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How does spending the night in a real life winter wonderland sound? In Norway, you can do just that by visiting one of the country’s unbelievably magical ice hotels, where everything is made out of snow and ice, including the beds, drinking glasses and steps, plus spectacular ice carvings and sculptures.
Check out our travel guide to the best ice hotels in Norway, including the first of its kind in the world, to discover the top Norway ice hotels to stay at. Let’s go!
The Best Norway Ice Hotels to Visit
So, where exactly are the best ice hotels in Norway? Here are our top picks! We’ve included some key info about each hotel so you can get a helpful overview.
Snowhotel Kirkenes
Open all year round, Snowhotel in Kirkenes (a small town in the county of Finnmark in Northern Norway) was the first hotel in the world to be made completely of ice and snow! In previous years, the entire hotel was built from scratch again each year in winter, but technology now allows the hotel to remain throughout the entire year.
Temperatures are regulated at -4ºC (around 25ºF), no matter how cold it is outside, by using insulating snow in the building structure to keep the warmth inside. Here, you can also explore the incredible icy and remote surroundings, including the Husky and reindeer farms.
At Snowhotel Kirkenes, you can spend the night in a real life winter wonderland, but you also have the option to go stay in the warm part of the hotel if you get too cold. You can also spend one night in the ice rooms, then spend additional nights in the warm part if you like. Before you go to sleep, make sure to enjoy a drink at the stunning ice bar!
Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel
The world’s northernmost ice hotel, Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel can be found in the small town of Alta, which is located close to the very northernmost tip of mainland Norway and is also part of Finnmark county in North Norway. Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel was actually the world’s second ice hotel and is rebuilt each year by artists who sculpt snow and ice blocks to construct the building every winter.
What makes Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel so special is that it’s built by local artists from the region who come together to build and decorate the hotel in wintertime, but work in the town during the rest of the year in different jobs, including a postal worker, hairdresser and chef.
From December to April, you can experience the breathtaking interiors of Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel, including the beautiful ice chapel that can host weddings. Close to the hotel you can explore Arctic Norway by snowshoeing, snowmobiling and/or sledding across the stunning Finnmark plateau.
Tromsø Ice Domes
If you decide to visit the Arctic capital, Tromsø, we highly recommend spending a night at the incredible Tromsø Ice Domes in the picturesque Tamokdalen Valley, located an hour and a half away from the city center.
At the Tromsø Ice Domes, you can do more than just stay in a beautiful Norway ice hotel; you can learn all about the Arctic, its wildlife, local Sami culture, historic polar explorers and the spectacular Northern Lights, too.
With stunning ice sculptures highlighted in aesthetic mood lighting and lots of unmissable cold-weather activities to take part in, including snowshoeing, dog sledding and snowmobiling, you certainly won’t be short of things to do and enjoy here!
Hunderfossen Ice Hotel
As well as the world’s northernmost ice hotel, Norway is also home to the world’s southernmost ice hotel. Hunderfossen Ice Hotel is only 2 hours away from Oslo, close to the village of Hafjell and the ski resort town of Lillehammer.
Part of a theme park based on Norwegian fairy tales (called Hunderfossen Winter Park), this Norway ice hotel offers a whole range of entertainment, including firework shows, snow rafting and fairytale shows, plus castle gardens and a troll forest – fun for all the family!
You’ll also find a traditional restaurant, stunning icy rooms, a business center and an ice bar at Hunderfossen Ice Hotel. The night guide at this unique ice hotel in Norway even reads a Norwegian fairy tale at bedtime, so you can enjoy a cozy Arctic sleeping experience.
Top Tips For Staying in Norway Ice Hotels
When visiting Norway’s ice hotels, you might want to keep these top tips in mind to ensure your stay is as comfortable as possible:
It’s usually only recommended to stay in an ice hotel for one night, rather than an extended trip, due to the cold temperatures. You might like to stay one night in an ice hotel, then some additional nights in either the warm part of an ice hotel (if they have one) or another nearby hotel to have some more days to explore the area.
Keep in mind that most ice hotels in Norway have a warm area, which houses the showers, restrooms, changing rooms and lockers, in addition to the ice part of the hotel, of course!
Double-check with your hotel what you need to bring and wear. Most Norway ice hotels will provide everything you need, including a sleeping bag suitable for freezing temperatures, but it’s good to check ahead of time if they recommend bringing anything else.
You might be surprised to learn that it’s recommended to wear only thermal or wool underwear for sleeping in ice hotels in Norway! This is due to the highly insulated sleeping bags. If you forget to bring your own thermal underwear, you can often buy some at your hotel.
Plan Your Own Epic Trip to Norway
Ready to enjoy your very own trip to Norway? Get started with your vacation planning by taking a look through our range of affordable campervan rentals in Norway, perfect for the road trip of a lifetime across our incredible country. If you’ve got any questions you’d like to ask, don’t hesitate to contact us and our friendly team will be happy to help.
