallow lake here, which you have to cross, is choppy in the strong wind; take the boat service operated by the cabin caretaker. But while much of the flora and fauna slumber in hibernation, this is when humans enjoy a buzz of activity; skiing, snowshoeing, reindeer and dog sledding, and snowmobiling through the snow, while the frozen lakes become a playground for car enthusiasts who flock to drive race cars on the thick ice. Its hard to imagine that a world like Swedish Lapland actually exists just a mere few hours from the bustle and chaos of Londons doorstep. Disclaimer: This post about how to get to Lapland contains affiliate links. The region is home to the indigenous Sami people that were once nomadic reindeer herders that travelled through the arctic tundra. An almost mandatory stop is the polar circle sign right before Jokkmokk. The road conditions in Lapland are very good. On the way to the Syter cabin, 48km from Aigert, youll pass a network of bridges, which cross the various lakes in what is called the Trnasj archipelago. Check out Gllivare. From there you can take a bus to Jokkmokk. We were supposed to be in Finland last Junebut you knowso when we reschedule I would like to stay in Scandinavia longer and explore Sweden as well. Then you get another boat over Iraft Lake and on to the cabins at Sjnjultje. From foraging to fika: here are the things to know before visiting Swedish Lapland. Cultural experiences include Gammelstads Kyrkstad (Gammelstad Church Town) a UNESCO World Heritage Site, near Lule. A few suggestions to get the holiday planning process started Stockholm,Gothenburg and the West Coast,Swedish Lapland Stockholm and Gothenburg Compare cinnamon buns from the best bakeries in Sweden 5 days, from 1,600 OUR SWEDISH LAPLAND HOLIDAYS Swedish Lapland Family Break in Lapland Bodo is still more than 500 kilometers south of Tromso. Swedish Lapland focuses on only two seasons with vastly different activities. Day 4: Husky safari and Northern Lights hunt with snowshoeing. Where to stay:I stayed at the Amber hotel. This was once an island, but now part of the mainland. Swedish Lapland is also a great place to explore if you have your own motorhome. From June to mid-September a second daily bus leaves at 4.25pm for Troms in Norway, travelling via Kilpisjrvi. In fact, other than flat pack furniture, meatballs, and pop supergroup ABBA, we'll admit that we basically knew nothing about Sweden more generally prior to arriving into Arvidsjaur on a chilly Autumn evening in early October. On our way there were several worthwhile stops. Reindeer is an important part of the diet and is sometimes smoked in the traditional way of preserving meat. In summer it is the midnight sun that takes care for long and sunny warm days. We didn't know a whole lot about Swedish Lapland before we went there. Accessible by ferry in summer and by an ice road over the sea in winter. So, Chad and Linnea decided to stay. Near the plant is a parking place and a short 1 kilometer trail goes towards a viewpoint where you can see what is left of the once impressive Harspranget waterfall. The local vsterbotten cheese that you can buy in the supermarket is delicious. Where to stay: I stayed in the Grand Hotel Lapland. Your email address will not be published. Best time to visit Swedish Lapland - Responsible Travel Your email address will not be published. For the distances between the places mentioned on each segment; the best map to have of the entire area is Lantmteriet Kartfrlagets Norra Norrland (scale 1:400,000). As for organised activities, dogsledding is a hit with children. Welcome to the Arctic part of Sweden - Swedish Lapland Heck, before arriving in Swedish Lapland ourselves, that was basically all we knew too. The lesson? After Storforsen, I headed straight to Arvidsjaur where I arrived just in time to see Lapstaden before it got dark. In fact, Gammelstad means old city and it was once the old center of Lule. If youre looking to fly direct, flights operate between Heathrow and Kiruna with Discover the World, or from Birmingham to Kiruna via FlyCar. Swedish Lapland is wild, unpredictable, and even the locals will tell you that nature leads the way in this part of the world. The electro-magnetic interplay between sun and earth that creates the northern lights happens all year round, but youll only be able to see it during the darker months August through to April. Although the town is not immediately appealing, it is one of the few relatively sizeable ones in this part of northern Sweden, and its a good idea to spend a day or two here enjoying the relative civilization before striking out in the wilds beyond Gllivare is a good starting point for walking in the national parks, which fill most of the northwestern corner of the country. Locals shrug off their winter coats to bathe in the lakes, enjoy barbeques outside, and lap up the warm summer air. If you buy any service through any of my links, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you. As the choice is already limited, this sometimes meant that there were no options at all for lunch when I was on the road. Lapland | Amazing Adventures in Finland, Norway and Sweden During these months the conditions are usually perfect for a wide variety of outdoor activities such as snowmobiling and sledging . This is the time for restocking food stores and the start of the real hunting season, mostly of elk and moose. A lot easier. These earnings help me to keep Backpack Adventures alive! people had to travel from far away to go to church on Sunday. Stage 4: Kvikkjokk to Ammarns (8 days; 166km). We actually flew from Heathrow into Arvidsjaur (via Stockholm), and out of Lulea (via Stockholm) back to Heathrow, and found the entire trip to be a breeze. 12 amazing things to do in Swedish Lapland during Autumn Getting here, to Swedish Lapland that is Lule is a great start of your Lapland itinerary. This includes an average layover time of around 2h 31m. Recommended option Fly Stockholm to Arvidsjaur, bus You can fly from Helsinki to Rovaniemi in less than 2 hours for around 100 USD or take the train. Today tens of thousands of teetotal Swedes, Finns, Norwegians and Smi across the Arctic area of Scandinavia still follow Laestadiuss teachings; as well as not drinking, theyre not allowed to have flowers or curtains in their homes, nor are they permitted to wear a tie, listen to the radio or watch TV. How to get from Lapland to Sweden by taxi, plane, bus, train or car Abisko National Park. There are two separate tours, both running from mid-June to mid-August: one tour explores the underground. Swedish Lapland provides endless outdoor activities, from skiing and dogsledding to summer adventures across the water, such as long distance canoeing and white water rafting. Lapstaden is an example of a typical Sami town with the traditional wooden huts that they used to live in. The biggest city, Tromso, is more than 1800 kilometers north of Oslo and it is quite a journey to get there. The air is clear and crisp, the rivers clean and deep and the winters mighty cold in 1989 a temperature of -52C was recorded here. One example is the historic church town of Gammelstad with its typical red wooden cottages. There is a direct night train from Stockholm to Kiruna (14 hours) as well that goes on to Abisko and even Narvik in Norway. Another great post Ellis. The Arktika express train brings you from St Petersburg to Murmansk in 24 hours. Fresh Arctic char caught in a mountain lake and cooked outdoors over an open fire. It is now the largest in Sweden. On any Swedish Lapland itinerary there will be a huge variety of landscapes. However you can also go by train, hop on busses or bring your own vehicle to the North. A long uphill climb of around five to six hours leads first to Sitojaure, on a bare high fell. Small wooden cottages were built around the church that allowed people to stay the night. Except that it is home to one of the largest ikea stores in Sweden. In some parts of Swedish Lapland there are more huskies than people. Some so far that they couldnt travel back the same day. Special taxis run from the train station to the end of the winding road which leads up to the top of the hill. Getting from Stockholm to Lulea is easy. In winter make sure the car has winter tires and snow chains that are required during this time. Still there are enough reasons to include Kiruna in your Swedish Lapland itinerary. Either way, we firmly believe that on your journey in Swedish Lapland, youll meet people that are more than willing to share their stories with you about their everyday life in the Arctic. Nearby is the ice hotel in Jukkasjarvi and Abisko National Park, one of the best places in Scandinavia to see the Northern lights. The journey time between Lapland and Sweden is around 17h 5m and covers a distance of around 1258 km. Travel, adventure, photography and wanderlust, Arctic, Arctic Circle, Fatbike, Fatbiking, Gammelstad, hiking, Horse riding, Lake Fishing, Lapland, Northern Lights, Outdoor Activities, outdoors, Reindeer, Sauna, Sweden, Swedish Lapland, Treehotel, 1984, Orwell, Singapore, Southeast Asia, utopia, your ultimate guide to gammelstad church town, Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break, our favourite things to do in swedish lapland in autumn, 25 photos that will convince you to book your ticket immediately, 8 incredible things to see and do in Smland. I already mentioned the recommended Ajtte museum restaurant that is the best budget option in town for lunch. Swinging my backpack over my shoulder, I spotted my rain jackethanging by the door and, ever the over-cautious one, made a last minute decision to stuff it into my pack before we headed out. For something a little different, Aurora Safari Camp, Swedens first ever wintertime glamping site, offers hot air balloon rides by night or day, allowing you to admire snow-covered treetops and the Rne River Valley from high above. When things were at the worst, the Baltics were on the fringe of extinction in some rivers. How to get to Lapland: the best way to travel - Backpack Adventures (2023) Swedish Lapland is a remote destination. How to get to Lapland sounds like an easy question. And there are many stops on a Swedish Lapland itinerary that are worthwhile. This place is worth a quick photo stop for nice views over the Torne river and Finland that is on the opposite side of the river. Even the locals we spoke to harboured a soft spot for the powder months and the activities they bring. But the essential thing is that you do it, that you make time to take a break: that's what fika is all about. I ended up staying at Camp Alta that was by far the cheapest option, but it is a bit outside of Kiruna. If you want to travel to Alta or the Nordkapp its best to do so from Tromso. Or get in a car and travel at your own pace. The most popular destinations in Finnish Lapland are Rovaniemi, Ivalo and Inari. Whatever the weather, though, there are free waffles and ice cream available before the return down to Gllivare. Sauna is the essence of life up here. The Northern Lights also begin to dance from now until the midnight sun takes over in early summer. Aurora Safari Camp also offers many other arctic activities, including snowmobile tours, Nordic skiing and dogsledding. Its a beauty that, uniquely, exists year-round too. It is a nice town with nature on its doorsteps. Of course there is also a restaurant where you can try the white fish. So it is possible to do multi day hikes. Neighbouring Finland already developed a reindeer warning app to prevent road accidents. There are plenty of campings where you can park your motorhome for a small fee while you can use their facilities. Spring and autumn are the off season when a lot of things close down. With the free sauna that was included in the price I felt like a queen. No other man has made a greater impression on northern Scandinavia than Lars Levi Laestadius (180061), the Swedish revivalist preacher who dedicated his life to saving people in three countries from the perils of alcoholism. Go for the destination and everything it offers and let the lights if they happen for you, be a magical bonus. Like Gammelstad in Lulea, Lapstaden was a church town, but for the Sami people. With a unique location amongst the Pite Archipelago, this city has something for everyone and is quite popular with Swedish travelers, especially in the summertime. The word Jukkasjrvi comes from the Saami word ohkkirasjvri that means lake of assembly. main airports are Lulea, Skellefte Airport, and Kiruna, 8 incredible things to do in Smland, Swedens southern gem, Your ultimate guide to Gammelstad church town in Swedish Lapland, The freedom to roam: rediscovering nature in Swedish Lapland, 12 amazing things to do in Swedish Lapland during Autumn, 15 useful things you should know before visiting Swedish Lapland, 25 incredible photos that will make you want to visit Swedish Lapland. The next stop was the site of a plane crash. With its scenic location on the Bothnian coast and surrounded by vast evergreen forests there are lots of outdoor activities year round. These earnings help me to keep Backpack Adventures alive! The STF cabins (no advance booking; March, April & late Juneearly Sept; dorm beds 390kr) at the foot of the mountain boast thirty beds and a sauna. An ideal place to admire the Northern Lights is Aurora Sky Station in Abisko. Swedish Lapland | What to See and Do | VisitNordic Discover the Northern Lights at Aurora Sky Station Lola Akinmade kerstrm/imagebank.sweden.se Swedish Lapland Guide Swedish Lapland is a less populated destination in Sweden and offers the most magnificent nature eldorado for adventure lovers. Suppose you are in the mood for a self-drive . However, there is much more to Jukkasjrvi than the ice hotel alone. Russias remote Kola Peninsula has few tourist facilities, but it is one of the cheapest places to explore Lapland. The Sami community could teach the rest of the world a thing or two about sustainability. In the UK, where we currently live, its unlikely you could drive for more than 30 minutes without entering the fringes of a new town. By train, bus or car from Oslo you are looking at a multiple day journey that is much faster through Sweden. Our first stop of the day was a quick lunch in Pajala, but the town itself was not of much interest. Norways Lapland is far north of the Arctic circle. Church towns have a long and interesting history. Daniel Holmgren/Arctic Bath By Jake Emen @ManTalkFood Aside from the famous Icehotel in Jukkasjrvi and Treehotel in Harads, with its treetop cabins, youll find an impressive range of accommodation in Swedish Lapland. Set away from the main inland road and rail routes, its a tiny, unassuming sort of place, barely one main street leading to what passes as a main square. If you are planning a trip to Russian lapland it is best to start your journey in St Petersburg or Moscow. Mountains bursting with colour, beautiful hiking and cycle trails, lake fishing, gorgeous towns, and stunning nature (ripe for berry and mushroom picking!) The only sight in town is the Silvermuset, housed in a yellow wooden building in the main square. Here I will share my adventures with you. They now also offer a bed and breakfast option in case you like a bit more of comfort. We were welcomed into their homes, greeted everywhere with warm and genuine smiles, taught about the flora and fauna, taken on incredible hikes, kept nourished with coffee, cake, and delicious meals, and treated like friends every single day. The next place where we stopped was in Juoksengi for another sign of the arctic circle. I personally visited both Lapland in Russia during wintertime and Swedish Lapland in autumn. I would have liked to stay much longer to see more of the park, but other stops were waiting for me. I decided to take this detour for several reasons. Copyright 2023 Apa Digital AG, all rights reserved. Nature here is raw and powerful; think endless pine and birch forests, lichen-carpeted forest floors, roaring waterfalls that tumble for kilometres, and peaceful lakeside villages dotted throughout the landscape. Norwegian Lapland has lots to offer, but it is also the most expensive place to see Lapland. Trains. The big event here is the Vindellvsdraget, a 400km, four-day dog-sled race from Ammarns to Vnnsby held in the third week of March. All affiliated links related to Russia have been removed. In fact, it is faster to travel through Sweden to reach the Norwegian parts of Lapland. The advantage of having your own motorhome is that you can save a lot of money on accomodation. Gammelstad is an easy day trip from Lule and is closely connected with the city. Naively, wed believed it to be a particular type of coffee. There's more to the north of Sweden than icy tundras and snow. Theres an easy hike (40km) from the cabins to Keinovuopio, where you cross the river to the village of Peera, on the main E8 road in Finland; from here you can catch the bus back to Karesuando (daily at approximately 1.45pm, also June to mid-Sept daily at 11.25am; check Finnish bus times at wmatkahuolto.fi). There are also bus operators, and once youve arrived at your chosen destination, youll get around villages and towns easily on foot or bicycle. If there is a reindeer herd on the road make sure not to disturb them. Through thoughtful storytelling, practical guides, and beautiful photography, we inspire and empower curious travellers to explore the world, sustainably and responsibly.

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