Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Welcome to Winter Wonderland! 13 dreamlike snowrooms uniquely carved by master ice sculptors from around the world. Enjoy an unforgettable dinner and a night cap in the ice bar. Sleep safely and warm in thermal sleeping bags, in complete arctic stillness. Our Snowhotel is as the only of its kind in the world, open 365 days a year. For the rest of your stay, enjoy our Gamme cabins . Inspired by the traditional Lapland hunting and fishing huts found in the Sami areas of the Arctic, but with a modern and luxurious feel. Be sure to visit our Snowhotel 365 Park incl reindeer and dogyard with 160 huskies. Stop by Gabba Cafe for lunch. Visit the surreal Snowhotel and also enjoy a 3 course dinner in the magnificent LĂĄven restaurant. We also arrange northern lights tours, snowmobile safaris, ice fishing and snowshoe tours, the infamous Kirkenes King Crab Safari (by boat in summer) and Husky dogsled tours (mountain hikes and wagon rides in summer/autumn)
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Quiet
Family
Languages Spoken
English, French, Finnish, German and 2 more
Location
Sandnesdalen 14, Kirkenes 9910 Norway
Name/address in local language
Snowhotel Kirkenes
4.4 reviews
Getting there
Car recommended
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
This summary was created by AI, based on recent reviews.
Powered by AI
Snowhotel Kirkenes captivates guests with its elegant cabins and remarkable ice carvings, alongside the charm of local reindeer, forging a warm and enchanting atmosphere. While the hotel's unique amenities such as dog sledding and an ice bar are a hit with visitors, some feel the room features and dining choices fall short. Cleanliness is a high point, especially the immaculate bathrooms, but guests miss certain toiletries.
Room experiences are treasured for their coziness and stunning views, despite a lack of TVs and daily servicing. The service receives high marks for staff friendliness and attentiveness, yet the overall value is debated, with some deeming it expensive for what is offered.
Atmosphere
Inviting
Rooms
Cozy
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Satisfactory
Was this helpful?
Tripadvisor is not responsible for this summary or the opinions in it. For more information, please read the traveler reviews and learn more about how the site works.
Traveler rating
409
152
48
24
16
Time of year
Traveler type
Language
Selected filters
Filter
English
Popular mentions
Sort by:
Detailed Reviews
These reviews are machine translated from their original language. Show machine translations?
A hotel away from it all, you can reach Kirkenes in 15/20 minutes by car. Consisting of two buildings used as a reception and a restaurant. And then from some bungalows each separate in total privacy. The bungalows are cross-shaped with a large entrance hall, a sleeping area and a living room with a large window and a very large bathroom area. Well heated independently. Impeccable service both at the reception and in the transport of luggage. The restaurant, where breakfast is also served, is very welcoming and you eat exquisitely. The staff was friendly and attentive. The hotel has a well-separated area from which husky sleds depart. You will find so many of these wonderful dogs. Walk along the hills behind the hotel, find the hiking map in your room, offers beautiful views of the landscape. It absolutely deserves a stay of a few nights.
Read more
Automatically translated
Date of stay: November 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We were so fortunate to select the Snowhotel Kirkenes autumn 2 day package offered by their website for the 2 out of 4 nights, we decided to spend within the Arctic circle in this first week of September. The package includes a pick up and drop off from the Airport/Cruise terminal. We opted for the beautiful wooden cabins for both nights but one has the option of staying in the 'ice hotel' section or mixing it for the two nights stay. Package is half board and the food is delicious besides being well presented with local specialities - Arctic char, reindeer, King crab besides blueberries (which one find growing wildly all around the hotel). The dining area overlooks the beautiful fjord. We took an additional Sami tour on the the first afternoon and John Henrik is a wonderful ambassador for all 'Sami people' and it was fun feeding the resident reindeers along with him. We went to see the Northern lights arranged in the package after dinner and we were lucky to see a spectacular bright continuous Northern lights display, as soon as, it got completely dark. The following day after breakfast, decided to visit the unique 'ice hotel section' and felt 'brave enough' to take a dip in the fjord by the hotel - before and after warming in the hotel sauna - in 'the Norwegian style', we had witnessed around the Oslo bay. It helped having unusually warm weather of around 19C highs (66F) for the 2 days with clear skies and it was around 12C (54F) during our Northern lights tour. Went for a 'husky hike' to a hill around the hotel with one of the nearly 150 resident huskies, in the afternoon. It included a brief picnic break, roasting reindeer sausages. One appreciates the sheer strength of the huskies - like 'an electric assist' for bicycles, in particular when going uphill. The staff are highly courteous, friendly and knowledgeable. Our mobile roaming worked perfectly in Norway and we didn't need to use the hotel network. Note, there is no TV in the rooms and be prepared of it being very bright 'rather early' in the morning but this is the Arctic circle in Autumn! Would sum up our 2 day package in the Snowhotel, as 'Arctic in a nutshell - at it's very best'. P.S. photo provided, courtesy of Snowhotel tour from our unforgettable night.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A lot to digest? Read an AI-generated summary of recent traveler reviews.
Come here for a magic winterwonderland experience. Settled a bit outside of Kirkenes you already will get the wilderness feeling on your arrival.
You have the choice of staying in very cozy wooden cabins, as we did or at the popular Snowhotel. Most guests will stay one night at the Snowhotel and another 1-3 nights in one of the cabins.
The cabins are comfortable with a large glass window on the front. So if you are luck you might see the Nordic Lights during the winter month out of your comfy chair. All cabins are well heated and do have an ensuite bathroom.
If you leave that comfort for a night and check yourself into the frosty Snowhotel - is your choice. We didn´t stay there, but as a guest of the cabins you have the possibility to visit the Snowhotel during the day or have a drink at the Snowbar after dinner. If you stay at the Snowhotel there is a common changing, shower and luggage storage facility. After you got a brief on how to feel the most comfortable inside your assigned snow room, they will provide you with a polar sleeping bag, sheets to cover for hygenic purpose and socks. Rooms are all with a different design and different snow/ice sculptures.
For all guests (cabin and snowhotel) there is an old barn that functions as a dining hall and lounge. Plus during the day you can have a light meal at the Sami inspired tent.
Activities are great as well (however with a heavy price tag). I really loved the Husky excursion and the fact that the Husky farm is just beside the hotel, so you can visit this loveable creatures at any time. Another very popular excursion is the King Crab Safari as well as the Nordic Lights Hunt. If you like to know more about that see also traveltreasuresbymarion
All in all we had a fantastic stay at the hotel and saw magic Northern Lights right over our cabin. The only little negative point of this place is that during the day tourist groups from the Hurtigruten ships come for a visit and disturb the tranquility.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip:Â Book 1 night at the Snowhotel and 1-2 nights in the cabin beside.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed at the snow hotel in their Gamme Cabins over Christmas. For the price we paid (about 1800 AUD per night) the product we received just doesn't cut it. To quote someone we shared a table with at dinner "It feels like an expensive youth hostel" - so we aren't the only ones disappointed.
The Gamme cabins have no safe or minibar/fridge. We did put some drinks outside to keep cool but someone cleaned up our snow pile and the drinks with it. The bathroom has combined body wash/shampoo and no conditioner (but there is a hair dryer) There is no servicing of rooms (not even daily rubbish removal).
The meals were the worst part. Everyone gets there at 6:30 for dinner and you get told which table to sit on. You may or may not be told what is on the menu (since it seems there isn't a choice) - around 45 minutes later you get your entree. Raw fish one night, raw Reindeer the other night. We were lucky enough that they gave us an "alternate" soup without argument (others were told the soup was for vegetarians only). In short if you aren't going to give a choice then don't go with raw meat as your only option ! 1 beer (stubby) and 1 pepsi max at dinner cost about $30 AUD (only water is included). The food we had was very nice but not providing at least a choice between two items for each course and basic beer/wine/soft drinks is pretty poor for $1800 per night.
Dinner service takes about 2.5 hours for 3 courses. At least breakfast is not a fixed time and you can sit where you want - but there is no decent coffee at breakfast (there was a machine but it wasn't working). The rest of breakfast was pretty good with plenty of choices.
All the staff were very nice (but not a lot of information was given). It was great to be able to visit the dog yard and the reindeer at any time. The snow hotel and ice bar were worth a visit but I'd suggest stay in down and do a day trip to the snow hotel and it's activities rather than staying there.
Read more
Date of stay: November 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Stay at one of the hotels in Kirkenes and do day trips out to the snow hotel.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Snowhotel Kirkenes, Marketing at Snowhotel Kirkenes
Responded Jan 20, 2025
Dear John, Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback about your stay with us at Snowhotel Kirkenes. We’re glad you enjoyed the beautiful environment, the Gamme Cabins, and your visits to the dog yard, reindeer, and Snowhotel – it’s wonderful to hear you appreciated these aspects of your experience. We’re truly sorry to learn that certain elements of your stay did not meet your expectations. Your comments regarding the facilities, room servicing, and dining experience are invaluable to us. We strive to provide a memorable and comfortable stay for all our guests, and it’s clear from your feedback that there are areas where we can improve. We understand your concerns regarding the dining options and timing. While we aim to offer an authentic and high-quality culinary experience, your point about providing more choices and faster service has been noted, and we will share this with our team for future improvements. Additionally, we’re sorry if any confusion or inconvenience arose with the drink service or breakfast coffee machine. Your suggestions about amenities in the cabins and clearer communication from our staff are also appreciated. We will use this feedback to refine our offerings and better align with the high standards we want to deliver to our guests. We’re pleased to hear you found our staff friendly and enjoyed the unique attractions of our hotel, but we regret that these did not outweigh the disappointments during your visit. We hope that if you choose to visit us again, you’ll notice the positive changes we implement based on guest input like yours. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts, and we wish you many more wonderful travel experiences ahead. Warm regards, Per Snowhotel Kirkenes Team
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We stayed in the Snowhotel for 2 nights in October on their autumn package. I have to say we were really disappointed. The hotel is currently a building site with many areas of construction so really not very peaceful. This was not mentioned at any time when we booked. If you are staying overnight in the ice-room you basically have no room or even personal area. We checked in off a Havila cruise at 10am and up until 3pm the following day when we moved in to a cabin, we had nowhere to go apart from a communal lounge. There are no lockers for your clothes so you have to leave them on top of your luggage in a store room which anyone can access- including groups just touring the hotel. They provide two curtained changing cubicles where you are supposed to get ready to sleep. When we arrived back at midnight from the Northern lights chase there were twelve of us all trying to get changed in the same space. It felt like we were in a hostel rather than a decent hotel. The next morning we were soaking wet after a walk but our cases had been moved - we discovered to the porch of the cabin but we were told we could not access it until 3pm. Instead staff said we would just have to get our dry clothes from the cases and change in a luggage room behind reception! No offer to go and get our luggage and bring it back to us. We also had a very unpleasant and dangerous experience during a husky walk due to a lack of basic safety instructions and an inexperienced staff member. I have given details of this directly to the hotel hopefully to prevent anyone suffering a serious injury in future. On a positive note the cabins are lovely once you get in them, If you are planning to go I would recommend staying in a cabin and you can just tour the ice-rooms.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This "Snow Hotel" is anything but.... Stay away from this place. Tourist Trap by any definition. Think this looks like a quiet place to relax and enjoy the cold arctic air, snow, and lights. Think again, this place is more like a BUS STATION at least five to six buses at any given time. Tours are jam packed and understaffed. Don't even think about staying the night in the pile of snow they call a hotel. First "your room" is anything but yours. By day your room is a selfie photo shoot for any tourist that decides to sit, stand, sneeze or otherwise on the bed you are going to sleep on. They do not wash the sleeping bags they provide and don't think about privacy as there is no door. The property is amazing the dogs are wonderful but.... the place is an overpriced clusterXXXX. For what they charge you wouldn't expect to be corralled and sardined at every turn. At dinner do not expect to sit at a table for two, four or whatever your group size. Unless you booked an entire bus you will be jam into whatever space they have at a 40 plus person table. Again the location is amazing the rooms are so nice and the ice carvings beautiful. Just be ready to arm wrestle a random tourist for a spot in the dinning haul. They oversell the utter living daylight out of this place and in December there isn't much of that to begin with.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Dont go here unless you are a group larger than 20, you're gonna have a bad time.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our stay at Snowhotel Kirkenes was nothing short of magical. The breathtaking views from this location are unparalleled, making it the most stunning place we’ve visited so far. We stayed in the Gamma cabins, which were perfect—cozy and warm without compromising the panoramic views.
One of the highlights of our visit was the community dinner. The food was exceptional, and the communal experience added a special touch to our stay.
To top it all off, witnessing the northern lights from the comfort of our room was an unforgettable experience. Snowhotel Kirkenes provided us with memories that we will cherish forever. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a unique and memorable getaway!
Read more
Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joined a dinner package that came with a hotel tour.
The guide did not rehearse his speech, very disorganized, but he is suppose to be doing this introduction everyday. There was some leftover of a sausage snack served, the guide used his hands without washing to pick up and wrap up for later.
We had a tour of the rooms, the cabins on the slope look awesome, but the ice hotel rooms and the sleeping condition are shocking to see considering a price of NOK 6000+ per night. I don't know who would want to pay such a price for a night sleeping with a balaclava mask on, wrapped with a bed sheet inside a sleeping bag, on an ice bed frame inside a room without a proper door but curtains only.
The dinner was very average in terms of taste and portion size considering the price we paid (NOK 1250 pp), and served very slow. The guide reminded us that the bus back to city center was leaving at 845pm; but our dessert was still nowhere to be seen at 835pm. we were seated since 635pm, and it was just a simple 3-course meal.. We asked and the guide rushed out the dessert. We tasted it lightly then rushed to the reception to catch the bus just in time.
A snow hotel seems special, but is really not worth the price. there are better places in town for dog sledding or feeding a reindeer.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kirkenes Norway disappointment. While the property seems cool - no one explained it to us just pointed to the restaurant beyond the hotel - the rest of the experience was extremely lacking. We booked the tour and dinner. We needed to wait for all the people checking in to get keys, understand the bathrooms,showers,lights,etc before our hotel tour. No one offered us water,drink,anything. We seemed to be a nuisance. The tour was very unique but it was pretty much self guided. Thankfully we weren’t staying there. After we couldn’t sit down in The “overnight guests only lounge” so they sat us early at 6:50 (only ones in dining room) for dinner. We ordered around 7:15 - our desert selection for the 3 course meal - no other choices. 1st course served about 7:50. Main served at 8:20 when they asked if we wanted a taxi instead of our 8:45 shuttle so we didn’t need to rush. They then proceeded to serve pretty much everyone else dessert first as they were leaving for a tour. Our taxis were to arrive at 9. One did. The other came at 9:25. Leaving the hotel at 5pm - arriving back at 9:40 was way too long for this marginal dinner experience.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It’s a one and done experience. The thought of sleeping in the ice hotel and on the ice bed sounded fun but my experience was less fun (try to ignore the cost). The sleeping bag I got was kinda small. I got claustrophobic, not to mention the zipper wouldn’t zip all the way up so I went back to switch it. During the demo we were told that we can take our sweater, put it at the base in the sleeping bag so it would be warm when we get up the next morning. If you do that, don’t forget to retrieve it because I forgot mine in the first bag I switched and was told that no sweater was found when I asked.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2025Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yes I did it was one of my highlights of staying there even though it was cloudy and didn’t get to see the lights the experience was wonderful and my guide was brilliant
It’s not impossible but if it were me I would do dogs when I arrive
And crabbing next day . You won’t believe the taste and the size of the crabs! Yum. Just don’t try to pack in too much in one day! The climate will wear you out
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
