Kirkenes Snowhotel Visit
High up north in Norwegian Lapland, stay overnight in a Snowhotel.
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5 days - Snowhotel stay easily combined with Norwegian Coastal voyage
Join us for a fun-filled winter adventure in Northern Norway, including an unforgettable night in a hotel constructed entirely of ice and snow. This is an independent itinerary and is right in the Aurora Zone. You will enjoy snowmobile safari riding through snow covered fjord areas and mountain fells, husky dogsledding and also king crab fishing. There will also be a chance to see the Northern Lights on an evening tour if you are lucky.
This trip is great for everyone - fun family trip, romantic get away or a relaxing easy way to enjoy the Northern lights and winter season in Norway.
- Day 1
- Arrive in Kirkenes
- Day 2
- Husky Dogsledding Safari during the day and searching for the Northern Lights in the evening
- Day 3
- King Crab Fishing Safari
- Day 4
- Snowmobile Safari and your night in the Snowhotel
- Day 5
- Scandinavian breakfast, saunas and check out
- Start/End Place
- Kirkenes, Norway
- Country Visited
- Norway
- Duration
- 5 Days
- Start Date
- Flexible
- Travel Style
- Independent
- Suitability
- Independent holiday with moderately active activities and no luggage handling included
- Code
- 50DN0465
As a Certified B Corporation, 50 Degrees North has designed this tour using handpicked local hoteliers and suppliers who share our ethos of delivering services and activities of high social and environmental standards.
The CO2-e per person per day of all tours is carefully measured following each season. We fully offset all emissions of our tours on your behalf, and we constantly look at ways to reduce emissions where possible.
Details
Transportation
Dogsledding, private transfers and snowmobiling.
Included
- Standard: 3 nights in a hotel room with private facilities + 1 night at the Kirkenes Snowhotel, in a snow suite.
- Superior: 3 nights in a Gamme Cabin with private facilities + 1 night at the Kirkenes Snowhotel, in a snow suite.
- Standard: 4 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch and 1 Dinner.
- Superior: 4 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch and 4 Dinners.
- Snowmobile excursion with warm clothing, Husky safari with warm clothing, Northern Lights evening excursion by minibus, and King Crab fishing excursion.
- 24-hour emergency service
- Taxes and service fees
Not Included
- Meals not specified in the itinerary
- Gratuities and items of personal nature
- Travel insurance
- Flights
- Airport transfers
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive in Kirkenes
Arrive in Kirkenes airport or port, and make your way to your hotel in Kirkenes, a small Northern Norway town. The rest of your day is at your leisure and if you wish to add some activities to your day, please let us know.
Day 2 - Husky Dogsledding Safari during the day and searching for the Northern Lights in the evening
After a relaxing breakfast in the morning you will be picked up from your hotel, and we drive to our husky farm. The guides will teach you the basics of handling your husky team and then we head out into the nature. Husky sledding is one of the best ways to travel in the Arctic Tundra and during this 2-hour safari you will get to see the amazing winter landscapes and enjoy the thrill of driving your husky team.
After dinner time you will head out to the nature again, this time on our Northern Lights minibus tour in search for the magical Northern Lights.
Meals
1 BreakfastAccommodation
Day 3 - King Crab Fishing Safari
The Arctic King Crab is a sought after delicacy and you will learn how to catch, prepare and eat them. Your guide takes you out and you can lend a hand in sawing through the ice before your guide attempts to land you a few of these massive crustaceans. Enjoy the day's catch for lunch seated by a cosy fire in a small local farmhouse by the lake. You will travel to the lake by snowmobile sleigh (you are passengers on the sleigh).
Meals
1 Breakfast1 Lunch
Accommodation
Day 4 - Snowmobile Safari and your night in the Snowhotel
After breakfast, check out of the hotel and get ready for your Snowmobile Safari. You will be kitted out in warm clothing before leaving.
Tonight, you will sleep in one of the cold snow rooms at the Snowhotel. Every room in Kirkenes Snowhotel is like a small treasure. The rooms are equipped with everything needed for a comfortable night in the somewhat extreme conditions. The pictures look like you are sleeping on ice, but that would be too cold and too hard for your back. The beds are framed with ice blocks and have comfortable mattresses with thermal insulation on top. You sleep inside a sleeping bag graded for -35 degrees celcius. However, snow is a very good insulator, so even when it's -35 degrees outside, the Snowhotel remains a stable -4 degrees.
Upon entering the gates of the Snowhotel, you will receive a welcome drink at the snowbar, made from berries collected from surrounding hills. It will then be time to make the ‘coolest’ hotel check-in around!
Your evening will then progress to a delicious 3 course dinner. The food served is charmingly traditional and locally sourced. Your guide will be available to help you prepare for the evening ahead, making sure you are as comfortable as possible. After dinner you will have the opportunity to walk around the snowhotel and say hello to our resident reindeers, and with any luck, catch a glimpse of the northern lights.
Staying overnight gives you free access to borrow cross country skis, snowshoes, winter clothing and kick sledges. Wifi, tea and coffee included.
Meals
1 Breakfast1 Dinner
Accommodation
Day 5 - Scandinavian breakfast, saunas and check out
After having one of the most 'refreshing' sleeps to date, you are able to take a sauna and a shower before having breakfast between 7:00am and 9:30am. All snowhotel overnight guests will receive one of the ‘coolest certificates’ to commemorate their stay at the snowhotel.
Meals
1 BreakfastDates & Prices
All prices listed are per person, twin share. Supplements may apply over Christmas and New year
Dates
Valid From
Valid To
From Price
Status
Accommodation
20 Dec 2025
6 Jan 2026
6 Jan 2026
20 Dec 2025
6 Jan 2026
NZD 3,669
On request
Standard
20 Dec 2025
6 Jan 2026
6 Jan 2026
20 Dec 2025
6 Jan 2026
NZD 5,400
On request
Superior
7 Jan 2026
14 Apr 2026
14 Apr 2026
7 Jan 2026
14 Apr 2026
NZD 3,531
On request
Standard
7 Jan 2026
14 Apr 2026
14 Apr 2026
7 Jan 2026
14 Apr 2026
NZD 4,957
On request
Superior
Important Information
There are other optional excursions you can add to this itinerary - please ask us for details about the cross country skiing, aurora hunting, ice fishing and other optional activities.
What is it like staying in an snowhotel:
Generally, the entire exterior and interior is made of snow and ice including the beds, tables and internal features. They typically have a bar and/or restaurant attached – some made of ice, others are traditional wooden structures providing a cosy atmosphere with open fires. Ice chapels are also built within the structure.
The temperature inside the rooms remains constant at minus 4-7 degrees Celsius. Depending on your location, reindeer hides, balaclavas, thermal mattresses and sleeping bags will keep you warm, and ensure you will have a comfortable night. You still might feel the chill of the night, however, adjacent to the cold rooms are lounge areas with facilities, showers, and in some locations, a sauna to warm up in. Warm drinks are provided in the morning.
Please note that during the day, groups of travellers tour the Snowhotel. They only open your room up for your use in the later part of the day.
ANIMAL WELFARE POLICY:
At 50 Degrees North, animal welfare is a top priority during all our tours and packages. We carefully select suppliers who adhere to strict animal welfare standards, ensuring that wildlife interactions are respectful and comply with local, national, and international regulations. We avoid offering excursions that involve captive wildlife, except where they are properly regulated, and all activities are designed to minimise disturbance to natural ecosystems. Our travellers are educated on responsible, including responsible animal interactions, through our 'Responsible Travel Tips' for travellers, and our guides are trained to lead by example, promoting ethical conduct towards both wild and domesticated animals. By prioritising animal welfare in every aspect of our tours, we ensure that your travel experience is both enjoyable and ethically sound. Read our article on Animal Welfare to learn more.
Gallery
Interactive Tour Map
Inspiration
The Extraordinary King Crab Safari in Norway
Heading to Kirkenes, don't miss this incredible seafood experience, the harvesting of the Red King Crab.
Best time for Northern Lights in Norway
Norway is well known as a 'Northern Lights' hotspot and there is good reason. Above the Arctic Circle, many cities in Norway offer terrific chances to see the lights between mid-September to early April.