"We had an amazing time. Our guide, Josef, was really friendly and informative. We learnt lots and got to explore different locations, stand on a frozen lake, take pictures of the canyon and see an artic hare and fox in the wild!!! Would definitely do it again. Our guide took us to many different locations meaning we got to see the northen lights even though it was really cloudy. Josef shared his photos so we will never forget the experience. Thank you!"
CHECK THE SKY
Cloud and darkness decide the night
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Cloud over tonight’s dark hours
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Kp forecast tonight (NOAA)
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Moon tonight
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Dark enough tonight
A forecast, not a promise: cloud for Abisko from MET Norway, Kp from NOAA SWPC · Abisko tours start in the village; Kiruna tours drive about 95 km west to Abisko or stay in the Kiruna area. · month by month · checked
Geomagnetic latitude
65.6°
Corrected geomagnetic latitude (IGRF-13) of the nearest observatory, Abisko, published by ISGI, adjusted for the distance to Abisko. Source, checked October 2026.
Kp that brings the oval overhead (est.)
≈ Kp 0.2 estimated
NOAA SWPC’s rule of thumb: the oval’s edge sits near 66° geomagnetic at Kp 0 and moves about 2° per Kp step. Source, checked October 2026.
Dark enough for the aurora
September to March
Months with at least 4 hours a night of the sun 12° or more below the horizon; May to August is too light. Computed with JPL DE421, checked October 2026.
Best months, on clear dark hours
November, December and January
Dark hours a night times the share of cloud-free night sky (NASA POWER, 2001–2025), checked October 2026.
Clear dark hours in November
≈ 3.1 h a night
An average, not a forecast: 14 h of darkness with 78% typical night cloud. Checked October 2026.
Abisko National Park and Kiruna · Swedish Lapland
Northern Lights in Abisko and Kiruna, Swedish Lapland
Abisko lies in the lee of the mountains on the Swedish side of the border, and its night sky is clearer than the Norwegian coast. Tours run from Abisko itself and from Kiruna, the nearest airport town.
From
US$115
per person
Free cancellation
- 4.4 / 5 500+ Reviews
- 10 Aurora Destinations Compared on This Site
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Abisko National Park Tour Includes
Paradise Lapland's tour from Kiruna to Abisko National Park.
Highlights
- A small group of at most 8 guests in a heated minibus
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Kiruna
- A visit to Abisko National Park and the good spots along the way
- Help with taking photos
- Warm lingonberry juice and sweet snacks
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Tour guide
- Heated minibus
- Help with taking pictures
- Warm lingonberry juice
- Sweet snacks
How a Night Works
From booking to the lights.
Book an Early Night
Book early in your stay so a cloudy night leaves room for another.
Pickup in Kiruna
Most tours collect you from your Kiruna hotel; Abisko tours start in the village.
West to Abisko
The guide heads for the clearest spot, often Abisko National Park.
Watch and Photograph
Stops for the lights and help with camera settings.
Photo Gallery
On the Tour
Photos from the tour's own listing.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
What the Tour Brings, and What You Bring
Paradise Lapland by North Pow includes
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Warm lingonberry juice
- Sweet snacks
From the tour’s GetYourGuide listing, checked October 2026. Check dates for this tour →
Bring
- Layers under a windproof shell, a warm hat and gloves: you stand still for long stretches on an Arctic night
- Warm, waterproof boots with good grip on snow and ice
- A charged phone and a spare battery: cold drains batteries fast
- A head torch with a red light, so you keep your night vision
Month by month
When Abisko Is Dark and Clear Enough
Night cloud, hours of darkness and how often the Kp index reached 3 or more in the dark hours, month by month at Abisko.
| Month | Dark hours a night | Night cloud | Clear dark hours (est.) | Dark hours with Kp 3+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January best | 14.8 h | 73% | 3.9 h | 18% |
| February | 11.9 h | 74% | 3.1 h | 26% |
| March | 8 h | 74% | 2.1 h | 29% |
| April | 1.6 h | 73% | 0.4 h | 23% |
| May | Too light | 73% | — | — |
| June | Too light | No night | — | — |
| July | Too light | 74% | — | — |
| August | Too light | 74% | — | 25% |
| September | 6.1 h | 79% | 1.3 h | 30% |
| October | 10.7 h | 82% | 2 h | 26% |
| November best | 14 h | 78% | 3.1 h | 24% |
| December best | 15.6 h | 78% | 3.4 h | 21% |
Night cloud: NASA POWER climatology (CLOUD_AMT_NIGHT), January 2001 to December 2025, at the Abisko grid cell. Darkness: computed with JPL DE421 via Skyfield (sun more than 12° below the horizon), averaged per night. Kp 3+: share of the 3-hour Kp windows from 2015-01-01 to 2025-12-31 that fell in the dark hours here, from GFZ’s Kp index (CC BY 4.0); September and March run higher, the equinox effect NOAA describes. Clear dark hours are an estimate, dark hours times the cloud-free share. Checked October 2026.
Looking north
The Sky Over Abisko, Facing North
Computed charts of the stars where the aurora usually appears, on a new-moon night. The aurora itself is not drawn: no chart can forecast it.
Tour or on your own?
Abisko on Your Own, or With a Tour?
- Are you staying in Abisko itself, rather than Kiruna?
- Can you get out of the village lights on your own after dark?
- Will you be warm enough waiting outside for an hour or more?
Yes to all three
Go on your own
If you are staying in Abisko, walk away from the lights of the village towards the lake and look north.
No to any of them
Book the tour
From Kiruna, the transport alone settles it; from Abisko, a guide who knows the spots, warm clothing and help with photos.
Check dates →The Top Three Side by Side
Prices as listed on GetYourGuide, October 2026.
| Feature | TOP PICK Abisko National Park Northern Lights Tour | Northern Lights Tour with Photos | Aurora Tour with Professional Digital Photos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From US$115/per person | From US$85 (Oct 2026) | From US$32 (Oct 2026) |
| Rating | 4.4/5 (500 reviews) | 4.9/5 (388 reviews) | 4.7/5 (397 reviews) |
| Operator | Paradise Lapland by North Pow | Lights of Vikings | Kiruna Buss AB |
| Free Cancellation | Yes, up to 24 hours ahead | Yes, up to 24 hours ahead | Yes, up to 24 hours ahead |
| Check Availability | View This Tour | View This Tour |
Other Abisko and Kiruna Northern Lights Tours
A Kiruna camp with a photographer, a bus from Kiruna with digital photos, and a chase from Abisko village.
BEST RATEDKiruna: Northern Lights Tour with Photos
Listen to the warmth of the campfire as you gaze up into the starry night sky
LOWEST PRICEKiruna: Aurora Tour with Professional Digital Photos
Professional digital photos (75 ppi)
FROM ABISKOAbisko: Guided Aurora Chase with Hotel Transfers
Discover the auroras of Abisko, Sweden!
The Abisko and Kiruna Guide
Which Tour to Book
Ten tours compared on start point, group size and price.
Abisko has the clearest sky of the Scandinavian places on this site: NASA’s night-cloud climatology puts typical January night cloud there at 73%, the lowest of the Nordic destinations we compare, giving about 3.9 clear dark hours a night in January (an estimate). It sits at 65.6° geomagnetic latitude, under the oval. Most visitors fly to Kiruna and take a tour west, and the one with the national park in its name is Paradise Lapland’s Abisko National Park tour, from US$115 as of October 2026, in a small group of at most eight.
Check dates for the Abisko National Park tour →
When to go
From September to March the nights are long enough, peaking at 15.6 hours of darkness in December. The best months on our measure are November, December and January. Geomagnetic activity runs higher around the equinoxes: in 2015 to 2025, 30% of dark hours in September had Kp 3 or more, against 18% in January.
The tours compared
| Tour (operator) | From | Rating (reviews) | What stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abisko National Park tour from Kiruna (Paradise Lapland) | US$115 | 4.4 (500) | At most 8 guests, hotel pickup |
| Northern lights with photos (Lights of Vikings) | US$85 | 4.9 (388) | Campfire camp, photos and videos, snowsuits |
| Aurora tour with digital photos (Kiruna Buss) | US$32 | 4.7 (397) | The lowest price on this page |
| Guided aurora chase from Abisko (Lights Over Lapland) | US$101 | 4.5 (359) | Up to 100 km round trip from Abisko |
| Aurora chase with street food (Stejk) | US$178 | 4.9 (264) | Dinner in a tipi, then a small-group chase |
| Husky sledding under the lights (Kiruna Husky) | US$253 | 4.8 (124) | Winter gear lent, a night on a sled |
Prices in US dollars, ratings and review counts as listed on GetYourGuide in October 2026; they change with the date you pick.
Is a tour worth it here?
If you stay in Abisko, the sky over the village is often clear and costs nothing. From Kiruna the tour is the transport: a heated minibus to the national park and back, a guide who checks the cloud and picks the spot, warm drinks, and help with your camera. For the cheapest way in, Kiruna Buss’s aurora tour starts at US$32.
Weighing Abisko against the coast? Read Tromsø or Abisko.
Guest Reviews
What Recent Guests Say
4.4/5
from 500 verified reviews
"It was nice, but we didn't go to Abisko because it was snowing, and we stayed in the Kiruna area. We did see the aurora, but the price was too high."
"The tour was great, since the other days of our trip were pretty cloudy, we took our chance with this tour, and it definitely worth it. Our guide, Gabrielle was great, handling and managing everything well."
"Our guide, Gabriele, made the experience perfect with his friendly and helpful demeanor. You can tell right away that he is passionate about his job and really wants his guests to have a great northern lights hunt. On the way to Abisko, we stopped several times to watch the northern lights and take photos. We particularly appreciated that Gabriele also helped us with our photography and took the time to ensure we got great shots. All in all, an unforgettable experience! Of course, the northern lights are a natural phenomenon, and a bit of luck is part of it – but with such a dedicated guide, you definitely have the best chance. Highly recommended, and a big thank you to Gabriele!"
"Amazing experience! Our guide Gabriele did his best to find spots for the best view."
"A wonderful experience. The van is for a maximum of 8 people, which guarantees a small group. In my case, there were 5 of us and we had Joseph as our guide. He did his best to take all our requests into consideration. We made several stops on the way to Abisko. Every time he saw activity, he stopped so we could enjoy and photograph them. On the way back to Kiruna, we came across a moose and later on, several reindeer. Even after the activity's final hour, he stopped twice so we could enjoy two magical moments with the Northern Lights. It was the busiest time, and we could see them dancing and exploding above us. It was beautiful, and we really appreciate him prioritizing our experience and enjoyment over the tour's final schedule. You can tell his passion for the search for the Northern Lights. Thanks, Joseph, for a magical night!!"
"The tour was awesome. We did it for 2 days. We were unlucky on the first day. Our guide Gabriele tried his best to reach out to clear spots, we couldn’t see the northern lights due to bad weather. Second day was awesome. Although the forecasts were not great, got to see the Northern lights dance up above. Joseph was an amazing guide. It was fun talking to him throughout our hunt, got some good insights of the place and surrounding areas from him. Highly recommend."
"Great tour. Very dedicated guide! Despite poor conditions, he "found" the northern lights by constantly changing locations. Lots of interesting info about the country."
Read all 500 verified reviews
See All ReviewsPick a Night, See the Price
Most northern lights tours on this site cancel free up to 24 hours ahead, and several offer a free second tour or a refund if the lights do not show. Check the terms of the tour you pick before you pay. Starting from US$115 per person.
Check AvailabilityFAQ: Northern Lights in Abisko and Kiruna
The tours, the odds and the season, with figures checked October 2026.
Yes, it has the clearest sky of the Nordic places on this site. NASA's climatology puts January night cloud near 73%, and at 65.6° geomagnetic latitude it sits under the auroral oval. Data checked October 2026.
By road or rail west from Kiruna, or on a tour. Paradise Lapland's tour picks you up at your Kiruna hotel and drives to Abisko National Park in a small heated minibus, as listed in October 2026.
Kiruna Buss's aurora tour with digital photos, from about US$32 as of October 2026. See it in the table above.
September to March, when the nights at Abisko get at least four hours of nautical darkness. Darkness, not the aurora, sets the season this far north: from May to August the sky never gets dark enough. Computed with JPL DE421 via Skyfield for the town, checked October 2026.
November, December and January, on this site's measure: the most dark hours that are also cloud-free on average. That is the night length times the share of clear nights in NASA POWER's 2001-2025 night-cloud climatology. September and March also see more Kp 3+ activity, the equinox effect NOAA describes. Checked October 2026.
About Kp 0.2 brings the edge of the auroral oval over Abisko, an estimate. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center puts the oval's edge near 66 degrees geomagnetic latitude at Kp 0, moving about 2 degrees per Kp step; Abisko sits near 65.6 degrees geomagnetic. Higher Kp means brighter, more active displays, and cloud matters more than the number on most nights.
Still have questions? Email us at info@northernlightsdestinations.com
Kp index: GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences (Matzka et al. 2021), CC BY 4.0 · Oval rule of thumb: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center · Geomagnetic pole: NOAA NCEI (WMM2025) · Night cloud: NASA POWER Project, January 2001 to December 2025 · Tonight's cloud: data from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0); Kp forecast: NOAA SWPC · Sun and moon: JPL DE421 via Skyfield · Aurora data checked October 2026.