This guide is built from Iglu-Dorf’s own pages, prices and conditions — what is included, how the villages work and what each igloo is like come straight from the operator, never invented.

The published numbers

Iglu-Dorf’s FAQ says the temperature inside is relatively constant, between −2 and +2 degrees, and that fleece blankets are available on request. We do not promise a specific temperature beyond that range, and nothing about the outside weather, snow or sky.

Why snow stays at about 0 °C

Snow is mostly trapped air, which makes it a good insulator. A closed igloo holds heat from the people in it and is shielded from wind. Iglu-Dorf says the overnight igloos are about 4 m in diameter, connected by corridors over 2 m high, and that the village cannot collapse in winter because the snow becomes extremely hard. We say this in general terms; the numbers that count are the published ones.

What you sleep in

A snow bed with thermal mats, thin mattresses and real sheepskins, an expedition sleeping bag and a hygienic liner. In the Romantic Igloo the default is a double bag; two single bags are available at no charge. Do not bring your own sleeping bag.

How to stay warm

• wear dry base layers and a hat to bed
• use the hot tub and sauna before bed, then go straight to the sleeping bag
• eat the fondue; you will want it
• ask for a fleece blanket if you are a cold sleeper

Warm places in the village

A heated kota next to the igloos in the evening at Davos, Gstaad and Zermatt, a sauna and a hot tub. The TinyLodge in Gstaad is heated all night.

Who finds it too cold

Light sleepers, small children (Iglu-Dorf recommends age 6 and up) and anyone who dislikes cold. If that is you, look at the heated TinyLodge — Gstaad5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5, from CHF 438 per night for two as published.

Cold outside the igloo

The mountain evenings are the cold part, and the walk to the toilet at night is, too. Bring a headlamp, a warm jacket and good gloves.

A night in the igloo, hour by hour

Evening: the village is cold outside but you move between the kota, fondue, sauna and hot tub, so you are mostly warm. Bedtime: you change into dry base layers and slip into the expedition sleeping bag with its liner on the sheepskins. Night: the igloo is a still, dim, very quiet room at about 0 °C, and many people sleep better or worse than they expect. Early morning: tea is brought to your sleeping bag, which is a very good moment, and then breakfast.

A plan for cold sleepers

• go to bed warm after the hot tub, not cold after a long evening
• wear dry base layers, wool socks and a hat
• ask for a fleece blanket on arrival rather than at 2 am
• do not put damp clothes in the bag
• consider the TinyLodge if you tend to freeze

Compared with Lapland winter

We are from Finnish Lapland, where winter nights are colder than an igloo’s −2 to +2 °C range, and where we are used to heated cabins and glass igloos. The difference at Iglu-Dorf is that the cold is designed in: you sleep in snow on purpose. It is a milder cold than outdoors, but it is a cold you notice. We mention Lapland only for context; the Swiss igloos are the product here.

Cold and children, cold and age

Iglu-Dorf recommends the stay for children aged 6 and above and does not offer changing tables or highchairs. Pregnancy is possible in principle, with the lower villages (Gstaad, Kühtai) advised. Anyone with a health concern should ask the operator before booking.

What the FAQ does and does not promise

The published range is −2 to +2 °C, constant through the night. That is a statement about the inside of the sleeping igloo. It does not cover the corridors between igloos, the toilets in the village centre, the terraces, or the walk to the meeting point, which are all as cold as the mountain is that evening. It also does not cover your own comfort: two people with the same sleeping bag can feel very differently. Iglu-Dorf itself says to ask for fleece blankets, which signals that some guests want more warmth than the standard kit.

Equally, nothing in the published material promises snow conditions, clear skies or a view. Stays run in almost any weather. In extreme storms, lack of snow or a cableway stop, Iglu-Dorf offers another date or location, a voucher or a full refund, with the decision usually made by 12:00 on the day.

Cold by village

The inside range is the same in all three. The difference is how cold you are on the way in and out. If you are cold-sensitive, Gstaad is the village to start from; it is also the only one with the heated TinyLodge. Whichever you choose, our code applies on Sunday to Thursday nights between 4 January and 4 April 2027, in practice Sunday and Thursday nights (Gstaad also Monday).

What helps your body stay warm

Eat well: the all-you-can-eat fondue is useful fuel, not just a treat. Drink something warm before bed. Visit the toilet before you settle, so you are not leaving a warm bag at 3 am. Keep your head covered and your socks dry. Do not wear your outer jacket inside the sleeping bag if it is damp. Some guests find it easier to sleep when they do not overdress, since layers that compress lose their insulation. If you wake cold, tighten the hood and ask a guide for a fleece blanket rather than waiting until morning.

How cold feels the next morning

Many people say the morning is the most memorable part: tea served in the sleeping bag, light through the snow wall, then breakfast somewhere warm. That is our reading of what Iglu-Dorf offers, not a personal report, because we have not slept there yet. We would plan nothing demanding for the first hour: walk down, eat and let the body warm up.

How to book your igloo night with HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5

There are no special links or tracking cookies in this partnership. The code typed at checkout is the only thing that gives you the 5% and registers the booking as ours, so it is the one step not to skip. We are Iglu-Dorf’s affiliate partner and earn a small commission when you book with our code; it costs you nothing extra.

1. Pick your village and igloo. Open Iglu-Dorf5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 or the quick-booking page on iglu-dorf.com and choose the village and the igloo type.
2. Add your guests first (adults 16+, teenagers 10–15, children up to 9). The date calendar only appears after that. Choose a Sunday-to-Thursday night between 4 January and 4 April 2027 — in practice Sunday and Thursday nights (Gstaad also Monday) — the live calendar on iglu-dorf.com shows exactly which nights are open.
3. Fill in guest details and extras: single sleeping bags instead of a double (free), a dog (CHF 25), a vegetarian or pasta dinner alternative, a surprise cake or a rose in ice.
4. Find the “Promo-Code” box (“Do you want to redeem a promo code?”), type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 and press Add. Check that the total drops by 5% before you confirm. The “Voucher” box above it is for gift vouchers, not for our code.
5. Confirm and pay. You can cancel free of charge up to 60 days before the night; after that Iglu-Dorf charges 10% (59–30 days), 50% (29–7 days) and 100% (under 7 days or no-show), with refunds preferably as vouchers. Discounts are not cumulative.

For the Family & Friends Igloo in Zermatt, which Iglu-Dorf currently takes by enquiry only, write to info@iglu-dorf.com or call +41 41 612 27 28 and put the code in your message.

Who should skip it

An igloo night is not for everyone, and we would rather say so now. It is not a good fit for children under about 6 (Iglu-Dorf recommends the stay from age 6 and offers no changing tables, highchairs or childcare), for anyone who needs a private bathroom in the night (the toilets are shared and dry; the “Plus” igloo with a private toilet is not part of our code), for people who cannot walk in snow with a backpack, or for light sleepers who dislike sleeping at about 0 °C. Wheelchairs and limited mobility are not supported either. And if you can only travel on a Friday or Saturday, the code does not apply to those nights.

FAQ

Our Honest Final Word

It is cold, but a controlled, survivable cold, and the operator is honest about it. We have not slept there yet, and we would not oversell it. If you like being a little cold in a very special place, you will like it.

Book directly with Iglu-Dorf5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5, enter HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 in the Promo-Code box, and you pay 5% less on a Sunday-to-Thursday night between 4 January and 4 April 2027. See our igloo hotel guide.

5% off · code HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5

Where we would sleep in an igloo

Tap an igloo to see live dates and prices on Iglu-Dorf’s booking page. Enter HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout for 5% off — stays 4 jan – 4 apr 2027, sunday to thursday nights.

Zermatt · sleeps 2Romantic Igloo — Zermattfrom CHF 538 per night for 2 (as shown on iglu-dorf.com, Nov 2026)Check dates with 5% off →Gstaad · sleeps 3–6Family & Friends Igloo — Gstaadfrom CHF 627 per night for 3 people, each additional person charged separately (as shown on iglu-dorf.com, Nov 2026)Check dates with 5% off →Gstaad · sleeps 2TinyLodge — Gstaadfrom CHF 438 per night for 2 (as shown on iglu-dorf.com, Nov 2026)Check dates with 5% off →

Code HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 gives 5% off the public price when you book directly with Iglu-Dorf (Stays 4 Jan – 4 Apr 2027, Sunday to Thursday nights; Friday and Saturday nights excluded). We are Iglu-Dorf’s partner and earn a small commission when you book with our code. Our igloo guide →