An Autumn Getaway to Iisakki Glass Village in Ruka (Review)
I am always looking for new places to escape to near Rovaniemi and within a few hours of my home. So when peak autumn arrived, I knew I had to find a secluded getaway near Rovaniemi to enjoy the fall colors (‘ruska’ in Finnish).
Iisakki Village had been on my radar in recent years, but I had no idea they had glass cabins on-site. Once I learned this, I quickly booked a night in one for my partner, Ed, and me.
I have stayed in nearly 30 northern lights hotels and glass igloos in Finland. Not all are created equal. And I have to admit, the Iisakki Glass Village is superior to most. I LOVED my stay there.
Quick Ruka Travel Guide
If you’re traveling to Ruka last minute, be sure you have hotels and tours booked ahead of time. Below are some of my top picks:
❄️ Best tours and activities from Ruka:
- Northern lights sledge by snowmobile (by Ruka Safaris; top-rated aurora tour)
- Snowshoeing in Oulanka National Park (some of the best nature in the area)
- Aurora tour on snowshoes (a good combination tour)
🛌 Top hotels and lodging in Ruka:
- Iisakki Glass Village (reviewed below; loved this place so much)
- Ruka Peak (a boutique hotel only open in winter… so stunning!)
- Magical Pond (northern lights hotel immersed in nature)
🍲 Popular places to eat in Ruka: Riipisen Wild Game Restaurant, Camp Kitchen & Bar, Ruka Peak (open in winter/spring), Rukan Kuksa (delicious sauteed reindeer), RUOK Burger, BASE Eat & Heat
Maybe it was that autumn was in full swing. Or that I woke up to dense fog (I love it until I have to drive in it). Or maybe it was just how cozy the entire stay was. Anyway, I am ready to return this winter and enjoy the village in the snow.
In this guide, I chat about my stay at Iisakki Glass Village in Ruka, a part of Iisakki Village. I will state now that everything was pretty perfect. I paid for this stay out of my own pocket and don’t owe the property any kind words. It genuinely impressed me.
Please note that I stayed at Ruka’s Iisakki Glass Village in September, so I can only discuss what I experienced then. Their restaurant was not open at the time and there were no snow activities available (shocker, I know). I also had super starry and clear skies (after arriving initially to rain), fell asleep before the aurora came out, and woke up to fog.
If you have any questions about booking a trip to Iisakki Village, please let me know in the comments. I hope to get back there this winter to grab some snow photos, as Ruka has some of the best snow in Finland!
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the following:
About Iisakki Village in Ruka, Finland
Iisakki Village is situated in Ruka in the Kuusamo area of Finland. It sits around 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from the center of Ruka and the main skiing area. It is located on Lake Rukajärvi, which freezes over during the winter months.
The Ruka accommodation is offered by Ruka Safaris, and they have several options of places to stay that suit most budgets. You’ll find villas, cabins, and apartments. While I haven’t stayed in any of the villas or apartments, I did stay in their Glass Village, which consists of 10 double-room cabins (discussed more below).
The village is called a village because it is just that. You can walk around to different areas and see the various accommodations and wooden buildings. There are also saunas, a restaurant (which also serves breakfast), and more.
A nature trail leads you from place to place. Iisakki Village is open year-round, and they have a variety of activities during the different seasons.
How to Book a Stay at Iisakki Village
You can easily book a stay in one of their cabins, villas, or apartments, like I did. The only issue is that there may be a 3-night limit if you’re visiting in winter or spring. I went in the fall and there was no limit. But I could have stayed there for a week, so it wouldn’t have mattered to me!
Each Glass Village unit comes with a mini-stove, fridge, and utensils, so you can cook during your stay if you are going to be there during the 3-night required stays.
But if their breakfast is any indication of what their restaurant is like during the winter months, I would be all over eating there as much as possible!
The price will vary with the season. Obviously, if you go out of high season, it will be cheaper (but you lose the magic of the snow).
Highlights of My Stay at Iisakki Glass Village
The Glass Cabin
The Ruka northern lights cabin was certainly the biggest highlight of my stay there! The accommodation was light and pretty spacious. There are 10 glass cabins in the isolated location and all were spaced apart enough that it felt like a very intimate stay.
Inside the cabins, you will find a large bathroom (thank goodness… I’m claustrophobic), a large bed, a small table with two seats, and a fully-equipped kitchenette. There is also a microwave, a kettle, and a safe.
There are floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides of the cabin, as well as on the ceiling. And normally, when I have glass ceilings in a place, I can’t see out of them (too much light pollution or they are dirty), but these were so clean that I could see the stars brilliantly out of them. It was incredible.
The glass ceiling also tells me that I will likely be able to see the aurora out of them with ease. While I usually think the ‘watching the aurora from bed’ is a marketing ploy (you can read all about it on my glass igloos post), I actually think this place may be one of the exceptions.
Zero Light Pollution
Almost every time I stay at a northern lights hotel, I end up with a lot of light pollution. There are only a few times I have had super dark skies with no resort lights in the way. Iisakki Glass Village was so dark that it was actually difficult to see.
While there will be some safety lights around the other part of the village and on the paths there, the Glass Village was void of too much of this, and it was epic. I could see every star in the sky and if I had stayed up later, the aurora.
Sauna
As with any property in Finland (or at least the best ones!), there is a sauna on-site. But at Iisakki Village, there are a few sauna options! I’m a bad sauna-goer, but Ed is not.
He did their Hikikammari sauna, which runs anywhere from 30-55€/hour. There is also a swimming dock where you can get into the ice-cold lake during your session!
Breakfast
The breakfast was fantastic at Iisakki Village. From the Glass Village, I had to walk around 0.3 km (about 0.2 mi) to get to the building, but the walk was lovely. Breakfast suited all palates with vegetarian and gluten-free options available.
They had some hot items as well as tasty bread and toppings (my type of breakfast). It was inside their restaurant, which is in a rustic, wooden building.
Activities Available
While I didn’t get to enjoy any of the activities this time around, I want to get back in winter to check out some! Ruka Safaris is renowned for having the best activities in Ruka, so I am sure everything will be top-notch.
They offer snowmobile tours, northern lights excursions, husky and reindeer adventures, nature experiences, and more. They also offer plenty in summer, including water activities on the lake.
You can also get to the ski slopes with ease! Ruka offers a shuttle that hits up Iisakki Village four times a day. The 2025-2026 schedule and prices are not out yet, but keep an eye on them here for when they are released.
How to Get to Iisakki Village
I drove there in my own car, which is also an option if you’re visiting with a car or rental car. There is plenty of parking on-site, including parking closer to the Glass Village, so you don’t have to walk with your luggage from the reception area.
Alternatively, you can take one of the buses around Ruka, including a designated Airport Bus from the Kuusamo Airport. You can learn more on Ruka’s official website.
Are the Iisakki Glass Village cabins worth it?
Yes! While it is hard for me to give insight into what they are like during the snow, I hope the photos in this post will give an indication of how beautiful the property is (and how much more beautiful it will be buried under layers of snow)!
If you have any questions, feel free to each out. I will update this guide over the coming season with some snow photos.
Any comment on lake delux villa?
Do they charge separate for linen and cleaning?
Hi Rajvi – I have no idea – may be worth shooting them a message to ask for this.