If sleeping inside of an ice hotel is on your bucket list, keep reading! The Tromsø Ice Domes offer a magical experience where you’ll literally be sleeping in a room carved out of ice. While you may get chilly, a stay here is sure to be memorable. After staying at the beginning of their 2023-2024 winter season, I’m sharing a full review, plus tips for information for visiting the Tromso Ice Domes.
The Tromsø Ice Domes are rebuilt each year using huge blocks of ice that come from a nearby lake. Each year, there is a new theme and the ice is carved away by many artists. In 2023-2024, the theme was Vikings and details included Thor’s hammer, a viking ship and more. The ice is intricately carved into faces, mythical animals, tables, beds and more. It really is a sight to behold.
I visited the Tromso Ice Domes at the very beginning of the 2023-2024 season and in this blog, I’ll talk about what to expect, if it was worth it, and more!
How Does Staying at the Tromso Ice Domes Work?
This isn’t like a normal hotel, where you book your nights and arrive on your own. Staying here involves an entire package experience that includes transportation, food and activities in addition to the stay in the ice hotel!
I booked the overnight package that included snowshoeing, dog sledding, 3 meals and the transportation to and from the city of Tromso. The entire experience was just under 24 hours.
There are a lot of options when you go to book this experience. You can stay in the ice domes like I did, or you can stay in a cabin, glamping dome or chalet on the same property. You can also take a day trip to tour the ice domes or take a day trip to do various activities such as dog sledding, reindeer sledding and snowshoeing.
Pro Tip: You’ll decide all of your activities when booking. Also make sure to note if you have any dietary restrictions upon booking.
It’s a bit confusing, so look at your options carefully when booking. So you can have an idea of what to expect, this was my schedule for my visit!
Check out my Tromso winter guide for more information on planning your trip!
An Itinerary for Visiting the Tromsø Ice Domes
5PM
I was picked up in Tromso at 5PM and it was about an hour and a half drive to reach Camp Tamok.
7PM
After an orientation, we started with an evening snowshoe through the forest. It was a couple of miles and included warm drinks halfway through. They provided snowsuits and boots, so you’ll be warm even if you didn’t bring the right gear.
The trail was beginner friendly and included views of the forest and surrounding mountains. It was dark (there were zero hours of daylight during this time of year!), but still beautiful.
Halfway through the adventure, we stopped to build a small fire in the snow and enjoy some warm drinks. We also got to see some reindeer in an enclosure along the way. It was a fun experience!
9PM
We were served dinner around 930PM. Dinner included a soup course (fish or vegetable), the main course (reindeer stew or tomato stew served over mashed potatoes) and Panna Cotta for dessert. It was hearty comfort food that was super filling and savory. I was also very pleased that they easily accommodated me as a vegetarian!
We also enjoyed delicious black currant juice with dinner.
10PM
After dinner, we finally got to see the ice domes! We were given a tour and watched a video about how they were made. This season was a viking theme, and there was a viking ship carved into the room with the bar.
Each room was carved differently and we got to see all of the rooms before being assigned which one to sleep in. My room had the face of a woman with feathers coming from her head.
We were also given a little shot (non-alcoholic) in a shot glass made of ice!
11:30PM
Soon it was time to sleep. Each bed is equipped with a mattress with blankets and pillows and a large mummy sleeping bag for each person. Honestly, it was pretty easy to stay warm as long as you stayed cuddled inside of the sleeping bag.
The biggest downside was the lights. You cannot turn them off at all, and they’re quite bright. They did provide a sleeping eye mask, however.
There are five bathrooms located outside of the ice hotel (with heat). Two of them have showers. There are also a couple of emergency cots inside the heated building if you can’t make it through the night.
There is also a place for your things in the heated building. You don’t want to bring too much into the icy rooms.
During my visit, there were 8 different rooms in the ice hotel. The rooms don’t have doors, so it felt a bit like a giant sleepover with your new friends!
Overall, I slept pretty well and would do it again!
7AM
In the morning, we were served breakfast back in the heated building. Breakfast was a mix of bread, cheese and ham.
8AM
The dog sledding experience was my favorite part of the entire winter trip to Norway! We (my husband and I) were taught to drive a dog sled with 6 dogs all on our own. We were in a small group, with just 2 groups assigned to each guide.
I didn’t know this before this experience - but dog sledding is much more of a workout than you might think. This route was made extra challenging with some hills. The hills meant that the driver was running up the hills along with the dogs. It also takes some strength to hold on, operate the brakes and control how fast or slow the pups can go.
Halfway through, my husband and I switched and it was my turn to drive the sled. This was the easier portion of the adventure, since going back meant more downhills than uphills. It was nerve wracking and I even messed up and tipped the sled right at the beginning, but I kept going and was able to get the hang out of it.
It was incredible to see the dogs run and enjoy the surrounding mountain views. It really seemed like the dogs enjoyed it, and that they were treated quite well at this facility. After our run, we got to cuddle the dogs and give them treats.
We also got to see puppies and many more of the dogs after driving the sleds too. They have over 100 dogs here.
As an alternative to dog sledding, you can also choose between reindeer sledding and snowmobiling. It seemed like all of the activities were a lot of fun!
11:30AM
We had some time to explore Camp Tamok, which meant we got to pet the dogs and enjoy the snowy views. Lunch was similar to dinner, a warm soup with bread. It was served in a cozy traditional lavvus (an indigenous Sami tent) with a fire in the middle (you could toast your bread next to the fire too!)
2:30PM
For the rest of the day, we hung out in a lounge area that had large windows, tea, books, etc. Then around 2:30, we made the hour and a half drive back to Tromso.
My Overall Review of the Ice Domes in Tromsø
Overall, I thought this was an amazing experience and would recommend it! I was impressed by all of the activities, the details inside of the ice domes, the food and more.
There were moments when I felt that things were a bit unorganized, but that seemed to be because we stayed so early in the season. For example, they were very late in serving us breakfast (I think a member of the staff accidentally slept in). But those little things didn’t take away much from the overall experience.
I also wish I had a bit more time to hang out and explore the ice domes, but I think they limit it intentionally so that you don’t get too cold! I booked this with the goal to stay in an ice hotel, but didn’t realize how much more would be included. The dog sledding ended up being the highlight of this entire experience and trip to Norway for me!
FAQs about the Tromso Ice Domes
When are the Tromso Ice Domes open?
Typically they are open from the end of December until late March or early April. It depends on the temperatures of the year! For the 2024-2025 season, they are set to open on December 10th.
How cold does it get in the Ice Domes?
Winter temperatures in this part of Norway tend to range from 22°F (-5°C) to 32°F (0°C). No matter how cold it is, they maintain a temperature of 22°F (-5°C) inside to ensure the ice stays cool. Despite the cold temperature, I felt cozy inside of the giant mummy sleeping bag that they provided.
It’s also worth noting that during part of the winter, there are zero hours of daylight here.
Can you see the Northern Lights from the Tromso Ice Domes?
Yes! They didn't make an appearance for me, but you can certainly see them when conditions are right.
What should I bring to the Tromso Ice Domes?
Make sure to dress in warm layers for your visit! I recommend wearing base layers and having an insulating coat, thick socks, a hat, scarf, gloves, etc. You will definitely want to make sure you have something warm to sleep in, but they do provide warm clothing for the activities.
In addition to warm clothing, bring a battery bank to charge your phone inside your sleeping bag, your toiletries for the night and a camera!
If you're wondering what to pack for Tromsø in the winter, read my full packing list!
How much does it cost to stay at the Tromso Ice Domes?
Everything is sold as a package, so prices will vary depending on which activity you choose. With the dog sledding included, it cost us $1,273 for 2 people. When you look at how expensive an activity like dog sledding can be in Tromso, and consider that this included the stay in the ice dome, 3 meals, transportation and snowshoeing, I think that it was a good value.
If you just want to see the ice domes and don’t feel the need to spend the night, you can book a day trip that includes an activity like snowshoeing for prices starting around $100.
Is it worth it to stay at the Tromso Ice Domes?
If staying inside of an ice hotel is on your bucket list, then absolutely! I honestly planned my entire trip to Tromso around this goal, and thought it was worth doing. However, I was surprised that I enjoyed other parts of my trip even more than the ice domes, such as the dog sledding and seeing the Northern Lights. Overall, I definitely think it’s worth seeing the ice domes whether you decide to spend the night or not. They are a work of art!
Final Thoughts
As long as you can handle the cold, sleeping inside of an ice hotel is such a cool (literally) experience! Plus, this entire experience was made special by getting to meet friendly pups, enjoying comfort food next to the fire, going snowshoeing through a peaceful forest at night, and more.
If you’re considering a winter trip to Tromso, I highly recommend adding this to your itinerary.
For more European travel guides, check out these guides:
- A Guide to Winter Trip to Tromso
- How to Spend One Day in Oslo, Norway
- What to Pack for Tromso in the Winter
- A Guide to Norway vs Iceland in the Winter
- The Top Things To Do in Madeira, Portugal
- How to Spend 2 Days in Lisbon, Portugal
- The Perfect Iceland Winter Itinerary
- A Guide to Renting a Car in Iceland
Thanks for Reading!
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