Earlier this year, I finally had a chance to visit Sorrisniva, an igloo and ice hotel in Alta, Norway. When I was visiting (and loving the place), I remember saying it was the best ice hotel I have ever visited.
Then I thought about it a bit and I realized, I have actually visited every ice hotel in the Nordics (that I was aware existed).
I never had a goal to do so; it just randomly happened. But, it made me think, “Which one of these ice hotels in Scandinavia and the Nordics is the best?”
It was a surprisingly easy answer (and one that I dive into below). And while that answer is in my head, I decided it would be fun to share my thoughts with those looking to experience these ice hotels.
So, in this post, I cover all of the ice hotels in the Nordics and Scandinavia that I had the pleasure of visiting!
I was certain I had visited all in the past, but then I realized that Lapland Hotels builds the Snow Village in the Levi area of Finland each year and I discovered I am missing one of them!
Since I live nearby, I will head there this winter and add it to this list where I see fit. But without further ado, these are the ice hotels in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. I have ranked them as someone who has visited all.
In the end, I also discuss two places and experiences that people associate with ice hotels (even though they’re not) and whether I think they are worth it or not.
Let me know if you have any questions about visiting these Scandinavian ice hotels in the comments. Thanks!
In this post...
Don’t have time to stick around? Below is a quick run-down of my rankings of the ice hotels in this guide.
Just a quick note that I visited all of these hotels in winter except Snowhotel Kirkenes which I visited in summer. It is a year-round snowhotel, however.
I have also been to the Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos near Rovaniemi multiple times and in different seasons. Here are my snow hotel rankings:
- Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel (Alta, Norway)
- Icehotel (Jukkasjarvi, Sweden)
- Snowhotel Kirkenes (Kirkenes, Norway)
- Arctic SnowHotel (Rovaniemi, Finland)
- Tromso Ice Domes (Tromso, Norway)
I am also including Hunderfossen Snow Hotel (Lillehammer, Norway) and SnowVillage Lapland Hotels (Levi, Finland) below but I am not rating them as I haven’t been to Hunderfossen in many years and I haven’t visited SnowVillage just yet (will do in a few months).
At the end of the guide, I also detail a bit about Magic Ice Bar, an experience you will find in Tromso, Svolvær (Lofoten Islands), Reykjavik, and Bergen.
I will also share my thoughts about the SnowCastle of Kemi (Finland).
I have only visited in summer so I didn’t get to experience it during the winter when they build onto it, but I do share thoughts about what I visited during the summer months… and whether I think it is worth visiting or not.
1. Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel
📍 Location: Alta, Norway
🗓️ Seasonality: December 20, 2024 until April 7, 2025
➡️ Check rates here
My absolute favorite ice hotel that I have visited in the Nordics is Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel in Alta, Norway.
I visited in February and was truly blown away! The hotel is situated a short drive from Alta and you can stay as an overnight guest or merely visit on a self-guided tour.
This is the world’s northernmost ice hotel (it just edges out Kirkenes) and is a part of the Sorrisniva complex where you’ll also find the Arctic Wilderness Lodge.
But, back to the hotel! Sorrisniva was my favorite because the artists they brought in for their themed designs were stellar. It was impeccably done. And the facilities there were also wonderful and easily connected to the ice hotel.
I have visited a few places that had facilities that didn’t feel super comfortable or connected with the ice hotel and Sorrisniva was the benchmark for having a lodge that did feel purposeful and easily connected.
Inside the Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel, you will also find their ice bar along with unique rooms and suites.
The igloo suites are the ones with the colorful and creative designs whereas the rooms are the ones with a standard and plain aesthetic. Packages are offered so that guests can book their activities and snow hotel experience all in one.
❄️ I have written an entire guide about my stay at the beautiful Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel. Click here to read my experience!
Another thing I loved about Sorrisniva is that the Alta lodging was rather remote and removed from light pollution – making it a great place to check out the northern lights if the sky is clear. There are also two restaurants on-site.
But the main reason I loved visiting Sorrisniva is that it felt like it balanced being commercial with a cozy setting better than other places. I never felt pressured to move out of rooms for other people’s photos or anything as I had at other ice hotels in this guide.
The Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel is open from 12pm until 8pm daily from December 20 to April 7.
>> Click here to check rates and availability at Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel
2. Icehotel
📍 Location: Jukkasjarvi, Sweden
🗓️ Seasonality: has ice rooms year-round but the hotel expands in winter
➡️ Check rates here
Perhaps the most famous ice hotel in the world is Jukkasjarvi’s Icehotel in Northern Sweden. This Nordic ice hotel is a short distance from Kiruna and can also be visited easily from Abisko, the world’s best northern lights destination!
While I absolutely loved the Icehotel, it felt more commercial than Sorrisniva, which sits at #1 for me. Icehotel was packed when I visited in February – with those staying there as well as those checking it out on a day trip (like me).
One of the major pluses of the Sweden ice hotel is that a large portion of it is open year-round in what they call ICEHOTEL 365.
While the other part of the hotel is rebuilt annually when the snowfall comes to Swedish Lapland, there is a building that has some rooms you can stay in even if you decide to visit during the summer.
This gives such a great opportunity to those wanting the overnight snow hotel experience without the winter rates or crowds.
Icehotel was first built in 1989 with ice from the Torne River, making it the world’s first ice hotel and paving the way for others in Scandinavia and the Nordics (and even as far away as Canada).
Inside, you’ll find a bar (open year-round), rooms (some are year-round and some are rebuilt each winter), a chapel, and more.
One thing I especially loved about the Icehotel is that they had an entire area dedicated to the history of the hotel and its construction.
Given this was the first one in the world, I found it super cool to learn about it and the inspiration behind it. You can also book package deals and activities.
If staying in the Icehotel is not your thing, they also have normal (not ice!) hotel rooms and cabins at the complex that you can enjoy comfortably! And, of course, you can still wander about the Icehotel and Icehotel 365.
>> Click here to check rates and availability at Icehotel Jukkasjarvi
3. Snowhotel Kirkenes
📍 Location: Kirkenes, Norway
🗓️ Seasonality: year-round
➡️ Check rates here
Snowhotel Kirkenes is a year-round snow hotel located in Norway’s Kirkenes and it is referred to as Snowhotel 365. I actually visited in summer and not winter, but the facilities stayed largely the same (minus all the cold winter activities).
You can also stay at one of their Gamme cabins which is a cozy accommodation (not made of ice) at the complex. They are available year-round.
Located a short distance from Kirkenes, the best way to get there is to fly into Kirkenes or to drive from somewhere in Finnish Lapland.
During the winter, Snowhotel Kirkenes offers plenty of activities and is a renowned place for dog-sledding and king crab safaris.
Overnight stays include breakfast and a 3-course dinner in Låven, their farmhouse restaurant. The Kirkenes hotel has 13 rooms (a total of 39 beds).
While I loved my time visiting the Snowhotel, it wasn’t as large as Sorrisniva or Icehotel (which felt the largest).
And, to my knowledge, they don’t build new structures seasonally when the weather permits, so it doesn’t feel like a place I would want to revisit to check out ‘what’s new’.
Nevertheless, I am looking forward to a winter visit so I can try out all the activities and perhaps it will move up on this list after I do!
>> Click here to check rates and availability at Snowhotel Kirkenes
4. Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos
📍 Location: Rovaniemi, Finland (actually Sinetta, close to Rovaniemi)
🗓️ Seasonality: December 15, 2024 until the season ends
➡️ Check rates here
I have visited the Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos three times but only stayed overnight once, and that was in one of their glass igloos and not a room made of ice.
The Arctic SnowHotel can sleep around 70 guests and opens each year on December 15. The hotel opened in 2008 and is rebuilt each winter with new rooms, designs, and themes.
Aside from the 20 rooms inside the igloo hotel, you will also find an ice chapel (perfect for a destination wedding!), an ice bar, and an ice restaurant.
If you are staying in one of the glass igloos or inside the snow hotel, you have access to all areas inside the complex. Otherwise, visitors will be required to pay an entrance fee (or can take a tour from Rovaniemi).
I enjoy the Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos but the reason it didn’t rank higher for me was that I found there to be a bit of light pollution when I was there and the northern lights were a bit more challenging than other locations (I have stayed at over 15 glass igloo complexes in Finland alone).
I found their dinner overpriced and not great value for money. And, unfortunately, their breakfast was awful when I visited and I left and went to enjoy breakfast in downtown Rovaniemi instead. I hope that was a one-off situation.
The artwork in the rooms wasn’t as impressive as any of the aforementioned ice hotels but it was still beautiful.
But the one thing that the Arctic SnowHotel did have that was super cool was the Arctic Art Festival! I don’t have a date for the next one just yet but the previous one took place in January 2024 and I had a chance to check it out and it was really fun.
>> Click here to check rates and availability at Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos
5. Tromso Ice Domes
📍 Location: Tamok Valley, Norway (95km from Tromso)
🗓️ Seasonality: opens December 10, 2024 (until the end of the season)
➡️ Check tour rates here
The next place on my list is the Tromso Ice Domes. Out of all the places in this guide, this is my least favorite (the two ice hotels listed below have different circumstances and I will explain each later in the guide).
I have visited the Tromso Ice Domes on a day trip from the city and as someone who has visited several ice hotels around Norway and the Nordics, it was underwhelming.
However, if this is your first visit to an ice hotel, it may still be worth visiting. As for staying at it? I would pass.
At the Tromso Ice Domes complex, you have the ice hotel which consists merely of rooms and a restaurant/bar area. Outside of that are some very simple bathroom facilities and a gamme-like cabin where there is a fire and food and drinks. There is nothing else on-site.
While the activities at the Tromso Ice Domes are stellar, I just don’t think it offers enough reason to stay overnight.
I met a couple visiting Svalbard who had stayed overnight there and they said it was just ‘okay’. They are adventurous and from Alaska and had no issue with the conditions but said that others staying there were not so fond of the experience.
While this is hearsay, I do understand this as someone who has visited because I think I would feel the same.
So, here is my thing. If you are keen to visit the Ice Domes but have never been to an ice hotel before, I say go! It is a fun day trip from Tromso.
But, if you have visited others, I wouldn’t bother. I also wouldn’t bother with an overnight stay there.
There are also plenty of cool activities in Tamok Valley like snowmobiling, dog sledding, and more – all are worth the money and a great part of any Tromso itinerary.
>> Click here to check rates and availability for a tour of the Tromso Ice Domes
Honorable Mention: Hunderfossen Snow Hotel
📍 Location: Lillehammer, Norway
🗓️ Seasonality: opens February 2025 until the season’s end
➡️ Check rates here
A lot of people who are interested in snow hotels in Scandinavia don’t realize that there is one as far south as Hunderfossen is located!
It is situated 15 minutes from Lillehammer and I have admittedly not been there in a very long time (they first opened in 2008), so that is why I am putting it as an honorable mention here. It also opens a bit later in the season compared to other hotels in this guide.
So while Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel is the world’s northernmost ice hotel, Hunderfossen is Scandinavia’s southernmost ice hotel and is located by Hafjell.
Hunderfossen has suites for 2, 4, or 6 people and a stay includes breakfast and dinner, kicksled transport, and a visit to King Valemon’s Ice Bar. There is also a large ice cathedral that guests can visit!
I hope to get back there soon so I can write a more detailed and better description on the blog!
>> Click here to check rates and availability at Hunderfossen
Honorable Mention: Snow Village by Lapland Hotels
📍 Location: Between Levi and Ylläs, Finland
🗓️ Seasonality: December 25, 2024 until April 6, 2025
➡️ Check rates here
Okay so for years I confused the Snow Village by Lapland Hotels and the Arctic SnowHotel in Rovaniemi.
I have no idea why but I just always referred to it as the SnowHotel and then I realized that these properties are completely different and located in two separate parts of Lapland.
Whoops! A bit embarrassing as the Snow Village has been around for well over a decade.
So, I am one shy of visiting every ice hotel in Scandinavia. I will plan a visit this winter since I live in Lapland and can better detail where it fits on my list.
But from the photos of Snow Village, it looks like it will be a frontrunner for first place.
>> Click here to check rates and availability at Snow Village
My Thoughts About Other Ice and Snow Experiences
While I wanted this guide to focus on the ice hotels in the Nordics, two experiences that are often confused with ice hotels are the snow experience in Kemi and the Magic Ice Bar in Iceland, and various cities in Norway.
I will share my thoughts on both below (I don’t have a lot of good to say about either).
1. Magic Ice Bar (Various Locations)
The Magic Ice Bar is located in Reykjavik, Iceland as well as Tromso, Svolvaer (Lofoten Islands), and Bergen, Norway. This is not a hotel but simply just an ice experience that sounds exactly as it is written.
It is an ice bar. It is also a waste of your time and money, in my opinion.
I have been to all four. And while I think it is a unique experience, there are much better things to do in every single place.
2. SnowCastle of Kemi (Kemi, Finland)
The SnowCastle of Kemi is often referred to as an icehotel but it is not. There are two parts to his experience: the SnowCastle which is built during the winter months (as well as a winter park) and the SnowExperience365, an ice room that exists year-round.
I visited Kemi in the summer and only visited SnowExperience365. Do not go out of your way for this.
While I stayed in one of the beautiful Kemi Seaside Glass Villas, I went to Kemi for an overnight stay, not the SnowExperience.
The SnowExperience365 was just a room (felt like a garage) with some frozen stuff and that was about it. I stayed in there for 10 minutes, grabbed some photos, and walked out.
Not worth the drive to Kemi unless you are already in the area or booking a stay at the glass villas.
>> Click here to check rates and availability for the Kemi Seaside Glass Villas
Do you have any additional questions about the Nordic ice hotels in this guide?
I hope to get individual guides written to all of the places listed in the future, but for now, send me a message or comment below. Thanks!
More Nordic Travel Guides
- Ice hotels in Norway
- Things to do in Tromso
- Things to do in Rovaniemi
- Things to do in Kirkenes
- Things to do in Alta
- Things to do in Kiruna
- Things to do in Abisko
Megan is a travel blogger and writer with a background in digital marketing. Originally from Richmond, VA, she now lives in Finnish Lapland after previous stints in Norway, Germany, Armenia, and Kazakhstan. She has a passion for winter travel, as well as the Nordic countries, but you can also find her eating her way through Italy, perusing perfume stores in Paris, or taking road trips through the USA. Megan has written for or been featured by National Geographic, Forbes, Lonely Planet, the New York Times, and more. She co-authored Fodor’s Travel ‘Essential Norway’ (2020) and has visited 45 US states and 100+ countries.