If you’re planning a trip to Lapland in the far north of Sweden, you’ll find Kiruna Airport, nestled above the Arctic Circle, the perfect destination to reach this winter wonderland. There is beauty in this extreme climate, the land of the northern lights and the midnight sun.

Kiruna Airport is the most northerly airport in Sweden and opened in 1960 to serve the residents and business, the mining industry, scientific research including by the space agency NASA and the UK’s Met Office, and more recently tourism. Today, there are several flights each day to and from Sweden’s Stockholm Arlanda international airport, connecting local people with the capital city as well as bringing international visitors to this northerly setting.

Although nearly a quarter of a million people pass through Kiruna airport each your, you’ll find it one of the smallest in Sweden serving international passengers. The airport operates six days a week and opens its doors 2.5hrs before flights begin. Inside the terminal building, you’ll find a bistro serving Scandinavian favourites like meatballs, a souvenir shop selling local crafts, a VIP lounge and conference centre. Outside there’s a taxi rank, bus stop and parking.

If you are planning a trip to Kiruna, our friendly Avis team members at Kiruna Airport are experts on the region and are on hand to offer advice and provide the perfect rental car for your trip.

You’ll find our Avis counter in the arrivals hall at Kiruna Airport inside the terminal building. The Avis rental car park is just across the road, a short walk from the terminal entrance.

Kiruna Airport is located 10 km southeast of the centre of Kiruna.

From your Avis pick-up point at Kiruna Airport, the drive northeast along the E10 highway to Kiruna town will take you around 12min. Turn left out of the airport parking onto Flygfältsvägen before joining the E10 taking the exit to Kiruna at the second roundabout. The town is well signposted from this point.

Time spent in Kiruna is all about the outdoors, whether you are here in winter or summer, this is the base for year round arctic experiences. Whether that’s snowboarding, dog sledding or enjoying a stay at the Ice Hotel to watch the northern lights in winter or hiking, swimming or getting immersed in the culture of the Sami people as they work with their reindeer in summer.

Kiruna’s underground iron-ore mine is the largest in the world and a visit to its museum at the LKAB’s Visitor Centre where a bus takes you into the mountain and you journey 540 metres below ground, comes highly recommended. There are several heritage buildings to visit in the town including the 19th-century home of Hjalmar Lundbohmsgården the mine’s first managing director where there is a museum and snug café with a photography exhibition in the courtyard.

Kiruna Airport is in the north of Norrbotten County, Sweden’s largest county with a landmass covering a quarter of the country. This is a vast, remote and beautiful region offering the chance to immerse yourself in the natural world.

Drive north along the E10 highway to Björkliden, a beautiful ski resort between the mountains and the sea where the sun never sets in summer and you can play 18 holes of golf through the night. The 104km trip from Kiruna to Björkliden takes around 1hr16min.

Stop off at Abisko, regarded where the Abisko Sky Station is regarded as one of the best spots to experience the magic of the northern lights.

Just around the corner from Kiruna, you’ll find the world’s largest ice hotel in Jukkasjärvi. This 17th century settlement is a 20min drive south and east of the town along the E10 and north along Marknadsvägen.

For a longer road trip of 334 km and 4hr though this stunning landscape, take the E10 and then the E4 south of Kiruna to Luleå, the largest city in Norrbotten County. Often described as an arctic gem, Luleå is seen as the gateway to Sweden’s Lapland. Don’t miss the Gammelstad Church Town, an art-filled arctic cycling trail around the city or the dining – the city has a vibrant food culture based on locally sourced ingredients with an international twist.

Travelling by bus or train are the public transport options in Kiruna and Norrbotten County. The train line either takes you north via Abisko to Narvik in Norway or south to Lulea. For the freedom to explore beyond the rail or bus timetable, hiring a car from Avis at Kiruna Airport gives you the freedom to enjoy exploring this beautiful region from the moment you touch down.

Hiring a car is a popular way to explore northern Sweden. The highway network across Norrbotten County is good and the roads are relatively empty. However, be aware that you are crossing remote, open country and be aware of wildlife. Snow and ice are a feature of life in winter here, but your car will be equipped with winter tyres and the authorities will close roads in severe conditions.

As in the rest of mainland Europe, you’ll be driving on the right-hand side of the road as you leave the airport.

If you have not driven in this part of the world before, we’d advise checking the road rules for driving in Sweden before you set off.