Getting to Kiruna

6 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

Most visitors reach Kiruna by plane, usually with a change in Stockholm. The night train from Stockholm is the slower alternative and arrives at a station outside the town. In both cases the last few kilometres into the centre are covered by a bus that waits for your arrival. From Kiruna, the Icehotel village of Jukkasjärvi and the mountains around Abisko are easy to reach by bus, train or on a tour that picks you up.

Flying to Kiruna

SAS and Norwegian fly between Stockholm Arlanda and Kiruna all year round, and the flight takes around 90 minutes. In the winter of 2026/27 two direct routes from abroad are added. SAS flies from Copenhagen between December and March, and Eurowings from Düsseldorf between February and March. The Icehotel confirms both routes for this winter.

As an alternative, the tourist office points to Evenes Airport in Norway, which serves Harstad and Narvik. From there it is about three hours to Kiruna by car.

From the airport into town

The airport bus is run by Kiruna's public transport and goes into the centre by way of Hjalmar Lundbomsvägen and Malmvägen. Its timetable follows the flights, so it leaves after every arrival. You buy the ticket from the driver with cash or most debit and credit cards. Kiruna Airport has no cash machine, so do not count on drawing money there.

The terminal opens about an hour before the first departure and closes around 30 minutes after the last arrival. An early flight home therefore means getting to the airport in the morning rather than waiting there overnight. Taxis set their own prices in Sweden, so ask for a fixed fare before the ride or book one in advance.

Some guests skip the town altogether. The Icehotel is about 15 minutes by car from the airport and runs its own transfer in winter, which you book by 15:00 the day before. Visit Abisko offers a door-to-door shuttle from the airport to hotels in Kiruna, Abisko and Björkliden. Regional bus 91 also stops at the airport, but it keeps to its timetable and cannot wait for a delayed flight.

The night train from Stockholm

SJ runs the night train between Stockholm and Narvik, with a stop in Kiruna. The Icehotel gives about 14 hours for the trip from Stockholm, the ski resort of Riksgränsen a little over that. Until December 2026 passengers for Kiruna, Abisko and Narvik change trains in Boden. Under SJ's new contract, which runs from December 2026 to December 2028, sleeper and couchette cars are to run through to Narvik again without the change.

By day, Norrtåg trains run north from Sundsvall to Kiruna with several departures. In November 2026 there is also a one-off night train by Snälltåget, leaving Malmö on 23 November and returning from Narvik on 27 November.

Kiruna's railway station is at the ore yard along the E10, about six kilometres north of the centre. It has no staff and is open from 05:30 to 21:00. Free shuttle buses run between the station and the centre for every arriving and departing train, so the distance is easy to cover with luggage.

On to Jukkasjärvi, Abisko and Narvik

Jukkasjärvi, home of the Icehotel, lies east of Kiruna along the E10. The Icehotel puts it at 17 kilometres, the tourist office at 15 to 18. Regional bus 501 links the village with the town. Our page on Kiruna town covers what is in the centre itself.

Abisko National Park is 93 kilometres northwest along the E10, a drive of just over an hour. The train stops at Abisko Turist, a station inside the park, and the bus from Kiruna bus station to Abisko Turist takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Bus 91 continues to Riksgränsen, but the tourist office lists it only for June to September and February to April. Björkliden is 104 kilometres from Kiruna, Riksgränsen 132 and Narvik 178.

SJ trains run between Kiruna and Narvik every day of the year. Tickets for this line are sold online only, not at the station or on board, so buy them before you set off.

Driving in winter

From 1 December to 31 March Swedish law requires winter tyres on cars whenever there is snow, ice, slush or frost on any part of the road. Studded tyres are allowed from 1 October to 15 April, and locals in Kiruna usually switch to them in mid-October. Rental cars come with the right tyres for the season.

The roads themselves bring other surprises. The tourist office warns that reindeer, moose or a fox can step onto the road at any moment, and that the weather can change quickly in winter, so check the road conditions with Trafikverket before longer drives. The tourist office lists fuel stations in Kiruna, Jukkasjärvi, Svappavaara, Vittangi, Abisko, Övre Soppero and Karesuando. Plan longer drives around them.

Letting the tours do the driving

Without a car you still reach most sights, because the tours include the transfer. The evening trip towards Abisko collects you at your hotel in Kiruna and brings you back there; the operator does not drop guests off in Abisko. The guided Icehotel tour starts at the tourist office or at Camp Ripan, with a van ride of about 20 minutes each way to Jukkasjärvi. The Abisko day trip includes pickup as well. More ideas are on the page about day trips from Kiruna, and the best time to visit page shows when the seasonal flights and buses run.