Trip to see the Northern Lights in Sweden: Wilderness Camp Edition

In late February 2025, I finally took the trip I had been dreaming about for years: a trip to see the Northern Lights in Kiruna, Sweden. Together with five friends, we spent three days and two nights in the Arctic Circle. The highlight of our journey was a night at Camp Taube, a wilderness camp deep in the snowy forests of Lapland. It was there, under skies alive with auroras, that we lived out the true Arctic experience.

Chasing the Northern Lights

Our first night in Kiruna gave us exactly what we came for. After dinner in town, we bundled up and headed outside, eyes fixed on the horizon. Suddenly, the aurora appeared—waves of green and violet light sweeping across the sky. It was the first time any of us had seen the Northern Lights, and we stood in awe, trying (and mostly failing) to capture its beauty on our cameras. We experimented with tripods and exposure times, trading tips and laughing at our blurred attempts. Before heading to bed, we had dinner at Pizzeria Midnattshörnan, one of the only stores open at the time.

Into the Wilderness Camp

The next day, we snowmobiled out to Camp Taube, a true wilderness camp experience beside a frozen river. Life there was simple and hands-on—we chopped firewood, drew water from a hole in the ice, and gathered around campfires. The cabins were rustic but cozy, warmed by wood-burning stoves.

During the day, we tried every activity the camp had to offer. We went ice fishing, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. We even played ice hockey on the frozen river—none of us were particularly skilled, but the laughter made up for it. It felt like living in our own Arctic playground.

A Midnight Sauna and Ice Dip Beneath the Aurora

The most unforgettable moment of our trip to see the Northern Lights came at 1am. We had heated the wood-fired sauna until it glowed with warmth, then one by one plunged into the icy river. The shock of cold was exhilarating, and just as we caught our breath, the aurora appeared again—right above us. To be sitting in a steaming sauna, bodies tingling from the ice dip, while the Northern Lights danced across the sky, was something out of a dream.

The Frozen Phone Rescue

As if that wasn’t enough excitement, about ten minutes after my own ice dip, another group of travelers had a mishap. In the chaos of laughter and plunges, someone had dropped their phone into the lake. Without really thinking, I agreed to jump back in to help retrieve it. The absurdity of it hit me as I waded in again—what was I doing back in freezing water so soon? After an excruciating minute and countless fistfuls of mud on the riverbed, I truly considered giving up. Thankfully, I didn't give up, because the phone was recovered, and the story became one more layer of Camp Taube legend.

Fun Fact: The phone worked the next day! The owner of the phone came to tell me in person. 😚

Friends, Old and New

Our group of six spent hours experimenting with cameras, each of us trying to find the perfect way to capture the aurora. Sometimes the photos were stunning, other times they were blurs of green streaks and glowing faces—but each attempt was part of the fun. We’d huddle together, reviewing shots, swapping lenses, and laughing at the mistakes. 

At the wilderness camp, we also met three fellow travelers—exchange students from Mexico, Belgium, and Austria who were studying in Uppsala. By the end of the stay, they felt like part of our own group, joining in meals, ice hockey, and late-night aurora watching. Sharing the Arctic with strangers who quickly became friends made the experience even richer.

Heading Back

After two nights of chasing the aurora, one in Kiruna and one at Camp Taube, we returned to town exhausted but happy. My camera roll was filled with hundreds of attempts at photographing the Northern Lights, but none of them quite captured what I saw with my eyes. What I took home instead were the memories—standing in silence under the aurora, plunging into icy water at 1am, playing hockey on a frozen river, and laughing with friends, old and new.

Reflection

What I’ll remember most isn’t just the northern lights—though they were more spectacular than I had ever imagined. It’s the combination of things: plunging into icy water at 1am, the sound of laughter echoing off frozen forests, helping strangers retrieve a lost phone from a lake, fumbling with cameras under the stars, and playing hockey with new friends on a frozen river.

If you’re planning a trip to see the Northern Lights, I can’t recommend staying at a wilderness camp enough. Camp Taube gave me everything I wanted: adventure, simplicity, and the unforgettable chance to see the aurora in its full glory. More than just a trip, it was an experience that will stay with me forever. 

P.S. This is not a sponsored post, but you can book the tour through the Taube Activity website (as we did) or through Trip Advisor!