Why I Loved Reindeer Lodge in Jukkasjärvi — But Is It Right for You?

My friend Megan and I took a fast-paced road trip traversing a thousand kilometers of Arctic autumn landscapes between Rovaniemi, Finland and Narvik, Norway, with a heavy focus on Swedish Lapland and in particular Abisko National Park.

We stayed in some really nice places along our road trip — from mountain guesthouses overlooking a national park to ski chalets with views of a Norwegian fjord — but for me? The standout in our accommodations was the Reindeer Lodge in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden.

Surrounded by evergreen trees and birches with flecks of gold, bushes with the very last of the season’s blueberries (fun to collect, but too tart to enjoy), warm days with crisp nights that promised the potential of aurora… autumn in Northern Sweden is a dream.

Warmish days and sunlight like you can enjoy in the summer (without the golf-balled sized vampire mosquitos) for hiking and exploring, and a chance of aurora at night like you can enjoy in winter: autumn has something for every traveler.

We partly booked our stay at the Reindeer Lodge in Jukkasjärvi because I wanted to check out what the Icehotel 365 nearby (just a few kilometers) was like and do a tour of their facilities, and we ended up here partly because of that little detour.

But honestly, thinking to myself later that night tucked in my cozy chalet with a roaring fire burning, I couldn’t imagine sleeping on a block of ice with some reindeer pelts and sleeping bags: this was way more cozy.

Now, let’s be clear: staying at Reindeer Lodge is very far from a luxury stay. It’s a thoughtful and mindful one: intentionally designed and rooted in Sámi culture and customs, and one of the rare businesses in Swedish Lapland that actually benefits the Sámi community, as it is entirely Sámi owned and operated.

One quick, but important, caveat: I visited in September 2025, deep in the autumn off-season. So off-season, in fact, that the staff were doing some prep construction for the winter rush(although it didn’t cause any noise or bother at all, except for temporarily closing the ).

Prices were much lower than they would be in winter (you can check prices for when you’d like to visit here!) which naturally affects how I see the value for money. I’ll do my best to assess whether it’s “worth it” year-round and put myself in a winter visitor’s shoes, as someone who has visited Swedish Lapland in the winter before (in Abisko and Kiruna) and understand the cost of travel there in the high season.

That said, my experience is definitely colored by visiting during the quietest (and cheapest!) time of year.

Booking Info & Seasonal Prices

As I mentioned above, rates vary drastically depending on the season — from around €85 in autumn (if you get lucky like we did) to €400+ in winter, though note that during winter, two meals a day are included, helping you defray your costs a bit.

You’ll definitely want to book ahead in the winter, as it often sells out. This is a really small property — 5 cabins, 2 lavvu, and 4 goahti tents. With only nine possible rooms available, they do book up quickly!

If you really have your heart set on staying at an ice hotel and you have plenty of time to enjoy Swedish Lapland in the winter, I’d recommend doing one night at the Ice Hotel for the novelty, and one night at Reindeer Lodge for the coziness, warmth, and hospitality.

Check availability and prices at Reindeer Lodge for your dates here!

Why I Loved Reindeer Lodge

More than just its cozy cabins and glamping tents set in the peaceful undeveloped wild of the boreal forest, what really sold me on Reindeer Lodge is what it represents and who it benefits.

This is the largest Sámi-owned business in the region, and it’s run by the same family who operate the nearby Sámi Siida Museum (definitely a must-visit when in Jukkasjärvi) — and it’s one of the few ways to put your tourism dollars directly into Indigenous hands.

It’s a welcome relief. The predominantly Sámi-populated village of Jukkasjärvi has largely had its Indigenous identity flattened over the years, as the village has become more synonymous with the Ice Hotel (which is not Sámi-owned) also in the same area.

And while the Ice Hotel is cool (no pun intended) and you should absolutely give it a visit, I think it’s just as important to support the Sámi heritage of the place, whether that’s visiting the Sámi Siida Museum, eating at the Sámi restaurant there (Ovttas), buying Sámi handicrafts (sold at the museum), or staying at this lodge.

The Reindeer Lodge, run by the Nutti family — a warm, slightly eccentric family of reindeer herders who’ve set up their base along the shores of Jukkasjärvi Lake — quietly stands as an important counterbalance: a place where travelers can support Sámi culture, meet the reindeer that are so important to Sámi culture identity and heritage, and keep their tourism dollars benefiting Indigenous communities, who are often shut out by mass tourism.

The Reindeer Lodge is also beautifully thought out with an ethos of sustainability and respecting nature, and it’s a breath of fresh air (both literally and figuratively) in the mass tourism-impacted landscape of Lapland.

Reindeer Lodge’s Rooms & Amenities

There are three types of rooms available at Reindeer Lodge:

• Stohpu: A forest cabin inspired by traditional cottages owned by reindeer herders. These are quite cozy, with double beds and wood-fired stoves, but no toilets inside.
• Goahti: A more modern update to the Sámi tent, what you’re thinking of when you’re thinking of ‘glamping’. My friend stayed in this one during this summer and enjoyed it. These have a double bed, a wood-fired stove, an eco-toilet, and a sofa to lounge on.
• Lávvu: The traditional Sámi tent. Neither my friend or I have stayed in this one, but according to the website, you actually sleep on birch branches and reindeer skins in a sleeping bag! There’s a fire-heated stove, but no other heating. No toilets inside, either.

Check what room types are available at Reindeer Lodge for your dates here!

Since my friend had previously stayed in their goahti option, we wanted to check out a different choice and went for the stohpu, the forest cabin, which is pictured above.

Honestly, they really don’t look like much from the outside, and at first glimpse I was a little nervous because I was traveling with my friend who is claustrophobic. But actually, the chalets are a lot more spacious on the inside than they look on the outside!

Each has a small hallway with some storage and a mini-fridge, and then a couch, table, and bed with a wood-fired stove which helps heat the place (there are also traditional heaters as well, but the wood-fired stove is way more cozy… until you get a little too enthusiastic and start an inferno that has you opening all the windows in the middle of the night, true story).

Note that none of the chalets have en-suite bathrooms, so you’ll have to use the (clean, lovely!) communal bathrooms nearby.

There are two very well-kept bathrooms for everyone to use. I’ve read that some of the huts have chemical toilets which is nice if you want to keep from going outside in the cold winters — which can be as low as -20°C outside) but aren’t the most pleasant to use. There are also shower facilities in the sauna area (separate shower areas for men and women).

In terms of amenities, there are some cool ones to enjoy! There’s a wood-fired sauna and a wood-fired hot tub, both of which are open to guests — just give your fire-making skills a whirl (I’ve been non-stop bingeing Survivor, so setting several fires over the course of my stay at Reindeer Lodge was way too much fun!).

I gave the sauna a try — and it was bliss — but when it came to heating the hot tub, I gave up after my fire fizzled out and sleep won. (To be fair, I’ve tried taking a wood-fired hot tub before in the Arctic Spa in Tromsø, and wood-fired tubs are incredibly difficult to heat, even in the hands of experts!)

One thing to note: if you’re traveling in autumn or summer, expect a more self-reliant setup, as this is not the high season. You’ll need to handle your own transit and I highly recommend renting a car because the community kitchen may or may not be available (though there is a firepit if “Lappish BBQ” — aka sausages and bread — is calling your name!)

During my autumn stay, there was no breakfast service (though my friend said they did have it during the summer).

Due to temporary construction, we could only access the community kitchen during office hours since the staff shared it with their workspace. That meant dinner at the Icehotel restaurant — which, let’s just say, deserves its own (not glowing) review.

About Those Reindeer…

What’s in a name? With the moniker Reindeer Lodge, you surely expect tons of reindeer to wander around, right? Not quite: it depends on which season you visit!

If you visit during the off-season, most of the reindeer are on vacation — roaming around finding all the food their heart desires in the mountain landscape surroundings. In that case, they’ll give you a free ticket to the Sami Siida museum, where there are a few reindeer who remain year-round (about five or so) roaming in an outdoor corral.

There were still three reindeer on-site during our stay, who were all recovering from a health issue under the watchful eye of one of the owners, who jokingly called it a ‘reindeer hospital’.

You could still interact with them but under her supervision, or at any time through the fence. The reindeer corral is located just behind the bathrooms and you can interact with them through the fence anytime!

I haven’t visited during the winter but I imagine it’s a lot busier with plenty of reindeer to visit with and get to meet as they live in the property corrals during the cold months of the year when it’s harder for them to forage for food.

Visiting Reindeer Lodge in Winter

Winter is the Reindeer Lodge’s high season, and things operate differently during that time to support the rush of winter tourism that overtakes Northern Nordic destinations as quickly as a blanket of snow in a blizzard.

The prices are far higher, but you get a few more offerings. During winter season, the lodge includes round-trip transportation from Kiruna, as well as breakfast and dinner in the nightly rate.

The surrounding forest is pitch dark with near-zero light pollution and I mean near-zero (you’ll want to bring along a headlamp or a phone flashlight for any middle-of-the-night wanders) — perfect for Northern lights viewing right from your doorstep. And while I already loved the atmosphere, I imagine it’s even more magical under the snow.

Yes, you might have to bundle up for a midnight bathroom run to the outdoor bathrooms, but honestly? Potentially catching a glimpse of the aurora on your way makes it well worth it.

But remember, rooms sell out super fast in the winter, so book in advance once you know your winter dates!

Who Should Stay at Reindeer Lodge

Reindeer Lodge is perfect for adventurous travelers, aurora chasers, and anyone who values sustainability and cultural authenticity over luxury.

It’s especially great if:

• You want to see the northern lights without light pollution — it’s so dark here, they’ve really thought about how to make the sky shine as it should!
• You have a car and want to split your time between the Ice Hotel and a more local stay (and honestly, as someone who has visited twice, the city of Kiruna itself doesn’t have much charm, so Jukkasjärvi is the better bet in the region if you’re not already heading to Abisko).
• You don’t mind starting your own fire, using a communal bathroom, and “roughing it” a bit if it means you get a good story and beautiful nature out of it.

It’s not great for:

• Travelers expecting hotel-level creature comforts — this is more along the lines of thoughtful glamping than a hotel or resort-like stay.
• Travelers with limited mobility or wheelchair users. While I think people with some mobility limitations could get around okay — the ground is flat and fairly uniform — it’s certainly not designed to be wheelchair-accessible, and the extreme darkness of the night could make it difficult for those with vision impairment to get around safely.

Think it’s right for you? Book your stay at Reindeer Lodge here!

Allison Green

Allison Green is a former teacher who has been travel blogging since 2016, visiting 75+ countries in total. She has a Masters in Teaching and a B.A. in English and Creative Writing. As a former educator, she merges her writing and educational experience to encourage ethical, sustainable travel. She has been a speaker at the World Travel Writers Conference and TBEX. Her writing, photography, and podcasting work has appeared in National Geographic, CNN Arabic, CBC Canada, and Forbes, amongst others. When she’s not on the road, she lives in Bangkok, Thailand.