A Night On Ice: Staying At Kiruna’s Ice Hotel

For the ultimate winter wonderland, Kiruna’s Ice Hotel in Sweden is the first of its kind and a must for those seeking something out of the ordinary. From its opening in 1990, the hotel has set the standard for icy accommodations, and is built anew every single year! Read my guide below on how to visit the Ice Hotel in Kiruna, Sweden.

The Icehotel’s Timeline

• March – in preparation for building the hotel, ice is gathered from the Torne River, one of the world’s cleanest sources of water
• May – various artists from around the world start designing the rooms – there are never two identical rooms from year to year!
• November – artists come from all over the world to create their rooms and bring the designs to life
• December to April – rooms open to guests
• April – rooms melt away and the cycle begins again

When to visit the Icehotel

Most importantly, visiting the Icehotel in Kiruna requires correct timing — the below breakdown will give you a good estimate of when to go:

• December to February – Arctic winter with the lowest temperatures and limited daylight
• March to early May – Arctic spring with long days, mild temperatures
• May to August – Arctic summer, with ample daylight due to the midnight sun
• September to November – golden autumn

In summary, the best times to avoid crowds are January, March, or April.

Getting to Kiruna

The Icehotel is located 200km / 124 miles north of the Arctic Circle.

Firstly, fly into Stockholm, then take a short 1.5 hour flight into Kiruna. From Kiruna, take a car or taxi, or I recommend contacting the concierge to organize a dog sleighing ride to the hotel!

Accommodations at the Icehotel

The hotel features around 50 cold rooms and 70 warm rooms – take your pick between a classic warm hotel room in a log cabin, or one of the famous ice rooms.

Ice room

Prepare for a cold, cold night! With temperatures hovering around 23F (-5C), everything is made of ice – the walls, ceiling, chairs, and bed (topped with reindeer furs to keep you warm.) Each room is special in its own way, and ask the staff for a tour to choose which one you want:

• Snow room – the bare essentials. This is a simple bed in a room made of snow and ice
• Ice room – a larger snow room including two ice chairs
• Art suites – themed rooms with cool sculptures and art – think Tron, arctic animals, water, vehicles, food, etc.!
• Deluxe art suite – a large room twice the size of the art suite

Something worth noting is they also provide an extremely sturdy, polar-tested sleeping bag that’s so warm, you can easily sleep with one layer on underneath! There is no plumbing, but there is a sauna nearby and a hot tub outdoors that includes bathroom facilities.

Warm room

Alternatively, if the cold isn’t for you, you can stay in one of their classic log cabins. These are fully equipped rooms with all your typical amenities, and extremely cozy.

Tip: I would recommend 1 night in the ice room, 1 overnight excursion, and the remainder of your nights in a warm room.

Features and amenities at the Icehotel

Icebar

Though there are branches worldwide, this is the original Icebar. For a one-of-a-kind experience, order a drink “in the rocks.”

Church

For those seeking an extraordinary wedding experience, get married at Icehotel’s church. Moreover, children can also get baptized here, and couples can renew their vows too. Talk about a ‘cool’ place!

Activities at the Icehotel and in Kiruna

There are plenty of winter activities to keep you occupied during the day and night. Because of limited hours of daylight, learn to make the most out of the darkness — such as going on an aurora borealis tour. Some of the activities include:

• Watching the northern lights
• Dog sleighing
• Horseback riding
• Ice sculpting (they often feature great ones in the hotel lobby!)
• Ice fishing
• Moose watching
• Snowmobile safari
• Exploring nearby town of Jukkasjärvi

Have you been to an ice hotel? Let me know in the comments section below!