Lapland · DINING EXPERIENCES
This is the shortlist you would send a friend heading north: 15 dining experiences worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know first.
Visit the Arctic SnowHotel with an English- or Finnish-speaking guide, see its snow rooms and ice sculptures, then eat a three-course dinner in Rovaniemi’s Ice Restaurant. Choose elk, salmon, chicken, or a vegan main. Return transfers and time to explore the site are included; drinks cost extra.
“- food was amazing - ice hotel is total new expirance - at the end aurora was active that night”
From Rovaniemi, join a small-group outing to a traditional lakeside sauna, with hotel pickup, towels, slippers, lake swimming and an open-fire smoked-salmon dinner. Northern Lights viewing is possible on 5 p.m. departures from late October to mid-March, but depends on the sky. Guides have included Alex, Pedro and Tanija.
“Great experience! Everything was beyond expected !! Everything was so well organized and magical! Tanija and Alex the couple who run this business explained everything accurately and in interesting way ! We had a delicious lappish dinner after the sauna and lake immersion (you don’t have to but we do recommend) and a right on time pick up from hotel and dropped at hotel.”
Travel by van from Rovaniemi to a remote lakeside sauna for a Finnish heat-and-cold ritual, then eat smoked salmon by the fire in a wooden cottage. English-speaking guides lead the four-hour outing, with hosts and guides including Pedro, Tania, Mattia and Victor on past departures. Evening tours from late October to mid-March may offer a Northern Lights sighting, but nature makes no promises.
“Everything was perfect. They picked us up and drove us to the location which is remote and beautiful. We were 7 in one sauna which made it a bit crowded, but still nice. We had enough time to go in and out 3-4 times and then dio in the lake. The dinner was super good, we ate a lot and the food was yummy. I am vegetarian and they were able to prepare something for me too. The only little ick was that the sauna was loosing heat a bit, and couldn’t get really hot even if we kept putting wood and throwing water. Overall the experience was really amazing!!”
From Rovaniemi, take a private transfer to a lakeside sauna for a session in the heat, a soak in the outdoor jacuzzi, and dinner in an old Lapland cottage. The 3.5-hour outing includes towels, robes, slippers, hot drinks, and a guide. Andreas, Dimitri, and other hosts have been praised for attentive service, though your guide may vary.
“This trip was truly a dream coming true in magical atmosphere! We had a private sauna & jacuzzi just for us. Dinner (soup and salmon) with hot drinks and sweet cake was delicious as well. Surely recommended!”
Spend an evening at Rovaniemi’s Arctic SnowHotel, with a guided look at its ice rooms, private use of a snow sauna, Finnish sauna and outdoor jacuzzi, and a three-course dinner in a Lappish Kota. Return transfers are included, along with time to explore the snowy grounds and visit the Sky Bar.
“A new experience for the books. Worth every penny and the food was amazing!”
Get picked up anywhere in Rovaniemi for a private evening at a glass igloo by a frozen lake. Expect a three-course dinner by the fire, then a short snow-scooter ride with warm gear provided. Guides such as Andrew and Andrei have been praised for friendly service. Northern lights are possible, not guaranteed.
“Point to point pick up by the tour guide. Excellent food and good atmosphere for special event celebration with love one”
Spend about two hours at Snowman World in Santa Claus Village, where your ticket includes snow activities and a three-course dinner in an ice-and-snow restaurant. Skate, tube down an icy hill, inspect the sculptures, then sit down to Lappish dishes. An English- or Finnish-speaking host is available; drinks are not included.
“Really cool experience! It was a 3 course meal and just as described. I had the elk and everything was very tasty. There is an ice disco bar in the restaurant as well. They served shots in shot glasses made of ice. The snow sculptures on the walls were very impressive! I had access to Snowman world and went on the large labyrinth slide. Bundle up because it's cold!”
This 6.5-hour small-group outing from Rovaniemi combines return transfers, a guided Arctic SnowHotel visit, a three-course dinner in the Ice Restaurant, and private use of a snow sauna, Finnish sauna, and outdoor jacuzzi. Expect ice-carved rooms, a choice of elk, salmon, chicken, or vegan falafel, and time for lakeside sledding.
“We felt that the overall experience was excellent and the Ice Hotel and snow sauna were very unique experiences. However, we were asked to be at the meeting point 1/2 hour prior to the start of the experience. That seemed somewhat excessive, but we were willing to do that to prevent any unnecessary delays. But when the bus transporting us came 15 to 20 minutes late, it meant that we had to stand out in the cold for approximately 45 minutes for absolutely no reason whatsoever. If you are going to demand punctuality from your guests, you should make sure that the transportation is punctual as well.Read more”
In Rovaniemi, your private group gets hotel pickup, a three-course dinner by the fire in a glass igloo, and a snow-scooter outing on a frozen lake with the northern lights in view if conditions allow. The three-hour trip includes children’s snow scooters. Hosts named Katerina or Katia and Andrew have led some evenings, but the host may vary.
“The experience was amazing! Although we weren’t lucky enough to witness the full Aurora Borealis, we did get a glimpse of it, which was still breathtaking. I highly recommend this experience. Everything was fantastic—from the well-organized tour to the knowledgeable guides who made the trip even more enjoyable. The atmosphere was magical, and the journey itself was unforgettable. If you ever get the chance, don’t miss it!”
Set off from anywhere in Rovaniemi by private vehicle for a three-hour evening at a glass igloo restaurant beside a frozen lake. You’ll have typical local snacks and dinner, with the Aurora overhead if conditions allow. Some outings have included a snowmobile ride, but don’t assume it is guaranteed. Guides named Andre, Andrew, and Ruslan have been praised for attentive service.
“Exceptional… our guide Andre was marvellous.. we were truly unsure if we would do this trip after our hectic long flight from home .. but Thank God we did it… the food and ambience was amazing.. on top of it we had extremely rare sighting of strong Aurora”
Leave your Rovaniemi accommodation by private vehicle for a three-hour evening near a frozen lake, about 30 kilometers from town. Your group gets a three-course dinner by the fire in a glass igloo, plus an aurora hunt by snow scooter when conditions allow. The tour includes pickup and a visit from Santa Claus. Andrew is one guide named by travelers, but your guide may vary.
“Cena deliziosa, atmosfera incantevole. Temperatura molto bassa, -25 gradi.. nonostante tutto anche i bambini di 8 e 5 anni si sono divertiti. Unica pecca è non aver potuto avere la guida in italiano.”
Leave central Rovaniemi by transfer for a lakeside log cabin, where an English-speaking local guide shows you how to use a traditional wood-fired sauna before an Arctic lake swim. Towels and slippers are provided. Then settle in for smoked salmon cooked over an open fire. The tour lasts about four hours, with Northern Lights possible on select winter departures.
“It’s not as scary as you think it might be. The guides explain everything and provide a wonderful meal. The others in our group felt like dear friends by the end of the evening.”
Spend about three hours on a private evening outing in Rovaniemi, with pickup from locations around town and dinner in a glass igloo beside an open fire. Expect a three-course meal and non-alcoholic glogi; a snowmobile ride on a frozen lake has also been part of the evening. Guides including Andrey and Katerina have been praised for attentive service. Aurora sightings are not assured.
“Very nice tour. We were picked up on time, beautiful romantic place for dinner. 3 course dinner and unlimited non-alcohol glogi followed by snowmobile ride on the frozen lake, which was a lot of fun. I rate it 4 because despite of sitting by open fire, it was very cold inside igloo with the outside temperature -8C and inside between 0+5. In 1.5 hrs we were frozen. Having a small heater inside igloo would make dinner more enjoyable.”
From Rovaniemi, Nordic Adventures takes you to Ranua Wildlife Park to see northern animals, including Finland’s polar bears, then to a traditional wood-fired sauna and Arctic lake swim. Your day includes hotel transfers, zoo entry, buffet lunch, towels and slippers, and a fire-cooked salmon dinner. Some departures are led by Alex and his wife.
“We had an amazing day tour. It was perfect from start to end. They picked us up on time to go to the zoo. We had an amazing guide very knowledgeable of the animali and finnish history. We had a big buffet lunch with many options and we spend the evening relaxing in an authentic sauna and eating a smoked salmon and veggies for dinner. 100% percent recommended. It you think of coming I suggest to bring an extra towel as the ones used to dip into the lake might get really wet and an hairdryer for the ladies as it was not present.”
The Guide Father takes your private group from any location in Rovaniemi to a glass igloo restaurant in a Lapland forest, beside a frozen lake. Expect a roughly three-hour evening with Finnish sausages, glögi, and a guide who knows where to look for the northern lights. The aurora is not guaranteed, so the setting and dinner matter in their own right.
“This was beyond our expectation! Although we did not get to see the northern lights the experience was still very magical! Food was delicious and the igloo was very beautiful! Highly recommend!”
Pick a sky, a sled or a frozen lake.
