Kiruna is intrinsically linked to its mining history. Located on the Kiirunavaara mountain, the Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara Aktiebolag or LKAB mine has been in operation since 1899. The world’s largest underground iron ore mine, it still supplies millions of tonnes of ore every year. A Kiruna mine tour is a must!
On this tour, you’ll learn about the history, mineral processing and mining technology of LKAB, all closely linked to the development of Kiruna.
Practical information
To help you prepare for your visit to the Kiruna Iron Mine, here’s the essential information you need to know.
Admission prices
If you’d like to visit the Kiruna Iron Mine, tickets are on sale at the Kiruna Tourist Center (Malmvägen 9B, in the new town center). However, we recommend that you book your tickets online in advance, as this is a very popular tourist activity in Kiruna, and tours often sell out.
Please note that for safety reasons, children under 6 or shorter than 1.10 m are not allowed to visit the iron mine. In 2026, tickets cost 590 SEK for adults, 490 SEK for students and seniors, and 190 SEK for children aged 6–15.
Book your visit now to enter the world's largest underground iron ore mine and descend to a depth of 540 meters to discover the secrets of this industry.
If you’re worried about feeling closed in, rest assured that the tunnels are spacious and the tracks are clear. Unless you suffer from severe claustrophobia, you should be able to visit the Kiruna Iron Mine without difficulty.
Kiruna mine tour schedule
Tour days and languages vary with the season.
We advise you to check the LKAB website for tour availability, so that you can book a time slot that fits around your other activities.
Visits in English are possible. A high level of English is not required, as LKAB guides make a point of using simple, accessible vocabulary. But you will still need to have a basic understanding if you wish to follow the guides’ explanations. Understanding the language of the tour is essential. The other tours are conducted in Swedish.
Visit duration
The guided tour lasts around 3 hours.
The equipment
You won’t need any special equipment for this tour. However, LKAB will provide you with a helmet, which you must wear throughout the tour.
Kiruna’s iron mine is underground, so you don’t have to worry about the cold. The temperature stays at around 10 °C (50 °F) all year round, so there’s no need to bundle up.
How do I get there?
As the mine lies outside town, all tours start from the Kiruna Tourist Center, where you’ll be picked up by bus.
Please note that if you arrive late, your tickets will be resold and you will not be reimbursed. You will not be able to join the tour after the indicated departure time. Make sure you get to the meeting point on time if you don’t want to miss the bus.
The Kiruna Tourist Center is at Malmvägen 9B, in Kiruna’s new town center, within easy walking distance of most hotels. If you’re coming by bus, get off at the Stadshustorget stop, 200 m from the Kiruna Tourist Center.
If you come by car, you’ll find parking nearby.
What does a visit to the Kiruna mine involve?
LKAB offers you a guided tour at a depth of 540 meters, where you can discover the history of this mining operation. So that you know what to expect when you visit the Kiruna iron mine, we’ll describe the tour in detail.
Video of the visit to the Kiruna iron mine
To give you a feel for it, here is a short video of the tour’s highlights:
Pick-up from Kiruna center
At the start of the tour, you’ll meet in front of the Kiruna Tourist Center, in Kiruna’s new town center.
The guides will have you board the bus one by one, checking your ID and booking. The bus then takes you to the heart of the iron mine, more than 500 meters underground.
The tour
When you arrive, you’ll need to put on a hard hat to enter the InfoMine. This is a disused mining tunnel in which the tour takes place. Here, the guide will tell you about the different stages of the tour and the safety rules.
First, he’ll show you a detailed map of the mine and tell you about its history and its ties to Kiruna.
Next, you’ll be taken to an adjoining room. You’ll watch a 15-minute film about the LKAB mining company and its plans to cut its CO2 emissions.
You’ll then go to the “mining school”, where you’ll learn, step by step, how magnetite is mined and transported from the mines to the production sites. Fun fact: if you’re staying in Kiruna, you may hear an explosion.
Every night, at around 1:30 am, LKAB carries out blasting in the mine, producing vibrations that you can feel right in your bed!
The guide will then tell you about the transformation of the city of Kiruna using an interactive 3D map. You’ll discover the various changes planned up to around 2035.
You can then take a look at the machines used in the mine, on display for visitors. You can even climb inside one of them!
You’ll then arrive at the mine restaurant, where you can enjoy a fika break with a hot drink and Swedish cookies.
Finally, you’ll come to the last gallery, where the museum is located. Here you can discover the history of the mine over the decades, the equipment used by the miners, and major advances such as the streetcar…
You’ll then be invited to gather at the entrance to the Kiruna mine, where you’ll board the bus together and be driven back to the Kiruna Tourist Center.
History of the Kiruna mine
Features of the Kiruna iron mine
The iron vein exploited by the Kiruna mine is 4 kilometers long and 80 meters wide. The deepest galleries are 1,365 meters deep and cover several hundred kilometers. It is the world’s largest underground iron ore mine.
Working down to 1,365 meters below the surface, LKAB currently produces around 80% of all iron ore mined in the European Union. Close to one billion tonnes of ore, mainly magnetite (an iron oxide), have been extracted from Kiirunavaara to date.
Kiruna, a mining town since its foundation
Sweden has always been renowned for the quality of its steel. Indeed, its iron deposits are among the purest in the world. First prized by the Sami and then by the Swedish crown, the Kiruna region and its iron mines were forgotten before being rediscovered in the early 18th century by Samuel Mört and Anders Hackzell.
Until the end of the 19th century, however, the country had difficulty exploiting its iron mines due to the climate and lack of technical resources.
The discovery of a new technique for refining iron ore, coupled with the construction of a railway line between Luleå and Narvik in 1903, enabled Kiruna to develop into a prosperous city.
A mining town par excellence, Kiruna was planned by Per Olof Hallman and Gustaf Wickman to be close to the iron ore deposits while benefiting from “milder” temperatures. Innovations such as the streetcar to bring workers to the mine entrances helped Kiruna develop further.
Kiruna was a strategic region during World War II, and most of its buildings were constructed afterwards, in the 1950s and 1960s.
Originally an open-pit mine, the Kiruna iron mine went underground in 1962 because the pit had become too large and too deep. The workers moved to the other side of the mountain, leaving the open pit abandoned.
Although mining remains a key activity in the Kiruna region, the economy is increasingly diversifying into industry and tourism.
Moving the town center
As early as 2004, LKAB noticed that underground fissures caused by explosions in the mines were getting closer to Kiruna’s town center.
To expand mining operations without hindering the development of Kiruna and to protect the local population, the authorities decided to move the town center 3 kilometers to the east.
Some buildings have been moved, like Kiruna Church, transported in one piece in August 2025, while others have been demolished and replaced, like the old Scandic Ferrum, succeeded by the new Scandic Kiruna.
This huge project has been underway since 2007 and is targeting completion around 2035. The new town is being built with more pedestrian streets and green spaces.
This unique project has already brought together some fifty architects from all over the world, and attracts many people curious to see this urban change.
A visit to Kiruna’s iron mine will immerse you in the history of the town’s mining past. If you’re looking for a unique cultural activity for half a day in Kiruna, it’s well worth booking!
