Skiing in June in Scandinavia
June is the very end of the line for skiing in Scandinavia, with almost every resort closed for the season, but Riksgransen in far northern Sweden keeps running weekend laps under the midnight sun until around midsummer, making it the one genuine June ski option in the region.
Reviewed for the 2026 season by the Ski Resorts for Kings editorial team
Can you actually ski in Scandinavia in June?
For practical purposes, June skiing in Scandinavia means one place: Riksgransen, in far northern Sweden right on the Norwegian border. The mainstream resorts of Norway, Sweden and Finland, places like Trysil, Are and Levi, have closed by late April or early May, so by June their lifts are shut and the pistes are bare. Riksgransen is the exception because it sits far enough north and high enough in the Arctic to hold snow into the summer, and it deliberately runs a presummer season after the main winter ends.
In a typical year Riksgransen reopens on weekends from late May and skis until around midsummer in the third week of June, with the lifts and part of the area running for Saturday and Sunday laps. The big draw is the midnight sun: this far north the sun does not set for weeks, so you can ski genuine laps at midnight in full daylight, a tradition skiers return for year after year. The snow is spring snow, soft and forgiving in the long sun.
Honest caveat: this is a niche, weekend, spring snow experience, not a full ski week. If your idea of a June trip is open pistes all week across a big area, Scandinavia cannot give you that. What it gives you is something rarer and more memorable.
What is the snow and the midnight sun like at Riksgransen in June?
June snow at Riksgransen is classic late spring: a firm overnight surface that softens through the long day into easy, slushy corn snow. There is no fresh midwinter powder this late, but the soft afternoon and evening snow is forgiving and fun, and the famous off piste lines stay skiable thanks to the resort's snowy Arctic microclimate. The terrain is modest in size, so this is about the setting and the laps rather than vast mileage.
The midnight sun is the real reason to come. From late May into June the sun stays above the horizon around the clock this far north, so the resort runs sessions into the small hours and skiing at one in the morning in full daylight is a normal part of the experience. Days are warm and bright, the light is extraordinary, and the whole thing feels more like a celebration of the season's end than a serious ski week.
How much does a June ski trip to Riksgransen cost?
Because June skiing here is a weekend, niche affair, the cost is more about getting there than lift passes. Riksgransen is remote, reached via Narvik in Norway or Kiruna in Sweden, so flights and the onward journey are the main expense, and a long weekend built around the midnight sun skiing typically lands in the under $2,000 to $4,000 per person band depending on how far you travel and how long you stay. Lift access for the limited presummer weekends is modest by Alpine standards.
Treat this as an experience trip rather than a value ski week. You are paying for the remoteness and the midnight sun, not for piste kilometers, and most people pair the skiing with hiking, the spectacular Arctic scenery and the journey itself. Book lodging well ahead, as the presummer weekends are popular and the resort is small.
Where else can you ski in early summer if Scandinavia is closed?
If your June dates do not line up with Riksgransen's presummer weekends, or you want more than a couple of days on snow, look beyond Scandinavia. The Alps offer summer glacier skiing into June and beyond at a handful of high glacier resorts, which gives you reliable morning snow and a fuller ski day. That is the better choice if you want a proper week of early summer turns rather than a weekend.
The other option is to flip hemispheres. June is the start of the Southern Hemisphere season, with resorts in New Zealand and Chile opening their lifts as the northern season ends. For a real winter ski trip in June, the Southern Hemisphere is the dependable answer, while Riksgransen and the Alpine glaciers are the way to chase late northern snow. Our guides to summer skiing and Southern Hemisphere skiing cover both routes in detail.
In short: come to Riksgransen for the midnight sun novelty, go to a glacier for a fuller week, or fly south for a true winter.
Who should ski Scandinavia in June, and who should skip it?
June in Scandinavia suits adventurous skiers chasing a one of a kind experience: the midnight sun, the Arctic setting and the novelty of late spring laps at the very top of the continent. It rewards people who treat the skiing as part of a wider trip, who are happy with soft spring snow and a small area, and who can build their plans around Riksgransen's weekend presummer schedule.
It is the wrong choice for anyone who wants a full week of skiing, big terrain or guaranteed open lifts, because outside Riksgransen the region is closed. Families wanting reliable ski school, beginners needing lots of easy terrain, and anyone after deep snow should look elsewhere entirely, either to an Alpine glacier in summer or to the Southern Hemisphere as its season opens.
June in Scandinavia: the case for and against
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Where to ski in Scandinavia in June
For June we would point you first at these, each with our full review:
- Riksgransen. The one true June option in Scandinavia, running weekend midnight sun laps in far northern Sweden until around midsummer.
Sources we checked
Common questions
Can you ski in Scandinavia in June?
Barely, and only in one place. Almost every Scandinavian resort closes by late April or early May, but Riksgransen in far northern Sweden runs a presummer season of weekend skiing under the midnight sun, typically from late May until around midsummer in late June. It is the only genuine June ski option in the region.
What is midnight sun skiing at Riksgransen like?
From late May into June the sun never sets this far north, so Riksgransen runs sessions into the small hours and you can ski full laps at midnight in broad daylight. The snow is soft spring corn, the days are warm, and the experience is more a celebration of the season's end than a serious ski week.
Where else can I ski in June if Scandinavia is closed?
For a fuller ski week in early summer, look to Alpine glacier resorts that run into June, or flip to the Southern Hemisphere, where the New Zealand and Chile seasons open in June. Riksgransen is the way to chase late northern snow, while the Southern Hemisphere is the dependable answer for a true winter trip.
How much does June skiing at Riksgransen cost?
Because it is a remote, weekend affair, the main expense is getting there via Narvik or Kiruna, with a long weekend typically landing in the under $2,000 to $4,000 per person band. Lift access for the presummer weekends is modest, so you are paying for the remoteness and the midnight sun rather than piste mileage.
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