The polar night in Abisko

5 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

Abisko lies about 68 degrees north, well inside the Arctic Circle. Around the winter solstice the sun stays below the horizon all day. According to the sun data of the US Naval Observatory for Abisko, the last sunrise of 2026 is on 5 December, when the sun shows for just 44 minutes, and the first one of 2027 is on 7 January. In between are 32 days without sunrise. Locally the mountains can hide the sun for longer, so the dates on a valley floor may differ a little from the flat-horizon calculation.

What the light looks like

The polar night is not a month of darkness. Even on the shortest day, 21 December, civil twilight lasts from about 09:09 to 14:16. Those five hours are enough for a walk in the national park, a snowmobile tour or a visit to the reindeer, as long as you start in the morning.

After about 14:30 the night begins, and that is good news for anyone here for the aurora. Kiruna Lapland notes that in winter the northern lights can appear from about 16:00, so a long evening of watching is possible before the usual peak between 21:00 and 23:00.

Times are local time (CET) from the US Naval Observatory for a flat horizon at Abisko. After the polar night the days grow quickly: by 1 February the sun is up for almost six hours again.

Planning the short days

Put anything that needs light between about 10:00 and 14:00. Daytime tours in December run in twilight rather than sunshine. Lights Over Lapland's guided afternoon hike starts at 14:00 and goes out across the frozen Torneträsk to an island, up to the Stornabben viewpoint or through the Abisko canyon, so in December it finishes after nightfall, with a fire, a warm drink and a snack if time allows. On Thursday mornings from October to March, a Sámi culture tour walks on snowshoes to a reindeer enclosure and ends at a fire in a lávvu; you meet at the entrance of Abisko Mountain Lodge 15 minutes before the start.

Snowmobile tours start in December. Outback Abisko runs its panorama tour from Björkliden from December to February and the long route to Lake Abiskojaure from December to March. An aurora dinner in a cabin above Björkliden runs from 18 November to 15 March and starts at 18:30. Bring reflectors and a headlamp with a red light, as Kiruna Lapland recommends, since you will walk to many meeting points in the dark.

Evenings and the aurora

The evening season at the Aurora Sky Station on Mount Nuolja runs from 19 October 2026 to 27 March 2027, so the station is open throughout the polar night. The guided Night Visit starts at 20:30 and has 40 places. The daytime chairlift does not run until 13 February 2027.

The guided aurora chase by Lights Over Lapland collects guests from about 20:00 and drives up to 100 km in a round trip. Reviews often mention a large bus and stops at lay-bys along the main road. If you prefer a small group, our page on northern lights tours lists the alternatives.

What else to know

The naturum visitor centre has short midwinter hours: from 1 December to 13 February it opens on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 14:00 to 17:00, according to Länsstyrelsen Norrbotten, which runs it. The ski areas in Björkliden and Riksgränsen open their main season after the dark period, in February. Getting here is easier from this winter: SJ's new contract from December 2026 brings back through sleeper cars from Stockholm to Narvik, and SAS flies from Copenhagen to Kiruna three times a week from 17 December 2026. Winter tyres are compulsory from 1 December in winter road conditions.

For the rest of the year, see the best time to visit, and for clothes that work in the dark and cold, what to wear.