Best Northern Lights Hotels in Finland, Lapland: Igloos, Lodges, Cabins & Resorts
The glass igloos, wilderness lodges, and resorts actually worth booking, and which one fits your trip. We stayed at, and visited some!
The Arctic SnowHotel entrance under the aurora
Every Finland aurora hotel roundup eventually points you to the same three glass igloos. Fair enough, they're famous for a reason. But Finnish Lapland runs from Levi in the west to Nellim on the Russian border, and the right bed for watching the sky depends more on which stretch of that region you're in than on whichever photo sold you on the trip in the first place.
We haven't slept in every single property on this list. What we did do is stay in one of these ourselves, visit most of the rest, and quietly drop a few famous names that don't hold up once you look past the marketing photos. Here's what's actually worth booking, split by what you want out of the stay: a glass roof over the bed, an ice hotel experience, a proper wilderness lodge, or a resort with enough going on to fill the hours between aurora checks.
Jump to: Glass igloo hotels · Ice and snow hotels · Wilderness lodges · Resorts near Rovaniemi · Cabin-style stays · Igloo vs. lodge vs. resort · FAQ
Find a tour and a place to stay in Finnish Lapland:
Best northern lights hotels in Finland: Quick answer
Best glass igloo overall: Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos, just outside Rovaniemi — we visited it.
Best for a proper wilderness lodge: Wilderness Hotel Nellim, lakeside cabins near the Russian border, about as remote as Finnish Lapland gets without a snowmobile.
Best resort for families or first-timers: Apukka Resort, glass igloos and log cabins fifteen minutes from Rovaniemi, with enough saunas to fill a rainy afternoon.
Best for the Santa Claus crowd who still want a real aurora bed: Santa's Hotel Aurora & Igloos in Luosto, ski-in and away from the Rovaniemi souvenir shops.
Best in Levi: Northern Lights Village Levi, glass-roof cabins with an aurora alarm that actually works.
Best in Saariselkä: Wilderness Hotel Muotka, Nordic and understated, with some of the strongest guest ratings in the region.
Most iconic, if you don't mind basic: Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, the original glass igloo, and probably the reason "glass igloo" became a search term in the first place.
Best private stay in Rovaniemi itself: Aurora's House, we've seen the aurora right from the front yard.
Best ice hotel: Arctic SnowHotel's snow and ice wing in Rovaniemi, rebuilt every winter from scratch.
Glass igloo hotels in Finland
The Arctic Snow Hotel glass igloos, near Rovaniemi
This is what most people picture when they think "Finland northern lights hotel," a heated glass roof over the bed… aurora or not.
Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos, Rovaniemi
We visited it and wrote up the full visit in our winter activities in Rovaniemi guide. What sets this one apart from most glass igloo properties is that it's two experiences in one: permanent, well-heated glass igloos with adjustable beds and proper bathrooms, plus an actual snow and ice hotel rebuilt from scratch every winter, so you can add an ice-suite night to a warmer glass-igloo stay without changing hotels. There's an outdoor jacuzzi, a sauna, and a multi-course dinner that's worth booking even if you're staying elsewhere. We had a delicious lunch there.
🐧 Book Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos
Apukka Resort, near Rovaniemi
Fifteen minutes outside the city, the stylish Apukka Resort runs both glass igloo suites and log cabins, so you can pick your comfort level without picking a different resort. The sauna situation here is excessive in the best way: an ice sauna, an igloo sauna, and a couple of movable ones dotted around the property. It's the one on this list we'd point families toward first, there's simply more going on if the aurora doesn't cooperate on night one. It’s also an all-time favorite in Lapland.
Northern Lights Village, Levi and Saariselkä
Same brand, two locations on opposite ends of Finnish Lapland, glass-roof cabins with fireplaces and a genuinely useful touch: an aurora alarm that wakes you when the sky starts moving, so you're not setting a 2 a.m. phone alarm on a gamble. Levi puts you closer to skiing and a livelier village center. Saariselkä (near Inari) trades that for quieter, darker surroundings.
🐧 Book Northern Lights Village in Saariselkä
🐧 Book Northern Lights Village in Levi
Wilderness Hotel Muotka & Igloos, Saariselkä
Muotka runs its own glass igloos alongside standard rooms, in a Nordic, unfussy style that consistently pulls some of the best guest ratings of anything on this list, cleanliness and staff in particular. The setting is pretty spectacular too. If you want a glass roof without the more commercial, tour-bus feel of the biggest names, this is where we'd send you.
🐧 Book Wilderness Hotel Muotka & Igloos
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, Saariselkä
This is the original, the one every "best northern lights hotel" list eventually shows a photo of, and probably the reason "glass igloo" became a thing in the first place. The current glass igloos, both the small and large versions, come with their own shower, toilet, and private sauna built in, no walk to a shared bathroom block (a huge perk at -30ºC - trust us). Step up to the Kelo-Glass Igloo and you get a proper hybrid: a log-cabin body attached to the glass-roofed bedroom, plus a full kitchenette and fireplace, which works well for a family or two couples sharing one unit. It's still the most commercial, most photographed name on this list, but it earns that reputation.
Ice and snow hotels in Finland
Having fun with my friends at the ArcticSnow Hotel!
Glass igloos are heated and open year-round. A true ice hotel is different: built from scratch every winter out of packed snow and river ice, gone again by spring, and noticeably colder inside, usually just below freezing (it almost seems like “hot” when it’s -35ºC outside!) even with arctic-grade sleeping bags doing the work. It’s a magical experience, but it’s usually best for one night.
Arctic SnowHotel, Rovaniemi
This is the snow and ice half of the same property covered above under glass igloos, and we visited it inside and out. Rebuilt annually starting mid-December, with around 20 ice rooms, an ice restaurant, and an ice chapel sitting right alongside the permanent glass igloos. Since it's the only true snow and ice hotel actually near Rovaniemi, it's also the easiest one to fold into a regular Rovaniemi trip rather than a special detour. You can try one night in the snow hotel and stay in a heated glass igloo for the rest of your stay. It has its own personality and is very different from our beloved ICEHOTEL in Swedish Lapland. Both are really… cool!
🐧 Book Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos
Lapland Hotels SnowVillage, Lainio (near Ylläs and Levi)
Further west, close to Ylläs and about 40 minutes from Levi, SnowVillage rebuilds somewhere between 20 and 30 ice rooms every winter, including a handful of individually themed suites carved by different artists each season. If the ice-room night appeals, pair it with a heated cabin nearby for the rest of your stay. Outside of the winter, you might not find it on Booking.
Wilderness lodges away from the crowds
Our cabin near Inari
If glass igloos feel like a checklist item and you'd rather feel properly remote, this is the category. That would be our personal go-to.
Wilderness Hotel Nellim, near Inari
Nellim sits on the shore of Lake Inarijärvi, close enough to the Russian border and the top of Finland that "middle of nowhere" stops being an exaggeration. The lakeside glass-roofed cabins/igloos put you right on the water, and guests who've stayed multiple nights in a row report genuinely strong aurora luck here, which tracks: minimal light pollution and wide open sky over the lake do a lot of the work for you. It's a proper drive from Rovaniemi (closer to Ivalo airport), so build in the extra travel time. We absolutely love this region, and you can read our Finland in fall guide for more information.
🐧 Book Wilderness Hotel Nellim
Wilderness Hotel Muotka, Saariselkä
Muotka's sister lodge (same ownership group as Nellim) sits closer to Saariselkä village, so you get a similar Nordic-lodge feel with slightly easier access to the fell hiking and husky and reindeer farms around Inari and Saariselkä. Between the two, Nellim is the more remote pick and Muotka the easier one to combine with other Saariselkä activities. We also mentioned them in our glass igloo section.
🐧 Book Wilderness Hotel Muotka & Igloos
Zoom in on the map below to find a hotel, cabin, or glass igloo in Finnish Lapland:
Resorts and hotels near Rovaniemi
We took this shot right in front of Villa Lucky after three very cloudy nights!
If you want the aurora chase without giving up city conveniences, Rovaniemi itself is still the easiest base.
Arctic TreeHouse Hotel, Rovaniemi
Elevated, design-forward suites on a wooded hillside just outside the city center, with floor-to-ceiling glass facing the forest and sky. This is the most design-led option on this list, closer to a boutique hotel than a wilderness camp, and it's a short drive from Rovaniemi's restaurants and the Santa Claus Village if part of your group wants that too.
Apukka Resort
Covered above under glass igloos, but worth repeating here since it's also simply the most convenient full-service resort near Rovaniemi if you want saunas, guided activities, and a real restaurant on-site rather than driving into town each night.
Villa Lucky, Rovaniemi
This one's technically in town, and we'd normally point you further out for dark skies. But Villa Lucky sits on a quieter edge of Rovaniemi rather than downtown, and we've actually seen the northern lights right in front of the house ourselves. It's a private holiday home rather than a hotel: four bedrooms, a full kitchen, and its own sauna, which makes it a better fit for a family or a group splitting one place than for a couple after a single glass-roofed room. If staying in Rovaniemi itself matters more to you than being fully off-grid (especially if you don’t have a rental car), this is a good option. The owner also runs aurora tours.
For hotels in Rovaniemi itself that aren't specifically built around aurora viewing, city stays, budget options, family apartments, see our Best Hotels in Rovaniemi, Finland guide.
Cabin-style stays worth knowing about
We took this photo in Kemijärvi, right by our cabin, in September
"Cabin" gets used loosely across Finnish Lapland, so it's worth being specific. At Apukka and Northern Lights Village, cabins mean private, glass-roofed or fireplace-equipped units with your own space and kitchenette, closer to a small house than a hotel room. That's a real advantage for longer stays or anyone traveling with kids who needs somewhere to spread out (and warm up!) between aurora checks. If a shared hotel building with a restaurant downstairs sounds more your speed, the resort and lodge picks above serve that better.
Beyond the named properties on this list, Booking.com also lists a huge range of independent cabins and apartments across Rovaniemi, Levi, and Saariselkä, holiday rentals like Villa Lucky above, run by local owners rather than hotel groups. Worth browsing if you want your own kitchen, more privacy, and more space, especially for longer stays or bigger groups. Just check the location relative to town lighting before you book, since these aren't vetted the way the picks above are.
Glass igloo vs. wilderness lodge vs. resort: how to actually choose
Pick a glass igloo if the aurora-in-bed photo is genuinely why you're going. Arctic SnowHotel or Northern Lights Village are the strongest bets.
Pick an actual ice hotel if you want the sculptures, the sub-zero novelty, and the story more than a comfortable night's sleep. Arctic SnowHotel's snow wing or SnowVillage in Lainio, ideally for one night only.
Pick a wilderness lodge if you want dark skies and quiet over amenities. Nellim is as remote as this list gets.
Pick a resort if you're traveling with family, or you want backup plans (saunas, dinners, activities) for the nights the sky doesn't play along. Apukka is built exactly for that.
Pick Rovaniemi city proper if northern lights are one part of a bigger trip that also includes the Santa Claus Village, museums, or easy flights. Our Best Hotels in Rovaniemi guide covers that side of things.
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FAQ: Northern lights hotels in Finland, Lapland
What is the best hotel in Finland to see the northern lights? It depends on what you want out of the stay. For a glass igloo specifically, Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos near Rovaniemi is our pick, we've stayed there ourselves. For a remote wilderness lodge, it's Wilderness Hotel Nellim. For families or first-timers who want backup activities, Apukka Resort.
Are glass igloo hotels in Finland worth it? If watching the aurora from bed is genuinely the point of your trip, yes. If you'd be just as happy watching from outside a normal cabin for five minutes and going back in somewhere warmer, a wilderness lodge or resort will save you money and generally comes with more space.
Is Rovaniemi or Saariselkä better for a northern lights hotel? Rovaniemi has more options, easier flights, and more to do if the sky doesn't cooperate. Saariselkä and Inari, further north and east, tend to have darker skies and fewer crowds. Neither is "better," they suit different trips.
Do northern lights hotels in Finland guarantee you'll see the aurora? No hotel can guarantee it, the aurora depends on clear skies and solar activity, not on where you sleep. What a good glass igloo or lodge gets you is a better chance of seeing it without getting out of bed, and often a wake-up alert system that tells you when it's worth looking.
Can you stay in a glass igloo hotel in Finland without seeing the northern lights? Yes, and it's still worth it for most people. The design, the sauna, and the setting hold up on a cloudy night too. Just go in knowing the aurora itself is never part of the booking.
Is there an actual ice hotel in Finland? Yes, two worth knowing about. Arctic SnowHotel near Rovaniemi rebuilds its snow and ice rooms every winter alongside its permanent glass igloos. Lapland Hotels SnowVillage in Lainio, near Ylläs, does the same further west. Both are rebuilt from scratch each season and melt away by spring, so the exact rooms and carvings change year to year.
Which Finland northern lights hotels are good for families? Apukka Resort and Northern Lights Village both offer cabin-style accommodation with more space than a standard igloo, plus enough on-site activities to keep kids busy between aurora checks.
Here is my favorite travel playlist to call the northern lights:
Wherever you end up, Rovaniemi's convenience, Nellim's total quiet, or Levi's glass roofs, the basics matter more than the hotel name: pack for real cold, build in more than one night, and always treat the aurora as a bonus, not the reason you booked.
Finally, read our guide to the northern lights in Lapland, or explore all of our Lapland Travel Guides here.
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Planning a Lapland trip? Explore our detailed guides:
🗓️ Best Time to Visit Lapland — Sweden, Finland and Norway compared
⭐ Northern Lights in Lapland — Best destinations, when to go, what to wear and tips in Sweden and Finland
🏨 Best Hotels in Rovaniemi — Igloos, cabins, and Arctic charm under the Northern Lights.
🌲 Winter activities in Rovaniemi — How to experience the true Arctic beyond Santa
🎁 Christmas in Rovanemi — Where the real magic is beyond Santa
🗓️ Best Time to Visit Rovaniemi — Northern lights, Santa, huskies, ruska and everything in between
🇫🇮 Finnish Lapland — Reindeer, saunas, and winter magic with a side of forest silence.
🏨 Best Hotels in Swedish Lapland — Icehotels, glass igloos, and cozy cabins under the northern lights.
🦌 One Lapland trip, three countries — How to combine Sweden, Finland & Norway
🧊 Kiruna vs. Rovaniemi: Swedish Lapland vs. Finnish Lapland — Two Arctic capitals, one epic showdown.
🎅 Magical Alternatives to Rovaniemi — Christmas magic without the crowds.
✨ Northern Lights for Dummies — How to actually see the aurora (without freezing your butt off or waiting 12 nights in vain).
❄️ Our Ultimate Arctic Travel Guide — How to explore, survive, and avoid becoming a polar bear’s lunch.
