Kakslauttanen Glass Igloos: Northern Lights Hotel in Finnish Lapland

Lie in a warm bed, look up through a dome of glass and watch the northern lights ripple across the Arctic sky. That is the idea behind the glass igloos of Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort in Finnish Lapland, one of the most photographed hotels in the world.

Illuminated glass igloos among snowy trees at Kakslauttanen, Finland — Glass igloos lit up among snowy trees. Credit: Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort.

Where is Kakslauttanen?

Kakslauttanen lies in northern Finland, about 10 km south of the ski village of Saariselkä and roughly 241 km north of the Arctic Circle. Saariselkä sits partly inside Urho Kekkonen National Park, one of the great fell and forest wildernesses of Lapland.

The nearest airport is Ivalo, about 30 minutes away by road, and the resort runs a bookable shuttle. Driving from Rovaniemi takes about three hours (247 km).

From a roadside café to a glass-igloo village

The resort is the life’s work of Juhani “Jussi” Eiramo. Yle News reports that he opened a turf-roofed café in Kakslauttanen in the 1970s and added cabins in the same decade. After heavy losses in Finland’s 1990s financial crisis, he turned to foreign tourists in the 2000s, promoting the resort at travel fairs across central Europe.

The glass igloos made the name. One aerial photo of the domes went viral on social media, and fashion shoots for Vogue, Sports Illustrated and Ralph Lauren followed.

Glass igloo at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort in Finnish Lapland

Beds beneath a curved glass roof inside a Kakslauttanen igloo — Beds beneath a curved glass roof. Credit: Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort.

Glass igloos, Kelo-glass igloos and snow igloos

The resort has two sites. The original East Village has small glass igloos, log cabins, a restaurant and sauna. The newer, larger West Village, about 4 km away, adds large glass igloos, an observation tower and most of the activities.

Small glass igloo: sleeps up to three, with a toilet.
Large glass igloo: sleeps up to five, West Village only.
Kelo-glass igloo: a log cabin made from kelo pine with a glass-domed bedroom, plus a private sauna, fireplace and kitchenette.
Snow igloos: true igloos built from snow, open seasonally from about December to late March or early April, depending on temperatures.

Room facilities have been upgraded over the years, so check the current room descriptions on the resort’s website before booking.

Kakslauttanen glass igloos in winter, Finnish Lapland

Best time to see the northern lights from a glass igloo

Auroras can appear over Finnish Lapland from late August to April, when nights are dark enough. December to March is the core season, with long nights and reliable snow. Guests can sign up for an in-room aurora alert, and the Finnish Meteorological Institute publishes aurora forecasts online.

Clear skies matter as much as solar activity, so give yourself several nights. Daytime fills easily with husky and reindeer safaris, cross-country skiing and a traditional sauna.