Arctic Circle Train: Traveling Lapland By Train
Last Updated on October 26, 2024
Travel the northernmost region of Europe on one of the greatest rail journeys in the world: the Arctic Circle Train and see Lapland by train.
Extending for hundreds of miles above the Arctic Circle, Lapland is one of the last remaining wildernesses in Europe. For many, this northern extreme is a mystery – where the midnight sun shines endlessly in summer and the stunning Northern Lights dance in the sky during the long, polar winter nights. Vast and rugged, Lapland is a large region that stretches across four countries and bounded by three different seas in the northernmost part of Europe.
The best way to explore this massive wilderness area is by train, specifically the Arctic Circle Train. Known as one of the greatest train journeys in the world, the Arctic Circle train brings travelers along stunning fjords, near frozen glaciers, under icy waterfalls and whisk you past fairytale towns. It offers stunning scenery of Lapland and lets you see many of the rural parts of Scandinavia that are not accessible by cars.
The Arctic Circle Train is also a great way to get from one Arctic town to another and you might even have the chance to spot the Aurora Borealis from your train window. Taking the train is just one of the many fun things to do in Lapland though, bundle up and get ready for some icy thrills!
READ MORE: 10 Great Rail Journeys Around the World
Table of Contents
Traveling Lapland on the Arctic Circle Train
Armed with some ultra-thick winter gear, we hopped on board the Arctic Circle Train and weaved our way through the sugar-coated wonderland. Over two weeks, we experienced three different parts of Lapland and drank in the spectacular landscapes and pristine nature that the area had to offer.
As our train worked its way around the edges of the mountains, we admired narrow fjords, steep mountain slopes, and random clusters of Nordic villages. The Arctic Circle train journey was easily the most beautiful scenic route on our entire trip in Lapland.
Rovaniemi, Finland
Our voyage started in Rovaniemi, the capital of the Finnish Lapland, and a major gateway to the northern extreme. It was an excellent launching pad to explore the surrounding wilderness. There were so many ways to get out and about – we sledded with husky-dogs, rode on snowmobiles and even glided through the Luosto forest on a reindeer caravan.
That said, Rovaniemi itself is quite a cute, charming city. Besides the array of good hotels, restaurants and bars, there’s also the Artikum Museum which tells stories about Lapland, its history, culture and nature. In Rovaniemi, we also had the opportunity to cross the Arctic Circle, which lies 8km north of town. This area is also the official residence of Santa Claus, and his post office.
Abisko, Sweden
Then we hopped back onto the Arctic Circle Train and crossed borders into Sweden, where our next stop was Abisko. With our base at Abisko Mountain Lodge, the 75-square-kilometre Abisko National Park was just steps away and the stunning Lake Torneträsk in the near distance.
We packed our schedule with fun winter activities, such as snowmobiling through the national park (where we almost fell into the frozen lake), a safari on dog sleighs, and a chairlift ride up to the Aurora Sky Station. We also made a day-trip to the original ICEHOTEL where we wandered through its gorgeous art suites and sipped cocktails from ice glasses. Read my review of the Sweden ICEHOTEL.
One of the main goals of this trip was to see the Northern Lights in Abisko. We’d heard that Abisko is the driest place in Sweden and is sheltered by the surrounding mountains from winds, which makes it one of the best places in the world to see Northern Lights. We were lucky enough to watch the sky dance and dazzle, and the aurora lighting it up with beams of light yellow and green.
Narvik, Norway
Our final stop was Narvik in Northern Norway, where the Arctic Circle Train journey ends. This was by far the best part of the journey. The views were the most impressive: narrow fjords ran alongside us, mammoth mountains loomed in the far distance, and frozen lakes stretched for miles beneath our feet. If you can only choose one section of the train route to take, this should be it.
In contrast with the other towns in Lapland, Narvik almost feels like a cosmopolitan city despite its humble population of 18,500. Tall buildings rise from the city center, while the port extends all the way to the water’s edge and countless alpine houses stand on the hill slopes overlooking the city. Located at the edge of the Ofoton fjord, Narvik is enveloped within a beautiful bay, surrounded by the sea, mountain slopes and ski pistes.
While the characteristically Lappish huskies and sleighs are missing in Narvik, there’s still a slew of activities available to the dare devils. We ventured up to the slopes of Narvikfjollet and challenged ourselves to an obstacle course that got us swinging, jumping and hanging like monkeys. Right after conquering our fears, we headed up to the peak for a panoramic view of the surrounding fjords and it made the task well worth it.
By night, we headed to Tinja Mountain Farm, where we met a native Sámi senior, listened to his childhood stories, dined on gourmet Nordic cuisine, and went hunting for the Northern Lights – it was a perfect way to end our Lapland journey.
Other Stops on the Arctic Circle Train:
The Arctic Circle Train officially starts in Stockholm and there are in total 12 stops along the journey to Narvik. You can choose to stop as many times as you want if you have a train pass (more info in the next paragraph). Besides the places I mentioned above, here are a few other stops that might be worth visiting:
Kiruna is one of the most popular places in the Swedish Lapland to see the Northern Lights. It is also the place to go dog sledding and cross-country skiing through forests and alongside lakes, to visit Esrange, Europe’s largest civil space centre, or witness the historical relocation of Kiruna.
The next worthwhile stop along the Arctic Circle line is Björkliden. Several hikes begin and end here – or you could walk back to Abisko along a section of the Rallarvägen trail. This path edges the train line and was originally used by the men who built the railway, but is now a popular route for hikers and cyclists.
After Riksgränsen, the northernmost ski resort in Sweden, the train continues through a fairytale landscape of steep mountains, past the greenish waters of Ofotfjorden, one of Norway’s many fjords. Here the best views begin and you can’t help but want to keep travelling west towards the wild Lofoten Islands.
How to Book the Trip:
You can easily book tickets directly on the Scandinavia Rail website. A one-way journey from Stockholm to Narvik (which takes 18.30 hours without stops) costs around 99euros per person. If you are looking to make a few stops, you’ll need to buy separate tickets for each leg of the trip. I recommend getting a pass as it’s much more affordable and worthwhile.
The Eurail Pass covers the Arctic Circle Train journey and no reservation is needed. All you need is jump on the train and show your Eurail Pass when the conductor comes. If you don’t intend to get a Eurail Pass, the Swedish National Railways offer the Arctic Circle Pass, which is a flexible three-day ticket that allows you to hop on and off as much as you like (364 SEK or US$44). The price is amazing, considering how expensive things usually are in Scandinavia.
Want to Read More about the Artic?
That’s a wrap! Thank you for reading all the way to the end. If you have any question, feel free to leave me a comment below!
Read my articles on Scandinavia below:
- Norway in a Nutshell
- Bergen Travel Guide
- 11 Fun Things to Do in Lapland in Winter
- Arctic Circle Train: Traveling Lapland by Train
- Svalbard Landscapes: Icebergs and Glaciers
- Riding the Glacier Express
- 15 Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Europe
- Best Winter Destinations in Europe
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READ MORE: Norway In A Nutshell
The Comments
Nellie
hey Sebastian, where did you end up studying? Berlin? We really liked Rovaniemi, it\’s such a cute and pretty town with so much nature around it. I hate the cold, especially since I grew up in the tropics, but I seriously feel the cold at all when we were there. Maybe because it\’s a dry kind of cold, without the wet wind that chills your bones. Plus, it\’s always warm and nice indoors (not like in Spain where we\’re based). Anyhow, I\’m sure you\’ll get to Norway soon but give Finland a chance too!
Nellie
Great to hear that Angela! Lapland is definitely a special place, you have to see it for yourself. :)
Nellie Huang
The lodge provided transport for us. I remember it being very near. Hope that helps!
Nellie Huang
hi Adeline! Happy to share my itinerary. We took the train from Rovaniemi to Kemi (Finland) and then changed to a bus to Lulea (Sweden). We stayed overnight there then continued by train to Abisko. There are a few other options here: https://rail.cc/en/train/abisko-to-rovaniemi
Kristen
Thank you for all of this information and a great article. I’ve been trying to plan an upcoming trip to the Lapland area and I really wanted to stop between Finland and Sweden in Helsinki, Rovaniemi, Kiruna and Abisko but have been struggling to find info on trains, buses etc. It seems like everything required multiple connections between Rovaniemi to Kiruna. Can you tell me, is there a specific Route called the Arctic Circle that takes you direct between the 2 towns? Thanks!
Nellie Huang
Kristenhi Kristen, thanks for stopping by! The Arctic Circle train goes from Kiruna to Narvik in Norway, stopping in Abisko enroute. You can see all the stops here. Unfortunately, there’s no direct train between Rovaniemi and Kiruna. There are three routes you can take to go from Rovaniemi to Kiruna: see them here. We took the train from Rovaniemi to Kemi, then a bus to Lulea, and then a train from there to Abisko. Hope this helps!
Ronald Kotecki
Looking to go to the Artic circle
lynn
thanks for great article. Planning Winter break vacation. Do you recommend taking Artic Circle train in January with two boys (6 &10)?
plan to start from Stockholm, stop by Kiruna and Abisko for 2-3 days to check our luck with sighting the Northern Light. then continue to Narvik. we have about total 10 days to spend. any particular places would you recommend to go with kids?
Nellie Huang
lynnhi Lynn, yes I think January is a great time! We did this trip in December all through to January, spending Christmas in Oslo. I think 10 days is a good duration. Kiruna and Abisko are both awesome, don’t forget to check out the Ice Hotel near there. Are you planning to go to the Finnish Lapland? That’s the more affordable region. Rovaniemi is said to be the hometown of Santa Claus, so we actually visited his ‘home’, shook hands with him, and also went to the post office where they receive millions of letters from kids each year. That would probably be really cool for your kids. But your kids are relatively big so perhaps they won’t like that. In general, I think you can do SO much stuff with them in Lapland, like dogsledding, snowmobiling and ice-fishing.
MeiQin
Hello! Your article is wonderful!
I would like to ask how do I get from Rovaniemi onto the arctic circle train? We would like to get to Abisko from Rovaniemi. I’ve been trying to find route of Arctic Circle Train but cant get anything.