Considered one of Sweden’s 7 wonders, the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi, near Kiruna, is the largest hotel ever built using only ice and snow. For over 30 years, this unique experience has attracted thousands of tourists, curious to discover the ice sculptures recreated every year for the occasion. Kiruna’s Ice Hotel offers a myriad of unforgettable activities accessible to all.
Whether you’re coming to stay or to visit, we’ve compiled all the information you need to prepare your visit to the Ice Hotel in this article.
Practical information for visiting the Ice Hotel in Kiruna
Here’s all the information you need if you’re planning a day trip to L’Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi:
Ticket price
Visit the Ice Hotel during the day
Depending on the season, there are two different rates.
During the winter period, from mid-December to mid-April, you can visit the ice building to :
- Adult: 349 SEK.
- Student / Senior: SEK 249.
- Children (aged 5 to 12): 125 SEK.
- Children (under 5): free admission.
If you come during the off-season, i.e. the rest of the year, you can still visit Ice Hotel 365. It offers a similar service to that described below. Prices are as follows:
- Adult: 295 SEK.
- Student / Senior: SEK 200.
- Children (0-12 years): free admission.
Please note that you will not be able to reserve a ticket for the tour other than on site, at the complex reception desk.
Spend the night at the Ice Hotel
A visit to the Ice Hotel is, of course, free of charge for all overnight guests.
Please note that due to high demand, we advise you to book early (up to a year in advance) if you wish to stay overnight. You can check availability and book on this page.
Please note that the entire complex does not accept cash. So be sure to bring your own means of payment before you visit.
Opening hours
- Visit the exhibition and cold rooms : 10 am to 6 pm.
- Ice Bar: 11am to 8pm.
Special private events are sometimes held at the Ice Hotel. If you’d like to come here during your stay in Kiruna, be sure to check the website to see if it’s already booked.
Visit duration
Allow 2 hours to visit the hotel. This will of course depend on the pace of your visit, whether you have a drink at the Ice Bar or just sit for a moment at the top of the hotel to admire the view.
How do I get there?
Located in the municipality of Kiruna fifteen kilometers from the airport to the east, you’ll need just 15 minutes to get there by car. Once there, free parking is available.
In winter, when the season is in full swing, spaces may be scarcer and you may have to park further away.
If you’re coming by bus, take line 501 to the Jukkasjärvi Icehotel stop, directly in front of the complex. From Kiruna station, the journey takes 30 minutes . The last bus leaves early, so make sure you don’t miss it!
Finally, if you want to come on foot, the complex is located in the heart of Jukkasjärvi town center, close to all other points of interest.
What to do at the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi?
The Ice Hotel isn’t just a place to spend the night. With its bar, ephemeral artworks and chapel, there’s plenty to see and explore.
ICE Hotel video tour
To get you straight into the mood, here’s a video of the visit:
Exhibition of ice works and tour of the ice rooms
Every year, when the Ice Hotel reopens in winter, visitors can discover ice sculptures created by artists from all over the world.
On this occasion, you can visit the hotel to admire its ephemeral works. A guided tour (not compulsory) is available to learn more about the history of the hotel and its sculptures.
Each work is unique, which means that the exhibition is completely different from one year to the next.
During the guided tour, you can also visit the various rooms on offer. From the simple Ice Room to the extravagant Art Suite, you can admire the unique work created by artists and craftsmen.
Have a drink at the Ice Bar and visit the Ice Church
At the end of your visit, you can enjoy a drink at theIce Bar, where you can order the beverage of your choice in a glass cut from the ice.
Interesting fact: no fewer thana million glasses are made each year for Ice Hotel customers!
During your visit, you can take a look at the ice chapel. Accommodating up to 40 guests, it celebrates dozens of religious and civil events every year, including weddings.
Sleeping at the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjarvi
For a night or two, you can book a cold room. This is a completely frozen room: from floor to ceiling, from beds to armchairs, everything in the room has been created with snow and ice!
In collaboration with artists from all over the world, the hotel builds ice rooms with unique themes every year.
You can check availability, prices and book on this site.
If you want to have the chance to sleep there, don’t wait to book, as the rooms are very popular.
Once you’ve arrived, the staff will lend you everything you need for a warm night’s sleep. Wrapped up in reindeer skins and sleeping bags, you’ll enjoy an unforgettable experience.
You can then continue your stay in a warm room, a regular room located in another building and open all year round, containing all the comforts you need for a quality stay in Jukkasjärvi.
The restaurants
Numerous restaurants such as the Veranda, the Old Homestead and the Ice Hotel Restaurant will introduce you to a varied cuisine, prepared with passion by experienced chefs.
Activities on offer
Depending on the season, the Ice Hotel offers a wide range of activities. Sled dogs, northern lights safari, ice sculpture, hiking or rafting, the complex’s rich offering is sure to suit your tastes.
Ice Hotel 365
Opened in 2016, this annex offers visitors a unique experience. All year round, in a 2100m² frozen hall, you can experience the Ice Hotel. Come and discover an exhibition of works of art on ice and enjoy the famous cold rooms, whatever the season.
You’ll also have access to the Ice Bar and a room where you can learn more about the history of this ice giant through images, artwork and a short video presentation.
History of the ice hotel
The beginnings of Kiruna’s Ice Hotel
It all began in 1989, when Yngve Bergqvist, future founder of the Ice Hotel, suggested to two Japanese artists that they create an ice sculpture workshop for Swedish artists, to make the town of Jukkasjärvi more attractive.
The following year, several artists, including French sculptor Jannot Derid, were invited to hold a vernissage at the Arctic Hall, on the banks of the River Torne. This 250m² igloo was used to exhibit the artists’ ice sculptures.
Unfortunately, the Jukkasjärvi accommodations were unable to accommodate all the guests.
Yngve Bergqvist then offered them the chance to sleep in the hall of the ice building , teaching them how to survive in the cold. Despite the thermal conditions, the visitors loved their experience at Jukkasjärvi and wanted to do it all over again. And so the Arctic Hall was transformed into an ice hotel.
By the way, under Swedish law, hotels are obliged to have fire extinguishers available, even if they’re made entirely of ice and snow!
A special building
The Ice Hotel is unique in that it is totally ephemeral. Although it is the largest ice hotel ever built, it has to be recreated every year in the autumn, opening at the end of the year in December. It closes in April before melting in the spring and returning to the waters of the Torne.
Every year, no less than 5,000 tonnes of water from the River Torne and 30,000 tonnes of snow are needed to rebuild the 4,000m² Ice Hotel. Inside, the average temperature is -5°C.
With a view to preserving Swedish nature, the instigators of the project use almost exclusively renewable energies, so that the resort as a whole has as little impact as possible on the environment. For example, Ice Hotel 365 is powered solely by solar panels.
By night, the cold rooms become a hotel offering visitors a unique experience, while by day, they are transformed into a veritable exhibition of art on ice.
An artistic project unique in the world, we recommend a visit to the Ice Hotel for its authenticity, and if you can afford it, to spend a night there that will remain engraved in your mind!
