A Family Guide to Abisko National Park in Swedish Lapland with Kids

Abisko is a small village an hour west of Kiruna, on the southern shore of Lake Torneträsk in Swedish Lapland. It sits in a natural rain shadow created by the surrounding mountains, which gives it more clear nights per year than almost anywhere else in the Arctic. It's this "Blue Hole" phenomenon that makes it one of the absolute best places in the world to see the Northern Lights. The Abisko Aurora Sky Station is accessible by cable car and sits high above the treeline, safely away from any light pollution in the valley below.

This post covers everything you need to know about visiting Abisko National Park with young children. I have broken down exactly what to do, what it actually costs, how to plan your day, and why it is absolutely worth the drive from Kiruna every single time.

For the full trip plan, see our 5-night Swedish Lapland itinerary with kids. For where to stay in the region, including the STF Abisko Turiststation itself, see our Swedish Lapland accommodation guide.

What Makes Abisko So Special?

Abisko sits 250 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle inside a spectacular national park. The reason people flock here specifically to hunt the Northern Lights is a brilliant meteorological quirk. The surrounding mountains create a microclimate that keeps the skies above Abisko unusually clear, even when heavy cloud covers the rest of Swedish and Finnish Lapland.

This is exactly why the Swedish Tourist Association built their Aurora Sky Station here rather than anywhere else, and it is the reason that visitors who cannot see the lights from Kiruna or Jukkasjärvi regularly drive over to Abisko and suddenly find clear skies.

Getting There from Kiruna

Abisko is 98 kilometres west of Kiruna along the E10, the main road that runs from Kiruna through to Narvik in Norway. The drive takes around an hour in normal winter conditions. The road is well-maintained, heavily used and ploughed regularly, so driving on snow here feels noticeably more manageable than it might elsewhere in the region.

Driving is the most practical option for families, especially if you plan to stay for the evening Aurora Sky Station visit and return after dark. You can also stop at Torneträsk viewpoints along the way, which are some of the best views of the lake. Free parking is available at the STF Turiststation and near the Naturum visitor centre.

The Abisko Turiststation train stop sits directly opposite the STF mountain station, a five minute walk from reception. Trains run from Kiruna station and the journey takes around 55 minutes each way. It's worth knowing if you prefer not to drive after dark following an evening Aurora visit, though the last train back to Kiruna typically runs around midnight, so check the timetable before booking the night visit.

A taxi or private transfer from Kiruna to Abisko runs around £80–£100 each way, which makes sense for a group or a family who don't want to hire a car for the whole trip but specifically want to do the Aurora Sky Station evening.

What to Do in Abisko with Young Children

The Frozen Canyon Walk

From the STF Turiststation car park, a clearly marked trail leads straight into the national park and down to the Abiskojåkka river. In winter, the river flows under a thick layer of ice through a narrow gorge of rock and completely frozen waterfalls.

The trail is a 1.6 kilometre loop and takes around 30 to 60 minutes depending on how often you stop to look at things. The terrain is flat and it's an easy walk. We actually brought a sled and pulled our daughter along for the flatter parts, letting her hop out to walk whenever she wanted a change of pace. The frozen waterfalls are the absolute highlight of the walk, and we even got to watch an ice climber scaling all the way up one of them!

Note: the path was quite slippery even with proper grippy boots. So if you want to feel completely secure, microspike crampons are highly recommended and the STF station rents them out for around 100 SEK (roughly £8) per pair if you do not have your own.

Naturum Abisko — the Visitor Centre

About a short walk from the STF station, the Naturum visitor centre is managed by the Swedish national parks authority and is free to enter. Inside you will find a permanent exhibition on the local wildlife, the landscape, and the cultural history of the area. There is also a library and a dedicated children's corner with activities and a place to sit down and warm up properly. The staff at the desk give fantastic trail recommendations based on current snow and weather conditions, which is invaluable because conditions can change so quickly.

The Naturum has adapted accessibility throughout, including a path suitable for buggies and wheelchairs leading to the canyon, and a brilliant rest area at the Torneträsk beach. For families with very young children the lake shore path is fully flat and gives you the full scale of Torneträsk without navigating any of the canyon's icy sections.

Lake Torneträsk

The lake shore is just a five minute walk from the STF station. In winter, Torneträsk freezes into a massive flat expanse of white that stretches 50 kilometres east toward Kiruna and disappears in both directions into the mountains. In good conditions ice skating on Torneträsk is actually possible in early winter when the ice has firmly set but before the heavy snow covers it. However always ask at the STF station for current safety conditions before attempting this.

The Aurora Sky Station: Daytime and Night Visits

The cable car up Mount Nuolja departs from the lower station beside the STF Turiststation and takes you to 900 metres above sea level in about 20 minutes. At the top, the views stretch across the full length of Lake Torneträsk, the Lapporten gap in the mountains, and the beautiful Abisko valley far below. In winter, on a clear day, it is one of the most spectacular elevated views in Scandinavia.

The Daytime Visit

We took the cable car in the daytime, and I would recommend this to any family with young children before looking at the night visit options. There are no age restrictions during the day, the ride is less exposed than on an evening ascent, and the café at the top is open for fika. We had coffee and cardamom buns sitting in the warmth while our daughter pressed her face against the glass looking at Torneträsk below, and it was one of those unhurried, very good moments that happen when you stop trying to see everything at once.

The daytime cable car runs approximately 9am to 4pm in the winter season. The café at the top serves warm drinks and food (including delicious waffles!). Dress for cold weather conditions regardless of the weather in the valley.

The Night Visit

The Aurora Sky Station evening experience is the one Abisko is globally known for however children under 12 are not permitted on the night visit. This is a strict safety policy from the Swedish Tourist Association.

The reason is the chairlift itself. The night ascent uses an open chairlift that takes 25-30 minutes on an exposed mountain face. Night temperatures on Mount Nuolja regularly drop to -15°C to -25°C, and with wind chill on a moving open lift, small bodies face a hypothermia risk at those temperatures.

If your children are 12 or over, the night visit is absolutely worth planning the trip around. The chairlift departs from the lower station from 9pm, with the last descent at 1am. At the top there is an outdoor terrace and observation tower, a warm café serving hot drinks and food, a Northern Lights exhibition, and presentations from guides on the Aurora, the Sami people, and the history of Abisko. The multi-course Northern Lights dinner has a higher minimum age of 16.

Age and pricing summary:

Age group	Night visit	Cost
Adults (16 and over)	Permitted	~£77 (1,025 SEK)
Youth (12–15)	Permitted	~£38 (50% discount)
Children (under 12)	Not permitted	Not applicable

Clothing for 12–15 year olds: thermal overalls and boots are provided at the base station for adults only. Young people aged 12–15 must arrive dressed head to toe in their own high-grade winter gear — full thermal base layers, a warm mid layer, a windproof outer layer, insulated boots rated to at least -20°C, thick gloves and a balaclava or neck warmer. Our packing guide for Swedish Lapland covers exactly what to bring.

On the Aurora itself: the sky station is positioned and lit specifically to minimise light pollution. But the Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon and cannot be predicted more than a few hours in advance. Apps like SpaceWeatherLive and My Aurora Forecast are useful for monitoring the KP index — a KP of 3 or above in a clear sky gives good visibility from Abisko. If skies are poor on your visit date, guides will move the evening to a fire-lit lavvu in the national park.

If you want an expert to take you to the best spots for spotting the Northern Lights I'd recommend the following tours: Abisko: Guided Aurora Chase with Hotel Transfers

Abisko: Aurora Car Chasing Tour with Photographer Abisko: Aurora Chasing with Snowmobiles

(For 5% of these tours download the GetYourGuide app and apply the code TODDLERTRAVELDIARIES5)

Where to Stay in Abisko

Abisko has a handful of accommodation options, all of them requiring early booking for winter dates. Below are four properties covering different budgets and setups. For our recommendations on other places to stay read Where to Stay in Kiruna and Swedish Lapland with Kids: The Best Family-Friendly Cabins, Lodges and Hotels which covers the full region including Kiruna and Jukkasjärvi options.

1. STF Abisko Turiststation (from around £100/night)

Best for: families who want to be directly inside the national park with the Aurora Sky Station as the primary focus and hiking from the door

The STF station has been welcoming winter visitors since 1902 so they know what they're doing with a restaurant, a bar, a library with a fireplace, a sauna, and trails leading directly into the national park from the front entrance. Family rooms are available and cots are bookable in advance. One important note: bedlinen and towels are not included in the room rate for family rooms and must be rented on site or brought from home, which is standard in Swedish mountain station culture but worth knowing before arrival. The Aurora Sky Station lower station is a short walk from reception.

2. Abisko Mountain Lodge (from around £110/night)

Best for: families who want a hotel with a restaurant, a lounge bar and fireplace, and staff who actively help book local activities including dogsledding and Northern Lights safaris

Located two minutes from Abisko Östra train station and just over a kilometre from the national park entrance, the Mountain Lodge is the closest thing to a proper traditional hotel in Abisko. The Brasserie Fjällköket restaurant serves a beautiful seasonal menu built around locally sourced ingredients, and the lounge bar with its open fireplace is exactly where you want to be after a day in the freezing cold. They offer cottages with kitchenettes, which are enough for a couple of days self-catering. Staff can book ice climbing, dogsledding, and guided hikes directly for you. Children of all ages are welcome, but worth knowing: no cots are available, so this works best for children who are safely past that stage.

3. Abisko Panorama House (from around £150/night)

Best for: families who want a fully equipped self catering house with plenty of space, a private sauna, and multiple bedrooms.

This is a beautiful private house located in the Abisko area featuring a wonderfully spacious living room, a full kitchen, a large dining area, three bedrooms, and its own private sauna. Sleeping three or four comfortably in completely separate rooms makes it a fantastic option for larger families with multiple children or for two families travelling together. The property offers incredible panoramic views of the surrounding Arctic landscape straight from the living room windows, providing a spectacular backdrop while the kids play safely indoors. Having your own private sauna to warm up in after a freezing day exploring the national park makes this really special making this a cosy and comfortable base for a winter holiday.

4. Niehku Mountain Villa (from around £300/night)

Best for: families wanting a stunning design led boutique villa at the absolute highest end of Abisko's accommodation offerings.

Niehku Mountain Villa is the best of what Abisko offers. It is a gorgeous boutique property with individual rooms that seamlessly combine Sami influenced design with high quality winter fittings. It boasts a beautiful sauna and a restaurant serving Sami inspired cuisine using ingredients sourced straight from the surrounding landscape. The property is small and the atmosphere is wonderfully quiet and considered rather than feeling like a busy resort. Families are very welcome, and the intimate scale means staff attention is far more personal than at a larger operation. For parents who want the Abisko experience at the absolute highest level of comfort, this is the one to book.

Why You Should Make the Trip

Abisko is the day that truly earns the whole trip to Lapland. The canyon walk costs absolutely nothing and takes less than an hour, but the views are incredible. The frozen lake is completely free and frankly extraordinary to witness. The Aurora Sky Station evening remains the best Northern Lights experience in one of the best viewing locations on earth. Even just the drive there, along a road flanked by frozen mountains with wild moose roaming around is entirely part of the magic. For the full Swedish Lapland trip plan, read our 5-night itinerary with kids.