The two major ice hotels in Jukkasjärvi Sweden and Quebec Canada attract a large number of visitors looking for a truly unique experience. But what exactly is there to do in a room where everything—even the bed and the drinking glasses are made entirely out of SNICE? (SNICE, a mixture of snow and ice is a common term in areas where temperatures routinely plummet below freezing)

(Welcome to the most beautiful and uncomfortable night you may ever experience)

(Even the chandelier is made completely out of ice)

Forget about plugging in your laptop; there aren’t any electrical outlets in these ice rooms. Light inside the rooms is generated by fiber optic cables that run through the ceiling or by candlelight generated by candles encased in an ice candleholder.

(Don’t forget to turn out the light before you go to bed)

With enough creativity and money you could finagle a way to run electricity in the ice cubicles, as EA Sports did in February when they held the launch of SXX Blur (Brrr) at the ice hotel in Quebec.

(The EA Games PR staff manages to rig up some good old fashioned electricity inside the Quebec ice hotel for the launch of SSX Blur in February)

But what is there to do on a “regular” day at the ice hotel? A “regular” day meaning any day between December and April, after which the ice hotel melts and is closed for the season until the following winter.

(What is there to do without electricity?)

Surprisingly, there is quite a bit to do in the unplugged land of ice if you can tough out the cold.

#1: Get Toasty at the Ice Bar

If you can’t get warm from the outside, you can generate it from within with a few drinks at the ice bar.

(The red bar Quebec)

(The blue bar in Quebec)

(That’s right, even the cups are made out of ice in Sweden's ice hotel)

#2: Sleep

Most people can’t handle it, but some tough out the night inside on a bed of ice that covered in reindeer skin. You’ll also get a nice warm sleeping bag that provides some comfort on those -4 degree to -50 degree nights.

#3: Tie the Knot

The ice chapel at the ice hotel in Sweden is a pretty popular place for adventure seekers to get married. As you’re saying your vows, guests can freeze their buns on these pews made of ice blocks and covered in reindeer skins.

(A chilly start to a warm union)

#4: Admire Art:

“Patient” is a good term to describe the talented artist who can create such amazing and finite works of art. Each year when the ice hotel melts, these amazing works of art slide out of existence along with it, making them just that much more beautiful.

(Chilly Art?)

#5: Tour the Arctic by Dogsled or Reindeer Sleigh

There aren’t too many roads around the ice hotel in Jukkasjärvi. Actually, there are no roads here. Transportation round these parts is by dogsled, reindeer sleigh, snowmobile, or helicopter. Don’t expect to find a Starbucks, though you will stop for some campfire coffee and cake out in the silent wilderness before making the trek back.

(Dogsled tour in Jukkasjärvi Sweden)

Ice hotels around the world

The two most well-known ice hotels are in Jukkasjärvi Sweden and in Quebec Canada, there are other ice hotels and ice structures located in other frigid spots around the world.

The Ice Hotel: Jukkasjärvi Sweden
Ice Hotel Canada: Quebec, Canada
The Ice Castle: Kemi, Finland
The Alta Igloo Hotel: Alta, Norway
Balea Lac Ice Hotel: Romania
Aurora Ice Hotel: Fairbanks, Alaska