Are you planning an epic winter trip to Lapland, but aren’t sure what to bring? Wondering if it’s possible to travel light while also surviving the extreme cold of northern Sweden, Norway, and Finland?! Well, you’re in the right place!
We took a 2 week trip to Sweden in late winter (1 week in the South & Stockholm, and 1 week in Swedish Lapland). Our main goal of this trip was to see some epic Northern Lights, and we did it all in 2 carry-ons!! And no, we didn’t freeze to death!!
We’re back, unpacked, and ready to tell you all about what to pack for Lapland in Winter.
Whether you’re seeing Santa, dog sledding, snowmobiling, Northern Lights hunting, floating in the Arctic Circle, or more, we’ve got you covered!
This is your essential guide on what to pack for Lapland in winter!
What to pack for Lapland for a week?
High quality thermals that can double as pajamas and tops
Thermals are the MVP of your Lapland wardrobe!! Seriously, a great set of light yet high-quality thermals is non-negotiable. This is how we were able to travel carry-on only. You see, thermals can pull triple duty …
They keep you warm under your snow pants and sweaters. They can act as a cute top when you’re out for dinner in Lapland. They are pajamas for nights when you’re sleeping somewhere cold. See?! MVP
For example, we stayed overnight at the ICEHOTEL, and these thermals were all we needed to wear in our sleeping bags!
Thermals for women:
These are the exact Smartwool thermal merino leggings, crew top, and 1/4 zip that I wore for 1 week in Lapland winter. They are pricey, but were so light, so toasty, and never stunk despite how much I wore them! We stayed in one AirBnB where I did laundry, otherwise I didn’t have to wash them at all on our trip. I couldn’t recommend them highly enough!
Thermals for men:
Larry’s set of thermal base layer underwear and long sleeve shirt came from Amazon. He used them like I did, as warm under layers, pajamas, and a going out shirt.
Outerwear that is versatile
So here’s the thing about Lapland that we didn’t know before getting there … you don’t need too much outerwear! Let us explain …
If you are doing anything intense like snowmobiling, dog sledding, staying at the ice hotel etc, your tour guides will provide you with appropriate cold-weather gear! Usually that includes snowsuits, mittens, and boots … all provided by your guides!
This is awesome, because all you really need to bring is a set of thermals, a warm sweater, one good winter coat, and a pair of snow pants.
Realizing that you don’t need to bring multiple different coats/pants of various activities helps a lot for packing!
Women’s winter coat:
If you’re looking for a winter coat that is very warm, stylish, that could work for day time exploring and evenings out in Lapland, I strongly recommend this Orolay coat from Amazon!
I have put this coat to the test – Lapland Winter, NYC January, Christmas in Boston – yet this coat never disappoints. It’s tried and true, and I highly recommend it!
Women’s Snow Pants:
All you really need is a pair of well fitted snow pants like these that can fit over your Smartwool thermals, and you’ll be set, even for night time Lapland excursions such as Aurora hunting!
Men’s winter coat:
Larry has used this LL Bean winter coat for years and swears by it. It’s quite thin but shockingly warm, waterproof, and windproof. He bought it a size larger than normal so he can layer it over a good sweater or sweatshirt. This layering worked perfectly for him in Lapland.
Men’s Snow Pants:
Larry brought these waterproof, thin, yet very toasty snow pants. These over a set of thermal underwear (and occasionally some hot lingonberry juice) are all he needed to stay warm!
Pictured here:
Lapland Boots & Merino Wool Socks
We each brought one pair of sneakers (which we wore on the plane) and one pair of winter, waterproof boots.
These are Larry’s Timberland waterproof boots. This Sweden trip was his first with the boots, and he put them to the test. They kept him warm, looked great, and really held up!
I strongly recommend these Oboz women’s insulated boots. I’ve worn these for YEARS, snowshoeing and snow hiking in Colorado, and they were perfect for Lapland! I’m obsessed with them. They’re 5 years old and show no signs of quitting despite pretty regular use.
In addition to wearing good snow boots, I also brought foot warmers for some of our colder days.
And of course, really high-quality merino wool socks will save your life on those Arctic winter nights.
Lapland winter accessories to bring
Balaclava
For excursion days, or windy days, we highly recommend wearing a balaclava. It will keep you much warmer than combining ear muffs + hat + scarf. Also, if you’re looking to travel carry-on only or lighten your suitcase, a balaclava takes the place of all those items, saving some serious room.
In case you’re worried about looking like a burglar, don’t! Here is a super cute balaclava you can get from Amazon that keeps you warm while still feeling feminine (or at least like a cute burglar).
Gloves
I have particularly bad hand circulation, so I combined super thick Columbia snow gloves with hot hands. This combination helped a lot, especially at night.
Hot Hands & Foot Warmers
I have Raynaud’s phenomenon, which means my hand and toes lose circulation quickly in cold conditions. If you also suffer from poor circulation or run cold in general, I strongly recommend bringing at least a few pairs of hot hands and foot warmers.
These are TSA approved! I was a bit nervous packing these if I would be stopped in the airport, but it was no problem at all. Over 8 airplane rides, these were only checked by airport security once. They were swabbed, cleared, and I was on my way!
Headlamp
If you’ll be traveling to Lapland in the winter, you’ll notice the nights are quite long. We recommend bringing a headlamp for walking outside at night, especially if you’ll be doing night time excursions like Northern Lights hunting, snowmobiling, hiking, etc.
What to wear in the evening in Lapland
If you’ll be having a evening out in Lapland or if you’ll be doing a nice indoor activity, you may want a nice outfit that can pull double duty … cute but also warm for when you’re walking outside.
Invest in fitted, fleece-lined leggings and a loose but warm sweater (so that you can wear a thermal layer underneath if you want).
Pictured here:
By selected items that are high quality, toasty, but still light, we were able to pack all the above items into two carry-ons for 1 week in Lapland Sweden. We stayed warm and comfortable while snowmobiling, dog sledding, Northern Lights hunting, sleeping in the ICEHOTEL, and more!
Want to learn more about the ICEHOTEL? We stayed there overnight in an ice Deluxe Suite, and we wrote all about our experience here: Extremely Detailed Ice Hotel Sweden Review.
