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Visiting the Tromso Ice Domes is an absolute must-do if you go to Tromso. Luckily, you don’t even have to stay at the Tromso Ice Domes hotel to be able to explore this popular attraction. You can easily take a tour or visit on your own since there’s still plenty to see (ice art, an ice bar, an ice cinema, and more) besides the ice suites.
Given that the Ice Domes is considered one of the best Northern Lights hotels in the world, it’s easy to see why so many people flock here. In fact, we stayed at this Tromso, Norway igloo hotel on one of our many trips to Tromso, and it was an absolutely incredible experience.
Ultimately, whether you decide to stay at the Domes or simply visit, this Tromso, Norway ice hotel is definitely a place you should go since it’s not every day that you get to see a hotel made entirely of ice and snow. Even better, it gets rebuilt every year, so the hotel is always a little different and full of unique ice art.
Ready to learn more about the Tromso Ice Domes? This article will cover:
What are the Tromso Ice Domes?
The Tromso Ice Domes is an accommodation located in the Tamok Valley, about 60 miles (95 kilometers) away from downtown Tromso. It is frequently lauded as one of the best Northern Lights hotels in Norway. This hotel made of ice is rebuilt from scratch every year using ice from the valley and as such, it is only open from December to March, when temperatures are cold enough to sustain the ice structure.
However, this Tromso, Norway igloo hotel doesn’t exclusively consist of ice buildings, as there’s also a warm building with a reception, bar, lounge, restrooms, showers, and dressing rooms. This building is connected to the cold building, which you’ll explore if you visit or where you’ll stay if you book a night here.
What are the Tromso Ice Domes?
The cold building’s facilities include guest rooms made entirely of ice (including the bedframe!) and decorated with ice art on the walls. You’ll also find an ice bar, an ice cinema that shows a short film about constructing the Tromso Ice Domes, and an ice restaurant.
Moreover, there’s no need to worry about getting bored since the Tromso Ice Domes hotel offers several different activities. Visitors who aren’t staying at the hotel can book a tour that includes an Ice Domes visit and other activities of their choice: dog sledding, snowmobiling, or snowshoeing. Alternatively, you can book one of the Ice Domes’ Northern Lights chase tours that stop at local aurora camps.
Staying at the Tromso Ice Domes igloo hotel
Booking a stay at the Tromso Ice Domes hotel is the best way to fully experience this incredible accommodation. At this top place to stay in Tromso, you’ll start off with a guided tour of the hotel, which will allow you to learn about its construction and see some amazing ice art up close.
Then, you’ll head to your ice suite to get familiar with where you’ll be sleeping for the night before going on a guided snowshoe wilderness walk and Northern Lights chase. There’s no guarantee that you’ll see the aurora, but even if you don’t, it will still be a fun adventure.
Staying at the Tromso Ice Domes igloo hotel
Your day will end with a campfire-cooked dinner at a nature camp and a (hopefully) good night’s sleep in your Tromsø Ice Domes hotel room. In the morning, you’ll enjoy a hearty breakfast and then take a dogsledding tour, where you’ll even get to drive your own team of huskies.
Finally, you’ll round off your stay with a hot lunch before you return to downtown Tromso.
Tromso Ice Domes price
The price of a stay at the Tromso Ice Domes hotel runs a bit steep at $1,315 USD for one night. However, that price does cover a stay for a group of up to two people.
Tromso Ice Domes price
Moreover, there are quite a few amenities and activities included in that price: your stay in an ice room, three tours (Ice Domes, snowshoeing/aurora chasing, and dogsledding), and three meals (dinner on the night you stay, plus breakfast and lunch the next day).
Of course, even with all these perks, this price might understandably be a bit out of your budget. In that case, a visit is the best way to experience the Ice Domes while still saving some money.
Visiting the Tromso Ice Domes
Even if you can’t afford to spend a night in the hotel, the Tromso Ice Domes are still worth visiting. You can visit the Ice Domes on your own, of course, if you have a Tromso rental car. Otherwise, the easiest way to see this attraction is by booking this excursion, one of the best tours in Tromso.
First, you’ll get picked up from downtown Tromso, and after a 90-minute drive past some gorgeous scenery, you’ll arrive at the Ice Domes, where you’ll meet your guide. You’ll then get to explore the hotel and admire the ice art as your guide tells you about the construction process and the local wildlife.
Visiting the Tromso Ice Domes
The next stop on your Tromso Ice Domes tour will be meeting some reindeer and then having an ice shot and some stew at the ice bar. You’ll also have a chance to visit the ice restaurant and watch the short film on show in the ice cinema.
Overall, a Tromso Ice Domes tour costs $100 USD. Alternatively, the entrance fee for a Tromso Ice Domes visit without a tour is $50 USD.
Tromso Ice Domes review
You can take it from us that the Tromso Ice Domes are worth seeing. We stayed there on one of our visits to Tromso, and the experience was absolutely one of the highlights of our trip.
First of all, it’s no small feat to not only shape a hotel out of ice, but also carve beautiful art into the walls. It was so amazing to see the hotel’s incredible craftsmanship up close, and the details are even more impressive when you realize the Tromso Ice Domes team has to create them from scratch every year. Moreover, it was fascinating to hear about the construction process and learn just how much work goes into gathering and shaping the snow and ice.
Tromso Ice Domes review
Surprisingly, our ice suite was actually quite comfortable to sleep in. The reindeer skins meant that we weren’t sleeping directly on the ice bedframe, and the extra insulated sleeping bags kept us nice and toasty. However, I would recommend wearing thermals to make sure you stay warm within the sleeping bags. Dan and I wore them, and I think it really made a difference.
Beyond the sleeping experience, the activities and food were pretty stellar as well. We had a lot of fun snowshoeing, and the fact that we saw the aurora overhead while out in the wilderness was just the cherry on top. On top of that, we really enjoyed making friends with and driving our own team of huskies, even if it was a bit challenging at times!
My experience staying at the Tromso Ice Domes
Ultimately, if it’s within your budget, I would highly recommend staying at the Tromso Ice Domes, or, at the very least, visiting them. Our experience there couldn’t have been better, so I think it’s definitely worth adding a Tromso Ice Domes visit at your itinerary when planning a trip to Tromso.
As you’ll have seen, the Tromso Ice Domes is quite a special location with loads of craftsmanship details, activities, and amenities to recommend it. On that account, if you’re visiting Tromso in winter, be sure to set aside some time to visit the Ice Domes. This Tromso, Norway ice hotel is not only a (literally) cool attraction, but also a great place to see the Northern Lights in Norway, since it’s far outside of the city, so there’s very little light pollution.
If you have any questions about the Tromso Ice Domes hotel or want to hear more about our stay there, please feel free to leave a comment down below.
Enjoy your visit and stay warm!
