ICEHOTEL

In the small village of Jukkasjarvi, 200km into the Arctic Circle, the ICEHOTEL is surrounded by the Arctic landscape from which it itself is born each winter, carved from vast blocks of ice from the Torne River. With each of the suites designed in a unique style by a renowned artist, a stay at the ICEHOTEL offers a truly unforgettable experience.

Rooms in the ice building, for which the ICEHOTEL is famous, are carved from blocks of ice from the nearby Torne River every winter before they melt away in the spring, meaning they change every year, with each one individually designed by a renowned artist. Even the beds are blocks of ice, with reindeer hides and thermal sleeping bags to keep you warm.

As amazing an experience as staying in the ice rooms is, it’s recommended that you balance your stay with a night in one of the hotel’s warm rooms - cosy Nordic wood chalets which stand all year round. 

ICEHOTEL 365 includes luxury suites and art suites sculpted by selected artists, as well as a large ice bar serving champagne and an ice gallery. It is open year-round and is cooled by solar panels in the warmer summer months.  

The cuisine at the ICEHOTEL is as artful and unique as the hotel itself, even if the environment is more conventional: the dining room and cocktail bar is a permanent space, not hewn from ice, where local delicacies like reindeer, moose and Arctic char are served. In the rustic Jukkasjarvi Homestead, meanwhile, a log cabin dating back to 1768, simple, traditional comfort food is served by a roaring fire – the perfect way to warm up after a day in the ice and snow.

If you’re missing the cold, head to the Icebar – the first of its kind in the world – where everything, even the glasses, is carved from blocks of the frozen Torne River.

The ICEHOTEL features several saunas where you can heat up after a day’s exploring the ice – or spend a night sleeping in one! At Jukkasjarvi Culture Sauna, you can learn all about how to enjoy a sauna the traditional Scandinavian way, with a 10-step ‘sauna ritual’, alternating between hot and cold, and led by a sauna guide. Treatments use natural spa products sourced from Swedish Lapland.

Staying at the ICEHOTEL is an experience in itself, and you can get a taste of the craft and artistry that goes into its creation each year with an ice-sculpting class at the hotel.

Outdoors, in these magical landscapes, set off on reindeer and dogsled excursions, travelling across the tundra as people here have done for centuries, or get really hands-on with a winter wilderness survival course. Warm gear, including snowsuits and boots, is provided. 

This region is also one of the best places anywhere to see the stunning Northern Lights, and you can take them in (if you’re lucky!) with a snowmobile tour and dinner in a dark, secluded, atmospheric spot. You can even learn how to capture them with a Northern Lights photography class, led by experts in the field.