Where in the world can you sleep in an ice cabin, a glass TeePee, and an Arctic treehouse? Welcome to the Finnish Lapland, a magical region above the Arctic Circle known for its endless snowy landscapes, dancing Northern Lights, and adorable wildlife (baby huskies, anyone?). Here, cozy meets extreme for some of the most unique accommodations on Earth. Whether you want to sweat it out in a sauna, snowmobile through untouched forests, or chase the Northern Lights, these stays will push the Finnish Lapland to the top of your bucket list.
1). The Ice Cabin
You may have heard of an ice hotel, but have you ever heard of an ice cabin? The ice cabins at Apukka Resort in Rovaniemi, Finland, are built by carving ice bricks out of a nearby lake and carefully stacking them into a little house shape. Lined with plush furs and sub-zero sleeping bags, the cabin might be cozy if it weren’t made entirely of ice. Brave souls can challenge themselves to spend the whole night inside this ice block, drinking decadent hot cocoa to stay warm, but each stay also includes a regular hotel room that you can retreat to if you get too cold.
Before burying yourself deep inside a sleeping bag, we recommend checking out one of the exciting Arctic activities Apukka Resort offers. We enjoyed exploring the frozen forests on snowmobiles and digging a hole in the fluffy snow to build a fire for roasting dinner.
2). The Glass TeePee
The Finnish Lapland might be the only place in the world where you can sleep in a wooden TeePee with a glass roof. Though small, this unique accommodation packs a big punch. It is decorated in a modern black-and-white theme and has a full bathroom and cozy living room. A ladder leads to an upstairs loft, where a fur-covered bed lies under a glass dome. From here, you can look up at the glittery stars and maybe even the Northern Lights from the comfort of a warm bed.
During our stay here, we went dog sledding with the cutest Alaskan huskies we had ever seen. The huskies were so friendly and full of energy, pulling us through the snow at speeds faster than seemed possible. Kara might have even cried tears of joy when we had the opportunity to cuddle some of the baby huskies.
3). Traditional TeePee & Saunas
A stay at this traditional cloth TeePee may seem a little mundane compared to the unique glass TeePee. Though it only has a woodburning fire to heat food and a simple sleeping area, the main attractions here are the saunas. Saunas are a huge part of Finnish culture – in fact, there are more saunas in Finland than there are cars! No trip to Finland would be complete without trying out at least one sauna. A night in the traditional TeePee gives you access to three!
The first sauna is made completely of ice. You can only stay in here for about 10 minutes, or the sauna will start to melt. It’s cool for the experience but not really practical for what Finns might call their “Sauna Social Hour.” The woodburning and electric saunas are more traditional, and if you want to enjoy the sauna like a true local, you have to cool off by rolling around in the snow between sessions. We know that sounds terrible, but something about the cold gives you an addicting rush of adrenaline.
4). The Arctic Treehouse
In the middle of a peaceful snow-covered treehouse lie some of the Arctic’s only treehouses. These simple rectangles on stilts don’t look like much from the outside, but inside, they are peaceful and modern retreats for escaping the bitter cold. Everything about the treehouse is very modern, clean, and sleek, decorated with accents of white and reindeer fur. The best part is the wall of windows in front of the bed, where you can watch big fluffy snowflakes flutter through the forest while being warm in bed.
During our stay at the treehouse, we forced ourselves to leave the warmth behind for an adventure on an icebreaker ship. The boat chopped through the completely ice-covered sea to take us to a frigid swimming spot. Dressed in bright orange full-body wetsuits, we abandoned all our better judgments and jumped straight into the ice water – and it was worth the cold.
If these unique accommodations have got you dreaming of a trip to Finland, we’d recommend subscribing to to find the best flight deals out of your home airport. Happy traveling!
