Tromsø Ice Domes: Still Worth It After Recent Changes? (2026)
Of all the things I wanted to do on my first trip to Tromso in winter, visiting the Tromso Ice Domes was high up on my list.
I mean, a real-life igloo structure entirely constructed of ice and snow, rebuilt each year in the middle of a frosty valley above the Arctic Circle… what’s not to love about that?
| ⌛ Planning your wintery Tromsø trip in a hurry? Here are my quick picks. ❄️ Best Tromsø Tours & Experiences 1. Northern Lights Chase by Minibus (my favorite aurora tour!) 2. Self-Driven Dog Sledding Tour (most fun activity in Tromso!) 3. Whale Watching Tour by Eco Catamaran (November-January only) 🛏️ Best Tromsø Hotels 1. Clarion Collection Hotel Aurora (rooftop Jacuzzi, sauna & more!) 2. Smarthotel Tromso (central & budget-friendly) 3. Thon Hotel Polar (quirky Nordic design in central spot) Arriving in Tromsø by plane? Book your affordable airport transfer here or take the Tromsø airport express if you don’t have too much luggage and/or your hotel is in the heart of town |
However, there’s one critical factor to keep in mind that may take some people by surprise when planning their visit to the Tromsø Ice Domes. Namely, it is most definitely not in the city of Tromsø itself, or even close-by, but rather a 90-minute drive away.
Being nearly a hundred kilometers away from the Tromsø city center, with no public transit options available, visiting the Tromsø Ice Domes necessitates either renting a car (not recommended unless you’re a highly experienced winter driver) or booking a guided tour (a much safer option) in order to visit this unique snow park in Northern Norway.
What are the Tromso Ice Domes?
Ever heard of the Snowhotel in Sweden, not far from Kiruna and Abisko? This is a similar concept, but Northern Norway’s take on it. However, unlike other ice hotels, you can’t spend the night here anymore; it’s now morphed into a ‘snow park’, which you can visit during the day only.
The Tromsø Ice Domes is a igloo structure made entirely of ice (yes, entirely!) outside of the city of Tromsø… but like I mentioned above, it’s pretty far out, an hour and half’s drive away from Tromsø city center.
It opened first for the 2017-2018 winter season, when it still operated as an ice hotel with actual rooms you could stay in, which was how it was on my 2020 visit. However, somewhere along the way, it stopped being an actual ice hotel you can stay in, and on my friend’s visit in 2024, it was only a snow park with no options for staying overnight.
It quickly became one of the must-do winter excursions in Tromso, and with good reason — it’s epic and memorable, even for just a quick day visit.
If you have at least three or four days allocated for your Tromso winter itinerary, I personally think the Tromsø Ice Domes warrant a visit as part of that plan.
How The Tromsø Ice Domes are Formed
One of the coolest things about the Tromsø Ice Domes is that it is constructed every year from scratch. When you visit, you’ll learn how on an informational video — shown in their ice cinema, naturally.
Each year, a team of dozens of builders use several thousand tons of ice from a nearby river in order to build the ice structure…. all in the dark embrace of the polar night, taking about one month from start to finish, not including the time to conceive of it.
Another cool thing about visiting the Ice Domes is checking out all the different ice art inside. Each year, they invite different local and international artists to create ice sculptures for the interior, with a unique theme each year.
The actual structure is constructed by blowing up giant balloons to create the ‘dome’ structure. After that, then the ice blocks are built up around the balloon dome. They are then melted together in order to create the solid circular ice structure that you see when you visit. How cool is that?
But how stable is the Ice Domes? Won’t it melt if the temperature rises too high? Don’t worry — the Ice Domes are built to be sturdy and handle minor, temporary fluctuations in temperature.
Put simply, it’s not going to fall apart if there are a few days above zero. Structurally, the ice is 3 meters thick on the outer walls and about a meter thick at the top (you don’t want the ceiling to fall in, after all!).
Despite how it may initially sound, the Tromsø Ice Domes are actually an incredibly roomy structure. It’s not a cramped igloo-like structure at all, but very spacious on the inside, with several rooms to wander around. My friend who has claustrophobia was able to visit without any issues at all.
On the interior, basically every single thing is made of ice! Yes, basically everything from the chairs and tables in the restaurant to the ice bar itself to the rooms.
Of course, no one expects you to sit on ice: all the seating surfaces are covered in reindeer pelts, Sámi-style, in order to keep you warm and dry.
At the end of each winter season, the Ice Domes are purposely demolished at the end of winter for safety’s sake. Though being made entirely of ice, it would just melt away as summer sets in anyway.
For the upcoming winter season for 2025-2026, the Tromsø Ice Domes are open from December 20, 2025. They will likely close on April 5, 2026, but the exact closing dates will also depend on the weather this winter season.
Book your tour slot online here, as the Ice Domes have limited capacity
How to Get to the Tromsø Ice Domes
The most popular way to visit the Ice Domes is via a guided tour, going via a daily shuttle bus which departs from Tromsø city center. This is the tour I took, which I highly recommend — after the dog sledding and reindeer farm visit, it was a highlight of my trip.
If you want to make the most of your time, you can also combine a visit to the Tromso Ice Domes Snow Park with an activity like dog-sledding!
For the best time, I’d suggest this combination Ice Domes tour with reindeer visit and dog-sledding tour. At first glance, it’s a little expensive, but honestly, it’s about the same cost as paying for these two tours separately.
Dog sledding is my absolute favorite winter activity when I visit the Arctic. I’ve actually gone four times, in Abisko, Alta, Tromso, and Rovaniemi… that alone should tell you how much I like it!
For people who are afraid of dogs or don’t enjoy doing animal tourism activities for personal or ethical reasons… or for those who simply have the need for speed!… you can opt for this Ice Domes tour with a snowmobile add-on!
These activities booked through the Ice Domes are organized via Camp Tamok, an adjoining Arctic winter activity center that hosts activities like husky sledding, reindeer farm visits, and snowmobiling.
If you have a short trip to Tromsø and want to fit in as much as possible, doing a combo tour is a great way to combine two bucket list Tromso activities into one day out.
Personally, I think dog sledding is the most fun and most unique activity to do, so that’s what I would pick. I went snowmobiling a lot while I was visiting Svalbard this last winter, and while I enjoyed it, nothing beats the rush of running with dogs!
What You’ll See at the Tromso Ice Domes: My Experience
Wondering what a tour of the Ice Domes is like? Here’s my brief rundown of the itinerary based on my visit. Note that I only did a site tour, not a combined tour, as I had already booked other excursions in Tromsø.
The tour of the Tromsø Ice Domes lasts about 3.5 hours (it’s 6.5 hours overall, but 3 hours are transit). You’ll start off in their Ice Cinema, watching a brief but fascinating mini-documentary about how the Ice Domes are constructed.
It’s quite a way to start the tour: the Ice Cinema is a gorgeous introduction to the site. It’s a lovely, beautifully-lit amphitheater-style room made entirely of snow and ice… with the exception of reindeer pelts to sit on.
Learning about the effort involved in constructing the Ice Domes while sitting inside of the fruits of that intensive labor is a really cool (pardon the pun) experience!
Following the video presentation and a quick briefing of what’s to come on the Tromso Ice Domes tour in the Ice Cinema, you’ll visit the rest of the ice domes, including a welcome non-alcoholic shot from the ice bar (drinking in a cup made of ice, obviously!)
Plus, there are some really cool decorations in the ice bar. The year I went, there was a very Instagrammable ice throne which everyone got really excited to take pictures in.
Personal Experience Tip: From my time visiting, I suggest waiting to take photos of the ice bar/restaurant until you have free time to explore the Ice Domes Snow Park! That way, you’ll have fewer crowds to contend with versus when you’re in a group on the tour, and it’ll be far easier to get some good photos here.
Next after the ice bar area came the part I was the most curious about — the ice hotel “bedrooms” themselves, also made entirely of ice as well, right down to the bed (minus the reindeer pelts)
But again, you can’t stay in these bedrooms anymore; they’re just for show. There is an option to book overnight accommodations at Camp Tamok and do “Arctic glamping” but this is nowhere close to the snow hotel experience they used to offer. It would, however, be a heck of a lot warmer!
As of the 2025-2026 season, when you book the day tour, you’ll get to experience a tutorial in campfire crafting (complete with grill-your-own sausages, served alongside soup and warm blueberry juice), enjoy activities like tandem ski racing, and of course, visit the Tromsø Ice Domes Snow Park, complete with ice sculptures, a snow maze, and two domes you can walk through.
You’ll also have a chance to briefly visit and feed the reindeer their favorite treat – some sweet, sweet lichen – should you want to while you’re visiting the Ice Domes!
They’re so adorable and friendly, and they’re definitely domesticated and acclimated to interacting with humans so little ones (and animal lovers in general) will be psyched at their interest.
This is a great way to tick meeting reindeer off your bucket list if you don’t have time to go reindeer sledding or visit a Sámi reindeer farm.
However, I still highly recommend those activities, as it’s a great way to learn about Sámi culture, which is unfortunately glossed over on many other Tromsø activities despite Sámi being Indigenous to these Arctic lands.
After your free time, it’s back to the bus, where you’ll head back to Tromso via some of the most beautiful roads you can imagine… truly!
I’ve never minded a 90-minute commute less than on my way to and from the Ice Domes.
Can You Stay Overnight at the Tromso Ice Domes?
Unfortunately, as now, you can no longer stay in the Tromsø Ice Domes as an ice hotel itself. The Domes are still constructed, but you can only stay in standalone buildings now.
There are three options: Arctic Glamping, an Aurora Chalet or a Char Cabin. You can check out the different packages here, but I’ll admit the website is unnecessarily complex to navigate.
I had to hit like 10 different buttons to get a rough idea of what one of these overnights cost, but the starting price appears to be about $1,340 USD for two. Personally, I don’t think it’s worth it — not when there are a lot cooler accommodations in Alta and other Northern lights hotels in Norway — but that’s just my opinion (and my budget!) speaking.
If you do opt for the overnight experience, you’ll leave Tromsø at 5 PM, enjoy an evening activity and meal, have an overnight stay in your accommodations of choice, have breakfast, enjoy a daytime activity at Camp Tamok, have lunch, then tour the Tromsø Ice Domes Snow Park, and then leave to return to Tromsø.
The evening activities include either a snowmobiling tour, a reindeer sledding excursion, or a Northern lights mission. For daytime activities, you can pick between either dog sledding and snowmobiling, a reindeer sledding and Sámi cultural experience, or a snowshoe hike. Many of these have an extra charge, though, so prices can go up rapidly!
How to Book Your Tromso Ice Domes Visit
On a budget? The basic guided tour plus transfers is the way to go, starting around $144 USD per person for a day tour including lunch.
Want to add a little adrenaline to your day and make your trip a bit more memorable? Opt for the dog sledding add-on and Ice Domes visit for a special experience, or a snowmobile ride and Ice Domes visit! These are priced at $454 USD and $389 USD respectively, including transport and lunch.
And for the most memorable experience of all, an overnight stay that includes visiting the ice domes, nighttime accommodations, and daytime activities can be booked here, with prices starting at $1,340 USD for two, with prices increasing depending on what activities and overnight accommodations you choose (tip: the Aurora Chalet is the cheapest).
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.
