Getting around Kiruna

6 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

Kiruna is a town on the move. The mine has pushed the centre three kilometres east, the railway station lies about six kilometres out along the E10, and the airport is nine kilometres from town. Add Jukkasjärvi to the east and Abisko far to the northwest, and you have distances that are short on a map but long on foot at minus 20 degrees. This page covers the ways of moving around once you have arrived. Flights, the night train and the airport bus are explained under getting to Kiruna.

On foot in the new centre

The tourist office describes the centre as compact, with short distances. The walk between the new and the old centre is 3 to 5 km depending on the route, which takes 30 to 60 minutes. It is a walk to plan for, not one to do between two tours.

Wind is the other factor. The tourist office jokes that in Kiruna you always walk into it, and the sculptor Bror Marklund put a figure of a man walking against the wind into the bell tower outside the town hall. In the colder months it recommends spikes under your shoes, because ice can hide under fresh snow. The electric scooters that appear in summer are no help in winter; they come out only once the streets are free of snow.

Town buses

Since 1 July 2026 the town buses have been run by Boreal, and the current timetable runs from 17 August 2026 to 13 June 2027. There are four colour-coded lines. Yellow, red and purple run from Monday to Friday, green runs on Saturdays and Sundays, and public holidays such as 24 to 26 December, 31 December and 1 and 6 January follow the Sunday timetable. The tourist office warns that departures can be thin in the evenings and at weekends.

The stop for the new centre is Stadshustorget, about 200 metres from the tourist center at Malmvägen 9B. You pay on board with a Mastercard or Visa card or buy the ticket in the Länstrafiken Norrbotten app. A single ticket is valid for 30 minutes and does not cover the way back. Two children under 6 ride free with a paying adult, and skis and poles travel free when there is room.

The free shuttle between the centre and the railway station leaves about 15 to 30 minutes before each train. It keeps to its timetable even when the train is late, so on the way out of town catch the scheduled bus and wait at the station.

Regional buses to Jukkasjärvi, Abisko and Nikkaluokta

Länstrafiken Norrbotten runs the regional buses. Most routes stop at the bus station in the old centre and at Stadshustorget, and you pay in the app, on the website or by card on board. Bus 501 goes to Jukkasjärvi; the tourist office points out that it has few departures at weekends.

Line 91 runs from Kiruna to Riksgränsen via Abisko and Björkliden, but only in its seasons. For winter, the tourist office gives February to April on one page and February to May on another, so check the dates for your trip. On board it takes card payment only. The Arctic Route is a separate bus that links Kiruna Airport with the railway station in Narvik twice a day in each direction, stopping in Abisko, Björkliden and Riksgränsen on the way. The trip takes about 2.5 to 3 hours, and tickets are best booked online. Towards Kebnekaise, the Nikkaluoktaexpressen runs from Kiruna to Nikkaluokta in a winter season from February to May.

By train to Abisko and Narvik

The railway to the mountains runs all year. SJ trains between Kiruna and Narvik stop at Abisko Turist, the station inside the national park, and the tourist office calls the train the cheapest option. Tickets are sold online only. From Abisko Turist it is about 800 metres to the STF mountain station and the naturum visitor centre. The Abisko National Park page covers what to do once you are there.

Taxis and transfers

Taxis in Sweden set their own fares, so agree a price before you set off. The Icehotel's own winter transfer from the airport is covered under getting there. In its winter season from December to April it also offers a dog sled transfer between the airport and the hotel, which takes 75 minutes. Towards Abisko and Björkliden, Visit Abisko and Kiruna Transfers run transfers from Kiruna.

Renting a car

Avis, Hertz and Sixt rent cars in Kiruna, both at the airport and in the centre, and you can add winter equipment as an extra. A car makes sense for places without public transport. The Esrange visitor centre, 45 km northeast of town at the gate of the space centre, is one of them.

Parking is free in most of the municipality, often with a parking disc that you set to your arrival time. In the centre a fee applies on weekdays from 10:00 to 18:00 and on Saturdays from 10:00 to 15:00, paid through an app or by text message, and Sundays are free.

Driving on winter roads

The main roads around Kiruna are ploughed regularly, and the tourist office says driving on them is seldom a problem. Ice is another matter. Swedish law requires winter tyres from 1 December to 31 March whenever there is snow, ice, slush or frost on the road, and according to the tourist office the police decide when those conditions apply. Rental cars come fitted for the season.

The tourist office advises allowing about twice the normal braking distance and watching for ice on bridges, in shaded stretches, on roundabouts and near lakes and streams. During the polar night in December it suggests driving around midday, when there is at least some light.

Animals are the bigger risk. Moose are on the move especially at dusk and dawn, and reindeer can appear on the road almost anywhere. If you meet a herd, let it pass and stay in the car rather than getting out for photos. Stop only at marked parking places with a P sign, and wear a reflective vest if you have to step outside in the dark.

Tours that bring their own transport

For most sights you can skip the timetables. Nearly every tour includes a pickup at hotels or fixed meeting points in Kiruna, such as the tourist office, Camp Ripan or Stora Coop. Explore Arctic lists ten pickup points including the Icehotel, and its half day to Jukkasjärvi combines time on your own at the Icehotel, a guided visit to Nutti Sámi Siida and an hour in the new centre of Kiruna.

For Abisko, several day tours of about six hours start in Kiruna and visit the canyon and the Silver Waterfall, and some add a view towards Lapporten. The longest trip on this page crosses into Norway for Narvik and its fjord viewpoints in eight hours, so bring a passport or ID card. Some tours start only in Abisko and do not collect guests in Kiruna, so check the pickup before you book. Our day trips page compares the options.