Comfortable cabins and hotel rooms in Kiruna with Swedish Lapland charm. Aurora Spa on-site, traditional Swedish restaurant, and activities including Northern Lights tours and dog sledding.
Camp Ripan occupies a forested hillside on the western edge of Kiruna, the northernmost city in Sweden, situated well above the Arctic Circle at roughly 67.8°N latitude. The property is around 2 kilometres from Kiruna town centre, reachable by foot along a forest path or in five minutes by taxi. Kiruna Airport is 7 kilometres east and handles direct flights from Stockholm; the hotel offers transfers by arrangement. The surrounding landscape is defined by birch and pine forest, low hills, and in winter a deep snowpack that persists from November to April.
Accommodation spans a range of formats: standard hotel rooms in the main building, semi-detached cottage-style cabins with private entrances and small terraces, and larger family cabins with separate sleeping areas. Cabins are heated with electric systems and have private bathrooms; those on the outer edges of the property back directly onto forest. The main building houses reception, the dining room, and the Aurora Spa, which includes an indoor pool, several sauna varieties (smoke sauna, steam sauna, and wood-fired), and treatment rooms offering massage and body therapies. The spa sauna programme uses the traditional Swedish löjrom practice of alternating high heat with cold water or outdoor snow rolls.
The restaurant serves breakfast and dinner focused on Arctic regional ingredients: reindeer prepared multiple ways, Arctic char, cloudberry desserts, and lingonberry preserves. An activity desk in reception coordinates the hotel's substantial programme: dog sledding expeditions, snowmobile safaris, ice fishing on frozen lakes, guided Northern Lights excursions, and in summer, river rafting, berry picking, and midnight sun hikes. Activities run year-round with different seasonal offerings, and packages combining accommodation with curated activity days can be arranged directly through the hotel.
Amenities
- spa
- restaurant
- cabins
- Northern Lights tours
- sauna
Location
Campingvägen 5, 981 35 Kiruna
67.8578, 20.2253 View on map
Highlights
- Arctic Circle latitude location in Kiruna with reliable winter snowpack from November to April
- Aurora Spa with indoor pool, smoke sauna, steam sauna, and wood-fired sauna on the same property
- Full wilderness activity programme: dog sledding, snowmobile safaris, Northern Lights tours, ice fishing
- Restaurant showcasing Arctic Lapland ingredients including reindeer, Arctic char, and cloudberries
- Choice of hotel rooms and private forest-edge cabins with their own terraces
Tips for visiting
- Northern Lights visibility requires darkness (dark sky from mid-August to April) and cloud-free nights — the property's guides monitor aurora forecasts and will wake guests for strong displays.
- Book the smoke sauna session separately and well in advance; it requires a full day to heat and slots are limited to one group at a time.
- Dog sledding day excursions are the most booked activity — reserve alongside accommodation, especially for the Christmas-to-New-Year and February half-term periods.
- Kiruna's iron mine has required the gradual relocation of the town centre, with new civic buildings and a relocated church now operating 3 kilometres east of the original town; ask staff for a current orientation when you arrive.
- Midnight sun season (approximately May to July) offers a completely different experience to winter — the 24-hour daylight can disorient sleep cycles; request a blackout blind at check-in.
When to visit
November to March for Northern Lights and winter activities; June to July for midnight sun
Accessibility
Main building and some cabin types are wheelchair accessible; the spa area has step-free access. Contact the hotel to discuss specific needs as the forested terrain varies in gradient.