14 glass igloo and wilderness resorts in Finnish Lapland, scored side by side on rooms, privacy, guest ratings, what's on site, access and value.
Leader: SkyView Igloo Resort. Private sauna and hot tub with every igloo suite.
Check availabilityEvery resort is scored on six splits. Open any entry for the full review, room sizes and prices.
Two-floor glass igloo suites where every unit has its own sauna and outdoor hot tub, on a quiet forest hill 15 minutes from Rovaniemi Airport.
Glass-roof apartments with a private sauna and outdoor hot tub each, in a forest pocket of Santa Claus Village.
Spacious Nordic suites and cottages with a private sauna in each, on the quiet side of Santa Claus Village.
Glass-ceiling cabins on the Ounasjoki river, most with a private outdoor hot tub, 15 km north of Levi.
A wilderness hotel on the edge of Urho Kekkonen National Park with glass-roof cabins and a big activity programme.
A 13-room, adults-only, all-inclusive lodge next to Urho Kekkonen National Park.
Award-winning architecture: suites with a full glass wall facing the forest, next to SantaPark.
Glass igloos high on Utsuvaara fell with a 360° valley view, 10 km from Levi village.
Lakeside aurora cabins and two-floor igloo suites with its own husky kennel and a long activity menu.
The resort that made glass igloos famous, with igloos, log cabins and half board in a remote northern forest.
All 14 resorts on one sheet. Scroll sideways on a phone.
| Rk | Resort | Area | Total | Gap | Stay | Privacy | Guests | On site | Access | Value | Glass roof | Own sauna | Hot tub | Guests | From / night |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SkyView Igloo ResortTwo-floor glass igloo suites | ROV | 9.5 | — | 9.6 | 9.8 | 9.7 | 9.2 | 9.2 | 8.8 | Some | ✓ All | ✓ All | 9.7 | €299 |
| 2 | Glass ResortGlass-roof apartments | ROV | 9.1 | +0.4 | 9.0 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 8.4 | 9.8 | 7.4 | Some | ✓ All | ✓ All | 9.5 | €528 |
| 3 | Nova SkylandTwo-floor suites | ROV | 8.4 | +1.1 | 8.8 | 7.4 | 9.1 | 7.4 | 9.6 | 8.6 | No | ✓ All | No | 9.1 | €275 |
| 4 | Northern Lights RanchSky View glass-roof cabins | LEV | 8.3 | +1.2 | 8.4 | 7.8 | 9.5 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 8.4 | ✓ All | Some | Some | 9.5 | €275 |
| 5 | Wilderness Hotel MuotkaAurora cabins | SAA | 8.1 | +1.4 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 9.3 | 8.4 | 6.6 | 8.7 | Some | Some | No | 9.3 | €259 |
| 6 | Jávri LodgeAll-inclusive boutique lodge | SAA | 8.0 | +1.5 | 8.6 | 7.4 | 9.0 | 8.8 | 7.2 | 5.6 | No | No | No | 9.0 | €2,130 |
| 7 | Arctic TreeHouseDesign treehouse suites | ROV | 7.9 | +1.6 | 8.4 | 5.8 | 8.7 | 8.8 | 9.6 | 6.4 | No | Some | No | 8.7 | €367 |
| 8 | Levin IglutFell-top glass igloos | LEV | 7.8 | +1.7 | 8.5 | 6.4 | 8.8 | 7.8 | 8.2 | 6.6 | ✓ All | No | Some | 8.8 | €395 |
| 9 | Apukka ResortAurora cabins | ROV | 7.8 | +1.7 | 7.8 | 5.4 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 8.6 | 7.2 | Some | No | No | 9.0 | €356 |
| 10 | KakslauttanenGlass igloos | SAA | 7.6 | +1.9 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 8.4 | 7.0 | 6.2 | Some | ✓ All | No | 7.9 | €424 |
| 11 | Aurora VillageGlass-roof aurora cabins | IVA | 7.5 | +2.0 | 7.6 | 5.0 | 9.3 | 8.0 | 7.6 | 7.6 | ✓ All | No | No | 9.3 | €345 |
| 12 | Star Arctic HotelAurora glass cabins | SAA | 7.4 | +2.1 | 7.2 | 6.0 | 8.8 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 7.6 | Some | Some | No | 8.8 | €360 |
| 13 | Santa's IgloosGlass igloos | ROV | 7.3 | +2.2 | 6.8 | 5.6 | 8.6 | 7.2 | 9.6 | 6.8 | ✓ All | Some | Some | 8.6 | €415 |
| 14 | Arctic SnowHotelGlass igloos | SIN | 7.2 | +2.3 | 6.8 | 4.6 | 8.7 | 8.2 | 7.6 | 8.2 | Some | No | No | 8.7 | €286 |
Green figures mark the best split in each column. “Guests” is the average of Google, Tripadvisor and Booking.com ratings converted to a 10-point scale. Prices are indicative starting rates per night for two.
Lapland is bigger than it looks. Here is where each resort sits on the map, by latitude.
The gateway: most direct winter flights, Santa Claus Village, every safari type, and resorts 5–25 minutes from the airport.
Finland's biggest ski resort, 170 km north of Rovaniemi. Igloo resorts sit on the fells and riversides around the village.
Far north by Urho Kekkonen National Park. Darker, quieter, and further to travel: flights land at Ivalo.
Read: Rovaniemi, Levi or Saariselkä — where should you stay?
The same resorts, re-scored for what matters to your trip.
Four questions that decide which resort fits your trip, before you compare prices.
Rovaniemi resorts are 5–30 minutes from an airport with direct flights from across Europe, which means more time for activities and less for transfers. Levi and Saariselkä add darker skies and fells, but expect a domestic connection or a long drive. If you only have three or four nights, location matters more than any single feature.
A full glass roof above the bed is what makes an aurora night from bed possible. Some resorts market rooms with a large glass wall or a skylight instead; they are lovely rooms, but you watch the sky sideways rather than lying back. Our table marks which resorts have a glass roof in every unit, in some units or not at all.
A Finnish sauna and a hot outdoor soak under the night sky are highlights of a Lapland stay. At most resorts they are shared facilities booked by the hour at extra cost. Only a few resorts include both privately with every unit, and that is one of the biggest differences in comfort, privacy and total price between resorts.
A lower nightly rate can end up more expensive once breakfast, sauna sessions, airport transfers and activity gear are added. Check whether breakfast or half board is included, whether winter clothing is lent for free, and how far you are from the activities you want. Our value score weighs exactly that.
Short answers. How we score the resorts.
In our current ranking SkyView Igloo Resort in Rovaniemi leads overall with 9.5/10. Every igloo suite has a heated glass roof, a private sauna and a private outdoor hot tub, its entry-level suite (50 m² over two floors) is the largest standard glass-roof unit we compared, and it has the highest average guest rating in the comparison (9.7/10 across Google, Tripadvisor and Booking.com). It is also about 15 minutes from Rovaniemi Airport, which has the most direct winter flights in Lapland. Glass Resort, also in Rovaniemi, is a close second.
For a complete stay, look beyond the glass roof itself. The best glass igloo hotels add a private bathroom, enough space to sit as well as sleep, and ideally a private sauna or hot tub so your evening does not depend on shared facilities. SkyView Igloo Resort and Glass Resort in Rovaniemi are the only two resorts in our comparison where every glass-roof unit has both a private sauna and a private hot tub. Northern Lights Ranch near Levi and Levin Iglut are strong alternatives further north.
Rovaniemi is the easiest to reach and has the most to do: direct winter flights from across Europe, Santa Claus Village, every safari type and resorts 5–25 minutes from the airport. Levi suits travellers who also want downhill skiing and a lively village. Saariselkä and Ivalo are further north, darker and quieter, next to Urho Kekkonen National Park, but flights are fewer and transfers longer. For a first trip of three to five nights, Rovaniemi gives you the most experiences for the least travel time.
Expect roughly €260–€450 per night for two in the shoulder season (late August to November and March to April) and €500–€1,400 in peak winter, with the Christmas and New Year weeks the most expensive. Suites with a private sauna and hot tub, two-floor units and half-board rates cost more, while compact 20 m² igloos sit at the lower end. Breakfast is included at most resorts in our comparison. Prices in our table are indicative starting rates, so always check the live rate for your dates.
Aurora season in Finnish Lapland runs from late August to early April, when nights are dark enough. Activity is usually highest between about 21:00 and 02:00. September–October and February–March often have clearer skies than the cloudier weeks around December, and autumn adds the chance of seeing the aurora reflected in unfrozen lakes. Weather decides most nights, so staying three or four nights gives you several chances. A sighting is always a possibility, never a guarantee.
Yes, on clear nights with aurora activity you can watch from bed through the glass roof. Heated glass keeps snow and frost off the roof, and many resorts offer an aurora alert so you can sleep until the lights appear. The darker the surroundings, the better: resorts outside towns and with outdoor lights switched off at night give you the clearest view. Bright moonlight and cloud cover are the usual reasons for a quiet night.
In our comparison, SkyView Igloo Resort and Glass Resort include a private sauna and a private outdoor hot tub with every unit. Northern Lights Ranch has a private hot tub from its Deluxe cabins upwards and a sauna only in its top cabins, Levin Iglut has a hot tub only in its Suite Igloo, and Kakslauttanen has private saunas but no hot tubs. At most other resorts saunas and hot tubs are shared facilities you book and pay for separately.
Three to four nights is the sweet spot for most travellers. It gives you several evenings for the northern lights, which depend on clear skies, plus time for two or three daytime activities such as a husky safari, a reindeer farm visit or snowmobiling. Families visiting Santa Claus Village often add a fifth night. Many resorts require a two-night minimum stay in winter, and three nights over Christmas and New Year.
For December, Christmas, New Year and the February school holidays, yes: the best glass igloos often sell out 6–12 months ahead. Outside those weeks, two to three months is usually enough, and late August to November is the easiest time to find availability. Book activities such as husky safaris at the same time as your room for the busiest weeks.
Very much so. Rovaniemi has Santa Claus Village on the Arctic Circle, reindeer and husky farms, sledding hills and short transfers, which matter a lot with young children. Look for units that sleep the whole family together: SkyView's King Suite sleeps five, Glass Resort's Deluxe apartments sleep six, and several resorts offer family igloos. Note that Aurora Village Ivalo has a minimum guest age of 12 and Jávri Lodge is adults only.
Typical winter temperatures are −10 °C to −25 °C, and colder spells down to −35 °C happen in January and February. Dress in layers: thermal base layers, a warm mid-layer, an insulated outer layer, a hat, mittens and warm winter boots. Many resorts and safari companies lend thermal overalls, boots and mittens for activities. Inside, glass igloos and suites are fully heated, so the cold only matters outdoors.
Rovaniemi Airport (RVN) has the most direct winter flights in Lapland, including from the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Italy and France, plus frequent connections via Helsinki. For Levi fly to Kittilä (KTT), and for Saariselkä and Inari fly to Ivalo (IVL). There is also an overnight train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. Most resorts arrange airport transfers for a fee; distances for each resort are in our comparison table.