LKAB’s Visitor Centre

The basics

Tours to LKAB’s Visitor Centre take three hours, including getting to and from the tourist office. On the tour, you’ll be taken around the visitor’s premises to see the show mine and mining museum within the grounds of the active mine. Guided tours are the only way to visit LKAB’s Visitor Centre, although visitors can choose a private tour. Since tours often book up well in advance, this is unlikely to be a suitable activity for spontaneous travelers.

Things to know before you go

• The tour descends 1,772 feet (540 meters) underground, meaning visitors with claustrophobia can’t quickly leave if they change their mind.
• The tourist center provides luggage storage.
• Visitors must be at least six years old and 36 inches (110 centimeters) tall.
• No special clothing is required to visit, but visitors should dress to stay warm in the mine’s cold temperatures, which are generally around 50ºF (10ºC).
• The tour is wheelchair accessible, so long as the person using the wheelchair can get on or off the bus with assistance and the wheelchair is foldable.

How to get there

Tours of LKAB’s Visitor Centre start at the Kiruna Lapland Tourist Centre office on Malmvägen to the east of Kiruna’s town center. Transport to the visitor center is included in the tour, and visitors cannot arrive at LKAB’s Visitor Centre independently. Take a taxi or one of the various buses that run out to the Kiruna Stadshustorget bus stop just up the road from the tourist office.

When to get there

The availability of tours to LKAB’s Visitor Centre differs weekly and depends on whether you take the English-only tour or the English and Swedish tour—available only during summer. Depending on availability, you can also choose from several tour times on the day. Visitors must be at the Kiruna Lapland Tourist Centre 5–10 minutes before the starting time of your tour.

Things to see in Kiruna above-ground

While mining is a big part of Kiruna’s identity, the northern town has a few other things to see between hunting for the northern lights and husky sledding. The town’s most impressive landmark is the Kiruna Church, a large red wooden church from the 20th century, although the modern architecture of the distinctly round Kiruna City Hall deserves a mention, too.