Exploring the Arctic Circle: A Dream Holiday for Autistic Families
- sunshinelayla
- Dec 29, 2025
- 8 min read
Updated: 15 hours ago
Discover the Wonders of the Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the last frontiers. It’s a wild hinterland that offers adventure and excitement. Surprisingly, it’s also accessible and more neurodivergent-friendly for families with autistic or ADHD children than you might expect.
Related articles for the Arctic Circle
Visiting the Arctic Circle with Autistic Kids
I always loved the idea of visiting the North Pole. However, I believed it was a pipedream—too remote and extreme for me to consider. I had seen the films, and the North Pole seemed to belong to huge, strapping men in fur coats. You know the type: thick beards, icicles around their noses, battling howling gales while pulling sleds.
In 2023, I realized I could take a different approach. I might not reach the North Pole itself, but crossing the Arctic Circle (approximately latitude 66.5 degrees North) was entirely possible!
One of the easiest ways to enter the Arctic Circle is through the Norwegian city of Tromso. Depending on your travel dates, you can either fly directly from London or take two flights, transiting through another airport like Oslo, which is what we did. This extended our holiday, allowing us to enjoy a six-night break on the shores of beautiful Lake Mjosa (about an hour from Oslo) before heading north.
Read on to discover six reasons to visit the Arctic Circle with autistic kids, including why this remote location could be your next dream family holiday!
6 Reasons Why the Arctic Circle Could Be Your Autistic Kids' Next Dream Holiday
1. The Cool Summer Climate
Summer can be challenging for many autistic families. Hot ground, applying sunscreen, bright sunlight, and buzzing bees can create sensory overload. If your autistic children struggle with these aspects of summer, the Arctic Circle might be the perfect destination.
The summer climate here is cool, with an average temperature of around 15 degrees Celsius. We spent six nights on Sommaroy, a tiny island off a coastal inlet an hour from Tromso, at the end of August. We experienced everything from glorious blue skies to heavy rain and squally winds. Everyone thought it was brilliant! No one complained about the heat, and we even managed a few quick swims. The kids loved that they didn’t have to wear sun cream every day!
The variable weather did complicate packing. We needed all-in-one rain suits, woolly hats, gloves, shorts, t-shirts, swimming trunks, and beach toys. This meant more luggage than we usually prefer, but it was worth it for the joy of spending time on the beach in a temperate climate.
Arctic Circle Fact Number 1
The Arctic Circle defines the boundary of the Arctic region and is the southernmost latitude where the sun remains continuously above or below the horizon for at least 24 hours.
2. Scandinavian Family Saunas
For our first two nights on Sommaroy, we booked a self-catering apartment through the Sommaroy Arctic Hotel. For the remaining four nights, we stayed a bit further down the road in a lovely self-catering apartment we found through Airbnb.
Both accommodations allowed us to book a private family session in the Arctic Hotel's Badehus (bath house) on our third day. The Badehus offered a large hot tub and sauna with changing facilities and steps leading directly down into the hotel's private, very cold tidal lagoon.
We loved our Badehus experience so much that we booked another session for our last full day. For our autistic kids, this activity provided a wonderful sensory experience. They still talk about the hot tub by the sea and ask when they can do it again!
Moving between two very different temperatures—a sauna or hot tub and cold water—is a popular practice in Scandinavian countries. You can enjoy it throughout the region in all seasons. I had previously enjoyed the sauna-to-sea ritual on trips to Bergen (Norway) and Helsinki (Finland) and knew what to expect. However, sharing the Badehus experience with the boys while surrounded by stunning Arctic scenery made this one of our family's most memorable moments.
Arctic Circle Fact Number 2
The location of the Arctic Circle is dynamic, not fixed. It actually moves by several meters each year.
3. Outdoor Activities: You Can Be King of the Mountain and Queen of the Sea
The Arctic region is an outdoor enthusiast's paradise. It offers endless opportunities for autistic kids who enjoy summer water sports like sea kayaking and sailing but struggle with big crowds. There are also plenty of land-based activities for all levels, from gentle walks to advanced mountain hikes. We loved our mountain walk from the top of the Fjelheisen cable car. The views across Tromsoya Island were incredible, and we felt a sense of freedom, as if we were at the top of the world.
If you want to immerse yourself in nature, there are many options for wild camping, including pitching a tent on or right next to a beach. You could also join an immersive tour, staying in a yurt or eco-hut.
Alternatively, if you can handle the possibility of -20 degrees Celsius (though the average is more like -4 degrees), a winter vacation in Tromso and its nearby island neighbour, Kvaloya, could be a viable option. Activities like dog sledding, snowmobile rides, learning about Sami culture, and traditional cross-country skiing would be thrilling. I genuinely think the boys would love it! If I weren't worried about their strong reluctance to wear sensible winter clothing (and the ongoing battles I face convincing our youngest to wear appropriate shoes, gloves, or a hat), I’d book a winter break tomorrow!
Arctic Circle Fact Number 3
As the Earth rotates on a tilted axis relative to the sun, the North Pole is angled towards the sun during summer. This also means the further north you go, the higher in the sky the sun is at night.
4. The Land of the Midnight Sun
The Arctic region is famous for two things: endless night and the midnight sun. The Midnight Sun is a natural phenomenon that occurs north of the Arctic Circle (at 66º33′N) during the summer months. Beyond this latitude, the sun never completely sets below the horizon, resulting in 24 hours of daylight. This visually stunning phenomenon provides an ethereal backdrop for nature enthusiasts and keen photographers. It also offers neurodivergent night owls the chance to have all sorts of adventures, like kayaking at 3 AM in bright daylight!
Around a third of Norway's territory lies north of the Arctic Circle, so there are many places to visit if you want to experience this incredible phenomenon. Broadly speaking, you can see the midnight sun from mid-May to late July. Depending on where you are within the Arctic Circle, the duration of the midnight sun may vary. The further north you go, the longer it lasts. If your autistic children find it difficult to sleep at night, this could be the perfect time for a holiday. With constant sunshine, you can sleep and play whenever you like.
If you need to travel outside the 'official' midnight sun date range, you can still experience the region's other lovely phenomenon called White Nights. During this time, the sun dips briefly below the horizon, creating an impression of near-24-hour daylight. Your evenings transform into perpetual twilight without ever getting truly dark—a far cry from summer nights in England or mainland and southern Europe.
We traveled to Sommaroy during the last week of August (about five weeks after the end of the midnight sun period) and still experienced the white nights. We were surprised by how long we could sit out on the terrace before the light began to fade.
Arctic Circle Fact Number 4
The line defining the Arctic Circle in Northern Norway crosses near *Brønnøysund, goes through the Lofoten Islands, touches Mo i Rana, and continues north, with the popular city of Tromsø being about 350 km inside the Circle.
5. An Easy Autism-Friendly Flying Experience
I mentioned earlier that the Arctic Circle is surprisingly accessible. Depending on when you want to travel, you can fly directly from London to Tromso or Evenes Narvik airport (for the Lofoten Islands)—a journey of around 3 hours and 30 minutes.
Otherwise, you will need to travel via a hub airport like Oslo, which is what we did. This extended our journey to approximately 5 hours and 30 minutes, including the time to transfer planes in Oslo.
We flew with Norwegian Airlines from Oslo to Tromso and with SAS from Tromso to London (via Oslo). We made sure to book their special assistance service for our autistic children under the hidden disability category.
Both airlines were excellent and took great care of us and the boys. A special thanks goes to the ground crew at Oslo airport. Our plane had been delayed taking off in Tromso and landed late. Upon arrival, they sped us around the airport in a little shuttle bus to ensure we made our connecting flight without having to navigate overwhelming crowds.
Visit our special assistance when flying pages for more information on travelling with autistic children and the help available from airlines and in airports.
Arctic Circle Fact Number 5
The term "Arctic" comes from the Greek "Arktos," which means bear. Bear refers to the constellation Ursa Major (Big Bear) near the North Star, not polar bears!
6. Norway Has Fewer Crowds and Is Less Overwhelming
Generally speaking, the northern region of Norway attracts fewer visitors than other countries in mainland Europe. However, it has a thriving domestic tourism market, so you can still expect to see plenty of holidaying families. Like many European countries, Norway's school summer holiday period usually ends in mid-August—around two weeks before England. If you travel during this time, you will find far fewer crowds and better choices when booking accommodation.
While some areas, like the Lofoten Islands, are extremely busy with campervans and tourists during the midnight sun period (and may be best avoided by autistic families), there are plenty of quiet places to be found. If you venture just a little off the beaten track, you can enjoy glorious scenery and incredible wildlife almost entirely to yourselves. Even Tromso, which we visited as a day trip from Sommaroy during the last week of August, was pleasantly quiet. There were no queues for the funicular or the sea aquarium, and the beaches were practically deserted. We had no trouble parking at venues either.
As I haven't visited during the winter season, I can't say how busy it gets with people wanting to see the northern lights.
Some Final Thoughts on Travelling to the Arctic Circle with Autistic Kids
There are so many more things I could say about visiting the Arctic Circle with our autistic kids. From an emotional perspective, the excitement and anticipation we felt just thinking and talking about the journey were palpable. We experienced many "pinch me now" moments during our trip.
It was incredibly bonding to experience such a different type of holiday together. Spending time outside in stunning scenery ticked boxes for us as adults, while the reduced crowds and opportunities for sensory play made it easier to manage the boys' emotional needs. This, in turn, helped them stay more regulated, resulting in far fewer moments of overwhelm or meltdown. When they did happen, they were over more quickly.
We truly had a magical holiday in Norway, and I hope you feel inspired to create your own special journey—one that meets the needs of your wonderful family and delivers plenty of those pinch-me moments too!
As always, happy travels x
