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When is the best time to visit Swedish Lapland?

Northern lights, midnight sun and skiing each have their own months.

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Short answer

Swedish Lapland has a season for each goal: northern lights from September to late March, midnight light for around 100 summer days, and skiing from late autumn to mid-summer. Swedish Lapland tourism calls winter, from December to March, the longest of the region's eight seasons.

Lapland: Kiruna and Abisko Illustration of a season wheel with snow, a birch leaf, sun and rain around a red Swedish cottage

Why

  1. According to Swedish Lapland tourism, the best time to see the northern lights is between September and March, with sightings possible from late August.
  2. According to Swedish Lapland tourism, the season with midnight light is around 100 days long, and the midnight sun itself can only be experienced above the Arctic Circle.
  3. According to Swedish Lapland tourism, skiing runs from late autumn to mid-summer, under the northern lights and the midnight sun.

Details

Swedish Lapland tourism says that in February and March the days are longer and the weather warmer, yet still very snowy, so snowy landscapes by day and the aurora by night are both possible. According to SMHI, the midnight sun lasts from about 20 May to mid-July at the northernmost point, Treriksröset. Swedish Lapland tourism describes September and October as the autumn months and November to December as the period when the landscape begins to turn white.

Tip

Choose the month by the main goal and stay above the Arctic Circle for the true midnight sun, since the region's tourism site calls the same effect midnight light below it. A clear sky is needed for the northern lights.

People also ask

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Sources

Information checked on 27 October 2026.

Lapland: Kiruna and Abisko

  • What should I wear in Gothenburg?

    What to wear in Gothenburg depends on the month, because SMHI's normal mean temperature is about 1 °C in January and about 18 °C in July.

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  • What should I wear in Sweden in March?

    In March, wear a warm jacket and scarf, because SMHI's normal mean temperature is about 2 °C in Stockholm and about 3 °C in Gothenburg.

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  • What should I wear in Sweden in November?

    In November, wear a warm coat and scarf, because SMHI's normal mean temperature is about 4 °C in Stockholm and about 5 °C in Gothenburg.

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  • Is it always dark in Sweden in winter (polar night)?

    No, in Stockholm the sun is up from 8:47 am to 2:55 pm in January, and polar night, with no sunrise at all, only occurs in the far north.

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