Tromsø Ice Domes — Attraction in Balsfjord

We booked to do the Ice Dome overnight stay with snow shoeing and dog sledding. We pretty much went straight into the snow shoeing as soon as we arrived, they had all the gear to get into including hats, mittens, head lights etc and the overalls range from sizes small-4XL. The snow shoeing itself was fairly intense, you would definitely need a moderate level of fitness to do it as there are lots of hills and deep snow and it lasts just over an hour. I would recommend borrowing their sticks to steady yourself if you are not too confident walking in snow.

On return we looked around the ice domes and watched the film about how they were made, we were all able to explore for around 15minutes without the guide, and then went back for food (in the warm building) and had fish Stew, reindeer Stew and pannacotta (all were very nice) and they had a range of drinks and extra you could buy which were reasonably priced.

The staff were then able to give us a demonstration on how to use the sleeping bags and some guidance on how to dress etc. We were then shown to our rooms, by this point the sleeping bags are warm so you then can't really explore the Domes more because your bag will loose all heat so make sure you've explored as much as you want before this.

The next morning we had breakfast which included breads, ham, cheese, eggs, Porridge etc and headed to the camp. However, before starting dog sledding the woman giving instructions was very intense and saying that those who take part had to make sure they could run up hill pushing a sled as 40minutes out of 70minutes would be you pushing the sled not the dogs. She said previously grown men had cried because of how physically demanding this was and if you were going to have second thoughts or not able to complete it that you should stay behind and not ruin everyone else's time.. this led to a few people dropping out with no offer of a refund or different activity. And actually after the activity it was felt it wasn't as intense as made out and everyone would have managed ok with it.

Good points: Ice domes were very interesting and a fun experience, it's really not that cold to sleep in and the sleeping bags have plenty of space (even for plus size people) staff were amazing at the Domes food was good snow shoeing although intense was good fun

Bad points: Missing out on sledding due to staff toilets are dirty and facilities aren't great it would have been nice to have the ice bar open to spend time in, or have the meal in the ice resturant as you didn't get much time to spend...

We did the overnight stay at the Tromso Ice Domes. The stay includes the ride to the camp, a night hike to try and see the lights, dinner, an overnight stay in the ice domes, and a morning activity before we take a ride back. They also accommodated my vegetarian diet.

The entire experience was amazing - it was definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity. The carvings in the Ice Dome are stunning and it's awesome to actually be able to get to stay overnight. The night we stayed, the hotel was completely booked so we were able to pick our own room. Note: most of the time, we are in the cabin that's well heated. They also have showers in the cabin. When it's time to sleep, they instruct us on the sleeping bags to use. Those sleeping bags are amazing and did keep us warm the whole night except for the small part of our face that is exposed. Somehow, my husband got a smaller sleeping bag than me and he had an uncomfortable night. It's also so cold in there that at some point you'll need to get up and put on shoes to go outside and into the other cabin so you can use the restroom.

The staff and everyone leading the activities were very nice and friendly.

I will say that if we did this again, we would pick the clear window domes at the Camp (not ice).

I will say that it was a very expensive activity and given the whole experience, I don't know if it's worth the cost to do it more than once. For anyone who doesn't want to spend the money, you can visit the Ice Domes and eat lunch in the Domes and that is also a very fun experience.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to see the Northern Lights.

@TheShahLALand on Insta for...

This is the most incredible unique hotel I have ever stayed at. NOTE: Do not be afraid of some reviews, I looked through them and they are for the ice dome visit, not the actual stay.

This was an experience, first you get off the bus and into a cozy cabin where you're met with your host. You eat a DELICIOUS 3 course meal and have drinks of hot chocolate, tea, and coffee to your hearts content. Then you go snowshoeing through the forest which is magical. Absolutely nothing is rushed. Then you get to go to the ice domes! The tour was great. The craftsmanship is superb and I cannot believe they build it in couple months then take it down due to warmer weather. We were able to even choose our own room! We were very warm throughout the night due to the warm sleeping blankets they give you plus all the tips. We saw the northern lights which was an added bonus! In the morning we woke up to fresh snow and got to eat breakfast in the cabin again.

It was truly an unforgettable experience. Our host Nicholas was incredible, as well as everyone else we encountered that night. Everyone made sure you were well taken care of and seemed very happy to be there. Even the bus driver was amazing! Well worth the money. I am so so so happy I got to...