During this amazing year in Sweden, my mother came to pay me a little visit, curious to discover my environment abroad. We decided to go to Kiruna, in the very north of Sweden, located in Swedish Lapland.
To give you a bit of fact, Kiruna is pretty well known in Sweden for its huge LKAB iron ore mine (that visitors can visit) but from a touristic perspective, for all the different attractions of Lapland nearby. It has to be noted that the town center of the city has been literally moved 3 km east because of the activity of the mine. Anyway, I was glad to experience a new part of Swedish Lapland (see here my article on Jokkmokk) on a new deep north adventure.
DAY 1 | UMEA – KIRUNA
We took the train early in the morning to head North. The weather was amazing outside. We were lucky because this line is really pretty and we got the chance to see on our way mooses and reindeers. The train is really a nice way to see the beautiful landscapes of Lapland. And if you book in advance, it can be quite cheap as well.
We arrived in the middle of the afternoon in Kiruna, and we just had the time to go and check out the city center (and to go grab a beer in the Bishop Arms pub) and admire the beautiful church of Kiruna, which is really worth it.
Then, we tried to go outside and spot some northern lights. We saw some green lights up in the sky, but they were not very strong on that night.
DAY 2 | JUKKASJÄRVI
Some tourist attractions such as the Ice Hotel are located outside Kiruna. So we took the bus (cheapest way) to go to Jukkasjärvi for the day. At the weekend, there is only one bus to go in the morning, and one bus to go in the afternoon, so be careful when planning your activities.
I thought that the entrance price of the Ice Hotel was quite pricy (around 35€ per adult and 25€ per student). But I can tell that it is worth it. You also have a package with the Lunch included. I was amazed by the ice art and the creativity of the diverse rooms. I let you check that out with the image below.
Then after the Ice Hotel, we decided to go and see the beautiful church of Jukkasjärvi (a Sami church quite similar to the one in Kiruna).
Next to this church is also locate Nutti Sami Siidda, a Sami museum where you can feed reeinders. It is a really nice experience to get closer to the reeinders. You can also take a coffee there and a traditional lunch. Again, the entrance is quite expensive.
Then, we came back to our little flat for ending this very nice day with a sauna session.
DAY 3 | DOG SLEDDING
We had booked for our last morning a dog sledding experience with Lapland Sleddog Adventures, the name of the excursion was Forest Escape (you can find in this link).
It was such an amazing experience, that I won’t forget. When choosing Dog Sledding, I highly recommend to you to be careful with the tour operator. Do not focus on the price only. It can really make the difference, so check the reviews.
Then it was time for us to take the train back to Umea!
Swedish Lapland is a must-see if you have a traveller spirit. Be ready for a big North expedition and to fulfill your memory.
OFF THE ROAD 