The Aurora Sky Station above Abisko

6 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

Njullá rises just south of Abisko and Lake Torneträsk inside Abisko National Park. Its summit reaches about 1,160 metres, and the station sits lower down at around 900 metres. The base station of the chairlift is a ten-minute walk from STF Abisko Turiststation and from the Abisko Turiststation railway stop. At the top there is a large viewing terrace, a viewing tower, a café, a souvenir shop and an exhibition on the history of the aurora. On a clear night you look over Lapporten, called Čuonjávággi in Northern Sámi, across the frozen lake and down the Abisko valley.

The station is run by the Swedish Tourist Association and opened on 23 February 2007. Its own history page traces the idea to Japanese visitors who kept arriving in Abisko in the early 2000s, and to a Japanese television team that broadcast the northern lights live from Abisko in 2004.

On the chairlift

The ride covers about two kilometres. STF gives 20 to 40 minutes, depending on how often the lift slows for people getting on and off. The chairs are open, with two seats each, so you sit in the wind for the whole climb. The lift can close at short notice for strong wind, extreme cold or snowstorms.

Payment on site is by card only: Visa, Mastercard, Eurocard and Amex are accepted, Diners and cash are not. Dogs may ride in winter only during daytime operation, wearing a harness approved for rope evacuation and a muzzle.

By day, the same lift serves skiers. From the top station, alpine ski touring routes lead down the mountain, among them Glidaren, which heads south down a gentle slope halfway to Kårsavagge and then returns to the tourist station. The café serves waffles and hot drinks, and you can buy lift tickets at the valley station or online.

How a night visit works

The night visit in the 2026/27 season runs from 19 October 2026 to 27 March 2027. The evening starts at 20:30 and ends no later than 01:00. Only 40 places are sold per night, so STF recommends booking and paying in advance; places left over are sold at the lift.

At the top a guide gives a presentation on the northern lights and leads a short walk on the mountain. The outdoor terrace and a café with fika and drinks fill the time in between. Booked guests pick up overalls and winter boots at the base station.

When the weather is too severe for the lift, the evening moves to a wood-fired lavvu in the national park. From there the guides walk to the best viewing spots of that night, and warm drinks with northern Swedish snacks follow by the fire. STF states that it gives no refund when weather stops the lift, and that it cannot promise the aurora on any night.

The northern lights dinner

The dinner season is longer than the night visit, from 1 October 2026 to 27 March 2027. Guests meet at 17:30 at the reception of STF Abisko Turiststation, ride up together and eat a four-course menu built on Nordic and Lapland flavours, while the guide tells stories about the aurora, Sámi culture and the region. The lift, the overalls and boots and the guided visit are included. Wine, beer and soft drinks cost extra.

A few rules differ from the night visit. The age limit is 16. Vegetarian and vegan menus are available only if you ask when booking, and STF notes they are less tied to local cooking. You can cancel up to seven days before; after that nothing is refunded. If the station has to close, a storm programme called Aurora Lounge replaces the visit, again without a refund.

STF publishes figures from earlier seasons: the station opened on 90 percent of its scheduled time, and the aurora was visible on 70 percent of the nights when it was open. Those are the operator's own numbers and say nothing about a single evening.

Dressing for an open lift

The provided overall is meant to go over your own clothing, not replace it. Walk to the base station in your warm layers, then add the overall there. You still need your own hat, a neck gaiter or balaclava, and insulated gloves or mittens.

The station's advice for underneath: long johns and a long-sleeved base layer, a warm sweater, a scarf, and boots a little larger than usual so there is room for thick socks and air. It also suggests skipping a shower or sauna right before you go up, and not using water-based face cream, which can lead to frostbite. For a full packing list, see our page on what to wear in Kiruna.

Getting there from Kiruna

STF places the station about 100 km northwest of Kiruna along the E10. The train stops at Abisko Turiststation, ten minutes on foot from the lift. In the high season, Länstrafiken Norrbotten bus 91 stops at Abisko Turiststation E10; Kiruna Lapland gives its season as June to September and February to April. Visit Abisko runs transfers from Kiruna and from Kiruna Airport to Abisko and to the station, and taxis are available in Kiruna.

Since the night visit can last until 01:00, most guests stay in Abisko. STF Abisko Turiststation has hotel rooms, hostel beds and cabins and two restaurants, a short walk from the lift. Our page on Abisko National Park covers the village, the trails and the train in more detail.

Tours if you are based in Kiruna

None of the tours compared here includes a ticket for the station. They help in other ways. The evening tour by Paradise Lapland drives towards the national park in a heated minibus with up to eight guests and changes route to find clear sky; it starts and ends in Kiruna. If you have already moved to Abisko, the aurora chase by Lights Over Lapland collects guests from accommodation in the village, the mountain station included.

To see the lake and the canyon in daylight first, a day trip from Kiruna covers the park in about six hours. Before deciding where to spend an evening, look at the station's live camera, which posts an image of the Abisko sky about every five minutes. Other evening formats from town are on our northern lights page.