The Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi (Sweden)

If you are into extreme places to stay, you might have heard of the Ice Hotel in North Sweden. Well, you might be surprised that you can actually just visit the Hotel without having to endure a whole night in a bed made of ice. I sure was surprised to discover that and I wasn't about to leave Lappland without paying this incredible place a visit.

If, just like me, you are planning to visit the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi in connection to a visit to Sweden's most northern city of Kiruna, you will be pleased to find out that it is quite easy to travel between those two locations using public transportation. In less than half-an-hour, you can travel all the way from Kiruna to the Ice Hotel, using Länstrafiken Norrboten 501 line. A one-way ticket will cost you 46 SEK, but you're planning on coming back to Kiruna by bus as well, you can get a small discount by purchasing 2 trips at once for 87 SEK. But please be aware that cash won't get you far in Sweden, and Lappland is no exception: you won't be able to purchase your tickets from the bus driver using cash, since they only accept card payments. Plan your bus trip here.

Even if you are visiting Lappland during summer, you will be able to visit the Ice Hotel: the Ice Hotel 365 offers you those options all year-round. On any day of the year, you will be able to visit a 2100 square meter hall which is kept at a constant temperature of -5 to -7 Celsius and is composed of art exhibitions made of ice, an Ice Bar where you can drink from handmade ice glasses and rooms made of ice.

But if you are visiting the region between December and April, head to the Ice Hotel where you will be able to visit not only permanent "Ice Hotel 365", but also the Winter Ice Hotel that is built from scratch every year, after the latest one has melted back into the river during spring. That part of the Ice Hotel is arguably the most special one, as it melts down completeley and then reincarnates every single year, putting on a show for visitors to enjoy for 5 whole months. It includes not only ice rooms but also art suites and even a very unique ceremony hall. If you are interested in tying the knot in a very special icy wedding venue, the one at the Ice Hotel might be the one for you. Its design changes every year, as different artists are responsible for it every time the Hotel is going to be rebuilt for the winter season. But one thing is for sure: it will always be a very unique place to spend your special day at.

If you are not interested in having a cerimony at the Ice Hotel and roaming the different ice rooms doesn't feel wild enough either, you might want to actually go ahead and spend a whole night in a building made of ice. Even though that might seem too extreme (or too overpriced) for many visitors, make sure to book a night if you're feeling brave enough and want to go all the way on your Lappland adventure. As you can read on their website, you won't need to freeze all night long, as you will be provided with gear like special sleeping bags that make sure to keep you warm even in extreme temperatures. But you can forget sleeping "au naturel": you will need to keep on thermal underwear, warm socks, a hat and a fleece jacket, like you can read on these recommendations for visitors spending the night at the Ice Hotel. If you are still wondering about some practical details about that unusual way to spend the night, make sure to check this useful guide.

As you can read on their website as well, there are plenty of activities to do while you are a guest at the Ice Hotel and you don't necessarily need to sleep on ice for your whole stay: there are regular rooms (at regular temperatures) available as well.

Whatever you decide to do during your visit, I hope that you enjoy the Ice Hotel as much as I did and that you give the surroundings a shot as well. Even though Jukkasjärvi is a very small town, being located so far North surely makes it special. If for nothing else, then at least for the very unique lifestyle that the people live up there. I actually got lucky enough to see people walking their reindeers around the town.