Sweden is the largest country in Scandinavia and spans different climates. The country has beautiful nature, fascinating landscapes and adventurous wildernesses. In addition to the many lakes and large forests, Sweden also has cities with a lot of history and culture, such as Stockholm and Gothenburg. Swedish Lapland, in the far north of Sweden, is mainly characterized by the cold, snowy mountains and beautiful nature. We visited Swedish Lapland in November, and traveled to Lulea, Kiruna and Harads in 9 days.
Itinerary Swedish Lapland
Kiruna
Day 1: Travel day
Our first day consisted mainly of flying from Amsterdam to Lulea. We then picked up our rental car which was ready and left for our hotel, which is only a 10 minute drive away. As it was getting late and we had a long car ride planned for the next day, we didn’t do anything in Lulea the first night except dinner at a local cafe.
Day 2: Route from Lulea to Kiruna
Day 3: One of the most beautiful routes in Sweden & Aurora Spa
Day 4: Icehotel
Day 5: Husky tour
Lulea & Harads
Day 6: Route from Kiruna to Lulea
Day 7: Lulea & Treehotel
Day 8: Treehotel & Lulea
Day 9: Travel day
Transportation during this itinerary
Airplane
We flew from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) – via Frankfurt and Stockholm – to Lulea Airport (LLA) with Lufthansa. The last flight was operated by SAS Scandinavian Airlines. We had booked business class seats for all flights so that we could keep even more distance from other people during this COVID-19 period. We really liked the flights with Lufthansa. The seats were spacious and there was always an empty seat next to both of us. We had a nice meal on both flights, even though the flights were very short. It is therefore highly recommended to also fly with Lufthansa on short flights! We are less enthusiastic about the flight with SAS. Unfortunately, this flight did not resemble business class; we sat close together and didn’t even get a drink.
In between our flights we visited the SAS Gold Lounge in Stockholm for a few hours. Here it was very quiet, spacious and clean. In addition, there was good food and a lot of choice in drinks, despite the COVID-19 restrictions.
We have also compensated our CO2 at Lufthansa for both the outward and return journey. For this, Lufthansa works together with Compensaid, and they ensure that your entire CO2 emissions are offset. For our flights, 5.86 trees have been planted, which compensates 977 kg of CO2 emission. We believe it is very important to travel as sustainably as possible and to limit the impact on the climate.
Car rental
Because we were planning to travel many (long) distances in Swedish Lapland, we had already booked a rental car in advance. We picked up the car at Lulea Airport and returned it there. We have rented a Volvo V40 at Hertz, and are very satisfied with it. Unfortunately, the great distances, nature and infrastructure made it impractical to rent an electric car.
If you are planning to visit Swedish Lapland, we definitely recommend renting a car. That way you can best discover the surroundings and beautiful nature.
Overnight stays during this itinerary
Lulea
During our first day in Swedish Lapland, we stayed in the Elite Stadhotellet Lulea. This is a four-star hotel right in the center of Lulea. When you step out of the hotel you are directly in the shopping street of the city. We stayed in a standard double room; a spacious room with a double bed and a view of the park in front of the door. The overnight stay included a good breakfast in a huge classic ballroom, which is really the eye-catcher of the hotel. An ideal hotel for a few days in Lulea!
Kiruna
During our visit to Kiruna, we stayed at Camp Ripan. A four-star hotel on the outskirts of Kiruna. In this hotel you stay in your own chalet with its own entrance. The hotel has its own restaurant serving local dishes and a good breakfast. Camp Ripan also has the Aurora Spa, which has been voted the Best Unique Experience Spa in Europe. We did not find the chalet in itself very special, but the location, the good restaurant and special spa make this a great choice!
What we also find very important is that the hotel is certified as an environmentally friendly hotel!
Special overnight stay in the Treehotel
We also stayed one night in the unique and very special Treehotel. A hotel with seven different treehouses in the woods of Harads. A highlight of our trip! Are you curious about how we experienced this unique experience? Read all about our experiences in the Treehotel.
How much time do you need for this route?
We took 9 days for this route including the flights. We had enough time at all destinations and we didn’t have to skip any sights. Below you will find an overview of the number of days we stayed per location:
Day 1: Travel day
Day 2: Route from Lulea to Kiruna
Day 3: Kiruna
Day 4: Kiruna
Day 5: Kiruna
Day 6: Route from Kiruna to Lulea
Day 7: Lulea & Treehotel
Day 8: Treehotel & Lulea
Day 9: Travel day
