Around 7.30 am, you will be awakened by one of the IceHotel guides and served hot lingonberry juice in bed. In the warm building, you can enjoy a warm morning sauna before going to IceHotel Restaurant for a buffet breakfast.
The IceHotel opens towards the beginning of December and typically remains open until mid-April. If you are intersted in seeing part of the construction process as artists are creating the different rooms within the hotel, coming at the beginning of December is a good time to come. This is when the IceHotel is still taking shape and one has the opportunity of getting an in-depth look at one of the worlds most extreme building processes; snow cannons humming on the Torne River shore, machines hauling ice block weighing 2 tonnes and artists carving sculptures out of ice.
Each week, until the end of the year when it is completed, a new part of IceHotel typically opens up to guests and visitors. It is the darkest time of the year, the sun never reaches above the horizon and the snow glistens and crunches underfoot. The chances of seeing the Northern Lights dance across the sky during this time, are very favorable.
When closing in on spring, the sun starts to warm up, and the temptation to just sit outside, have a cup of coffee and soak up the sun, grows day by day. The sun reflects in the snow and if you are not careful, you might get a sunburn on your cheeks. The massive amounts of snow and warm weather are superb conditions for snowmobiling and skiing.
During March, ice is harvested from Torne River. The sawing of ice blocks, lifting them up from the frozen river and transporting them into storage, usually draws a large audience on the river shore.
The IceHotel closes in mid April when the early rays of the Midnight sun starts to nibble on the walls and roof of the hotel, but the light is always welcome, as come summer, the sun never goes beyond the horizon but continues to shine for a 100 days and a 100 nights.
So, when is the best time to come and stay at the IceHotel? Quite simply, there is no BAD time to come as it is a constantly changing and evolving from its construction stages to its co-existance with nature until it finally relanquishes its structure to the power of the sun in the spring.
Learn to master the vehicle that gives you a sense of freedom out of the ordinary on a 40 km long snowmobile safari in Lapland’s virgin forests. Snowmobile tours are led by one experienced guide per eight snowmobiles.
There are two on site restaurants to choose from;.The IceHotel restaurant offers a gastronomic adventure and a high-end a la carte menu in a bright and modern atmosphere. The cuisine has been featured in gourmet magazines around the world and has been awarded the prestigious Werner Vögeli Statuette. In October 2007, the Nordic Council of Ministers awarded IceHotel the honorary New Nordic Food diploma. Overlooking the Torne River, you'll find the authentic, charming Old Homestead Restaurant. In this timber building, built in 1768, you can enjoy a rustic á la carte menu during winter at 6 PM and 9 PM. The dress code at both restaurants is casual but well-dressed. You don't have to wear your fanciest frock, but prefer you don't dine in your outerwear, snow boots or long-johns. . There is also a warm and comfortable lounge which is open between 11 AM and 1 AM and serves sandwiches, coffee drinks, wine and beer.
Accommodation: IceHotel