What ice floating in Rovaniemi costs, and what you get
The cheapest ice float from Rovaniemi is a three-hour trip to a frozen forest lake at ~$133, and the night version costs only a few dollars more. The two icebreaker days on the Bothnian Bay run from ~$363 to ~$564. Below are all four side by side, then the costs the fares leave out.
Four ice floating trips side by side
The table puts the four trips on our home page next to each other at their regular "from" price per person. The fare on the booking page can move a little with the date and the option you pick, so read these figures as a starting point.
| Trip | From | Length | Transport | Group | Minimum | Included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nordic Adventures, daytime lake float (our pick) | ~$133 | 3 h | Hotel pickup and drop-off | Up to 15 on Viator's listing | Age 14, 150 cm | Suit and English-speaking guide; hot drinks with cookies in a cottage |
| Nordic Adventures, aurora lake float | ~$138 | 3 h | Hotel pickup | Small group on Viator's listing | Age 14, 150 cm | Suit and guide; campfire and heated cabin; hot drinks with cookies |
| Polar Explorer Icebreaker | ~$363 | 3–8.5 h | Optional shuttle from Rovaniemi to Axelsvik, Sweden | Up to 100 | Children from 125 cm with parents | 3-hour cruise, float, walk on the ice, hot drinks, certificate |
| Icebreaker Sampo, Icebreaking Company | ~$564 | 9 h 40 min to 10 h 45 min | Bus from Rovaniemi to Kemi | A full ship | 140 cm to float | Cruise with ship tour, float, ice walk, diploma, two exhibitions |
Every one of the four cancels free until 24 hours before the start. With Lapland weather, that flexibility counts for more than the few dollars between two similar fares.
The two lake floats cost almost the same
The daytime float with Nordic Adventures at ~$133 and the same company's aurora float at ~$138 sit within a few dollars of each other. Both last three hours, both collect you from your hotel, and both end with hot drinks and cookies indoors.
After dark you get a fire and a heated cabin to warm up in, and on a clear night the northern lights may show. Our guide to floating by daylight or after dark weighs the two hours of the day against each other.
On both, your money pays for the suit and the guide, plus a hole cut in the ice. The thermal rescue floating suit goes over your own clothes and keeps you dry, so this is floating rather than ice swimming.
Its 200+ GetYourGuide reviews average 4.8, and its 82 on Viator average 4.9. Value for money is its lowest sub-score on GetYourGuide, at 4.6, still well above the icebreaker days.
The lowest fare on the ice
Nordic Adventures' three-hour daytime float on a frozen forest lake. Hotel pickup and the suit are in the price, with hot drinks in a cottage afterwards.
What the icebreaker fare buys
The two icebreaker days cost roughly three to four times as much as a lake float. The Polar Explorer cruise from ~$363 and the Icebreaker Sampo day at ~$564 each fill most of a day, and the float is only one part of it.
Polar Explorer sails from Axelsvik on the Swedish side for three hours. The fare covers the float in survival suits and a walk on the sea ice when conditions allow. Hot drinks are included, and everyone gets a Cruise & Swim Certificate.
The Sampo day runs 9 h 40 min to 10 h 45 min door to door, bus to Kemi included. The cruise lasts 3.5 hours (morning) or 4 hours (afternoon), and on board come a guided tour of the ship and the float, with a diploma to take home.
Sampo also adds entry to the SnowExperience and Gemstone exhibitions in Kemi. It scores 4.6 from 200+ reviews on GetYourGuide, but value for money is its weakest sub-score there at 4.1, and Viator shows only 3.3 from 7 reviews.
Polar Explorer holds 4.7 from 400+ reviews on GetYourGuide. Our comparison of the two ships goes through both days in detail.
Costs the fares leave out
On the lake floats the extras are small. Pickup is in the price, and so are the drinks with cookies, so the main thing left is a tip for the guide if you want to give one.
The icebreaker days need more budget on top. Meals are sold on board the Polar Explorer rather than included, and Sampo includes a buffet lunch only on the afternoon cruise.
- Lunch on the Polar Explorer, and on the morning Sampo cruise
- Photo packages sold on the icebreakers, since a phone cannot come into the water with you
- The shuttle between Rovaniemi and Axelsvik on Polar Explorer, which is an option, so check which option the price covers
- Tips, if you want to leave one
Photos come up on the lake too. The guide holds the camera there, so agree at the start how the pictures will be sent, since one reviewer on the aurora trip waited days for a promised video.
Price per hour, and per minute in the water
Counted per hour, the gap between lake and ship narrows, since a Sampo day lasts about three times as long as a lake float. Much of that time is spent on a bus, though, about 1 h 45 min each way between Rovaniemi and Kemi.
Time in the water tells a different story. A lake reviewer stayed in the hole for about 45 minutes, more than four times the roughly 10 one Sampo passenger got. Our page on what the float feels like follows a lake session from start to finish.
If the float itself is the point, the lake gives you more of it for less money. If you want a ship and a day out on the frozen sea, the icebreakers sell something the lake cannot. Our comparison of lake and sea sets the two side by side.
Families and the total bill
The lake trips take nobody under 14, so a family with younger children has no lake option at any price. Both icebreakers do let children into the water, each with its own minimum height.
These fares are per person, so a family day on an icebreaker adds up fast. Check the booking page for the fare your children pay, and read our page on who can join each trip before you compare totals.
Booking and cancelling
Free cancellation runs until 24 hours before the start on every trip here. GetYourGuide also lets you reserve now and pay later, which helps while your Rovaniemi dates are still moving.
Book the lake floats early for the Christmas weeks, when travelers often reserve weeks ahead. Our guide to the best weeks to float covers the ice and the crowds through the winter.