Aurora Sky Station on Njullá

5 min read Updated October 2026

The Aurora Sky Station is a small mountain station near the summit of Njullá, also written Nuolja, inside Abisko National Park. It stands at about 900 metres; the summit itself reaches about 1,160. Svenska Turistföreningen (STF) runs it together with STF Abisko Turiststation at the foot of the mountain. Up top there is a large viewing terrace, an observation tower, a café, a souvenir shop and an exhibition on the history of the northern lights, and in the evenings there are talks about the aurora.

The station is not a tour you can book through this site. Tickets come directly from STF on the STF Aurora Sky Station page, which also lists the current prices.

How it started

A northern lights package for Abisko was first sold in 2000. Two years later the Japanese aurora enthusiast Hirohisa Makino called Abisko the best place in the world to see the northern lights, and in 2004 a Japanese TV crew broadcast the aurora live from here. In 2005 Makino started working as an aurora guide here. After that the first aurora camera was set up and the aurora product was developed. The station on the mountain opened on 23 February 2007. Today Kiruna Lapland lists the station's live camera as a way to check the sky over Abisko.

The chairlift ride

The lower station is about a 10-minute walk from STF Abisko Turiststation and from the train stop of the same name. The lift uses open double chairs and takes roughly 20 to 40 minutes, depending on how often it stops; the operator describes the ride as about two kilometres long. Dress for wind and cold before you sit down. Minors may ride only with an adult.

Dogs are allowed on the lift in summer, by day and in the evening, and in winter only during the day. They ride next to you or on your lap, with an evacuation harness and a muzzle, and stay on a lead in the park.

Opening times 2026 and 2027

The station has two seasons, with a closed period in between. In the dark half of the year it opens in the evening, from 19 October 2026 to 27 March 2027, between 21:00 and 1:00, and these evenings must be booked ahead. Daytime rides in late winter run from 13 February to 26 April 2027, from 9:30 to 16:00, when the days are already long.

In summer 2027 the lift runs by day from 14 June to 27 September, again 9:30 to 16:00. From 14 June to 18 July it also opens in the evening, from 20:00 to 1:30. Those nights fall in the midnight sun: in Abisko the sun stays above the horizon from 25 May to 19 July 2027, so the summer evenings are about light and views, not aurora.

The Night Visit

The Night Visit is STF's guided evening at the station, offered from 19 October 2026 to 27 March 2027. It includes a guide, the chairlift up and down and warm clothing and boots, which you pick up at the lower station. Bring a warm hat, a neck warmer or balaclava and insulated gloves yourself. The evening ends by 1:00 at the latest. The Night Visit itself starts at 20:30; the general evening opening of the station runs from 21:00. Check the time on your booking.

Only 40 places are available each night. STF recommends booking and paying in advance, especially in high season; drop-in tickets at the lower station are sold only if places remain. If the weather stops the lift, there is no refund. Instead the group spends the evening in a wood-heated lávvu in the national park and walks to aurora viewpoints at ground level. STF also runs a Northern Light Dinner at the station, a four-course meal for guests from 16 years, with the group meeting at 17:30 at the reception of STF Abisko Turiststation. On that page STF adds its own figures from previous seasons: the station was open for 90 percent of the scheduled time, and the aurora was visible on 70 percent of the nights it was open.

Aurora, clouds and the blue hole

STF names late August to April as the period when the aurora can be seen in Abisko, with the best chances from mid-November to mid-March. Kiruna Lapland points out that September, October and March often bring strong displays as well. In all cases you need a clear sky, though a small gap in the clouds can be enough, because the clouds sit far below the aurora.

STF also mentions a local effect called the blue hole: a patch of clear sky over Abisko when it is cloudy around it. SMHI confirms the background. Abisko lies in a rain shadow east of the mountains and, with a normal of 347 millimetres of precipitation a year, is the driest weather station in Sweden. That does not mean every night is clear. The station raises your viewpoint above the valley, but it cannot guarantee a display. For guided tours that drive or walk to wherever the sky is open, see our northern lights tours.

Dressing for the station

STF's advice for the station is to wear long underwear and a long-sleeved base layer, a warm sweater, a scarf, a hat and gloves, with your warmest jacket on the outside, since loft and trapped air keep you warm. Choose shoes somewhat larger than usual, to leave room for socks and insulating air. Do not shower or take a sauna just before the trip, and skip water-based face creams, which can raise the risk of frostbite in the cold. The what to wear page goes into layers in more detail.