Our pick
Tour of Icehotel and Jukkasjärvi, Scandinavian Sami Photoadventures
You meet the van at the Camp Ripan reception in Kiruna at 9:30 am, or in front of the tourist office at 9:40 am (the Viator listing gives both). The drive out to Jukkasjärvi takes about 20 minutes.
The first stop is Nutti Sami Siida, an outdoor Sámi museum, where you spend about 70 minutes with the reindeer and feed them. Your guide is Sámi and talks about reindeer herding and life in the north as you go.
Next comes the oldest part of the village and its wooden church, whose oldest parts date from 1607. The last stop is about 70 minutes at the Icehotel, where you walk through the ice art at your own pace before the van takes you back.
- Duration
- 3 hours
- In the ice
- About 70 minutes at the Icehotel
- Group
- Up to 8 people
- Route
- Nutti Sami Siida, Jukkasjärvi church, Icehotel
- Pickup
- Camp Ripan 9:30 am or tourist office 9:40 am
- Guide
- Local Sámi guide speaking English or Swedish
- Limits
- Not for children under 2 or wheelchair users
- Cancellation
- Free up to 24 hours; reserve now, pay later
How the morning runs, step by step
This is the order the listing gives. Snow on the road or a slow group at the reindeer can shift the timings a little.
Out of Kiruna
- Pickup at the Camp Ripan reception, 9:30 am, or the tourist office, 9:40 am
- Van to Jukkasjärvi, about 20 minutes
- About 70 minutes with the reindeer at Nutti Sami Siida
In Jukkasjärvi
- The old village and its church, oldest parts from 1607
- About 70 minutes among the ice suites, at your own pace
- Back by van to Kiruna
What the price covers
The fare covers the van and the guide as well as both entry tickets. Anything you eat or drink along the way is up to you.
Included
- Entry to the Icehotel
- Entry to the Sámi museum and time with the reindeer
- A guided walk through old Jukkasjärvi
- Pickup and return by van from two points in Kiruna
Not included
- Meals and drinks
- Pickup from your own hotel door
- A guided walk inside the ice rooms
- Tips
Between us, before you go
A word from one cold traveler to another. Expect some walking on snow between the stops. Wrap up well and wear shoes with grip.
Three hours goes fast, and one reviewer wished for more time in the shop or over a warm drink. If that matters to you, plan a coffee in Kiruna afterwards. Our guide to dressing for the cold rooms covers the rest.
Why it beats the four-hour tour
Both Kiruna tours cost the same and stop at the same reindeer, with eight people at most. This one has Sámi guides on the listing, 95 reviews across both sites against 52 for Lights of Vikings, and it frees your afternoon an hour sooner. The reindeer stop explains what the guides add.
What you give up is time inside the ice. The four-hour tour spends about 1.5 hours there and collects you from your hotel.
Who we would not send on it
Wheelchair users and families with a baby under two, whom the listing itself turns away. Anyone who wants a long, slow look at every suite, who will be happier on Lights of Vikings' 1.5 hours inside. And drivers on a budget, who can reach the village alone with the entrance ticket.
Book it if
You want the Icehotel with its story around it, told by someone who grew up with reindeer. The morning is short and well paced, and you are back in town by lunchtime. It suits couples and families as well as solo travelers without a car.
Skip it if
- Want longer in the ice? Take Lights of Vikings' four-hour day
- Based in Abisko? Go with the coach day from Abisko, from ~$152
- Driving yourself? Buy the entrance ticket alone
- Unsure about a guide? Read tour or ticket first
Ready for the reindeer and the ice?
The tour is on GetYourGuide (4.7 from 66 reviews) and on Viator (4.9 from 29). Both let you cancel for free up to 24 hours before, so you can wait for the forecast before you commit.
