ARCTIC LAPLAND

Fjellborg Arctic Journeys is based in the village of Poikkijärvi near Kiruna in Sweden’s northernmost province, Lapland, approx. 200 km north of the Arctic Circle. For perspective, this is north of Nome and Fairbanks in Alaska, north of Iceland and north of most of Siberia too.

Unlike many other Arctic destinations that are accessible only by privately chartered aircrafts, our nearest airport in Kiruna (20 min from the Fjellborg Homestead in Poikkijärvi) is trafficked by daily direct flights from Stockholm (90 min). It is also possible to reach Kiruna by train from southern Sweden and from northern Norway. As a guest of Fjellborg Arctic Journeys, you will be greeted on arrival in Kiruna by your private guide.

Central European Time (UTC+1)

Swedish krona (SEK). 1 krona=100 öre.

If you want to visit Sweden and are a citizen of a country outside the EU, you may need a visa. Check with a Swedish diplomatic representative in your home country and allow two months for visa application. Passport holders from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US can enter and stay in Sweden without a visa for up to 90 days.

Swedish, Sámi, Finnish and Mieänkieli are the four official languages in the Kiruna Municipality, which is the geographically largest and most northernmost municipality in Sweden. All guides at Fjellborg Arctic Journeys are fluent in English.

Arctic Lapland has a subarctic climate with short, cool summers and long, cold winters. The snow cover generally lasts from October to early May but snowfall can occur year-round. The polar night lasts from 11 December to 1 January in Kiruna. During this period the sun does not rise above the horizon. The average temperature in Kiruna in January is -16.0°C (+3.2°F).

The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights or polar lights, is a spectacular natural phenomenon that occur when electrically charged particles from the sun enter the earth’s atmosphere and collide with gases such as oxygen and nitrogen. The Auroras are seen in both the Arctic and Antarctic regions and occur year round. In Arctic Lapland the best time to see them is between September and March, when the night sky is dark.

Arctic Lapland is home to bears, wolverines, lynx and the elusive Arctic fox, which is completely white in winter. These predators are shy and peaceful and do not cause any danger to people exploring the wilderness. The animals we most frequently encounter on our dog sledding excursions are reindeer and moose, and birds such as the ptarmigan and eagle.

Arctic Lapland is a mushing mecca and few tourists leave the region without having tried their hands at what has become an intrinsic part of the Lapland culture. The slower pace of dog sledding gives you plenty of time to take in all the impressions and to travel across the frozen tundra in pure silence is an unforgettable experience. Dog sledding is also an eco-friendly way of travel and we can proudly say that on our journeys, we leave only footprints behind.

The Sámi people (traditionally known in English as Lapps or Laplanders) are an Finno-Ugric people inhabiting the Arctic area of Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. Traditionally, the Sami have pursued a variety of livelihoods, including coastal fishing, fur trapping, and sheep herding. Their best-known means of livelihood is semi-nomadic reindeer herding.

Built from blocks of ice from the Torne River, the award winning ICEHOTEL welcome guests from all around the world between December and March. Its ice rooms, furniture and ice sculptures are individually carved each year by international artists and guests sleep in thermal sleeping bags on beds made of ice blocks covered with reindeer hides. ICEHOTEL is located in the village of Jukkasjärvi, outside Kiruna – just a short walk from the Fjellborg Homestead in Poikkijärvi.