5 Places to Snow Camp (Without Really Snow Camping)
You like the idea of sleeping in a tent on a frozen glacier midwinter. But you also really enjoy beds and hot showers.
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We asked the location scouts at the Venue Report to help us track down the world’s coolest glacier glamping spots—we’re talking about igloos and ice caves where you’ll also be treated to a fireplace, a comfy bed, and a hot tub.
Arctic SnowHotel, Finland
Tuck into a glass igloo, where you can watch the Northern Lights from the comfort of your bed through a see-through ceiling. Or stay at the SnowHotel, which is carved each year from mounds of ice and sleeps up to 70 people wrapped in sleeping bags and reindeer furs. You’ll be granted a certificate of achievement after you survive the night in Arctic temperatures and this being Finland, there are multiple saunas on site, including one built with snow walls. You can ice fish for pike in the neighboring lake.
Hôtel de Glace, Québec City, Canada
From early January to late March, this 44-room hotel gets built from the ground up using snow and ice. Now in its 16th year, you can stop into the Hôtel de Glace for a frosty cocktail at the ice bar or book a room for an overnight stay, which comes with access to the spa and sauna, a sub-zero sleeping bag atop a bed made from blocks of ice, and nearby activities like dogsledding, Nordic skiing, and more. Splurge and get a room with its own fireplace.
Hotel Arctic, Ilulissat, Greenland
The world’s most northerly four-star hotel, the Hotel Arctic is located 155 miles north of the Arctic Circle on Greenland’s Ilulissat Icefjord, an UNESCO World Heritage site. In addition to the hotel’s more typical rooms, you can sleep in igloo-shaped domes made with aluminum frames and outfitted with kitchenettes and TVs. Grab a drink at the snow bar, learn to build a traditional igloo from the pros, or dine on fish native to Greenland in the hotel’s award-winning restaurant, which has views of floating icebergs.
Whitepod Eco-Luxury Hotel, Switzerland
Deep in the Swiss Alps, you’ll walk up a snowy hill to reach your geodesic dome (to return, you can sled back downhill). The pods are heated via wood-burning stove and are designed to be warmed as efficiently as possible. Outside your pod, you’ll find a small private ski area. Your stay includes a buffet breakfast and afternoon tea, and for dinner, you can dine in the on-site restaurant or order to have food delivered to your pod.
Blacksheep Le Village Igloo, France
After a communal fondue dinner and wine made by someone’s grandma, you’ll retire to your bed of ice in a dorm-style or private igloo at Blacksheep, which is open from mid December to mid April in the French Alps. Awake to views of Mont Blanc and a hot breakfast.