Saariselkä, Lapland

Best Hotels in Saariselkä (2026)

Updated 2026 · Curated by local scouts

Saariselkä is the home of the glass igloo: Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort and Star Arctic for sky-watching from bed, the Northern Lights Village for aurora cabins, Holiday Club for a family spa hotel, and Fell Centre Kiilopää for a wilderness base.

Where you stay in Saariselkä shapes the whole trip, because the accommodation is part of the experience here, glass roofs angled at the aurora, spa hotels for families, and wilderness centres on the fells. These are the standout places to base yourself, whatever kind of Lapland stay you're after.

Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort

The original and most famous glass-igloo resort, set in two villages of glass igloos, kelo-glass igloos and log cabins, each with its own restaurant and activities. The newer West Village adds Kakslauttanen Cosmos with a planetarium dome, igloo tower, design shop, gallery and brewery. It's the bucket-list Lapland stay that put glass igloos on the map.

Location is approximate.

expensiveyear-roundKakslauttanen, ~10 km south of Saariselkä

From the scout

The pricier kelo-glass igloos add a private log-cabin section and sauna; book many months ahead for peak winter, as it sells out.

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Star Arctic Hotel

Perched on top of Kaunispää hill with an open valley-and-sky panorama, Star Arctic offers glass-roofed suites, some with private sauna, designed for watching the northern lights from the comfort of your room. The elevated, edge-of-village setting gives some of the best in-bed aurora views around.

Location is approximate.

expensiveyear-roundKaunispää, Saariselkä

From the scout

Its hilltop position means dark northern skies right outside; ask for a glass-roof suite oriented for the aurora.

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Northern Lights Village Saariselkä

A village of purpose-built aurora cabins with glass roofs over the bed, plus on-site activities and dining, on the edge of the resort. It's a slightly more relaxed, self-contained take on the glass-roof idea than the big igloo resort, and is set up around aurora hunting and winter experiences.

Location is approximate.

expensiveautumn, winter, springEdge of Saariselkä, toward Inari

From the scout

Use the on-site aurora alerts and activity desk; the cabins are built around catching the lights and the winter safari programme.

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Holiday Club Saariselkä

A full-service spa hotel in the village with a tropical-themed water park, the easy family choice in Saariselkä. It keeps kids happy after a day outdoors and puts you within walking distance of the slopes, trailheads and restaurants in the centre.

Location is approximate.

moderateyear-roundSaariselkä village centre

From the scout

The best pick for families with children thanks to the water park; central enough to ski and hike straight from the door.

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Fell Centre Kiilopää

A wilderness hotel and hostel complex at the foot of Kiilopää, deep in the fells away from the village, with direct access to Urho Kekkonen National Park trails and ski tracks. It's beloved for its traditional smoke sauna and cold-stream dip, and for putting you right where the hiking and dark aurora skies are.

Location is approximate.

moderateyear-roundKiilopää, ~20 km southeast of Saariselkä

From the scout

Choose Kiilopää if your trip is about hiking, skiing and quiet wilderness rather than resort buzz; don't miss the smoke sauna.

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Quick Comparison

#	Name	Cost	Best Season
1	Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort	expensive	year-round
2	Star Arctic Hotel	expensive	year-round
3	Northern Lights Village Saariselkä	expensive	autumn, winter, spring
4	Holiday Club Saariselkä	moderate	year-round
5	Fell Centre Kiilopää	moderate	year-round

FAQ

Where should I stay in Saariselkä to see the northern lights?

For watching the aurora from your room, choose a glass igloo or aurora cabin such as Kakslauttanen, Star Arctic on Kaunispää hill, or the Northern Lights Village. For darker wilderness skies and hiking access, Fell Centre Kiilopää out by the national park is a strong base.

Planning a trip to Saariselkä?

Read the full Saariselkä travel guide: getting there, where to stay, and what to do by season.

Explore Saariselkä

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Best Restaurants in Saariselkä (2026)

Saariselkä punches above its size for food, with reindeer and Lapland flavours front and centre: Laanilan Kievari for fireside fine dining, Restaurant Petronella for a polished Arctic dinner, Kuukkeli for hearty all-day eating, and Teerenpesä for a relaxed pub meal.

Best Northern Lights Spots in Saariselkä (2026)

Saariselkä sits under the auroral oval at 68°N, so the lights are a realistic catch on any dark, clear night from late August to early April. Kaunispää fell is the easy go-to, Kiilopää and Urho Kekkonen National Park give darker wilderness skies, and a glass igloo lets you watch from bed.

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Saariselkä has some of Finland's most accessible fell hiking: the Rumakuru gorge loop and the Kiirunapolku climb up Kiilopää are the classics, Kaunispää is the quick view-hit, and Tankavaara's Koppelolenkki is an easy ruska loop. Most start straight from a marked gate into Urho Kekkonen National Park.

Best Things to Do in Saariselkä (2026)

Saariselkä is about the fells and the wilderness on its doorstep: ride or hike up Kaunispää for the view, walk into Urho Kekkonen National Park, pan for gold at Tankavaara, warm up in the Kiilopää smoke sauna, and head out on a husky or reindeer safari. Aurora hunting tops it all off in winter.

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Levi has the most shops of any Lapland resort: outdoor and sportswear stores and rental shops in the village, a well-stocked grocery for self-catering, and Lappish-design and souvenir outlets, with Kittilä town nearby for everything else.

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Stay in the village to walk to the slopes and restaurants. The central Break Sokos Hotel Levi and characterful Hotel Hullu Poro lead the everyday choices, the family-friendly Levi Hotel Spa adds pools and a waterslide, and Hotel Levi Panorama sits up on the fell by the gondola.