The Lapland winter adventure – with your own 4×4

Lapland in winter – the way you want it

On this page: The car Experiences Hotels & lodges Route Winter driving North Cape Weather

A husky tour through the silent forest, a snowmobile safari over a frozen lake, a night in a lodge with the northern lights above – Lapland in winter is one of the great adventures of Europe.

On a package tour you see it from a bus window. With your own winter-proof 4×4 you go where it is best, stay as long as you like and combine the experiences that matter to you. Our Winter Epic planner puts them together into a route – day by day, with the providers and places to stay.

Why the car makes the difference in winter

In Lapland the best places are not in the town centre. The husky farm is at the end of a snowy forest road, the wilderness lodge by a frozen lake, the dark sky for the northern lights far away from the street lights. You need a car that gets you there – every day, at −25 °C.

• Ineos Grenadier: permanent four-wheel drive, low range, three locking differentials and studded tyres. Built for exactly these roads.
• Land Rover Discovery: permanent four-wheel drive, low range, two locking differentials and Nordic winter tyres. Land Rover’s Terrain Response adjusts everything automatically to snow and ice – at least as capable as the Grenadier, and very comfortable on the long stretches.
• Both are prepared for the Nordic winter, with a diesel heater and recovery gear on board.
• Unlimited kilometres and comprehensive insurance – you drive to the North Cape and back without counting.

The experiences that make Lapland

This is why you come: days you never forget. You book them directly with local providers – our planner shows you which ones fit your route and on which day.

• Husky tours – from a few hours to several days with your own team of dogs.
• Snowmobile safaris over frozen lakes and through the fjäll, often with a fire and a hot drink in the wilderness.
• Reindeer and Sami culture – feed the reindeer, ride in a reindeer sled and hear the stories of the people who live up here.
• Northern lights tours with guides who know where the sky is clear.
• The Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, where the art suites are built new from the ice of the Torne river every winter.
• Ice fishing, a wood-fired sauna by the lake and a dip in the ice hole.
• The North Cape in winter – the northernmost point of the road in Europe.

Where you sleep: hotels, lodges and cabins

After a day in the cold you want a warm room. On the winter route you stay in places that are an experience themselves – and the planner suggests one for every night.

• Wilderness lodges by frozen lakes, often with a sauna and dinner included.
• Glass igloos and aurora cabins where you watch the northern lights from your bed.
• The Icehotel or one of its warm rooms next door.
• Comfortable hotels in Kiruna, Abisko, Jokkmokk, Alta and Rovaniemi.
• Cosy cabins for families and small groups.
• For the brave: our winter cars also have a heated rooftop tent – a night under the stars is possible, but not a must.

The route: from Dalarna to Lapland and the North Cape

Our base in Dalarna is the start. The big loop takes about three weeks and stays on the quiet inland roads – not on the busy E4 along the coast.

• Less time? A 10–14 day loop to Kiruna and Abisko and back gives you the best of Swedish Lapland.
• With the Winter Epic planner you set the days, the pace and your experiences – it builds the route day by day.

Driving in winter: what you need to know

Winter driving in northern Sweden is easier than most people think. The main roads are ploughed and gritted every day, and the locals drive them all winter.

• Winter tyres are compulsory from 1 December to 31 March in winter conditions – our cars have them, the Grenadier with studs.
• Drive in daylight. Plan 250–400 km a day and arrive before dark – in midwinter the days are short.
• Reindeer and moose on the road are normal up north. Slow down when you see them, they often stand still or run along the road.
• Fuel: fill up when the tank is half empty. In Lapland there can be 100 km and more between two stations.
• Many fuel stations are unmanned and open around the clock: you pay at the pump by card with PIN.
• Countries: you may drive our cars in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark.

The North Cape in winter

Yes, you can drive to the North Cape in winter. The last stretch of the E69, from the Skarsvåg junction to the North Cape plateau, is driven in a convoy behind a snowplough when there is snow and wind.

• The convoy leaves at fixed times several times a day. In the 2025/26 winter, for example, at 08:30, 10:00, 12:00, 14:30 and 19:30 towards the North Cape.
• Times can change and the road can close in storms. Check the current times on vegvesen.no or in the Vegvesen app before you go.
• Plan a buffer day in Honningsvåg – the weather decides, not the calendar.

Weather and daylight in Lapland

• Typical values for Kiruna. In the forests of Dalarna it is clearly milder.
• Our tip: February and March. Lots of snow, more daylight for driving and activities – and the nights are still dark enough for the northern lights.

Want to see the northern lights on the way? Read our guide to the northern lights in Sweden.

Northern lights in Sweden →

Sources: Statens vegvesen – convoy times Finnmark · Kiruna Lapland – month by month · Swedish Transport Agency – winter tyres