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6 Alternatives to Iceland (Without the Crowds or the Price Tag)
Don’t get us wrong: we love Iceland. We first went 17 years ago, in fall, and had the waterfalls, black sand beaches and hostels all to ourselves. We came back twice, and our latest trip in 2026 was way too busy for our taste, even in winter. The country has also become very, very expensive! Since then, the question we get most from friends and readers is some version of this: Where to go instead of Iceland, if I don’t wan crowds or crazy prices?
This is our answer, and every place on it is somewhere we have been. Some are for the northern lights, some are remote islands, and two are for anyone whose favorite part of Iceland was sitting in hot water while the ground steams around them.
7 Alternatives to Tromsø for the Northern Lights (Without the Crowds or the Price Tag)
We've spent winters all over the Arctic: Alta, Senja, Tromsø & Lofoten in Norway, Swedish & Finnish Lapland, Iceland and Greenland. So when people write to ask where else to go because Tromsø is booked out, we've usually just come back from one of those alternatives ourselves.
We've even recommended Tromsø before, as a calmer, less commercial answer to Rovaniemi in our Magical Alternatives to Rovaniemi guide. The trouble is, the same thing that made Rovaniemi worth escaping has started catching up with Tromsø: sold-out hotel, tour buses queued at the same handful of viewpoints, and prices that climb every winter the city gets more popular. Here are the alternatives to Tromsø we’d recommend for the northern lights, and what you'd be trading to go there.
Tromsø vs. Rovaniemi vs. Kiruna: Which Arctic Hub Should You Visit?
We've spent different seasons all over the Arctic: Kiruna, Abisko, Luleå, Alta, Tromsø, Lofoten, Svalbard, and Finnish Lapland outside Rovaniemi too. So, when people ask us to pick between Tromsø, Rovaniemi, and Kiruna, we're quite qualified to answer.
These are the three biggest, easiest-to-reach Arctic hubs in Europe, one in each country, and they're different trips wearing the same "see the northern lights" marketing and Sámi culture. I actually covered this lack of differentiation in my Master thesis on polar tourism! Here's how Tromsø, Rovaniemi and Kiruna compare, and how to get between them if you’d like to combine.
Car Rental in Kiruna, Sweden: Everything You Need to Know
Kiruna, Swedish Lapland, is definitely small enough to walk across, but the moment you want the ICEHOTEL, Abisko, or a run at the aurora somewhere darker than town, you'll want your own wheels. Here's your guide to rent a car in Kiruna. We’ve been there 7 times!
Kiruna to Abisko: How to Get There by Train, Bus, or Car
Abisko sits about 94 kilometers northwest of Kiruna, Swedish Lapland, on the same rail and road corridor that continues on to Riksgränsen and across the border into Narvik, Norway. Most people making this trip are headed for Abisko National Park, the Aurora Sky Station, or a stretch of the Kungsleden, and there are three ways to get from Kiruna to Abisko: train, bus, or car. We did the three, and here's how each one works.
How to See the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi: With or Without a Car
Rovaniemi sits right on the Arctic Circle and is easy to reach from all over Europe, but it's still a city with streetlights, so where you stand does more work here than in a lot of Lapland towns. And whether you've got a car changes everything. Here is how, when, and where to see the northern lights in Rovaniemi with or without a car.
Northern Lights in Sweden: Where to Go and When to See Them
Sweden doesn't have one northern lights destination, it has three, and they don't behave the same way. Kiruna, Abisko, and Luleå, all in Lapland, each give you a real shot at the aurora, but for different reasons, and the right base depends on the kind of trip you're planning. This page is the fast version: where to go, when to go, what your odds really are, and whether you need a tour at all, based on two decades of experience chasing the aurora in the far north.
Northern Lights Tours in Sweden: How to Choose
Sweden has three real bases for a northern lights tour: Kiruna, Abisko, and Luleå, all in Lapland. Each has its own tour scene, and we've covered each in depth elsewhere. This page is the fast version: how to pick a destination, what a good tour includes, and whether you need one at all.
ICEHOTEL, Sweden: What It's Really Like (Prices, Facts & Tips)
We've visited the ICEHOTEL, Swedish Lapland, seven times, and it's a different icy museum every time! The whole thing melts back into the Torne River each spring and gets rebuilt from scratch the next winter by artists from all over the world. We’ve visited other ice hotels in other countries, but this one is admittedly our favorite.
Sure, it’s pricey (and definitely worth it). But if you’re on a budget, you don't have to sleep on ice to visit. Here's the quick version, then the details. Ice ice baby!
Northern Lights Tours in Kiruna: How to Choose
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.
Northern Lights in Kiruna: Best Time, Where to Watch & How to Check the Forecast
Kiruna, Swedish Lapland, is where my Arctic obsession actually began. I first came here as a student at Dalarna University back in 2007, fell for the place immediately, and ended up writing my master's thesis on polar destinations. I’ve been back seven times since, and Kiruna was also the first Arctic destination I ever brought Jake to. So when we talk about this sky, it's not theoretical!
Kiruna sits at 67.85°N, about 145 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, which puts it well inside the auroral oval, the band of sky around the North Pole where the aurora shows up most often.
This guide covers when to go, where to watch (with or without a tour), how to check the forecast, and how Kiruna compares to nearby Abisko, since that's the question we get asked the most, and one we can answer from having tried both ourselves, more than once.
Northern Lights Tours in Lapland, Finland: How to Choose
Rovaniemi alone has well over a hundred northern lights tours listed across Viator and GetYourGuide, and a lot of them read like the same three sentences reshuffled: local guide, real-time forecasts, "guaranteed" somewhere in the title. Levi and Saariselkä add their own smaller rosters on top of that. The listings aren't lying exactly, they're just marketing, and it's worth knowing what actually separates them before you hand over your evening.
This is the type-by-type breakdown: which tour gets you what, what "guaranteed" really means in Finnish Lapland specifically, and how to pick between a minibus, a snowmobile, and a husky sled when you've only got one or two free nights.
Best Northern Lights Hotels in Finland, Lapland: Igloos, Lodges, Cabins & Resorts
Every Finland aurora hotel roundup eventually points you to the same three glass igloos. Fair enough, they're famous for a reason. But Finnish Lapland runs from Levi in the west to Nellim on the Russian border, and the right bed for watching the sky depends more on which stretch of that region you're in than on whichever photo sold you on the trip in the first place.
We haven't slept in every single property on this list. What we did do is stay in one of these ourselves, visit most of the rest, and quietly drop a few famous names that don't hold up once you look past the marketing photos. Here's what's actually worth booking, split by what you want out of the stay: a glass roof over the bed, an ice hotel experience, a proper wilderness lodge, or a resort with enough going on to fill the hours between aurora checks.
Northern Lights in Lapland: A Complete Guide to Finland, Sweden & the Arctic Sky
Lapland has a claim to the northern lights that few places can match: most of it sits inside the auroral oval, the band circling the North Pole where the aurora shows up most often and most reliably. We've chased it across the region, and the biggest decision was never really when to go. It was where.
This guide covers the two Lapland regions travelers usually book: Finnish Lapland (Rovaniemi, Levi, Saariselkä) and Swedish Lapland (Kiruna, Abisko, Luleå). Both sit well within aurora range. They just offer a different experience. If you’d rather chase the lights in Norway, we have a dedicated Arctic Norway page.
How People are Actually Traveling in 2026 (and Why Quieter Destinations are Winning)
Travel in 2026 isn’t about ticking off famous places anymore. It’s about how you travel, when you go, and what kind of experience you want once you’re there.
After years of over-tourism, rising prices, and destinations that feel more like theme parks than places, travelers are making calmer, more intentional choices. And the data backs it up, as per Booking.com stats: quieter destinations, off-season travel, and colder regions are driving real bookings — not just inspiration clicks.
That makes us very happy at Penguin Trampoline, as we always encourage responsible travelling, and we are constantly looking for the perfect balance between travellers' and locals’ interests.
Here’s what’s actually shaping travel in 2026, and how to use these shifts to choose better destinations.
Best Time to Visit Lapland (Finland, Sweden & Norway)
Lapland is not one place.
It stretches across Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia, and each side behaves differently. Different snow patterns. Different temperatures. Different landscapes.
If you’re asking:
Will there be snow in Lapland in December?
Is Lapland warmer in Norway than Finland?
When is snow guaranteed?
Is November too early?
Is April too late?
You’re asking the right questions and will find an answer in this guide!
One Lapland Trip, Three Countries: How to Combine Sweden, Finland & Norway
We’re unapologetically in favor of slow travel. Fewer places, more time. Staying somewhere long enough to notice how the light shifts, how silence settles in, how weather quietly dictates the pace. In the Arctic, less is often more: winding down in a sauna after a day outside, waiting for the northern lights, watching the snow fall, enjoying a “fika” by the fire.
But we also know reality.
Time off is limited. Flights and hotels aren’t cheap. And winter travel in Lapland adds friction whether you like it or not. So this guide is about experiencing Lapland well in one week — without rushing, without backtracking, and without pretending the Arctic is smaller or easier than it is.
If you’ve got more time, perfect. Stay longer.
If you’ve got seven days, this is how to make them count.
Northern Lights Trips by Travel Style: Where to Go Based on How You Travel
The 2025-2026 northern lights season has been exceptional so far, and one thing is clear: people aren’t just asking where to see the aurora anymore. They’re asking which kind of trip actually fits them.
Short stay or long trip?
Car or no car?
Tour or no tour?
Quiet or social?
First time or return visit?
This guide helps you choose the right northern lights destination based on your travel style, so your trip works in real life — not just on paper.
Northern lights Without a Car: How to See the Aurora the Easy Way
Seeing the northern lights is one of those travel dreams that feels almost mythic — until you start planning it and suddenly everything involves icy roads, late-night driving, weather stress, and rental car disclaimers written in very small print.
Here’s the reassuring truth: you absolutely can see the northern lights without a car. In many cases, it’s not just easier — it’s smarter. We’ve done it plenty of times — Luleå, Alta, Kiruna, Rovaniemi, etc. — as we usually don’t rent a car in winter.
This guide is for travelers who want the aurora without white-knuckle winter driving, missed turnoffs in the dark, or constant road-condition checks. We’ll show you how it works, where it works best, and how to choose accommodation and tours that do the heavy lifting for you.
Things to Do in Kiruna in Winter
Kiruna in winter feels like stepping into its own Arctic dimension — blue-hour days that stretch forever, forests that glow with frost, and nights where the sky tears open in green. We’ve returned here many times, and every time it reminds us why Swedish Lapland hits differently: it’s calm, quiet, and somehow deeply personal.
If you’re heading north, here are the winter experiences that make Kiruna unforgettable.