# Chase The Northern Lights In Swedish Lapland, From Glamping Camps To The Icehotel *By James Hills — Updated November 2026* Swedish Lapland puts you under the northern lights with wilderness camps far from town light, the clearer inland skies around Abisko and a hotel carved out of river ice near Kiruna. When I first wrote about it in 2020, the draw was a brand-new hot air balloon flight into the aurora near Gunnarsbyn, and while that flight doesn't seem to be offered anymore, the camp behind it is still running and the rest of the region makes a great winter trip with the guys. **Questions****How To Get To Swedish Lapland From The US****Article Index** There's no direct flight from the US into Lapland, so plan on a connection through Stockholm and a short hop north. - Fly into Stockholm, then take a domestic flight north to Kiruna for Abisko and the Icehotel, or to Luleå for the camps along the Råne River and the Treehotel. - The overnight sleeper train from Stockholm runs north to Kiruna and Abisko, so the ride north doubles as a hotel night. - Book private transfers ahead of time, since the remote camps are an hour or more from the airport and the last stretch can be by snowmobile in winter. - Build in a buffer day on the way home, because winter weather in the far north can delay small regional flights. 1. [What Happened To The Northern Lights Hot Air Balloon Flights?](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/swedish-lapland-northern-lights.html#what-happened-to-the-northern-lights-hot-air-balloon-flights) 2. [Aurora Safari Camp Puts You On A Frozen River Far From Town Light](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/swedish-lapland-northern-lights.html#aurora-safari-camp-puts-you-on-a-frozen-river-far-from-town-light) 3. [Abisko Is Where Aurora Chasers Go For Clearer Skies](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/swedish-lapland-northern-lights.html#abisko-is-where-aurora-chasers-go-for-clearer-skies) 4. [Sleep In A Room Made Of Ice Near Kiruna](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/swedish-lapland-northern-lights.html#sleep-in-a-room-made-of-ice-near-kiruna) 5. [Treehouses And A Floating Spa Farther South](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/swedish-lapland-northern-lights.html#treehouses-and-a-floating-spa-farther-south) 6. [How To Plan A Swedish Lapland Aurora Trip With The Guys](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/swedish-lapland-northern-lights.html#how-to-plan-a-swedish-lapland-aurora-trip-with-the-guys) 7. [Treat Every Clear Night In Lapland Like A Good Day Of Fishing](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/swedish-lapland-northern-lights.html#treat-every-clear-night-in-lapland-like-a-good-day-of-fishing) Seeing the northern lights is something a lot of guys want to do, and that includes me. I've seen my share of photos and videos, but the first time I saw them for real was on a road trip through North Dakota, and it was pure magic. They can also be incredibly elusive. Going farther north brings the aurora closer to overhead, and spending more nights there gives you more chances for clear skies, which is what makes Swedish Lapland worth the flight. ## What Happened To The Northern Lights Hot Air Balloon Flights? In 2020, Off the Map Travel announced Aurora in the Sky, a tethered hot air balloon that would rise about 130 feet above the frozen landscape near Gunnarsbyn so guests could hunt for the aurora from the air. It came from Jonas Gejke and Fredrik Broman, the founders of Aurora Safari Camp, working with balloon pilot Andrew Peart, and the first flights were planned for the winter of 2020 into 2021. ### Six Things I Learned at the BMW Performance Center A visit to the BMW Performance Center in Thermal ( Palm Springs ), California is a great way to hone driving skills and improve your driving ability. ManTripping [Read More](https://ads.flowmediamarketing.com/go/WLXmm6ohSrByz54tXqh4tg.1468) ### Virgin Voyages' Brilliant Lady: Why This Isn't Your Grandfather's Cruise Ship Virgin Voyages' Brilliant Lady redefines cruising: 7 exclusive shows, Spanish dining, Alaska access. Experience sophisticated adult fun without cruise clichés. 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If you just want a shot at the northern lights in the Swedish wilderness, the camp the balloon flew from still makes a good base. ## Aurora Safari Camp Puts You On A Frozen River Far From Town Light Aurora Safari Camp sits on the Råne River near Gunnarsbyn, about an hour from Luleå Airport by private transfer, and in winter the last stretch can be by snowmobile across the ice. You sleep in lavvu-style tents with a Lapland design, and meals are cooked over an open fire. With no town nearby, the sky above camp stays dark all night. Winter stays can include husky sledding through the forest, a private northern lights photography session and a wood-fired sauna followed by a cold plunge in the river, which is a pretty good way to pass a cloudy night with the guys. ## Man Gear Pick of the Month November's Pick Amazon (affiliate) ### COROS Pace 4 Pro GPS Sport Watch Why we picked it: a screen big and bright enough to double as a photo frame, a titanium and sapphire build that came through a month of daily wear without a scratch, and battery life that still runs weeks between charges. 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On a clear night you can ride an open chairlift up Mount Nuolja to the Aurora Sky Station, which sits well above the valley and its light. Abisko National Park makes a good daytime base for snowshoeing and winter hiking, and the overnight train from Stockholm stops right in town. Our [Abisko northern lights page](https://www.mantripping.com/northern-lights/abisko.html) shows the best months and hours, along with tonight's live aurora maps. ## Sleep In A Room Made Of Ice Near Kiruna The Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, a short drive from Kiruna, is rebuilt every winter from ice cut out of the Torne River, with art suites carved by different artists each year. Plan on one night in a cold room and a warm room for the rest of the stay. Kiruna's airport is the usual gateway to the Icehotel and Abisko, and our [Kiruna northern lights page](https://www.mantripping.com/northern-lights/kiruna.html) covers the timing for that part of Lapland. ## Treehouses And A Floating Spa Farther South Near the village of Harads, the Treehotel puts its rooms up in the trees, and Arctic Bath floats on the Lule River with a sauna and a cold plunge. Either one makes a comfortable last stop after a few cold nights at a camp, and Off the Map Travel books both along with Aurora Safari Camp. Their longest Swedish Lapland trip strings it all together, taking the sleeper train from Stockholm to Abisko and moving on to the Icehotel, Aurora Safari Camp and the Treehotel over nine nights. It's priced at roughly 20,000 to 30,000 British pounds per person before flights, so most groups will want to build a shorter version around one or two stops. ## How To Plan A Swedish Lapland Aurora Trip With The Guys The aurora season in Swedish Lapland runs from September into early April, when the nights are dark enough. Pick one or two bases rather than racing across the region, and give yourself several nights in each one, since a single storm front can take out a night or two. I monitor the aurora reports regularly during the winter, but a forecast only tells you what might happen. You could have a great solar wave hurtling at the Earth, and if your spot happens to have tons of clouds, that's game over. So plan days you'll enjoy either way, like husky sledding, snowmobiling or a long session in the sauna. Our [Iceland northern lights trip guide](index.php?option=com_content&Itemid=1350&catid=23&id=4431&view=article) covers the other big option on this side of the Atlantic. ## Treat Every Clear Night In Lapland Like A Good Day Of Fishing In a way, chasing the aurora is a lot like fishing. You plan, prepare, research and stake out a good spot, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. It's the nights when it works really well that make you want to keep coming back. If you go, give yourself several nights at a camp like Aurora Safari Camp or in Abisko, check the cloud forecast each afternoon, and keep the camera ready on a tripod by the door. Top Picks Flow Voyages ### Book your next cruise with Heather at Flow Voyages Flow Voyages is a travel advisor specializing in cruises and resorts. 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