The Icehotel is a hotel made of snow and ice in the village of Jukkasjärvi, in northern Sweden 200 km above the Arctic Circle. It is about 11 miles from Kiruna which is the nearest airport. It is the world’s first ice hotel. As it melts away by the end of winter, it is rebuilt each year from December. It is the biggest hotel of ice and snow in the world, spanning over some 6,000 square metres.

The hotel, including the chairs and beds, is constructed from snow and ice blocks cut from the nearby Torne River which freezes during winter. Artists from all over the world are invited to create different rooms and decorations made of ice. Besides bedrooms, there is a bar, with glasses made of ice and an ice chapel that is popular with marrying couples. There is also a reception area, plus about 100 guest rooms. The structure remains below freezing, around −5 °C inside the hotel. Outside temperature can go down to –40 °C.

The beds, the fittings, wall decoration and the chandeliers are carved from ice. No two rooms are the same; the rooms are unique works of art. The beds are lined with reindeer furs. The guests sleep in polar-tested sleeping bags. The toilets are in a warm area!! Warm accommodation is available next to the hotel. Typically most people spend a day in the ice room and two days in the warm room. A large proportion of guests visit without staying overnight.

The northern hemisphere’s aurora borealis can be seen during the winter months in the location. We were lucky to witness this breath taking phenomena for about two hours during our snowmobile safari. Other activities include Dog sledding, Horse back tour, ice fishing, ice sculpting and photography.

This is a trip that you will never forget.