The Geirangerfjord seen from Ørnesvingen

Scandinavia in summer

Midnight sun, Midsummer and long evenings by the water

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Travel ideas · June–August

☀️ Scandinavia in summer

Midnight sun near Abisko
Photo: Jojoo64 · CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped) · Photo credits

For most families, summer is the easiest time: long days, the mountain roads open and the campsites in full swing. Above the Arctic Circle the sun doesn’t set for weeks. We’ve gathered the best summer ideas for you, with the midnight sun periods for each place.

Researched by Arjan from Zuidlaren, so you don’t have to · Sources: Visit Norway, Visit Sweden, Visit Sweden · updated 24 October 2026 · About this page

  • Midnight sun by place in one table
  • Midsummer in Sweden
  • Camping, hiking and whales

Overview

📌 Summer at a glance

MonthsJune, July and August
LightMidnight sun above the Arctic Circle, e.g. North Cape 14 May–29 July (Visit Norway)
CelebrationMidsummer in Sweden, late June (Visit Sweden)
NoteLots of mosquitoes up north in June and July; see mosquitoes and ticks
PricePrice: see the provider’s official website

Light

🌞 Where and when the midnight sun shines

Midnight sun at the globe monument on the North Cape
Photo: Stjepko Krehula · CC BY 4.0 (cropped) · Photo credits
PlaceMidnight sun (approx.)Source
North Cape14 May–29 JulyVisit Norway: midnight sun
Tromsø20 May–22 JulyVisit Norway: midnight sun
Lofoten28 May–14 JulyVisit Norway: midnight sun
Abisko25 May–18 JulyVisit Sweden: midnight sun
Kiruna28 May–14 JulyVisit Sweden: midnight sun

Sleeping while it stays light outside? Read our tips in sleeping under the midnight sun.

Ideas

☀️ Summer ideas by country

CountryIdea
NorwayFjords and the Nasjonale turistveger (National Tourist Routes), all open in summer (Nasjonale turistveger)
SwedenCelebrating Midsummer with flower crowns and a maypole (Visit Sweden); hiking the Kungsleden (Svenska Turistföreningen)
DenmarkBeaches and dunes, e.g. Rubjerg Knude (Naturstyrelsen)
FinlandLakes, sauna and national parks such as Nuuksio (Luontoon.fi)
IcelandThe highland roads only open when conditions allow; check the dates with Vegagerðin (Vegagerðin)

Days out

🎟️ Days out for a summer trip

Days out we’ve already looked into; price and timetable are always at the source.

🎯 Hike to Preikestolen

Location: Strand (Stavanger) Type: Hiking · nature

💶 Cost: car parking, per day (hikers): NOK 275 (± € 26) · parking < 2 hours: NOK 40 (± € 3.81) (source)

Preikestolen is a flat rock plateau 604 metres above the Lysefjord. The hike from the car park is 8 km there and back with about 500 metres of climbing, and takes around 4 hours. The path crosses boggy stretches, runs through forest and climbs stone steps.

More info

All prices: car parking, per day (hikers): NOK 275 (± € 26); parking < 2 hours: NOK 40 (± € 3.81); the hike itself: free (no entry price given)

Distance: ± 1,905 km from Utrecht (± 23.5 hrs drive, one way, no breaks); ± 39 km from Stavanger (± 0.7 hrs) (OSRM, 21 Oct 2026)

Season: path open all year; busiest June–August

Suitable for: families with hiking experience, outdoor lovers

Avoid the crowds: start before 8 am or after 4 pm; Saturday and Sunday are busiest. (preikestolen365.com)

There are no toilets or bins along the path; toilets at the car park. (preikestolen365.com)

In winter: not with children under 5. (preikestolen365.com)

Car park P1 (1,000 cars) is open 24/7 with barriers; when it’s full you’re directed to P2. (preikestolen365.no)

The button goes to a comparable tour on GetYourGuide.

Prices according to preikestolen365.no, preikestolen365.com, checked on 21 Oct 2026 · euro amounts ± converted at the Norges Bank rate on that day.

👉 See current prices & availability

Also via official website · location on the map

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A boat on the Nærøyfjord near Gudvangen
Photo: Markus Trienke · CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped) · Photo credits

🎯 Nærøyfjord cruise (Flåm–Gudvangen)

Location: Flåm Type: Boat trip · fjord

💶 Cost: adult, one way: from NOK 640 (source)

The boat sails from Flåm through the Aurlandsfjord into the narrow Nærøyfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and ends in Gudvangen. Norway's best, who sell the trip, describe the sailing as quiet and emission-free. You can go one way and return by bus, or come back on the same boat.

More info

Distance: ± 1,810 km from Utrecht (± 21.7 hrs drive, one way, no breaks); ± 168 km from Bergen (± 2.9 hrs) (OSRM, 21 Oct 2026)

Season: all year (current timetable on norwaysbest.com)

The button goes to a comparable tour on GetYourGuide: Bergen: Flåm Railway, Nærøyfjord Cruise & Stegastein View.

More in our days-out guide →

👉 See current prices & availability

Also via official website · location on the map

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🎯 Kungsleden, stage 1: Abisko–Abiskojaure

Location: Abisko Type: Hiking · nature

💶 Cost: hiking: free (right to roam); staying in an STF hut costs money (source)

The first stage of the Kungsleden runs from Abisko through birch forest along the Abiskojåkka river to the STF hut at Abiskojaure. According to STF it’s 15 km and 4 to 6 hours’ walking. At Abiskojaure there’s a little sandy beach where hikers like to dip their feet.

More info

Distance: ± 2,876 km from Utrecht (± 33.7 hrs drive, one way, no breaks) (OSRM, 21 Oct 2026)

Season: summer hiking season (see STF)

Suitable for: families with hiking experience (as a day trip: part of the route there and back), outdoor lovers

The full Abisko–Nikkaluokta trail is 107 km over 5–7 days; expect stony terrain and weather that turns quickly. (svenskaturistforeningen.se)

The button goes to a comparable tour on GetYourGuide.

Prices according to svenskaturistforeningen.se, checked on 21 Oct 2026.

👉 See current prices & availability

Also via official website · location on the map

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Whale safari from Andenes
Photo: Steve Cadman from London, U.K. · CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped) · Photo credits

🎯 Whale safari Andenes (Vesterålen)

Location: Andenes Type: Safari · boat

💶 Cost: RIB whale safari, from: NOK 1,690 (± € 161) · M/S Reine (3–4 hours), from: NOK 1,690 (± € 161) (source)

From Andenes you head out to deep water just off the coast, where according to the provider you can find sperm whales, orcas, humpbacks and dolphins, among others. You choose between a fast RIB boat or the traditional ship M/S Reine. The ticket includes a visit to the whale exhibition.

More info

Distance: ± 3,213 km from Utrecht (± 39.3 hrs drive, one way, no breaks) (OSRM, 21 Oct 2026)

Season: all year; main season late May – mid-September (RIB: June–September); fewer departures in winter

Suitable for: RIB: from age 8; M/S Reine: all ages (0+)

Plan a few days in the area: in bad weather the trip may be moved. (whalesafari.no)

Winter orcas: around Skjervøy/Kvænangen (from Tromsø) usually early November – late January. (visittromso.no)

Prices according to whalesafari.no, whalesafari.no, checked on 21 Oct 2026 · euro amounts ± converted at the Norges Bank rate on that day.

👉 See current prices & availability

Also via official website · location on the map

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LEGOLAND Billund
Photo: Geoprofi Lars · CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped) · Photo credits

🎯 LEGOLAND Billund

Location: Billund Type: Theme park

💶 Cost: 1-day ticket 2026 online from DKK 349 (child and adult) · at the gate DKK 519 · under 2 free (source)

The very first LEGOLAND is in Billund, with more than 45 attractions and, according to the park, over 80 million LEGO bricks. In Miniland you see cities and landscapes in miniature. LEGO House in the centre of Billund is a separate visit.

More info

Distance: ± 715 km from Utrecht (± 7.6 hrs drive, one way, no breaks); ± 3 km from Billund (± 0.1 hrs) (OSRM, 21 Oct 2026)

Season: 2026 season until 1 November 2026; 2027 dates not yet published

Buying online saves up to 170 DKK per ticket compared with the gate. (legoland.dk)

The button goes to Billund: 1-Day Ticket to LEGOLAND® with Rides Access on GetYourGuide.

More in our days-out guide →

👉 See current prices & availability

Also via Tiqets · official website · location on the map

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Whale-watching boats in Reykjavík’s Old Harbour
Photo: Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK · CC BY 2.0 (cropped) · Photo credits

🎯 Whale watching from Reykjavík (Elding)

Location: Reykjavík (Old Harbour) Type: Boat trip · whales

💶 Cost: Classic Whale Watching: adult ISK 14,500 · child (7–15) ISK 7,250 · 0–6 free (source)

From Reykjavík’s Old Harbour, Elding heads out into Faxaflói Bay to look for whales and dolphins. The published prices apply from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2027.

More info

Distance: you reach Iceland by car via the Smyril Line ferry from Hirtshals (OSRM, 21 Oct 2026)

Season: all year (timetable on the website)

The button goes to a comparable tour on GetYourGuide: From Reykjavik: Whale and Dolphin Watching Boat Tour.

👉 See current prices & availability

Also via Tiqets · official website · location on the map

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Camping

🏕️ Camping in summer

Campsite by the fjord in Geiranger
Photo: giggel · CC BY 3.0 (cropped) · Photo credits

Summer is camping season. Our 17 camping guides get you started, from wild camping and the right to roam to camping with children. Compare campsites by country for Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

When is Midsummer in Sweden?

Midsommarafton (Midsummer Eve) falls on a Friday in late June; in 2027 that’s Friday 25 June. Visit Sweden describes how it’s celebrated.

Where can you see the midnight sun?

Above the Arctic Circle, for example at the North Cape from ± 14 May to 29 July and in Abisko from ± 25 May to 18 July (Visit Norway, Visit Sweden).

Are there lots of mosquitoes in summer?

Up north there are lots of mosquitoes in June and July. You’ll find tips in our mosquitoes and ticks guide.

Read on

🧭 Also useful

Accountability

📚 Sources

Every number and every rule on this page comes from a source. Here they all are in one place, checked on 24 October 2026. We only mention prices if the provider publishes them itself; otherwise we refer you to the official website.

View 8 sources

💛 To be upfront: this page contains a few affiliate links, marked “Advertisement · affiliate link”. If you book through one, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. That’s how we keep this site running. We decide for ourselves what we recommend. Read the full disclaimer.