Time Magazine reckons that the IceHotel in Jukkasjarvi is one of the Top 100 places to visit in the world. How about visiting the IceHotel with Kids? Is sleeping in at -13°C with two eleven year olds a good idea? Christmas at the IceHotel, just steps away from where Father Christmas begins his journey, that is tempting to boys (and their parents) turns out that staying at the Ice Hotel with kids turns out to be amazing.
Table of Contents
STAYING IN THE ICE HOTEL WITH KIDS
First things first you don’t sleep in cold rooms every night. There are two distinct parts of the Swedish IceHotel warm rooms and cold rooms. We spent two nights in a warm room and one in a cold one. The other thing that I had been worried about was what on earth we were going to do all day given that it was bound to be dark as the sun wasn’t going to make it above the horizon. Turns out that even though you never see the sun, its light bounces around from just below the horizon giving an amazing pinkish glow called KAMOOS.
ICE HOTEL WARM ROOMS
Huts, incredibly well insulated huts, that’s what the warm rooms are. You open up the door into a vestibule where you clamber in or out of your thick outdoor clothing and then open another door into a sitting room. We had a family hut that had two bedrooms, a sitting area and a bathroom. Everything was warm cosy, comfortable and Scandinavian.
ICE HOTEL COLD ROOMS
Cold rooms made of ice. Your bed is ice, topped with a mattress, topped with a reindeer hide. You sleep on top of the hide in an all seasons sleeping bag. As the public are allowed to wander around the ice rooms during the day you don’t get access to your icy room until quite late. You spend that time in a warm reception that has comfy chairs, wifi and toilets. Forget skimpy nightdresses, in the ice room you sleep in thermal underwear with a hat. Lockers are available to stow your daytime clothes and valuables. You don’t need to wear really thick clothes because if you overheat you will sweat and that will then cause you to chill. Once in your thermal sleeping kit, you slip your big snow boots on your feet and wrap your sleeping bag around you like a shawl and then process to your room. There are family rooms but we were too late to book one and had two double rooms with one adult and one boy in each. I confess that I thought we would get no sleep at all, turns out that we all slept like logs until an IceHotel person woke us in the morning with warm Lingonberry juice.
DOES THE ICE HOTEL HAVE TOILETS?
Hmmm, not so much …. well how would they flush! If nature calls in the night, you get out of your sleeping bag, pull on your snow boots and make a dash for warm reception. Sounds grim but in actual fact it is quite special being in the icy corridors in the small hours. Once you have drunk you Lingonberry juice in the morning you make your way to the sauna and shower in warm reception.
HOW IS THE ICE HOTEL BUILT
Every Autumn, as the temperatures begin to fall, construction begins. Blocks of ice harvested from the River Torne are the building blocks used to create the basic structure and then the whole lot is sprayed with SNICE. What is Snice, I hear you cry. Since is a mixture of snow, ice and air, it has a higher density than snow and so reflects the sun better and prevents the whole structure from melting. Every Spring the IceHotel melts away completely and each year a brand new one is built, the front door and the chandeliers in the main hall are the same, everything else is different … a unique work of art each year.
WILL I SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS AT THE SWEDISH ICE HOTEL
Hopefully! The Northern Lights don’t appear to order. Whilst we were staying, some people arrived from the place that they had stayed the previous night, the place which is meant to be the best place in the world to see the Northern Lights. They had had skies shrouded in cloud and seen nothing. We had had skies as clear as a bell and had been treated to a stunning display. I am afraid that I have no pictures good enough to share but that is the fault of my camera and lack of tripod rather than the lack of swirling coloured lights.
CAN YOU STAY IN THE ICE HOTEL ALL YEAR ROUND?
No, well sort off. The classic IceHotel melts in the Spring. The warm rooms remain and now there is IceHotel 365 which is open all year round. It wasn’t there when we visited, so I don’t know what it is like. I would however love to see what the landscape looks like without its blanket of snow.
WHAT TO DO AT THE ICE HOTEL
During the day the rooms at the Jukkasjarvi Ice Hotel are open to be viewed. Each year a team of artists designs and builds every room from scratch. Every room is completely different. When we visited we didn’t know which rooms we were going to be in and had great fun speculating which one would be ours. Once you have seen inside the rooms there are many other things to do, some of the activities have age restrictions.
DOG SLEDDING
A pack of Huskies will pull you in a sled across the Torne river and out into the wilderness beyond. Midway you stop at a cosy cabin for lunch. This is suitable for all ages, we didn’t do this at the IceHotel as we had treated the boys to a Husky sled ride in Norway earlier in the year.
ICE SCULPTING
Do you fancy designing and making an IceHotel suite yourself? Well you can take the first steps toward being able to by taking an Ice Sculpting class. A teacher will explain the basics and then you are presented with a block of River Torne ice and a set of tools and off you go. Your finished work of art will eventually melt away so make sure you take lots of pictures of it! To wield hammer and chisel you need to be at least 12 years old.
SNOWMOBILING
There are two levels of snowmobiling on offer at the IceHotel an Adventure and an Experience. On the Adventure you head off into the wilderness and discover ice covered lakes or the shorter Experience where you don’t go quite as far. On both you can either drive or be a passenger, if you want to drive you have to be over 18 and have a driving licence (make sure you bring it with you if snowmobiling is your heart’s desire). As long as you are big enough to sit on the snowmobile and cling on, you can have a go. Just beware that anything not wrapped up is likely to end up frosted in ice!
CROSS COUNTRY SKIING AND SNOW SHOEING
Hiring Cross Country Skies or Snow Shoes and heading off on your own,map in hand, is a fabulous way to discover the area. You get to experience the amazing silence of the region on your own. We could already cross country ski and so opted for the skis, click here to read about our Norwegian Cross Country Skiing adventures. Whilst cross country skiing is not hard I would suggest that maybe heading off in the Arctic on your first attempt is not the best idea. Snow shoeing however is easy. All you do is strap on the shoes which look like hi tech tennis rackets onto your feet, over your snow boots, grab a couple of ski poles and walk. It really is as easy as walking, with the added bonus that you are less likely to slip over in the snow.
WHAT TO WEAR AT THE ICE HOTEL
What will you wear, was one of the most asked questions people asked us before we went. Layers lots of thin layers. No need to worry about buying clothes that you will only wear when in the Artic. When you check into the IceHotel you are issued with a snowsuit which is really just a very warm padded onesie, a pair of thick snow gloves and a pair of snow boots. Under your borrowed padding you wear your layers.
I confess that I am a devotee of Uniqlo Heattech which was my base layer. Regular readers will know that we cross country ski and so we wore what we wear in Norway. A thin base layer, a fleece and a breathable waterproof coat. Thick ski socks, silk liner gloves and a hat. We find Decathlon invaluable for kitting us all out without breaking the bank.
EATING AT THE ICE HOTEL
Food is available from three places within the Ice Hotel, you just need to select how hungry you are, what you want to eat and how much money you want to spend.
ICEHOTEL RESTAURANT
Breakfast and lunch at the IceHotel Restaurant are always buffets. Every type of Scandinavian vegetable, fish and meet dishes are available. Most exciting to the boys was the option of having meatballs for breakfast. In the evening the restaurant turns into a fine dining establishment with exceptional food beautifully displayed on ice from the Torne river. If your children are fussy, this option is likely to be a stressful waste of money, but ours will eat anything and revelled in each new dish that came their way. Should you wish to stay and linger over drink there is cosy bar with roaring fires.
JUKKASJARVI HOMESTEAD
As the name implies the Homestead restaurant is located in an old wooden farmhouse. Everything from the Hygge style book is here, roaring fires, glowing lamps, cosy chairs. Here the food is burgers, meatballs, steak and salmon all served simply but deliciously. The Homestead is a short walk away from the IceHotel rooms but wrapped up warm in your IceHotel snow suit it is a treat to be out under the starry sky.
ICEHOTEL LOUNGE
Just behind the main entrance lobby is a cosy bar area selling hot and cold drinks and bar snacks. This was perfect for us at the end of a long day travelling to the IceHotel when we just wanted something quick and then bed. Especially as the next day was Christmas Eve, the day when Father Christmas visits the IceHotel at the beginning of his epic journey round the world.
ICEBAR BY ICEHOTEL
The Ice Bar is made entirely of ice. The walls, the floors, the bar and the seating, everything is ice. You drink from glasses made from River Torne ice. We sat swathed in our snow suits, hats, gloves and boots sipping on suitably cold cocktail. It was one of life’s more amazing experiences. We only had one drink and then headed for a warmer inside but I’m sure that if you drank enough cocktails you would begin not to notice the cold!
GETTING MARRIED AT THE ICEHOTEL
Yes your really can get married at the IceHotel. Every year an Ice Church is built, it opens on December 25 each year and is handed over to the Swedish Church. You can have your wedding here, renew your vows or have children Christened. Even if you are not planning on a ceremony of any kind the Ice Chapel is an incredibly beautiful and spiritual place to sit and take stock of things.
CHRISTMAS AT THE ICEHOTEL
In addition to all the stunning icy things to do at the IceHotel Jukkasjarvi at Christmas there are some extra special things on offer. Father Christmas pops in just after dusk on Christmas Eve with presents for everyone, then he sets off delivering gifts to rest of the world. On Christmas Eve, after Santa had gone on his way, there was a special Christmas buffet served in the restaurant with traditional Swedish Christmas food.
On Christmas Day itself as dusk began to fall, we were given flaming torches and set off to walk the half mile to the traditional wooden Jukkasjarvi church for a concert. This was a magical thing to do, the church was lit with candles and we were treated to a varied programme of traditional Lap music and more familiar hymns.
WOULD I RECOMMEND TAKING CHILDREN TO THE ICE HOTEL?
YES! Not really little children, I would say that ten or eleven would be the youngest that you would want to attempt a stay. Younger than that and coping with cold might result in tears and tantrums. I would say steer clear if your children need buggies, the paths are flat but you would be very limited as to which activities you could join in with. When we talk about travel and holidays (which is a lot) the boys always ask if we can go back to the Ice Hotel. Our answer is yes, when you can pay for us to visit!
HOW TO BOOK THE ICE HOTEL
You can book via the IceHotel website, you would then need to book flights to Kiruna. We opted for a package from Discover the World, a large part of the attraction of the package was that it included direct flights from Heathrow to Kiruna. How much does it cost to stay at the IceHotel? Packages with Discover the World start at £1,117 per person including flights, three nights accommodation and breakfast. Not the cheapest mini break that we have had with the children but certainly the most memorable!
Wow what an amazing experience & to get a spectacular view of the Northern Lights must have been the icing on the cake.
Jane xx
My Midlife Fashion
Ohhh wow. Your experience sounds amazing Catherine. What a fun thing to do at Christmas and I am sure the whole family will remember it for decades to come. Seeing the Northern Lights is my dream but I am so scared of being cold having had hypothermia twice.. in Australia! Love this inspirational trip shared on #FarawayFiles
Author
It was amazing, the boys asked to go again this year and looked very downcast when I explained it was not to be an annual trip!
Haha. Oh you spoilsport! I’m sure they will have a fantastic Christmas regardless 😃
I was so excited when I saw this on the linkup, Catherine! I’ve always dreamed of visiting the Ice Hotel so it’s so fantastic to read a proper review of it – and with children. What a great idea to have warm and cold areas and it’s fascinating how you have to wear all those thermals in bed. I’d probably have to wear double – I get freezing fingers and toes just in our old house in the UK. What an incredible experience. Thanks for writing about it so well and sharing it with us on #FarawayFiles
Author
Thank you, it is an amazing experience
How absolutely amazing. I visited the IceHotel on a trip to Lapland and it looked spectacular, but we didn’t stay (except for some hot chocolate) as we were off snowmobiling. I’d forgotten about the frozen eyelashes too! We were there towards the end of January so slightly lighter but still knee high snow. Such an amazing trip although it’s my second to the area where I haven’t seen the Northern Lights. I need to go back and try again. #farawayfiles
Author
We ski in Norway, the first time it was because I wanted to see the Northern Lights. We didn’t and so went back the next year and the next, when we did. By then the boys love the place so much that we just keep on returning!
Sounds really interesting and your pictures look great! I am thinking of travelling to Kiruna this winter and try the Ice Hotel there, but haven’t found any companion yet 🙂
This place looks amazing! I’ve never considered visiting a place like this, probably because it’s so far from home, and we generally don’t do extreme cold, but it’s definitely going on my list now! As an aside, I hope I haven’t commented twice as I had a bit of trouble using my mobile device earlier… Great post! #farawayfiles
Author
Thank for battling through the electronic barriers!
Absolutely amazing!! I would LOVE to stay in an Ice Hotel one day! I’m sure it was an amazing experience! #FarawayFiles
This sounds amazing! I have slept in an iglu at the top of the Zugspitze, but we didn’t see the Northern lights sadly! 🙂 #farawayfiles
Author
An iglu at the top of the Zugspitze sounds amazing!
Wow! This post gave me chills (good ones not cold ones ;))! I’ve been wanting to check out the Ice hotel but was pretty afraid of the cold. It looks like you guys had an awesome time though! Saving this for a maybe trip (if I can muster up the bravery) for next year. 😬 Thanks for sharing!
Author
They lend you super warm clothes, so don’t let the cold put you off!
awesome! I’ve only done the Ice Bar in London:) but the ice hotel, cool! #farawayfiles
I had to read this post because we married in the Ice Hotel! We spent our wedding night in an ice suite – you know the ones, with magnificent ice carvings brrrr, now that was cold with all that extra ice! We also saw the Northern Lights but went on a snowmobile tour to view them, they really are something special. Thank you for my trip down memory lane! #farawayfiles
Author
Pleasure! What an amazing place to get married xx
This looks so cool. I love the eyelash picture. What a great experience.
Seems like such an incredible experience! that eyelash picture! Amazing! #FarawayFiles
What a cool experience! Can’t believe your eyelashes froze – I’ve never been in that sort of cold before! Sounds like a pretty unique experience though and worth putting on the bucket list!
How lucky you were to be see the aurora on all four nights of your stay! I was not as lucky during my visit to the ice hotel, though I enjoyed exploring the hotel and its ice carvings!
Author
We were very lucky, the first night they were a bit faint and you wondered what all the fuss was about but the others showed us why!
Dying to do something like this! You were so lucky to see the Northern lights every night – I have heard it isn’t a guarantee! Thank you for sharing and linking with #FarawayFiles – this was a great one! Cheers from Copenhagen, Erin
Author
No guarantees, indeed the people who paid extra to go to the ‘best place in the world’ to see the lights didn’t get to see them that night!
I would absolutely love to do this – thanks for sharing
Oh this sounds like a once in a lifetime amazing experience! Not too keen on the idea of frozen eyelashes but I LOVE the sound of drinking hot chocolate whilst snug in front of a roaring fire 😉 Thanks for sharing your experience with #MondayEscapes.
Author
The children are keen to go again but we have told them that they are paying next time!
Oh my goodness, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything even close to -40c, my mind can’t process how cold that must be!! Such an incredible setting, though, so it would certainly be worth bundling up!
Author
It certainly was, because your body was warm you didn’t shiver and feel chilled
What a superb experience for the kids too, I wouldn’t have thought they would have coped! #MondayEscapes
Oh wow, this looks fantastic. Great tips too. I’ve always wondered about the loos.
Wow, what an experience. It is still a dream for me to see Northern lights and to stay in Ice Hotel. I got inspired!!
Author
Both were amazing!
What an experience! This is on my bucketlist, it looks absolutely freezing, but I bet it’s worth it haha
Author
Well worth it!
omg my boyfriend and I just saw an ice hotel on a Netflix show, and we’ve been obsessed with going ever since! Soooo cool! And the photo of your icy eyelashes is sooooo good. LOVE it!
Author
Worth getting frosty just for the shot!
Woooow! Your lucky kids! I would have LOVED doing something like this with my family when were growing up. I mean, I still like the idea of it now as an adult!!
I love that you got to do so many activities as well as have the fun of staying in the hotel.
p.s. YES to Uniqlo heattech. Those layers save me in the winter as I’m allergic to wool but want to stay warm when we ski or snowboard…
Author
I’m allergic to wool too, love heattech and wear it even when I’m not skiing!
Lol me too. I’m wearing it today under my dress! 😉
What an amazing experience! I definitely like how you chose to stay only one night in cold and the rest in warm rooms. It sounds like the best way to experience it all and both room styles sound amazing. The frost on eyelashes! I don’t think I have ever experienced cold quite like that before. I’m thinking of getting the Uniqlo heattech for an upcoming vacation and I think I’ve finally been convinced.
Author
Heattech is the way to go and if you buy city colours you can wear it in real life too!
What an adventure! I’m sure your kids will be talking about their frosty stay for years to come! (And maybe one day they’ll take their own kids too!)
Author
Hopefully!
Ice hotel !!! No words to explain .must be one of a kind experience .I would love to experience the same some day ..thanks for sharing great insights..I am really curious to see more pictures
Author
So many pictures!
Wow, IceHotel seems beautiful, interesting but it also sends a chill down my spine wondering my spine. How difficult was it to sleep in the cold rooms?
Author
Very easy, was expecting not to sleep but was out like a light
What a unique family vacation! I truly hate the cold (and snow in general after Christmas), but this sort of sold me. Between the Northern Lights, warm lingonberry juice, and activities, this seems like a truly unforgettable (and surprisingly cozy?) experience.
Author
It was surprisingly cosy, you could always curl up in front of the fire with a good book and a warm drink!
I remember I’ve heard about this hotel very long time ago as some local celebritiy had a wedding there. It will always impress me how they put so much effort in somethung what will melt in the spring. I don’t like being cold so I would probably would stay in that warm part of the hotel. I actually had no idea there is so much to do around! Great post !
Author
If you wrap up in lots of layers you don’t get cold …. honest
This looks A-MAZING (as Freya would say). Part of me would love to go but another part can already hear Mark and Freya moaning about being cold. It must just be worth it 🙂 #CulturedKids
Author
We have lots of layers that we can lend you!
I might take you up on that! Thank you.
Oh my goodness. I’m going to start saving now so that we can go when the kids hit 11/12! This looks and sounds utterly magical. #CulturedKids
Author
It was magical …. our next stay was a youth hostel, also amazing but at the other end of the saving scale!
This looks epic, such an adventure. I love the fact that every suggestion, meal, activity or attraction is Ice, Ice, Ice. My tots are too young, but one day we’ll hopefully experience such a trip. Fantastic. #CulturedKids
Author
Even the Christmas tree was hung with ice decorations!
We stayed in an Iglu at the top of the Zugspitze (Germany’s highest mountain) when mine were 7 and 9 and although it was a fabulous experience, next time I would go just as a couple. The kids adored it, but we all had to go to our “room” when they were super tired, just as the party was getting going! 😀 #CulturedKids
Author
I would love to do that, the Zugspitze was my first mountain!
Wow! This really is the ultimate bucket list experience with kids. I hope one day we can visit. We’re planning a trip to Finnish Lapland for next winter (if I can work out how to do a DIY one without busting the bank!) but I’ll heed your advice and save this one for when they’re old enough to cope with the cold.
Sorry, forgot this visit was from #culturedkids 🙃
Author
Finnish Laand has some cool glass comes you can stay in, all the better to see the Northern Lights
They sound really special. Will look them up, thanks for the suggestion
Author
I also realise that Finland has been autocorrected to Finnish Laand!
This sounds fabulous at every level and a perfect though expensive short break. You’ve included ome great tips about the light despite lack of sun. This has whet my appetite for Iceland yet again! #Culturedkids
Author
It was expensive but worth every penny!
I love this. My girls would absolutely love staying here. So special that you stayed over Christmas too.
What an experience, I would so love to try this. Lingonberry juice sounds interesting, the thought of seeing pink hues sky is so wonderful. #culturedkids
To say I am a tad envious of this trip is an understatement and it’s on the list for the family to do very soon. The not having a loo issue might be a problem for me, but I would gladly put up for it for a couple of nights. I will definitely be consulting you when I get around to booking this. Now if only I could command the Northern Lights to make an appearance…any ideas? #CULTUREDKIDS
I’ve often wondered about doing this. Great to get all the info about it in this post. I’ve certainly got all the gear now!
We used Discover the World for our Iceland holiday in 2007.
#culturedkids
Author
And you know how to Cross Country Ski!
Wow! Always wondered about how the Ice Hotel works. I actually think my son would cope way better than me with the cold 😂
Author
The kids were amazing, you’re right it was us that fretted more!
I do love the sound of this, you’ve just about convinced me that going to sleep in such a chilly place isn’t a ridiculous idea. The other activities sound brilliant, my boys would love the husky trip and snow mobiles rides. Thanks for linking up with #FamilyFriendlyStays
This is on my bucket list! I will have to wait until my son is older- he’s 2 right now and I can see him sticking his tongue on the ice and getting stuck. LOL Great guide!
Author
Maybe a few years more, but they will whizz by!
Sounds fabulous. I couldn’t really imagine what it must be like but you have really brought it to life. I’d love to do this. Sounds about as warm as camping in the Pennines in England at the end of October, which is what we did last week!!!!
Author
Haha! Bravo, I hope someone bought you warm Lingonberry juice in the morning!
The Ice Hotel looks amazing and i so want to visit! This is definitely on our list for the next couple of years. Will be saving this for when we do #CulturedKids
What a TOTALLY incredible experience! Your photos are beautiful and it all sounds like such a wonderfully quirky once in a lifetime adventure. I would LOVE to stay here, how beautiful. #familyfriendlystays
Wow..!! That is stunning.. What else to ask for when there is so much Ice and Snow..!!
Visiting the Arctic Tundra Region is one thing, but staying in an Ice Hotel is a whole different level altogether.
Excellent and detailed article..!! You know how to hook your readers so well.. 🙂
Thank you for sharing..!!