Sweden · Europe · northern hemisphere
Abisko & Swedish Lapland is at its best for northern lights in January to March and October. Good but not prime in September, November and December. Crowds peak in December and bottom out in May.
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Lights | 92 | 93 | 91 | 17 | 11 | 12 | 18 | 18 | 63 | 87 | 67 | 71 |
| Hiking | 13 | 13 | 18 | 17 | 13 | 63 | 91 | 89 | 71 | 15 | 13 | 11 |
| Crowds |
Swipe the table sideways for the rest of the year.
The mountains to the west wring the weather out before it arrives, leaving a persistent clear patch over the lake — Abisko sits in a rain shadow with one of the lowest rainfalls in the Nordic countries, which makes this the most reliable aurora sky in Europe. You come here for clear nights, not for a town
Day walks from the station, or the Kungsleden hut to hut. No guide needed and no permit. Camping and fires are limited to marked sites.
Mid-April to late August for aurora — the Swedish Tourist Association gives the season as late August to April. Also 27 April to 11 June specifically, when the chairlift to the Aurora Sky Station is shut between seasons — though the Turiststation itself is open all year, and Riksgränsen skis under the midnight sun until late June.
Mid-November to mid-March for the aurora, and the Kungsleden from mid-July to mid-August
Remote, cold and reached by an overnight train or a flight to Kiruna plus a transfer. The Aurora Sky Station is a chairlift ride in deep cold, which small children find long.
The Abisko Turiststation sits inside the national park at the trailhead and next to the chairlift, which is the entire logic of staying here. Kiruna is a town with more choice and the wrong sky.
Deep cold, though Abisko sits in a rain shadow and is unusually clear.Jan · Feb · Nov · Dec
Kept out of the score on purpose. Averaging a rare catastrophe into a monthly number would tell you something false; the warning is the honest form.
The Kungsleden proper is a week or more to Nikkaluokta, hut to hut. The huts run two seasons, not one: late June to mid-September for walking, and late February to mid-April for ski touring.
0 is this destination’s own quietest month and 100 its busiest. The scale never compares one destination to another. Source: Wikipedia — Abisko