Icehotel holidays

When is the best time to visit the Icehotel?

You can sleep on ice at Sweden’s Ice hotel year-round thanks to the permanently chilled Icehotel365.  The seasonal part of the hotel, however is rebuilt every winter so for many, visiting the Icehotel is at its best during the winter months when it is blanketed in snow, the air outside is crisp and cold and the northern lights might make an appearance. There are a variety of activities and experiences available at the Icehotel from dog sledding to wilderness safaris.

When you book an ice hotel holiday with us, we recommend spending one night in the ice rooms before moving to a chalet or traditional hotel room.

Icehotel in winter

The winter season starts in December until early April. During these months guests can stay in the new, hand carved art suites, or standard ice rooms before the ice melts away and returns to the Torne river. The seasonal art suites are individually designed; each year heralds more inventive and even quirkier designs by artists from all over the world, no two designs are ever the same.

The art suites are completely unique and have never been seen or slept in before. The other 20 standard ice rooms are simpler in their design, with art decor and a bed made of ice. Alongside the ice rooms, there are also traditional hotel rooms, known as ‘warm accommodation’.

Icehotel in summer

In December 2016, Icehotel 365 opened its doors and is the first hotel to office an icy experience all year round! The permanent structure is a specially designed ice hall, housing previously designed art suites, deluxe bedroom suites, and ice hall and ice bar. Maintained at sub-zero temperatures by solar power during summer its domed roof is covered in wild flowers, while in winter, it blends seamlessly with the adjacent winter structure. The summer months from mid-May until the end of July showcase a very different landscape and with that, activities such as rafting, hiking and fishing under the midnight sun.

The Icehotel and the aurora

Sitting well above the Arctic Circle in the tiny village of Jukkasjarvi, the Icehotel is in a great location for viewing the aurora borealis. During the evening, aurora watchers head down to the frozen river to gaze at the night sky in expectation of viewing the northern lights – possibly after enjoying a cocktail or two in the Icebar.

Alternatively, there is a range of enticing excursions from husky safaris to snowmobile tours operating in the evening deep into the wilderness that offer excellent chances to view the aurora, if the cloud conditions permit.

However, if seeing the northern lights is your priority, we recommend combining your Icehotel experience with an overnight stay in Abisko National Park visiting the Aurora Sky Station. Deep in the heart of Swedish Lapland, the Sky Station has one of the best track records for northern lights sightings on earth. The reason being a quirk of climate and the local prevailing winds which keep the skies overhead almost always cloud-free. This is also one of the driest areas in Lapland and creates the ideal weather conditions for viewing the aurora.

Cool combinations

Why not combine a stay in Swedish Lapland with time in Northern Norway or Iceland?

Explore the charismatic Arctic city of Tromso, dubbed the ‘Paris of the North’. Surrounded by mountains and sea, this lively city is an ideal complement to the wilderness of Abisko and the Icehotel. A scenic rail journey across the top of Scandinavia connects the two.

Iceland doesn’t have an ice hotel of its own, but it is possible to combine with a stay in Sweden’s Icehotel. Explore volcanic wonders, waterfalls and vibrant Reykjavik before heading to the world’s coolest hotel via Stockholm.

A night in the Icehotel can be included as part of a rail odyssey around Sweden and Norway. If you’d prefer to experience Swedish Lapland under the midnight sun, you can pair your break with a stay at the Treehotel.