Nearly every guest we talk to before their first ice swim asks some version of the same nervous question: do you actually get in the water, or is it more of a token dip? The honest answer is that yes, you get properly wet — that's the entire point of pairing a hot sauna with a hole cut into a frozen lake — but almost none of the fear people arrive with matches what actually happens once a guide is standing next to you talking you through it.

Alla, who grew up nowhere near this tradition before moving to Rovaniemi, still remembers how anticlimactic her first proper ice swim felt compared to the anxiety beforehand. This is our attempt to close that gap for you: exactly what happens in the hole, minute by minute, so you arrive knowing what you're actually signing up for.

What actually happens, step by step

The structure is simple and it's the same everywhere in Lapland that offers this properly: you warm up in a heated sauna first, get genuinely hot, then walk out — usually barefoot, on cleared ground or duckboards — to a hole that's been cut into the ice of a nearby lake. A guide talks you through it on-site: how to hold the rail or rope, how to lower yourself rather than jump, and how long to stay in. You get in, feel the shock, and get out — then head straight back into the warm sauna to recover. Most people repeat the cycle two or three times over the course of a session rather than doing it once.

On the Private Wooden Heated Sauna and Ice Swimming5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 booking specifically, the listing confirms a hand-cut ice hole, a guide who walks you through the safety steps, and towels provided — so you're not improvising any of this yourself.

What surprises most first-timers is how much of the experience is about breathing rather than the water itself. Guides generally talk you through slow, controlled breathing before you get in, because the natural reaction to sudden cold is to gasp — and gasping while your face is close to the water surface is the thing worth actually managing. Once you're in and breathing steadily, most people describe the sensation shifting fast, from sharp shock to something closer to a buzzing, wide-awake calm, especially once you're back in the warm sauna a minute later.

How wet do you actually get

Fully. This isn't a symbolic toe-dip — you lower your body into the water up to your shoulders or neck, which is the point of pairing it with a sauna: the contrast is the entire experience. You'll want to bring a swimsuit if you have a preference either way, though it's worth knowing that at this particular private booking, clothing in the sauna and at the hole is optional, since the group is private rather than shared with strangers. Bring a change of dry clothes for afterwards regardless — the listing includes towels, but not spare clothing.

Check dates: Private Sauna & Ice Swimming →

How cold is it, really

We won't invent a specific number here, because it genuinely varies by day and by how the ice has formed that winter — but as a general rule, lake water sitting under ice in Rovaniemi in winter is at or very close to freezing. What matters more than the exact figure is how briefly you're actually in it: guides keep the dip short, generally a matter of seconds rather than minutes, precisely so you feel the full shock of the cold without pushing into genuine risk. The sauna is there to bring your body straight back up to a comfortable temperature afterwards, and most people find the second and third dips easier than the first once they know what to expect.

Who this suits — and who should be cautious

Ice swimming suits curious, reasonably healthy adults who want a proper Nordic tradition rather than a diluted, tourist-safe version of it. It's a private booking, which makes it a good pick for couples, friend groups or families who'd rather not do this in front of strangers for the first time — and, from what we've seen locally, first-timers generally relax faster in a small private group than in a large shared session where everyone's watching everyone else go first.

It's worth being sensible about who this isn't for: anyone with heart or circulation conditions should check with a doctor before a cold-water dip, and this isn't the activity to try if you're already feeling unwell or exhausted from travel. The listing itself notes at least two guests are required to book the private session, so it's not bookable as a true solo experience.

We'd also gently push back on the idea that you need to be "brave" for this. Most of the nerves people bring to their first ice swim are about the unknown rather than the actual difficulty — once a guide has talked you through the breathing and the exit rail is in reach, the whole process is far more manageable than the anticipation suggests. If you're nervous, say so before you get in; a good guide will slow things down rather than rush you.

What's included in a private session

Based on the current listing for the Private Wooden Heated Sauna and Ice Swimming5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5: a traditional wooden heated sauna for your group's private use, a handmade ice hole for the cold plunge, safety instructions from your guide, towels, an English-speaking guide (other languages available on request), winter clothing for getting to and from the sauna area, and a local light snack with drinks afterwards. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before the session; inside that window the full amount is charged, so confirm your plans before locking in a date.

Arrive with about 3 hours' buffer before your slot if you need to adjust — that's the booking cutoff on this listing.

One practical detail worth planning around: because the session is private and the group needs at least two guests, this isn't a spontaneous walk-up activity in the way a shared sauna sometimes can be. If you're travelling solo and want to try ice swimming, either team up with other travellers you've met on the trip or look at a shared or traditional sauna session instead, which typically has a lower minimum group size and a different price structure entirely.

Check dates: Private Sauna & Ice Swimming →

Timing and booking

This runs as a winter activity while lakes are reliably frozen and safe to cut a hole into, which in a typical Rovaniemi season means from around December through into March or early April depending on how the ice holds. Evening slots tend to be popular with couples wanting to pair the sauna with a chance at seeing the northern lights afterwards, since you're already outside in the dark with your eyes adjusted. If that's your plan, check the aurora forecast for your dates before booking a specific time.

Daytime slots have their own appeal — the light on a frozen lake in the middle of a Rovaniemi winter afternoon is worth seeing on its own, even before you factor in the sauna. If you're combining this with other activities the same day, we'd put it either first thing in the morning or as your last stop of the day, since the warm-up-and-cool-down cycle leaves most people happily worn out rather than ready to rush off to the next thing. Book a few days ahead if your dates fall on a weekend, since private sessions have a fixed number of slots per day at a given venue.

Cost and value

Packages for the Private Wooden Heated Sauna and Ice Swimming5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 session start from €199, and because it's a private booking for your own group rather than a per-person shared session, it's worth comparing the total against how many people you're travelling with — split between three or four people, it becomes a genuinely reasonable price for a private local tradition with a guide, sauna, snack and drinks all included. Use code HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout for 5% off, and if you're unsure whether private or shared suits you better, our comparison of traditional and private sauna options in Rovaniemi walks through the trade-offs in more detail.

Check dates & prices →

Frequently asked questions

Do you really go all the way into the water?
Yes — typically in up to your shoulders or neck, not just dipping your feet. A guide talks you through exactly how to lower yourself in safely.

How long do you stay in the ice hole?
Briefly — generally a matter of seconds. The goal is to feel the shock and the after-effect, not to endure a long soak in freezing water.

Do I need to bring my own swimsuit?
Bring one if you'd prefer to wear it — but since this particular booking is a private session, clothing at the sauna and the hole is optional if your group is comfortable with that.

Is it safe if I have a heart condition?
Check with a doctor before booking. Cold-water immersion puts a real, sudden strain on the circulatory system, and that's true regardless of how experienced or fit you are.

How many people can book this private session?
The listing requires at least two guests to book. It's designed as a private group experience, not a solo one.

What should I bring?
A swimsuit if you want one, and dry clothes to change into afterwards. Towels, winter clothing for getting between the sauna and the hole, and a light snack with drinks are already included.

Our final word

Ice swimming is one of those Lapland traditions that sounds far more extreme in theory than it feels in practice, mostly because the sauna does so much of the work either side of the actual dip. If you're travelling with a partner, friends or family and want to try it somewhere private rather than in a shared queue of strangers, this private sauna and ice swimming session5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 covers everything you need — guide, sauna, hole, towels, snack — from €199 for the group. Book through the links on this page and use HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout for 5% off, and if sauna etiquette is new to you, our piece on sauna etiquette in Lapland is worth five minutes before you go.