5 days | Independent trip | Dec-Mar | Kiruna
Nestled 200km inside the Arctic Circle, the original ICEHOTEL is located in the remote village of Jukkasjärvi, on the banks of the Torne River. For over 400 years, this region has been a hub for reindeer herders, the Sami people, and fur traders. Traditionally, Jukkasjärvi remained largely untouched by tourism during its long, dark, and snowy winters. That all changed in 1989 when the first ICEHOTEL was built, transforming the region and making the northern winter the peak tourist season.
Just a short distance away, the Abisko area, situated in the heart of the Aurora Zone, is renowned as one of the best places on earth to witness the Northern Lights. The Abisko Aurora Sky Station, accessed by a chairlift high above the village lights, offers an exceptional opportunity to experience the Aurora Borealis in all its glory.
Discover the highlights of ICEHOTEL here, and explore our other Northern Lights holidays.
As a Certified B Corporation, 50 Degrees North has designed this tour using handpicked local hoteliers and suppliers who share our ethos of delivering services and activities of high social and environmental standards.
The CO2-e per person per day of all tours is carefully measured following each season. We fully offset all emissions of our tours on your behalf, and we constantly look at ways to reduce emissions where possible.
Transfer from Kiruna to ICEHOTEL, from ICEHOTEL to Abisko and from Abisko to Kiruna.
Flights, meals other than described, travel insurance, visas, gratitudes and any items of personal nature.
On arrival in Kiruna you will be brought to Jukkasjärvi, and your accommodation at the ICEHOTEL. The hotel is located in the heart of the tiny village Jukkasjärvi, with about 900 residents. Besides the actual cold rooms, ice bar and church, Icehotel has a restaurant, cabins, hotel rooms and lounge – all housed in warm buildings within walking distance of each other. There are around fifty cold rooms and around seventy warm rooms. There is also the local homestead restaurant just ten minutes’ walk away. There is a local convenience store in the village, but no cash point.
In the evening you can enjoy a drink in the uber-cool icebar before settling into your snow room at the ICEHOTEL.
Inside ICEHOTEL, the temperature is never colder than -5 °C to -8 °C, regardless of how cold it may be outside. Dress in warm thermal underwear, put on a hat and slip into the cozy sleeping bag. You are awakened in the morning with a cup of hot lingonberry juice at your bedside. Breakfast buffet, guided tour of the hotel, storage locker, WiFi, morning sauna and towels are included in your stay.
What better way to start the day than a dog sled journey across the snowy landscape to a wilderness camp, followed by lunch? You will be a passenger but supplement is avaialble if you want to drive your own. Afterwards ride back to the kennel to learn more about the Arctic dogs and their daily life. You can go for a wander in the afternoon - visiting the local village to see the Museum and pretty church.
In the evening, rug up for a snowmobile excursion in search of the Northern Lights. Dinner included at a wilderness camp.
This evening you will stay in a warm room, i.e. a normal hotel room and enjoy a good long sleep.
Note: The ICEHOTEL loans you, free of charge, snow boots and for those who feel cold, onesie snow suits.
After breakfast transfer to Kiruna train station for just over an hour's train ride to Abisko.
In the evening, visit the Aurora Sky Station in Abisko where you will also enjoy dinner.
Abisko, in the middle of the Aurora zone, is considered to be the best place on earth to see the Aurora Borealis. With its fresh, clean air and its practically permanent cloud-free sky the prerequisites in Abisko are optimal. More or less active northern lights can be seen almost every night, however, can never be guaranteed.
The morning is free in Abisko to enjoy the winter landscape, or just to laze around in the hotel and enjoy the warmth of the Scandinavian indoors in winter.
In Abisko you can enjoy optional activities such as snowshoeing, ice climbing, dogsledding or snowmobiling (advance bookings recommended).
After breakfast transfer to Kiruna for your departure.
All prices listed are per person. Please note that a special supplement may apply over Christmas, New Years & Valentine's Day.
Please note if you have early flight departure a private transfer is optional at extra cost.
Enjoy sculptures in your room with an upgrade to an Art Suite or have your own heated relaxation area in a Deluxe Suite at ICEHOTEL.
Winter activities that could be substituted into your program at the ICEHOTEL are horseback riding, wildlife and nature photography, moose safari on horseback, arctic wildlife safari on snowmobile, cross country skiing and reindeer sleigh excursion.
Generally, the entire exterior and interior is made of snow and ice including the beds, tables and internal features. They typically have a bar and/or restaurant attached – some made of ice, others are traditional wooden structures providing a cosy atmosphere with open fires. Ice chapels are also built within the structure.
The temperature inside the rooms remains constant at minus 4-7 degrees Celsius. Depending on your location, reindeer hides, balaclavas, thermal mattresses and sleeping bags will keep you warm, and ensure you will have a comfortable night. You still might feel the chill of the night, however, adjacent to the cold rooms are lounge areas with facilities, showers, and in some locations, a sauna to warm up in. Warm drinks are provided in the morning. Read further details about the ICEHOTEL here.
Functional clothing is key for enjoying and being safe in the outdoors. Loan of warm outer clothing (snowsuit, boots, gloves and balaclava) is included when staying at the ICEHOTEL. In addition, you should pack thermal underwear (preferably wool), breathable layer clothing, plenty of socks (again, preferably wool, rather than cotton or synthetic), and a warm hat. For your night in Icehotel, we recommend you wear thermal underwear, warm socks and a hat, and perhaps bring an extra fleece jacket or similar. The key is to think layers that allow good ventilation of body heat, materials that breathe and avoiding perspiration. Opt for oil-based creams and skip the morning shower when you have a day planned outdoors.
When staying in an ice room or in one of the art suites you store your belongings in a locker or booth in the warm Riverside Lobby which is staffed 24 hours, located just meters from the hotel. The Deluxe suite 365 has a private sauna, shower and toilet directly connected to the bedroom. The heated relaxation area also provides storage for your belongings.
Since 2017 ICEHOTEL offers cold sleeping 365 days of the year, so timing is down to which season that appeals to you the most. Visiting during December through February is an Arctic winter adventure at its most intense, with extreme temperatures and short daylight hours. March, April and early May is Arctic spring with long and often sunny days, and mild temperatures ranging between -10 C (14 F) and 10 C (50 F). ICEHOTEL summer is short and mild, but with near constant daylight hours thanks to the midnight sun. The northern lights season and golden autumn starts in September, as days begin to get shorter.
A good tip is to go in January, March, or April, when the hotel tends to be less busy.
SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL:
The original and famous ICEHOTEL was one of the first accommodations in Kiruna to become ‘Sustainable Arctic Destination’ certified and the hotel’s connection with the environmental cycle is core to everything it does. The hotel is located on the Torne River and ice is harvested every winter to make the hotel, and in the summer, when the hotel is melting, the water returns to its origin. As such waste and emissions are kept to an absolute minimum.
ANIMAL WELFARE POLICY:
At 50 Degrees North, animal welfare is a top priority during all our tours and packages. We carefully select suppliers who adhere to strict animal welfare standards, ensuring that wildlife interactions are respectful and comply with local, national, and international regulations. We avoid offering excursions that involve captive wildlife, except where they are properly regulated, and all activities are designed to minimise disturbance to natural ecosystems. Our travellers are educated on responsible, including responsible animal interactions, through our 'Responsible Travel Tips' for travellers, and our guides are trained to lead by example, promoting ethical conduct towards both wild and domesticated animals. By prioritising animal welfare in every aspect of our tours, we ensure that your travel experience is both enjoyable and ethically sound. Read our article on Animal Welfare to learn more.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Weather conditions may occasionally affect certain activities, and as a result, the schedule may be adjusted to ensure the best possible experience for all guests. For multi-activity stays, often the order of the activities will be confirmed locally on arrival. Activities might vary slightly in their duration or location due to the weather and local conditions. Any activities that are unable to be re-scheduled due to weather conditions, will be refunded as a general practice, as determined by the activity provider.
Looking for an unusual honeymoon destination? Northern Europe offers something very different from the traditional beach escape, from glass igloos and Arctic wilderness to private saunas, luxury hotels and geothermal lagoons.
Travel this winter and experience ICEHOTEL 365!
Planning a Northern Lights holiday and wondering when to go? While the aurora is a natural phenomenon that can never be guaranteed, there are clear seasonal patterns and conditions that can significantly improve your chances.
Travel insurance is compulsory for all tours with 50 Degrees North. The safety of our travellers, staff and operators is a major priority of 50 Degrees North. With an operational office in Norway, 50 Degrees North has access to an up-to-the-minute flow of information regarding the countries we work in. We are also in regular contact with the various operators we use. Their in-depth knowledge and understanding of their various areas is vital.
This is a general packing checklist for Scandinavian winter travel. You don’t need everything every day, but these items cover most winter conditions across the region.
If you’re new to winter travel, start with our guide to travelling in Scandinavia during winter to understand what conditions are really like. For practical advice on managing luggage and day-to-day winter travel, see our Lapland winter packing advice, and for detailed guidance on what to wear and how to layer, read our Snow Clothing Essentials guide.
Outer layers
Base and mid layers
Accessories for warmth
Footwear
Everyday and practical items
Health, documents and electronics
Sun and eye protection
At 50 Degrees North, we generally include at least one of our favourite activities into your tailor-made itinerary but there will also be extra time when you could add something extra. There are lots of different optional excursions to enjoy during your stay at the ICEHOTEL. Now that it is open 365 days a year, the range is even wider.
During the summer months, enjoy the 24-hour daylight with kayaking, hiking or bike riding. You can rent your own equipment for half or whole day adventures.
Prices and validity dates vary - we will assist you with up to date information at the time of booking.
The tours always include top quality equipment and our guides are trained in wilderness safety and touring in Arctic climate. Your tour begins with an introduction and safety demonstration by the guide. All outdoor activities are weather dependent and may be cancelled or replaced by more suitable alternatives should the conditions not permit to run the tour as planned. The snow depth at the beginning and end of the season determines start and finish dates for activities.
All tours start and finish at ICEHOTEL Meeting Point, Jukkasjärvi. Please note that there must be a minimum of two adults per tour, as it will otherwise be cancelled.
We also recommend you calculate for some “warm time” between activities, for you to go inside for a couple of hours, change clothing if necessary and re-heat.
Never shower, wash your face or put on water-based creams or make-up before going out on an excursion as this means you remove the skin’s natural protective layer of oil and you are more exposed to the cold.
The activities start and finish at ICEHOTEL meeting point so no transfers to/from the activity are necessary. Our snowmobiles are purchased from contractors who are leading in environmental sustainability. The machines have four stroke engines that are environmentally friendly and not very noisy so good for our guides and our neighbours too. All vehicles are run on unleaded petrol or environmentally friendly diesel. ICEHOTEL staff or our suppliers prepare and maintains the snowmobile and dog sledding tracks so that we can ensure that it is done in a way that is not harmful for our surroundings. ICEHOTEL management works closely with local land-owners and Sámi villages to continuously maintain sustainable levels of land-use in connection with our activities. ICEHOTEL seeks to work with local suppliers of food in order to minimise our carbon footprint and promote local entrepreneurs. ICEHOTEL strives to avoid using disposable items where possible.
We recycle and re-use as much as possible and our guides always bring back wastage from the tours to dispose or recycle at the main hotel facilities. ICEHOTEL has set out a goal to become CO2 negative, which means that we will contribute to producing more energy than we consume.
All our guides are trained and hold the Swedish Transport Board’s permission to work as a snowmobile guide. All snowmobile tours begin with an induction to the vehicle that you will be driving. Should a damage occur during a tour, the snowmobile will be inspected and if necessary taken out of service to be repaired until it can run on tour again. In order to drive a snowmobile on a tour operated by ICEHOTEL, you must be at least 16 years of age and have a driver’s license. If your license has been issued before Jan 1, 2000, you are entitled to drive snowmobile on your own or in connection with a guided tour.
If your license was issued after this date, you are only eligible to drive a snowmobile under the supervision of a certified guide. To attend Ice driving as a driver, you must be at least 18 years of age and have a driver’s license that is valid in Sweden. If you are unsure, please check with our Destination Specialists. Alcohol must not be consumed prior to or in connection with a
snowmobile or ice driving activity. A breath alcohol test may be carried out prior to the tour and ICEHOTEL reserves the right to refuse your participation without refund if levels are found to be too high. All our guides are trained in wilderness safety and to prevent associated dangers such as frost bite. First aid and other health and safety equipment are always brought on the tour and our health and safety policies are developed in collaboration with the local emergency services. ICEHOTEL provides necessary safety equipment for our activities, e.g. helmets for the snowmobile and ráidu tours. Crossing frozen rivers is always done by ICEHOTEL snowmobile guides before customers in order to check the resilience of the ice. Despite this, accidents may still occur.
We recommend that you book your activities at least three weeks prior to your stay, to ensure that there is space for you on the excursions that you are interested in.
