Staying at Apukka Resort in Finnish Lapland: What It’s Actually Like

For those who’ve ever had daydreams about watching the Northern Lights dance within the sky above a glass-roofed igloo, or swooshing by means of a snowy forest on a sled pulled by reindeer, or maybe experiencing a sauna beside a silent Finnish lake… then you might want to learn about Apukka Resort.

Positioned not removed from the city of Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland, Apukka Resort is most well-known for its glass igloo suites. But it surely’s a lot extra than simply igloos. Apukka is a full-service wilderness resort that gives friends all the things they may want in a single place, from husky sledding to lakeside saunas to cozy eating and a lot extra.

I have been dreaming about visiting a spot like Apukka for years, and eventually determined to plan it final winter with a good friend of mine. Is Apukka Resort expensive? Sure, it positively it. But it surely’s additionally distinctive and such a particular place to spend just a few nights!

Staying at Apukka Resort: All the pieces you might want to know

Here is all the things you might want to learn about planning a visit to and staying at Apukka Resort. My good friend Kat from World Wide Honeymoon and I stayed for 3 nights in late February, reserving one in all Apukka’s packages that included a glass igloo cabin plus some wintry actions.

The place is Apukka Resort?

Apukka Resort is positioned simply above the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland, roughly 15 kilometers exterior of the city of Rovaniemi. The property sits on a big lake and is surrounded by native forest, making it really feel such as you’re deep within the wilderness regardless of being simply quarter-hour away from an airport.

The property is giant, however not too giant; even in case you’re staying within the cabin furthest away from the principle lodge constructing, you in all probability solely must stroll for about 5-7 minutes to get there.

What time of 12 months must you go to Apukka?

Apukka Resort actually shines within the winter, with tons of winter actions on provide — plus these glass-roofed cabins designed for watching the Northern Lights. So the winter months of December-March are the most well-liked instances to go to.

However you may also go to Apukka within the fall, too, with packages additionally out there from Augusut-November.

And when you actually can go to Lapland within the spring and summer season, Apukka itself is just not open throughout these months; the resort closes annually from early April by means of the tip of July. So in case your dream is to journey to Finnish Lapland to see the Midnight Solar, you will have to search out one other place to remain.

As for the best possible time to remain at Apukka? For me personally I might say late February by means of mid-March. You’ll roughly be assured snowy scenes throughout these months, and the times will probably be getting progressively longer, which means plenty of time for outside adventures in the course of the day, however nonetheless loads of alternatives to chase the aurora at night time.

RELATED: A Good 10 Day Finland Itinerary in Winter (Helsinki + Lapland)

What all does Apukka provide?

Apukka Resort is one half lodge and one half outside journey heart, so staying right here means you may expertise it multi functional place. Together with the comfy igloo cabins, Apukka additionally has two eating places, non-public saunas, and an journey heart the place you may e book all the things from dogsledding to reindeer sleighing, and even borrow snowshoes.

Additionally they provide winter clothes leases to all their friends at no cost, which embody tremendous heat snowsuits and boots.

You may e book a keep at Apukka directly (save 10% if you e book this manner), or you may e book on a website like Booking.com or Expedia. And you’ll read more reviews on TripAdvisor.

Attending to Apukka

Appuka Resort is positioned about quarter-hour exterior of Rovaniemi, which might be the place you will arrive (we took the prepare from Helsinki, however many individuals additionally fly). Apukka does provide non-public transfers from city or to/from the small Rovaniemi airport, and you may also e book a taxi that can drive you out to the resort.

For those who’re already going to be in Rovaniemi (like we had been), essentially the most cost-effective possibility is to take the Apukka Shuttle Bus, which makes stops in central Rovaniemi, at Santa Claus Village, and at Apukka Resort. Shuttle tickets value €8 one-way.

Lodging choices at Apukka

Apukka Resort is understood for its glass igloo cabins, that are constructed with glass-paneled roofs that provide up Northern Lights viewing when the circumstances are proper. The overwhelming majority of the lodging choices at Apukka are in these trendy and cozy cabins.

Each cabin at Apukka has its personal non-public rest room, together with a mudroom to maintain all of your boots and snow gear, wifi, an electrical fire, blackout curtains, air con, and a tea and low station. Breakfast can also be included for all room sorts.

The completely different lodging choices are:

• Aurora Cabin Glass Igloos – The fundamental (and unique) igloo cabins at Apukka, these are nonetheless extraordinarily cozy with two twin beds and a sofa. These are positioned closest to the principle resort buildings.
• Aurora Cabin Queen Glass Igloos – Barely bigger than the unique Aurora Cabins, the Queen igloo cabins have a queen-sized mattress and a pull-out sofa.
• Aurora Cabin King Glass Igloos – Greater nonetheless, the King Aurora Cabins have king-sized beds and bigger dwelling areas.
• Aurora Cabin Household Glass Igloos – Designed with households in thoughts, these are the biggest of the single-level Aurora Cabins. These have one king mattress, one double mattress, and a pull-out sofa. The household igloo cabins are furthest away from the principle lodge, however all have non-public views over the river or Lake Olkka.
• Komsio Glass Igloo Suites – These igloo suites are unfold over two ranges, with a queen mattress beneath a full glass ceiling with 360-degree views upstairs and a seating space with a pull-out sofa downstairs.
• Kammi Glass Igloo Suites – These are the biggest glass igloos at Apukka, and are additionally on 2 ranges. The mattress is as soon as once more upstairs beneath a 360-degree sky view. Downstairs, the Kammi suites have a bigger seating space alongside a full kitchenette.
• Apukka Lakeview Suites – Observe: these are NOT igloo cabins! These lakeside suites are nice for bigger households or teams, and may sleep as much as 6 friends. They’ve two bedrooms, a front room, and a full kitchen, and overlook Lake Olkkajärvi.
• Villa Apukka – Touring with a extremely giant group? Then this villa could be best for you. There’s just one, and it may well accommodate as much as 14 friends.

How costly is Apukka?

There’s not sugarcoating it: staying at Apukka Resort is fairly expensive! The igloo suites listed here are pretty luxurious, and the costs mirror that and the resort’s comparatively distant location.

For those who journey in the summertime/fall, you are costs beginning at €200 per night time for the smallest igloo cabins. Within the winter, nevertheless, costs begin nearer to €715 per night time for those self same cabins. Once we visited in February, we booked a Queen Aurora Cabin and paid greater than €1100 per night time (although we booked a bundle that additionally had some actions included).

Costs are the costliest in December (like, twice as costly as the opposite winter months), when plenty of individuals wish to go to Finnish Lapland with a purpose to see Santa. If you need one of the best charges in winter, positively keep away from December!

After which all of the actions include separate charges, although these are in-line with what you’d pay for related excursions elsewhere in Rovaniemi. (For instance, most guided actions at Apukka run €90-€200 per particular person.)

Are the glass igloos price it?

While you’re doubtlessly paying upwards of $1000 per night time, you wish to know if it is truly price it, proper? Not each glass igloo resort is created equal, however I do suppose that Apukka presents among the higher ones on this a part of the world.

What I liked concerning the Apukka igloos:

• They’re thoughtfully designed, with layouts that make sense. Our Queen cabin had loads of house for us and all our baggage/gear, and I liked the heated mud room the place you may maintain your boots and winter gear.
• The glass a part of all of the igloos have heaters you may activate in case they get lined in any snow or ice — so good! Additionally they have black-out curtains that work effectively.
• Electrical fireplaces in each cabin? Sure, please! Ours was small, however very cozy to activate at night time.
• A superb buffet breakfast is included each morning in the principle restaurant — and the principle constructing is barely possibly a 5-minute stroll from most cabins.

Stuff you may not love concerning the igloos:

• The igloos in some areas are fairly shut collectively. You will not *hear* your neighbors, however relying on which method the glass a part of your cabin faces, you positively would possibly see them. You will have to make use of your blackout curtains in order for you full privateness.
• The cabins have wifi however no TVs or different leisure choices. We truthfully liked this and spent loads of time studying and simply stress-free in between actions, however I notice this could be a damaging factor for some individuals.

Once more, you may e book a keep at Apukka directly (save 10% if you e book this manner), or you may e book on a website like Booking.com or Expedia. And you’ll read more reviews on TripAdvisor.

Actions at Apukka

From August-early November, you may get pleasure from summer-like actions at Apukka Resort that embody issues like kayaking and canoeing, mountaineering (both guided or by yourself), fishing, fats biking, going for walks with huskies or reindeer, and going out to search for Northern Lights at night time (higher probability for aurora beginning in late September because the nights get longer).

There are tons extra actions within the winter at Apukka, together with:

• Dogsledding
• Reindeer sleigh rides (each in the course of the day and at night time)
• Snowmobiling
• Ice fishing
• Snow shoeing
• Winter fats biking
• Northern Lights excursions (together with taking the “snow prepare” out to a wilderness camp)
• Numerous sauna experiences

Additionally they provide excursions that can take you to the close by Santa Claus Village the place you may meet the person himself, and you may also e book unbiased excursions (like Northern Lights chasing excursions) that can come choose you up at Apukka.

Kat and I truly booked a packaged known as “It’s All About Aurora,” which included our igloo cabin for 3 nights in addition to nighttime reindeer sleighing and the aurora snow prepare. We added on extra actions throughout our keep, together with dogsledding, a snowshoe tour, a personal Lakeside Sauna expertise, in addition to some particular eating. We principally did 2 wintry actions per day, which was excellent!

We sadly did NOT see the Northern Lights from our glass igloo cabin as a result of the skies remained utterly cloudy the entire time we had been there! However that is simply the way it goes with the Northern Lights generally.

(If you need a greater probability of seeing the Northern Lights, I like to recommend reserving a chasing tour independently to allow them to take you to the clearest skies! We went on this tour, which may choose you up at Apukka.)

Eating at Apukka

Apukka Resort has two eating places on website.

Restaurant Aitta is the principle restaurant in the principle constructing at Apukka, and it serves all 3 meals. Breakfast is all the time a buffet; you may order from a bistro menu for lunch; and for dinner you may both e book a desk within the a la carte portion of the restaurant, or you may go for a half-board seating time, which features a 3-course meal. (Dinner at Apukka was a buffet, however they’ve modified this as of early 2026!)

The opposite restaurant known as Restaurant Kota, a small and comfortable restaurant constructed to resemble a standard Sami lavvu tent full with an open hearth within the heart. There is a set 3-course menu right here, and it is price doing not less than one night time when you’re at Apukka. (You often must pre-book this one!)

Meals at Apukka (particularly for dinner) is on the pricier aspect, however consuming on-site is the one handy possibility for many friends. Sure, you may after all go away and eat in Rovaniemi, however you will need to pay for taxis each methods, which may get fairly expensive on this a part of the world!

There’s additionally a bar inside the principle constructing at Apukka the place you may get pleasure from cocktails within the night.

Do you need to keep at Apukka in a single day?

The brief reply is not any. You do not *have* to remain at Apukka to get pleasure from a few of its journey actions..

The longer reply is not any, you do not have to remain at Apukka. However when you can e book issues right here like dogsledding and reindeer walks and even sauna experiences with out being an in a single day visitor, you will not be capable to expertise or respect the glass igloo cabins except you keep in a single day. And that is actually the principle draw of this place!

So what is the verdict?

The decision is that I completely liked my keep at Apukka Resort, however I’ll acknowledge that it is not going to be an excellent match for everybody due to the value level.

If it is in your price range, nevertheless, then I completely suggest staying right here for not less than just a few nights!

Is Apukka Resort a spot you would like to remain in Finland?

Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Harmful Enterprise Journey Weblog. She has traveled to greater than 60 nations on 6 continents from her residence base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and considerate journey by means of the US, Europe, and remainder of the world. Amanda solely shares ideas primarily based on her private experiences and locations she’s truly traveled!