About this tour
When Mia from our team did this day trip, we headed out from Abisko through the Swedish Lapland backcountry—proper forest and mountain terrain—to reach the Icehotel near Jukkasjärvi. It's a striking concept: a working hotel built entirely from ice and snow, rebuilt each winter. The 7-hour outing includes transport both ways and entry to wander the rooms, corridors, and bar carved from the frozen stuff. You're sharing the experience with other curious travellers, mostly European visitors keen to tick off something genuinely unusual.
Highlights
- Drive through genuine Lapland wilderness; forests shift noticeably as you gain elevation
- Building interiors carved from ice blocks; some rooms have sculpted details
- Ice bar serves drinks in glasses made from frozen water
- Staff explain the construction and seasonal rebuild cycle
- Pram-friendly pathways mean families with small kids can navigate the site
- Quiet shoulder seasons offer fewer crowds than peak winter
- Restaurant on-site if you want hot food after the cold walk-through
What to expect
You'll meet your guide early and spend the first part of the journey watching the landscape change as you drive north into the mountains and deep forest. The Icehotel sits in a remote spot; expect a bit of drive time but the scenery makes it worthwhile. Once there, you get handed your ticket and are largely free to explore at your own pace. The interiors are genuinely cold—it's basically walking through a freezer—and the novelty of ice-carved walls, furniture, and fittings holds up for a solid hour or so. The bar is a highlight, and staff are on hand to chat about how it all works.
The catch: there's no hand-holding tour structure, so it's self-guided. You can move through as quickly or slowly as you like, but there's only so much to see before the cold drives you back outside or to the restaurant. The visit feels less 'day tour with activities' and more 'get there, have a look around, grab a warm drink, head back.' Most of your 7 hours is travel time; the actual Icehotel explore is roughly 2–3 hours.
Good to know
This is genuinely one-off stuff—there aren't many ice hotels in the world, and this one's the original. If you're into architecture, design, or just want to say you've stayed (or visited) a hotel made of ice, it ticks the box. Works fine for all fitness levels and families with prams.
You'll be cold. Seriously cold. The site provides entry but no gear; you must bring proper winter clothing (thermals, insulated coat, hat, gloves, good boots). Lunch isn't included, so budget extra for the restaurant if you want to eat. The experience can feel a bit rushed if you're expecting a full-day immersion; it's more of a novelty visit than a deep dive. Peak season (December–February) draws crowds; shoulder months are quieter. Accessibility inside is limited to the paved areas; some ice corridors are uneven. Bring a camera battery pack—cold drains phones fast.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original BugBitten summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.