Northern Lights Tours in Kiruna: How to Choose
Minibus chases, snowmobile safaris, dog sled combos, and evening trips to Abisko: what actually separates a good Kiruna aurora tour from a listing that just says "guaranteed".
A mini-bus tour is a good option if you get too cold standing outside!
We've booked some aurora tours across Lapland over dozens of trips (including seven trips to Kiruna), sometimes to save ourselves the driving, sometimes because a friend visiting for the first time didn't want to gamble their one night on figuring it out alone. This is the breakdown we wish we'd had the first time: what each tour type gets you, what "guaranteed" tends to mean in Kiruna specifically, and how to choose between a minibus, a snowmobile, and a dog sled when you've only got one or two nights.
For the full picture on when to go, where to watch without a tour, and how Kiruna compares to Abisko, see our Northern Lights in Kiruna guide. This one is about the tours.
Jump to: Do tours guarantee a sighting? · Types of tours in Kiruna · Kiruna vs. a tour to Abisko · How to choose · FAQ
Plan your Kiruna trip: find your dream hotel, browse northern lights tours, or rent a car to chase the aurora (if you’re trying without a tour):
What are the best northern lights tours in Kiruna? Quick answer
Best Kiruna northern lights tour overall: a small-group minibus or van chase with a guide who explicitly says they'll drive toward clear sky rather than park at the same fixed spot outside town.
Best if the aurora isn't the only thing you care about: a dog sledding or snowmobile combo. You get a guaranteed activity either way, with the aurora as a bonus if the sky cooperates.
Best if Kiruna's own sky is looking rough: an evening tour to Abisko, about 1.5 hours away and home to the "Blue Hole," a pocket of clear sky that holds up even when Kiruna clouds over. Full detail in our Abisko Northern Lights Tours guide.
Best for photos without fighting your camera settings and getting frozen fingers: a tour that includes a guide who shoots for you and sends files afterward. Check the listing's inclusions rather than assuming.
Do northern lights tours in Kiruna actually guarantee a sighting?
A break in the clouds, yay!
Short answer: no operator controls the weather or solar activity, and you should treat any tour that implies otherwise with some skepticism.
That said, "guaranteed" on a listing usually means one of two real things, so know which one you're booking before you pay:
A money-back guarantee
Some tours refund you (often as a voucher for another night, sometimes as cash) if the group doesn't see or photograph the aurora. Read the actual terms on the listing rather than the headline, since the exact condition (a guide's camera catching nothing at all, versus you personally not seeing much) can differ quite a bit.
A "we'll drive wherever it takes" promise
Rather than a refund, some operators promise flexibility instead: they'll drive as far as needed, sometimes toward Abisko and beyond, to find a clear patch of sky. That's an advantage over a tour that parks at the same pull-off outside town every night, but it's still a promise of effort, not of sightings.
We don't have verified details on the exact guarantee terms for every operator currently listed in Kiruna, so treat any specific "X% success rate" or "guaranteed" claim on a listing as something to verify yourself before booking. For the full picture on how aurora forecasting actually works, read our Northern Lights for Dummies guide.
What a good tour reliably delivers, guarantee or no guarantee, is a guide who tracks cloud cover in real time and moves the group toward clear sky instead of waiting it out in one spot, plus the knowledge you only get after decades of experience. That's the value you're paying for.
Compare aurora tours and reviews:
Types of northern lights tours in Kiruna
Mushing is our favorite things to do in Kiruna, northern lights or not!
Minibus and van chase tours
The default option and usually the best value for a first-timer. A guide checks the evening's cloud forecast, picks a direction, and drives until conditions look promising, often with a stop for hot drinks along the way. Private versions exist too, where you book the whole vehicle rather than a seat, at a real premium, in exchange for setting your own pace.
Dog sledding and northern lights combos
One of the most popular combinations in Kiruna. You get the huskies either way, with the aurora as a bonus if the sky delivers (biased opinion: we loooove mushing). We've written at length about what makes Kiruna's sledding scene special in our Kiruna Winter Guide. If you only have one evening in town and want to hedge your bet, this is a strong pick.
Snowmobile aurora safaris
You ride out through dark forest and open tundra, usually on a shared snowmobile with a driver switch partway through, stopping in a clearing to wait for the sky. A good option if you want the ride itself to be worth it independent of what the aurora does. Personally, we prefer dog-sledding for the silence and the connection with the animals.
Evening tours to Abisko
This is super common in Kiruna: the local sky clouds over, and a tour operator drives you toward Abisko's clearer microclimate instead. These usually include transport, warm gear, hot drinks, and multiple viewing stops along the way. Since Abisko tends to outperform Kiruna on tricky-weather nights, this option can save a trip that would otherwise be a bust. Full breakdown of these tours in our Abisko Northern Lights Tours guide. Abisko has such a reputation for auroras that a northern lights guide in Rovaniemi told us that he sometimes drives overnight all the way there!
Photography-focused tours
Built around getting you a usable shot rather than a nice memory: a guide who doubles as your photographer, proper camera gear, and edited files sent afterward. Many general chase tours now bundle this in as standard, so check the listing's inclusions before assuming you need a dedicated "photography tour." For settings and technique if you'd rather shoot it yourself, see our aurora photography guide.
ICEHOTEL and Sámi culture combos
Some tours pair an evening aurora chase with a visit to the ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjärvi or a Sámi-run reindeer camp, which works well if you'd rather not treat the aurora as the only reason to be outside. We cover the ICEHOTEL and Jukkasjärvi in more depth in our Kiruna guide and we included it in our selection of the best hotels in Swedish Lapland.
Sauna and hot tub combos
Less common as a dedicated tour, more common as a hotel amenity. Camp Ripan's outdoor hot tub, which we've sat in more than once waiting for a show, does the same job as a mobile tour without the bus, in exchange for staying put rather than chasing clearer sky elsewhere. However, you obviously have no flexibility is the weather is bad.
🐧 Compare northern lights tours with reviews on Viator
🐧 Compare northern lights tours with reviews on GetYourGuide
Kiruna vs. a tour to Abisko
When the sky is clear and there is activity, no need to go to Abisko: I took this picture on the frozen lake by Camp Alta
If you're only booking one tour and want to weigh this properly: a Kiruna-based tour keeps you close to town, your hotel, and everything else you're likely doing that day. A Kiruna-to-Abisko tour trades that convenience for better odds on a cloudy night, since Abisko's "Blue Hole" microclimate holds up more often than Kiruna's sky.
If you're only in Kiruna for one or two nights, check the forecast for both towns that afternoon and let the tour operator's own real-time read on the weather guide the decision: most Kiruna-based operators already default to Abisko on a cloudy night without you needing to ask. If you have three or more nights, there's no need to overthink it. Try Kiruna first and add an Abisko evening only if you need to. We go deeper on this comparison in our Northern Lights in Kiruna guide, and you can know more about the Blue Hole phenomenon in our Abisko Northern Lights Tours guide.
Explore aurora tours in Abisko:
How to choose the right tour
No northern lights that night, but Camp Ripan spa is always lovely at -30ºC!
A short checklist, in the order we'd use it:
Check the group size first. It tells you more about how flexible the tour can be with its route than almost anything else on the listing.
If "guaranteed" appears in the title, find the actual terms before you book. A money-back refund and an unlimited-range promise are different things, and neither one is a promise you'll personally see the lights (the sun and Lady Aurora are the bosses here!).
Read the most recent reviews, not just the overall rating, and see if a specific guide is mentioned by name.
Confirm what's included: thermal suits, hot drinks, and photography support are common but not universal.
Check the pickup point if you're staying outside central Kiruna, at Camp Alta, Jukkasjärvi, or one of the outlying lodges.
Whatever you book, dress properly underneath whatever they hand you. Read our what to wear for a northern lights trip guide so you're not relying on a rental snowsuit alone.
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FAQ: Northern lights tours in Kiruna
Are northern lights tours in Kiruna worth it? For most first-time visitors, yes, especially without a rental car. A guide tracking cloud cover in real time and driving toward clear sky is hard to replicate on your own, particularly on a short stay. If you do have a car and a few nights to spare, you can absolutely go it alone, see our Northern Lights in Kiruna guide for the best DIY viewing spots.
Do "guaranteed" northern lights tours in Kiruna actually guarantee a sighting? No. It usually means a money-back or voucher refund if the group doesn't see or photograph the aurora, or a promise to drive as far as needed chasing clear sky. Neither is a promise you'll personally see the lights, since no operator controls the weather or solar activity.
What's the difference between a minibus tour and a snowmobile tour in Kiruna? A minibus or van chase is about mobility, covering distance to find clear sky. A snowmobile safari makes the ride itself part of the experience, moving through dark forest and open tundra, with the aurora as a bonus rather than the sole focus.
Can I combine a northern lights tour with dog sledding in Kiruna? Yes, and it's one of the more popular combinations in town. You get a guaranteed activity in the dogs either way, with the aurora as an extra if the sky cooperates.
Should I book a Kiruna tour or a tour to Abisko? Depends on your timeline. With one or two nights, let the operator's real-time forecast decide, most Kiruna-based tours already default to Abisko on a cloudy night. With three or more nights, there's no need to choose in advance. Full comparison in our Kiruna vs. Abisko section.
Do I need to bring my own camera on a photography tour? No, most photography-focused tours provide a guide who shoots for you on their own equipment and sends files afterward. Bring your own gear only if you specifically want to practice shooting the aurora yourself, our photography tips guide covers settings either way.
Here is my favorite travel playlist to call the northern lights:
Whatever type you book, minibus, snowmobile, dog sled, or a private chase toward Abisko, the tour changes your odds more than almost any other decision on the trip. Pick for flexibility and honest terms over a headline that promises more than any tour (or anyone!) can.
And if you want to boost your chances, book the right accommodation for aurora viewings: see our Best Hotels in Kiruna guide, and our Favorite Hotels in Swedish Lapland.
Finally, explore all of our Lapland Travel Guides here.
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Planning a Lapland trip? Explore our detailed guides:
🏨 Best Hotels in Kiruna — Ice rooms, riverside cabins, and skies that glow in green.
🏨 Best Hotels in Swedish Lapland — Icehotels, glass igloos, and cozy cabins under the northern lights.
💚 Northern Lights in Kiruna, Swedish Lapland — Best time, where to go, where to stay and how it compares to Abisko
🗓️ Best Time to Visit Lapland — Sweden, Finland and Norway compared
🦌 Things to Do in Kiruna & Swedish Lapland Year Round — Aurora skies, Sámi culture, and the northern edge of cozy.
❄️ Things to Do in Kiruna in Winter — Blue-hour days, husky trails, and Northern Lights that light up the whole sky.
🌌 Abisko Northern Lights Tours — Clear skies, the Blue Hole and Sweden’s most reliable aurora nights.
🏔️ Best Hotels in Abisko — lodges, cabins and Sweden’s Blue Hole sky.
🎄 Kiruna vs. Rovaniemi: Swedish Lapland vs. Finnish Lapland — Two Arctic capitals, one epic showdown.
⭐ Northern Lights in Lapland — Best destinations, when to go, what to wear and tips in Sweden and Finland
🦌 One Lapland trip, three countries — How to combine Sweden, Finland & Norway
❄️ Our Ultimate Arctic Travel Guide — How to explore, survive, and avoid becoming a polar bear’s lunch.
✨ Northern Lights for Dummies — How to actually see the aurora (without freezing your butt off or waiting 12 nights in vain).
