Frequently Asked Questions

The concept of the SnowCastle of Kemi has changed over the years introducing various services in the area from snow & ice experiences to restaurant and accommodation services. The SnowCastle of Kemi area is open all year round. The traditional castle built from snow has been replaced by year-round services, the SnowExperience exhibition room and the SnowCastle Winter Park. SnowCastle Winter Park is open in winter season from January to the beginning of April.

In the SnowCastle of Kemi, you can also find comfortable meeting rooms and sauna facilities for companies and groups.

Kemi is located in Finnish Sea Lapland, which has good transport connections all year round. You can get to Kemi by plane, train and bus.

Bus connections: It is easy to travel to Kemi by bus from all over Finland. Read more on the website of Matkahuolto. Kemi bus station is located 1.5 km from the SnowCastle of Kemi.

Flight connections: Finnair organizes flights from Helsinki-Vantaa Airport to Kemi-Tornio Airport. Kemi-Tornio Airport is 8 km from the SnowCastle of Kemi. From the airport you can take a taxi to the SnowCastle of Kemi.

Train connections: You can travel to Kemi by train from southern Finland and from Rovaniemi in the northern direction. Tickets can be purchased from the online store of VR. Kemi railway station is located 1.5 km from the SnowCastle of Kemi.

The SnowCastle of Kemi offers versatile services all year round.

Seasonal services: Icebreaker Sampo Cruises, Icebreaker Arktis Cruises, SnowCastle Winter Park, SnowCastle Camping.

Year-round services: Seaside Glass Villas, SnowExperience, SnowCastle Restaurant, meeting rooms and sauna facilities.

There are ice tables and ice bar in the SnowExperience. You can take your drinks from our cafe to the Ice bar. For groups there are welcome drinks available in the ice bar, tasting menu where the amuse bouche is served by the ice tables. These are with pre-booking.

No we do not have the Snow Hotel at the moment. We have the all-year-round accommodation in the Seaside Glass Villas.

The premises of the main building are wheelchair accessible. The rooms on the upper floor can be accessed by a spacious elevator.

Pets are also welcome to stay. We have certain pet villas and a separate fee for pets. Read more here.

Pets are not allowed in the Winter Park or SnowExperience. Guide dogs are allowed.

Yes, the SnowCastle of Kemi parking lot has four public charging points for electric cars. The charging points are part of the Powered by Virta network of charging points.

Drones are allowed to fly with a permit issued by Kemi Airport air traffic control, as we are located close enough to the airport. We generally give permission to media representatives and influencers who film professionally. We are not responsible for lost filming equipment. The villas may not be photographed from above, even with a permit, because a drone can see into the customer’s accommodation unit. This will be agreed separately with a representative of Kemi Tourism Ltd in media cooperation.

SnowExperience is an indoor exhibition room made of snow and ice that is open all year round. The facility is located in the main building of the SnowCastle of Kemi area at Lumilinnankatu 15, 94100 Kemi.

SnowExperience is open all year round. Check out the opening hours of the SnowExperience exhibition room.

It is always around -5 degrees Celsius in the SnowExperience space.

The entrance ticket is valid on the day it is purchased.

Icebreaker Sampo Cruise includes entrance to SnowExperience exhibition room.

The 3.5 hour morning cruise includes ice floating experience, walking on ice, guided tour around the vessel, diploma, welcome drink and entrance to the SnowCastle area exhibitions. On the 4 hour afternoon cruise, you also get access to enjoy the lunch buffet on board.

Check-in is good to do as soon as you arrive at the SnowCastle of Kemi. You can check arrival times and schedules on the website of Icebreaker Sampo.

Buses leave from the SnowCastle of Kemi about half an hour before the cruise. You can check the schedules on the website of Icebreaker Sampo.

The trip from the SnowCastle of Kemi to the harbor takes about 15 minutes by bus.

On the Icebreaker Sampo, we go ice floating in small groups. On check in, you will receive a wristband with a color code. On the vessel you will find a schedule where you can see when is your turn to ice floating. Our guides will help you if needed.

Icebreaker Sampo is located in Veitsiluoto harbour, which is a private closed area. You cannot get to the area with your own car. All customers, groups included, need to make the check-in for the Icebreaker Sampo cruise in SnowCastle area before arriving to the port.

Yes, people of all ages are welcome to cruise.

There is no age limit for the ice floating. The customer must be over 140 cm tall to get to the ice floating.

We do not recommend taking luggage with you on the Icebreaker Sampo cruise. You should leave your suitcase at a hotel, for example. We cannot promise that there is space in the shuttle bus for the luggage, but if there is, you can leave your luggage in the SnowCastle area during your cruise.

We highly recommend that you to dress in layered thermal underwear and warm, windproof outdoor clothing. A warm hat, woollen socks, good mittens and a fleece- or woollen middle layer are all part of proper winter clothing. This way your journey will be pleasant and enjoyable! Inside of the Icebreaker it is warm, but with appropriate clothing you will also be able to go outside on the deck to experience the arctic scenery.

Unfortunately, the Icebreaker Sampo is not wheelchair accessible. High thresholds and stairs make it impossible for passengers using wheelchairs to board or move around the vessel.

Flying drone is permitted with a separate permit issued by the cruise host. We generally grant permission to media representatives and influencers who film professionally. A permit can also be granted to private individuals with experience of flying drones. The drone must be registered in accordance with EU regulations. We are not responsible for lost filming equipment. Request permission to fly a drone by contacting cruisehost@icebreaking.com via email.

The 3 hour cruise includes ice floating experience, walking on ice and diploma. We also recommend booking additional paid services, such as lunch buffet in Lumihiutale restaurant and entrance to the SnowCastle area exhibitions.

Check-in is good to do as soon as you arrive at the SnowCastle of Kemi. You can check arrival times and schedules on the website of Icebreaker Arktis.

Buses leave from the SnowCastle of Kemi about half an hour before the cruise. You can check the schedules on the website of Icebreaker Arktis.

The trip from the SnowCastle of Kemi to the harbor takes about 15 minutes by bus.

On the Icebreaker Arktis, we go ice floating in small groups. On check in, you will receive a wristband with a color code. On the vessel you will find a schedule where you can see when is your turn to ice floating. Our guides will help you if needed.

Icebreaker Arktis is located in Veitsiluoto harbour, which is a private closed area. You cannot get to the area with your own car. All customers, groups included, need to make the check-in for the Icebreaker Arktis cruise in SnowCastle area before arriving to the port.

Yes, people of all ages are welcome to cruise.

There is no age limit for the ice floating. The customer must be over 140 cm tall to get to the ice floating.

We do not recommend taking luggage with you on the Icebreaker Arktis cruise. You should leave your suitcase at a hotel, for example. We cannot promise that there is space in the shuttle bus for the luggage, but if there is, you can leave your luggage in the SnowCastle area during your cruise.

We highly recommend that you to dress in layered thermal underwear and warm, windproof outdoor clothing. A warm hat, woollen socks, good mittens and a fleece- or woollen middle layer are all part of proper winter clothing. This way your journey will be pleasant and enjoyable! Inside of the Icebreaker it is warm, but with appropriate clothing you will also be able to go outside on the deck to experience the arctic scenery.

Unfortunately, the Icebreaker Arktis is not wheelchair accessible. High thresholds and stairs make it impossible for passengers using wheelchairs to board or move around the vessel.

Flying drone is permitted with a separate permit issued by the cruise host. We generally grant permission to media representatives and influencers who film professionally. A permit can also be granted to private individuals with experience of flying drones. The drone must be registered in accordance with EU regulations. We are not responsible for lost filming equipment. Request permission to fly a drone by contacting cruisehost@icebreaking.com via email.

Check out the opening hours of reception.

Check in at 16:00 and check out at 11:00. If you are arriving after the reception’s closing time, please contact us beforehand by calling +358 40 831 8273.

If you are arriving after the reception’s closing time, please contact us beforehand by calling +358 40 831 8273.

Yes, breakfast is available in the Lumihiutale restaurant. SnowCastle Restaurant is located in the main building of the SnowCastle of Kemi area.

Yes, in Lapland it is possible to see the northern lights from the end of September until the beginning of April. When the evening gets dark, you can see a wonderful starry sky through the glass roof and even the northern lights, depending on the season.

It is possible to add two extra beds in the Villa Loft and one in the Seafront and Superior Villas. An extra bed is best for juniors.

Pets are also welcome to stay for a small additional fee. We have reserved a couple of rooms as animal rooms. We need information about the pet in advance.

Seaside Glass Villas do not have a drying cabinets for clothes. The spacious bathroom has room to dry clothes and shoes.

Loft Villas have their own sauna. Seafront and Superior villas do not have their own sauna. The main building’s sauna facilities and jacuzzi can be booked for an additional fee.