Best time to go to Swedish Lapland
The lives and work of Sami people are so bound up with nature that they consider Swedish Lapland to have eight seasons.![]()
In a place where summer and winter temperatures can vary by up to 70°C, it’s easy to become preoccupied by the weather. The best time to visit Swedish Lapland for a snow based vacation is from December to March. During these months the conditions are usually perfect for a wide variety of outdoor activities such as snowmobiling and sledging with huskies. Your chances of seeing the Northern Lights improve the longer you stay and the further you are from light pollution. Christmas and New Year tend to be the busiest times to go, while March is a lot quieter.
When to go to Swedish Lapland, month by month
Swedish Lapland Weather Chart
MIN °C
MAX °C
RAIN (mm)
JAN
-16
-8
33
FEB
-16
-8
30
MAR
-11
-2
30
APR
-4
4
29
MAY
2
11
32
JUN
8
17
36
JUL
11
19
45
AUG
10
17
65
SEP
5
12
63
OCT
0
6
44
NOV
-7
-1
50
DEC
-13
-5
45
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Swedish Lapland travel advice
Sleeping with the squirrels
Laura Greenman:
“Staying in the tree hotel is a magical experience. When you climb the ladder up it’s a bit unnerving, but once you get inside it feels truly luxurious. Each room has a unique design and furnishings, and you have a real sense of nature. The silence up there is incredible. They are proper solid wood buildings, so they don’t move around and they’re well-insulated. It’s like a higher level of glamping – literally.”
“Staying in the tree hotel is a magical experience. When you climb the ladder up it’s a bit unnerving, but once you get inside it feels truly luxurious. Each room has a unique design and furnishings, and you have a real sense of nature. The silence up there is incredible. They are proper solid wood buildings, so they don’t move around and they’re well-insulated. It’s like a higher level of glamping – literally.”
Tips on what to wear
Tom Wilkinson from our partner Exodus explains how to dress for the weather:
“The weather conditions dictate activities a lot of the time. Winter temperatures this far north can be ridiculously low. On arrival, you’re equipped with a set of Arctic clothing, like an adult romper suit, with sturdy and mega-warm boots. It’s up to you how many layers you wear beneath that, but it’s far beyond your standard cold weather gear.”
“The weather conditions dictate activities a lot of the time. Winter temperatures this far north can be ridiculously low. On arrival, you’re equipped with a set of Arctic clothing, like an adult romper suit, with sturdy and mega-warm boots. It’s up to you how many layers you wear beneath that, but it’s far beyond your standard cold weather gear.”
Aurora advice
Laura Greenman offers some tips on viewing the Northern Lights:
“Because the aurora borealis is tricky to predict, the longer you can stay the better. Remote places far from light pollution offer the best chance, and the tree hotel also offers panoramic vistas. My main advice would be not to make the Northern Lights the main focus of your trip. If they happen, they happen. If not, there’s plenty of other things to do.”
“Because the aurora borealis is tricky to predict, the longer you can stay the better. Remote places far from light pollution offer the best chance, and the tree hotel also offers panoramic vistas. My main advice would be not to make the Northern Lights the main focus of your trip. If they happen, they happen. If not, there’s plenty of other things to do.”
Dog sledding tips
Tom Wilkinson on what to do when the going gets woof:
“The dog sledding is fantastic fun. The family running the place introduces you to the dogs beforehand and gives you some basic training – what to shout when you want to go left or right, and how to brake – but essentially the dogs do pretty much everything for you. Then you can either take it in turns driving the sled, or just sitting in front to enjoy the ride through the trees.”
“The dog sledding is fantastic fun. The family running the place introduces you to the dogs beforehand and gives you some basic training – what to shout when you want to go left or right, and how to brake – but essentially the dogs do pretty much everything for you. Then you can either take it in turns driving the sled, or just sitting in front to enjoy the ride through the trees.”
What to do in summer
Laura Greenman:
“The tree hotel is lovely all year round. A good summer activity we often recommend is to spend a day with a local Sami family, during which you can learn a little about their ways of life and cultural heritage. Most people stay 2-3 nights at the tree hotel, and combine it with another place, such as by taking the scenic Arctic train over to Kiruna and the ice hotel which is open year-round now as well.
“The tree hotel is lovely all year round. A good summer activity we often recommend is to spend a day with a local Sami family, during which you can learn a little about their ways of life and cultural heritage. Most people stay 2-3 nights at the tree hotel, and combine it with another place, such as by taking the scenic Arctic train over to Kiruna and the ice hotel which is open year-round now as well.
Arctic survival skills
Tom Wilkinson:
“Another really popular aspect of these trips is practising things like snow shoeing in the forest, or using basic sparking tools to make a fire and heat up some hot chocolate. Ice fishing can be hard work if there is a lot of snow on the lake – you have to drill a hole in thick ice first, then wait patiently in the cold for a bite. When groups do get lucky and catch a few Arctic char we’ll grill them up back at the lodge for dinner.”
“Another really popular aspect of these trips is practising things like snow shoeing in the forest, or using basic sparking tools to make a fire and heat up some hot chocolate. Ice fishing can be hard work if there is a lot of snow on the lake – you have to drill a hole in thick ice first, then wait patiently in the cold for a bite. When groups do get lucky and catch a few Arctic char we’ll grill them up back at the lodge for dinner.”
Swedish Lapland travel tips from our vacation reviews
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travelers are often... other travelers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do – and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful Swedish Lapland travel advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation – and the space inside your suitcase.
We have selected some of the most useful Swedish Lapland travel advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation – and the space inside your suitcase.
The husky dog sledging day was wonderful – you get your own set of huskies & sledge with a fur rug.![]()
– Cindy Chattaway
“The outdoor clothing provided at the Ice Hotel is excellent but take your own base layer and a neck warmer/buff. For evenings just take normal indoor clothing. The food is excellent but you may want to take some snacks if you don't want lunch everyday.” – Mary Andronowski
“Make sure you book up "activities" before you go. We were disappointed not to be told this before hand, as most of the activities were booked when we arrived at the Ice Hotel.” – James Harrison
“Pack plenty of warm thin layers to help you adapt to the constant changes in temperature (it varied between -2 and -35 degrees during the week we were there) and take some ski goggles for the snow-mobiling they really helped us!” – Carolyn Dann
“If you enjoy skiing or snowboarding, head to Levi or Ylaas and enjoy the local slopes. Floodlit skiing, with quiet slopes and frosty trees is a great experience.” – Jodie Potts
“The husky dog sledging day was wonderful – you get your own set of huskies & sledge with a fur rug. Remember your ski goggles though – we had a lot of snow & you can go quite fast (particularly if light) - afterwards hot chocolate & homemade cake in a tippee with roaring fire! Fab. The other thing was just playing in the snow - building igloos and snow slides, the right clothes mean you don't get cold and wet. Also had a really good day at the musuem near the botanic gardens. Very hands on and interactive - great for kids (old & young)...The tree hotel is really expensive - wine £10 a glass and sprite £5! Don't underestimate - take some wine for the room! Also don't book your Northern lights tour on the last night - ours got cancelled and so we couldn't reschedule it!” – Cindy Chattaway
“Make sure you book up "activities" before you go. We were disappointed not to be told this before hand, as most of the activities were booked when we arrived at the Ice Hotel.” – James Harrison
“Pack plenty of warm thin layers to help you adapt to the constant changes in temperature (it varied between -2 and -35 degrees during the week we were there) and take some ski goggles for the snow-mobiling they really helped us!” – Carolyn Dann
“If you enjoy skiing or snowboarding, head to Levi or Ylaas and enjoy the local slopes. Floodlit skiing, with quiet slopes and frosty trees is a great experience.” – Jodie Potts
“The husky dog sledging day was wonderful – you get your own set of huskies & sledge with a fur rug. Remember your ski goggles though – we had a lot of snow & you can go quite fast (particularly if light) - afterwards hot chocolate & homemade cake in a tippee with roaring fire! Fab. The other thing was just playing in the snow - building igloos and snow slides, the right clothes mean you don't get cold and wet. Also had a really good day at the musuem near the botanic gardens. Very hands on and interactive - great for kids (old & young)...The tree hotel is really expensive - wine £10 a glass and sprite £5! Don't underestimate - take some wine for the room! Also don't book your Northern lights tour on the last night - ours got cancelled and so we couldn't reschedule it!” – Cindy Chattaway
If you enjoy skiing or snowboarding, head to Levi or Ylaas and enjoy the local slopes.![]()
– Jodie Potts
More Swedish Lapland articles
Our Swedish Lapland travel guide entices you deep into a vast Arctic expanse illuminated in winter by one of the world’s most incredible natural phenomena: the Northern Lights. It’s a magical, pristine landscape where you can steer sledges pulled by willing huskies, snow shoe through forests, and sleep in a hotel carved from ice.
