What an Icehotel visit from Kiruna costs, extras included
Seeing the Icehotel costs anything from ~$33 for ICEHOTEL's own entrance ticket to ~$182 for a Sámi-guided small group from Kiruna. The two guided tours from town share a starting price, and the coach day from Abisko sits a little below them. Below are all four side by side, then the costs none of them cover.
Four ways into the Icehotel, priced side by side
The table shows the four options on our home page at their regular "from" price per person on GetYourGuide. The figure can shift a little with the date you choose, so read it as a starting point and check the booking page for your day.
| Option | From | Length | Transport | Group | Start point | Included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scandinavian Sami Photoadventures, Icehotel and Jukkasjärvi (our pick) | ~$182 | 3 h | Van from Kiruna, about 20 min | Up to 8 | 9:30 am at Camp Ripan, 9:40 am at the tourist office | Icehotel entry, Sámi museum entry, reindeer, Sámi guide, pickup |
| Lights of Vikings, Icehotel and Sami Camp | ~$182 | 4 h | Hotel pickup in Kiruna | Up to 8 | Six Kiruna hotels, 10:00 am | Icehotel entry, Sámi museum entry, live guide |
| Lights Over Lapland, from Abisko | ~$152 | 7 h | Coach, about 2 h each way | Up to 28 | Hotels in Abisko and Björkliden | Coach, Icehotel ticket, a host on board |
| ICEHOTEL entrance ticket | ~$33 | Valid one day | None, you get there yourself | Self-guided | Marknadsvägen 63, Jukkasjärvi | ICEHOTEL 365, the Icebar, the winter building in season |
The three tours cancel free until 24 hours before the start. In a place where one snowstorm can upset a morning's plans, that flexibility matters more than a few dollars between two fares.
Two guided tours from Kiruna at the same starting price
Scandinavian Sami Photoadventures' three-hour tour at ~$182 and Lights of Vikings' four-hour day at ~$182 start at the same regular price. Both include entry to the Icehotel and to the Sámi museum at Nutti Sami Siida, and both cap the group at eight.
The difference lies in how the hours are spent. Our pick gives about 70 minutes with the reindeer and about 70 inside the ice, with a Sámi guide throughout. Lights of Vikings runs an hour longer and spends about 1.5 hours at the Icehotel.
Our pick scores 4.7 on GetYourGuide across 66 reviews, and 4.9 across 29 on Viator. Its guide scores 4.9 while value for money sits at 4.3, so reviewers praise the guiding more readily than the price.
Lights of Vikings shows a clean 5.0 on both sites, across 43 GetYourGuide reviews and 9 on Viator, a shorter record. Neither tour includes meals or drinks, and our guide to the reindeer stop covers what the museum hour holds.
On Viator, our pick shows a higher figure than on GetYourGuide for the same three hours. The listing text matches on both sites, so open both buttons for your date before you pay.
Reindeer first, the ice before lunch
A Sámi guide collects you in Kiruna at 9:30 am for the reindeer camp and the old church, then about 70 minutes in the ice. Both entry tickets are in the price.
The Abisko coach day pays mostly for the road
Lights Over Lapland's day trip at ~$152 costs a little less than the Kiruna tours but lasts seven hours. About four of them pass on the coach, with roughly 2.5 hours at the Icehotel itself.
The fare covers the coach from Abisko or Björkliden and the entrance ticket, handed out when you arrive. You pay for lunch and any Icebar drinks yourself, and the coach carries a host, not a guide.
For someone staying in Abisko without a car, that still beats arranging the trip alone. The Abisko day trip guide looks at the timing and the long ride in detail.
The ticket alone costs a fraction, plus the ride
ICEHOTEL's own entrance ticket at ~$33 is the cheapest way in by far. It opens the year-round ICEHOTEL 365 with its art suites and the Icebar. From December to mid-April it also covers the winter building.
There is no guide and no transport, and the ticket is valid for one day. It holds 4.8 from 13 reviews on GetYourGuide. Our tour or ticket comparison weighs what you lose without someone to explain the ice.
What none of the prices include
- Lunch on all four options, so eat before a morning tour or plan a meal in Jukkasjärvi
- Drinks at the Icebar, which the Abisko listing names as an extra
- The ride to Jukkasjärvi if you buy the ticket alone, whether you take a taxi or drive yourself
- Tips for a guide you liked, which are up to you
- Warm clothes if you arrive without them; our guide to dressing for the ice lists what you need
Shop purchases and souvenirs are personal extras too. The tour listings name meals and personal expenses as not included, so set aside a little for a hot drink after the cold rooms.
When the cheap ticket stops being cheap
For two people with a rental car, the ticket wins easily. Two tickets cost a fraction of two places on a guided tour, and the drive takes about 20 minutes each way.
For one traveler without a car, the sums change. A taxi out and back is a fixed cost that one person carries alone, and it can close much of the gap to a guided tour that includes the ride.
A family of four with a car saves the most by buying tickets. Ask a taxi company for a quote before you decide, since we do not publish fares we cannot confirm. Our guide to getting there sets out the four ways to Jukkasjärvi.
A guided tour also buys the reindeer hour and the old church. The Icehotel ticket does not cover Nutti Sami Siida, so going alone means a separate visit there.
Booking terms that protect your money
Tours 1 to 3 cancel free up to 24 hours before they start. If a storm or a delayed flight upsets your plans, you get the money back as long as you cancel in time.
On GetYourGuide, our pick also lets you reserve now and pay later. That holds a seat in a group of eight without paying weeks ahead, which helps in the busy weeks covered in our guide to the best time to visit.
Sleeping in the ice is a different budget altogether, priced by the hotel rather than by a tour. Our overnight guide compares a night in the hotel with a daytime visit from Kiruna.