Lapland · ROVANIEMI ICE FLOATING
You zip into a drysuit, slide into a hole in the lake ice and lie back in the water while the cold stays outside. The 15 below are compared on group size, time in the water and which ones float after dark under the aurora.
Spend 2.5 hours on an English-guided outing from Rovaniemi, floating in an insulated survival suit on a winter lake. Your guide handles the safety briefing and can help with photos. Aurora sightings depend on the weather and solar activity, but the quiet float is worthwhile on its own. Hot drinks and gingerbread follow.
“Great service . No dramas was nice ro see my guide again today”
Spend 1.5 hours at Pajasauna, a renovated 1958 blacksmith’s sauna near the Kemijoki River. Your host shows you how to heat the wood stove and use the cold-water bathing area, then leaves you room to set your own pace. Towels, clogs, water and a hairdryer are provided. The swimsuit is optional, and transport is not included.
“the activity is very beautiful and characteristic. there is a room with sauna, toilet and changing area. then through a short illuminated road you reach an opening in the lake. the host is very kind and explained everything to us.”
Leave Rovaniemi by minibus for a quiet lake, where an English-speaking guide helps you into a thermal rescue suit and shows you how to float safely. You can drift on the water, then warm up by an open fire or in a cozy cottage with hot drinks and cookies. Guides such as Victor, Brandon, and Alex have helped make the experience reassuring and relaxed.
“Amazing experience 🤩 it’s so relaxing, was my favourite activity en Rovaniemi.”
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, ride about 25 minutes to a lake, get safety instructions and a thermal floating suit, then float in an icy opening beneath the night sky. Guides such as Victor, Alex, Pedro, and Brandan have led trips, though your guide may differ. Hot drinks, cookies, a campfire, and a heated cabin round out the three-hour outing. Aurora sightings are never guaranteed.
“Spent a close to a week in lapland, was lucky enough to have seen the auroras already. Was told this was not a good day to see again, guess what ? Once arrive to location auroras were waiting on us for the second day in a row. Our guide was very passionate about nature and provided a wealth of knowledge about the area. Once the auroras disappeared in about 20 minutes we proceeded to a wam cabin in which we were introduced to our survivals wet suits. Instructions were given and proceeded to get in to a froze lake. Ice had to be broken apart so that we could get…”
Head from Rovaniemi to a quiet woodland lake, suit up in a buoyant thermal dry suit, then float on the water while guides help you get in, take photos, and climb out. Hotel pickup is offered, and the outing ends with warm drinks and cookies by a fire. Snow and ice are not guaranteed in October or November.
“Loved this tour. Picked up at our hotel. Small group. Warm and friendly guide. The floating experience was fantastic: magical and relaxing. Hot drink and cookies after. Highly recommended”
From Safartica’s Rovaniemi office, a guide takes you to a quiet lake in the Finnish countryside for a float in a buoyant dry suit. Look up for the Northern Lights, then warm up with a hot drink. Hotel pickup is available nearby. Aurora sightings depend on clear skies and solar activity, so the floating itself is the surest part of the plan.
“Phenomenal experience! The guides were extremely helpful and friendly, and we got to see the northern lights clearly in the sky! Would highly recommend!”
Spend 6.5 hours in Lapland’s winter forest and on a frozen lake with an English-speaking guide. Learn to cut a fishing hole, try ice fishing, eat grilled salmon with Lappish bread and hot drinks, then float in a survival suit. Guides including Luka, Leah and Albane have led outings, though names vary by date.
“The guide and transport was great. The ice fishing with fake bait is more for fishing experience. Chances to catch a fish is low. The BBQ salmon & marshmallow was delicious. The ice-floating experience was great too. Worth a try. Though the water doesnt sip through, we could still feel abit coldness from the icy waters. Overall, it was a good experience.”
From Rovaniemi, join an English-speaking guide for a three-hour group outing that includes hotel pickup, a safety briefing, and a float in an icy lake inside a thermal rescue suit. Afterward, warm up with hot berry juice and cookies by an open fire. The Northern Lights may appear, but they cannot be guaranteed.
“The ice floating experience is truly magical—an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime adventure! The journey was seamless, with convenient transportation, and our guide went above and beyond to make it safe, engaging, and absolutely incredible. Highly recommend!”
Spend three hours on private land in Lapland, floating on icy water in thermal survival gear while snow and sky stretch around you. A guide gives a safety briefing, and the group is limited to nine. Afterward, warm up with a hot drink and fresh cookies. The experience is weather-dependent, and you must be comfortable in water and know how to swim.
“The experience was great, and the guide was lovely and professional. However, the changing room could be improved, as it was very cold and not heated. Especially in winter, when temperatures can drop –24°C as we experienced, it would be much nicer to have a warm place to change clothes before and after the activity.”
Safartica’s three-hour Rovaniemi outing pairs a guided ice float with winter clothing, transfers, and hot drinks. You wear your own clothes under a full-body rescue suit, then float in a frozen lake while your guide keeps watch. Clear skies may bring stars or the Aurora Borealis, but the lights are never guaranteed.
“we were in it for the once in a lifetime experience and we got more with the presence of the Aurora Borealis while we were floating. the guides were great and very attentive to our needs. making sure we were all safe.”
Spend about six and a half hours outside Rovaniemi with a guide, snowshoeing, ice fishing and floating in icy water in a protective suit. A Lappish barbecue is included, and pickup and drop-off are offered at selected central hotels. Guides have included Theo, Jordi, Inga and Maria, though assignments can vary.
“Tudo foi nota 10. Organização da agência, instrutora Maria e tours (pesca, flutuação e snowshoeing). Parabéns e obrigada por tornarem essa viagem ainda mais inesquecível!”
Spend four hours at a private lakeside sauna near Rovaniemi, alternating heat with a cold plunge or ice-hole swim. Your English-speaking guide explains the local sauna routine, while hotel transfers, towels, warm wear, snacks, and hot drinks are included. Swimwear or clothes are optional at the private location.
“Esperienza indimenticabile. La nostra guida Tommi è stato disponibile e simpatico. Consiglio!”
From Rovaniemi, join a small group for a guided ice-floating outing in a thermal survival suit. The three-hour trip includes a 35-minute van leg each way, time by the lake, and a warm drink with cookies. Guides may include Elena, Nicolas, or Sarah, but the Northern Lights depend on the weather.
“Une activité de flottaison exceptionnelle, dans un cadre magnifique. Valentin et Nico ont été super agréables, très professionnels et à l’écoute. Grâce à eux, nous avons vécu une véritable expérience, à la fois originale et inoubliable. Un moment magique que je recommande sans hésitation.”
Pick a sky, a sled or a frozen lake.
