Sweden Weather in September 2025: Travel Tips for First-Timers

Sweden is mild or cool and rainfall is low throughout most of Sweden at the low elevations, even in the north. All of Sweden has days and nights of about equal length. September's highlights include mild days, an explosion of autumnal colors, auroras, the outdoors, and urban touring. September has moderate tourism.

Read on for our weather information and travel advice including average temperatures and rainfall, places to go, and travel tips…

Content Preview

• 1. Weather Overview
• 2. Best Places to Visit
• 3. Crowds and Costs
• 4. What to Wear

Sweden Weather in September: Overview

Averages: 

• Temperature range: 9–16°C (47–60°F)
• Total rain: 6 cm (2 inch)
• Days with rain: 8
• Humidity: 78%
• Sunshine hours/day: 6 hours

September Climate Comparison (Averages) for Sweden's Top Tourism Areas

In September, Sweden's temperatures fall a lot from August. There is average of 13 or more hours of daylight. The south has mild temperatures. In the north, it is cool during the day. There is a chance to see auroras after the middle of September all over the country.

Southern Sweden: Stockholm, Gothenburg, and the southern coast are at 59° degrees latitude and southward. The weather is pleasant with about 6 hours of sunshine and an average high of about 17°C (63°F). The weather is suited for touring cities, hiking, and being outdoors.

Northern Sweden: The arctic tourist towns are north of latitude 66°. Kiruna and Abisko are at latitude 68° and have about 13 hours of daylight on average daily. It is cool during the day, cold at night, and it might freeze. You can hike in crisp weather.

The Best Places to Visit in Sweden in September

Sweden's September highlights feature auroras and fall colors all over Sweden. The generally mild weather and low rainfall in the south lets you tour the cities comfortably and enjoy the outdoors. The beginning of September is noticeably warmer than the end.

Consider Global Highlights for touring Sweden, other countries, and the world. Our customers highly rate our custom-designed tours on Trustpilot. Let us know your tour goals and interests, and we would design a personalized tour with the places you'd like and the make the best of the weather. Contact us to inquire about a tour.

1. Stockholm — Experience the Urban Highlights, History, and the Outdoors

Stockholm, the capital, population almost 2 million, is built on a little archipelago of 3,000 small islands and islets. It has incredible nature for a modern capital. September is moderate tourism and travel season, so you can tour and experience outdoor activities with moderate prices.

There is mild or warm weather suitable for a variety of experiences. You might even swim, especially at the beginning of the month. In September, the sea temperature is relatively high. The average high sea temperature in Stockholm is 18°C (61°F). At this temperature, swimming is possible with a wetsuit.

On sunny days, shallow areas, inlets, and ponds might be comfortable to swim in without a wetsuit. The average daily highs are 17°C (63°F), and the lows are 10°C (50°F). The rainfall is low. This is good weather for kayaking, boating, fishing, and hiking the forest trails.

2. Visby — Experience Gotland's Historic Places and Nature with Less Tourism

Visby is a small tourist town on Gotland Island, southeast of Stockholm. It is considered one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe. The surrounding wall is preserved. It is a popular summer retreat for Swedes, and the tourism moderates in September.

There are sandy beaches where you can enjoy beach activities and some of the average 6 hours of sunshine and 13 hours of daylight. The average daily highs are 17°C (63°F). It is too cold to swim without a wetsuit in the sea because the average high sea temperature is 20°C (68°F). Average lows are 10°C (50°F). Rainfall is low.

There is the abundant fall harvest to enjoy, nature parks with fall foliage to hike in, and nearby small islands for excursions. The Gotland Museum is a good place to learn about Viking history.

3. Abisko and Kiruna — Experience the Midnight Auroras and Hike in Arctic Wilderness

Abisko National Park could be an excursion from Kiruna. You could walk along Sweden's largest alpine lake there and experience the amazing clarity of the skies. At the beginning of September, you can experience the twilight and sunset colors, and unless it is cloudy, it is never really dark.

Then at the end of September, people go to Abisko to watch the auroras. After the middle of the month, there are 3 to 6 hours of dark night for seeing auroras around midnight. The skies are so unusually clear, it is considered the best place in Scandinavia for aurora watching.

From the tiny village of Abisko, you could walk along the Kungsleden hiking path. There is low rainfall. The average high is 10°C (50°F). The low is 3°C (37°F). There are hotels and restaurants in the village. There are 4 hours of sunshine on average. The wilderness turns colorful.

For more about Abisko and Kungsleden hiking, see Sweden Weather in July.

4. Gothenburg — Tour the City and the Scenic Coast

Gothenburg is Sweden's second biggest city. There are both natural and urban highlights to enjoy. There is a fjord south of Gothenburg to see decked in changing fall foliage. There are small islands, and cruise boats go among them to and from the city.

You could visit Bohus Castle and just go for a walk to see the fall foliage at Gothenburg Botanic Gardens, Slottsskogen Park, or Sandsjöbacka Nature Preserve.

In September, it gets a little rainy. It rains about half of the days of the month on average producing a moderate total rainfall. There is an average of 6 hours of daily sunshine. The average daily high is 18°C (64°F) and the low is 11°C (52°F).

Moderate Tourism Season: Touring Advice for September

The schools and universities are in session in September, and there are no national holidays, so travel and tourism is low. Travel and touring prices moderate, and you will find more solitude and available accommodations. At the end of September, many businesses and attractions close.

It is a good time for tourists to come for end of summer/beginning of autumn activities ranging from mild weather arctic hiking with no night in the first week of September to aurora watching at midnight all over the country at the end of the September and various other possible activities.

In the beginning of the month, you can sometimes swim comfortably in southern Sweden or just bask in sunshine. But the daylight hours decline from about 14 hours at the beginning of September to 11½ hours at the end. The increasing darkness and colder weather also keeps the tourist crowds away.

For more daylight in September, you could go further north to Tromsø or Alta in Norway. For more about these Norwegian tourist towns, see Norway Weather in July. There are no national holidays in September.

What to Wear in September

In September, the tourist areas in the Arctic Circle have unpredictable weather. You can be the most comfortable by dressing in layers and bringing raingear wherever you go Sweden. Bring a coat and keep watch on the weather reports.

Temperatures are usually comfortable in the south during the day at low elevations when you are wearing a light jacket. If mosquitos are bothersome, you can ward off their bites wearing long-sleeved shirts and trousers during the day.

The sea is too cold to swim in comfortably without a wetsuit. However, many ponds and small lakes might be comfortable for swimming.

Here is a packing list for a few essentials in Sweden:

• Waterproof boots with good traction for hikes and being outdoors. You might wear them in-flight to travel lightly.
• Comfortable shoes with good traction
• Rain gear
• Warm hat
• Mosquito repellant
• Swimwear for spas, hot springs, and lakes
• Some light clothing
• Cardigans or thermals especially for the mountains and the north
• Polarized glasses