The Most Magical Stay at an Iceland Igloo Hotel!

Have you ever dreamed of staying in an igloo hotel in Iceland and watching the Northern Lights dance across the sky?

On our recent winter trip to Iceland, my husband and I had the chance to stay in the stunning Aurora Igloos, one of the only Iceland igloo hotels! Our goal for the trip was to see the Northern Lights, so as soon as I found this hotel, I knew we had to book it!! And spoiler alert: it was incredible!

In this blog post, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about this magical Iceland igloo hotel —from the location and amenities to maximizing your chances of seeing the Aurora Borealis!

So, keep reading if you’re ready to find out why this igloo hotel needs to be on your Iceland bucket list!!

Iceland Trip Planning at a Glance

Don’t have a lot of time? Here’s a quick mini guide to Iceland to help plan your epic adventure!

Where to Stay:
– Hotel Von (Budget/Moderate)
– Canopy by Hilton (Moderate)
– Tower Suites Reykjavik (Luxury)
– Igloo Hotel (ICONIC!!)

Places to Eat & Drink:
– Messinn for seafood
– Fjallkonan for cocktails
– Kol for a gourmet meal
– Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur for the famous Icelandic hot dogs!

Things to Do:
– Chase the Northern Lights
– Visit the South Coast waterfalls
– Drive the Golden Circle
– Hike to an ice cave
– Go on a food tour in Reykjavik

A Magical Winter Stay at Aurora Igloos: Iceland Igloo Hotel Review

Pros and Cons

Before I get into the full review of the igloos, I wanted to give a quick list of the pros and cons of staying here!

Overall, we loved our stay at Aurora Igloos, and I would definitely go back on a future trip to Iceland! However, there were one or two things I think are important to consider before booking your trip.

Pros:

Potential views of the Northern Lights from the comfort of your bed
Heated beds and space heaters keep you warm in cold temperatures
Extra amenities like coffee, tea, water, and towels
Thoughtfully designed layout to ensure privacy and incredible views
Convenient location close to South Coast landmarks
Reliable Wi-Fi in the Igloos themselves

Cons:

Shared bathrooms require a short walk outdoors, though private bathrooms are now available
Pathways can be icy in winter, so sturdy footwear is essential
Compact size may feel snug for those used to larger spaces

snowy landscape with glass igloos in the background and a blue sky in Iceland

Location of Aurora Igloos

Now that you have a quick understanding of the pros and cons of staying in an Igloo hotel, let’s get into the details of the Aurora Igloos and what you can expect.

The Aurora Igloos are located in the small town of Hella, just over an hour’s drive from Reykjavik. During our winter trip to Iceland, we stayed in Reykjavik for four nights, and then stayed in the Igloos on our last night!

The journey from Reykjavik to Hella is a very easy and beautiful drive, especially in the winter! We were stunned by some of the snowy landscapes we saw along the way.

Note: Staying in this Igloo hotel and exploring Iceland’s South Coast were the main reasons we decided to rent a car in Iceland during the middle of winter!

Hella has all the essentials you might need, including restaurants, a gas station, and other accommodations nearby.

The igloo hotel itself is just down the road from Hella; however, when you’re there, it actually feels very remote!

Plus, Hella is a small town situated far enough from Reykjavik to offer an incredible view of the night sky without light pollution, making it an ideal spot for catching the Northern Lights.

In addition, Hella’s location on the South Coast means you’re within easy access of some of Iceland’s top things to do in winter, like the Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls, the Katla Ice Cave, and more!

Below are some approximate distances to popular attractions from the Igloo hotel! I’ll touch on these more at the end of the post.

Reykjavik: 94 km (58 miles) – 1 hour 20 minutes
Seljalandsfoss: 50 km (31 miles) – 40 minutes
Skogafoss: 80 km (50 miles) – 1 hour
Vik: 128 km (79 miles) – 1 hour 45 minutes
Blue Lagoon: 140 km (87 miles) – 2 hours

❄️❄️ Looking for the perfect base to explore South Iceland? Check availability of the Aurora Igloos here!! ❄️❄️

Arrival and Check-In

While I am calling the Aurora Igloos a hotel, it’s more like an Airbnb in terms of check-in and amenities!

The Igloo hotel uses a self-check-in system, making it ideal for late arrivals or those who prefer a flexible schedule. There’s a designated parking area just a short walk from the front office. If you’re visiting in winter, the path might be a bit icy or snowy.

The front office (which is also where the bathrooms are) is where you’ll head first to figure out which Igloo you will be in! The hotel provides envelopes with each guest’s name laid out on a table inside the office.

The envelope has the key to your igloo, your igloo number, and a helpful welcome letter with everything you need to know.

Once you’ve grabbed your envelope, you can head to your igloo and get settled! There is a path to the igloos that is well-maintained in winter conditions. However, it was still slightly icy, so I recommend having good snow boots.

In addition, we decided to leave our giant suitcases in the car and just pack a small duffel for our night in the igloo. This kept us from having to drag our suitcases through the snow!

Each igloo is numbered with little signs in front. In addition, these signs and the path to the bathrooms are lit-up at night, so it’s easy to navigate even in the dark!

What to Expect Inside the Igloos

Comfort

The glass igloos themselves are compact but perfectly laid out, measuring about 15 square meters (approximately 160 square feet). Inside, you’ll find a comfortable queen-sized bed, a small table and chairs for two, a bottle of water, and side tables with lamps near the bed.

The structure itself is made entirely of clear hexagonal panels, creating a panoramic window to Iceland’s incredible landscape!

Warmth is a top priority in the igloos, which we really appreciated!!! The beds are actually heated, which was absolutely wonderful since we were visiting Iceland in February!

And, both sides of the bed can be adjusted individually, which is good for couples like us that have very different warmth preferences.

A standalone space heater is also included in the igloo for extra warmth, which we used during our stay. Overall, we were perfectly warm during our night in the igloo, even though it was below freezing!

The property also has free wifi inside the igloos which we had no problems connecting to. We were able to stream a movie while cuddled in our warm bed – heaven!!

Privacy

My husband was worried about privacy during our stay, since the igloos are completely clear and close by each other! Thankfully, this wasn’t a problem due to a few features.

First, each igloo has a set of curtains inside that can wrap around the entire circumference of the igloo if you wish!

This is most important for the back of the igloo, which faces the direction of the restrooms. If you don’t have your curtains drawn on the backside, anyone walking to the restrooms/office will be able to see in.

We did not draw the curtains along the front of the Igloo since we wanted to see the Northern Lights, and there’s nothing in front of the Igloos but open land!

While the igloos are close to each other (probably around 20-30 feet), there are wooden walls in between each one. So, if you’re looking out the side of your igloo, you can’t see into the ones next to you! This really helped the igloos feel private.

Overall, while you are bound to see other people during your time at the Igloos (most likely at the front office or walking back and forth), it feels extremely private inside the igloos themselves.

Outside of your igloo, there aren’t too many amenities on the property itself, but we didn’t mind!

The front office is a heat-controlled structure where you will also find the shared bathrooms and showers. Each toilet and shower is in its own private room, along with a sink and mirror, similar to what you would find at an RV park or campsite.

The hotel also provides towels and a hair dryer, which was a nice touch!

One of the newest features at Aurora Igloo Hotel are igloos with their own private bathrooms attached. This is a total game changer!

If we were to visit again, I’d definitely book the private bathroom igloo. While the shared bathrooms worked fine, not having to bundle up and walk outside in the cold in the middle of the night would have made our stay near perfect!

Check availability of the igloos with private bathrooms here!!

Seeing the Northern Lights

One of the most exciting parts of staying at the Aurora Igloos is the chance to see the Northern Lights. I mean, they are called “Aurora Igloos” for a reason!

The igloos are perfect for seeing the Northern Lights since they all face directly north with unobstructed views of the skies. The best part? You don’t even have to leave your bed to catch the lights!

If you’ve never chased the Northern Lights in Iceland before, I wanted to give you some expert tips to maximize your chances!

For the best chance of seeing the auroras, plan your visit during the winter months when the nights are longest and the skies are darkest (new moons are the best for this!).

Clear, cloudless skies are ideal, so it’s also a good idea to keep an eye on the weather forecast. Thanks to the remote location of the Iceland Aurora Igloos, light pollution is minimal, making it an ideal spot for seeing the Lights.

🌌 P.S. You can read more tips on seeing and capturing the Northern Lights in Iceland in my blog post: Is Going on a Northern Lights Tour Worth It?

Besides having a dark, clear sky with minimal light pollution, the most important factor for seeing the Lights is solar activity. We used Space Weather Live during our trip, which was a totally game changer when it came to predicting the lights!

This site shows you live solar data readings, most importantly the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) values. You’ll want to watch these numbers and wait for the “Bz” number to drop into the negative – this means the lights are likely visible!

Another must-have is the “Aurora” app, which you can download on your phone. This app will alert you when the aurora is likely to appear based on your location, so there’s no guesswork. I set up notifications to get alerts when solar activity spiked, and it worked perfectly!

In the early morning hours of our stay, after a warm night in the igloo, I noticed a faint glow in the sky and grabbed my camera. Sure enough, the Northern Lights were visible in the sky!!

Granted, they weren’t super bright, but seeing them from the cozy bed in an Igloo was such a cool experience!!!

Ready to check the Northern Lights off your bucket list? Stay at the Aurora Igloos and enjoy front-row seats to the Aurora!

Other Things to Know

Here are a few other things to consider when booking your stay at the incredible Aurora Igloos!

First, I highly recommend arriving during daylight hours. As mentioned, there is a short walk from the parking lot to the check-in building, and then another short walk from there to your igloo.

While there are maintained paths and lights along the way, it’ll be much easier to find your way around for the first time in the daylight! Plus, you’ll get to appreciate the gorgeous views of the property.

If you are visiting in winter, you’ll definitely want to wear snow boots (or at least boots with good grip) to get around the property. While they do maintain the walkways, it can still be icy on some spots.

🧣 P.S. For more packing tips, make sure to check out my Iceland Winter Packing List or grab the downloadable version below!

Another pro tip: consider bringing a smaller bag (like a duffel or backpack) with you on your trip. We left our main suitcases in the car and packed a small overnight bag to take with us to the igloo.

This helped us avoid having to lug our suitcases through the snow, and it also helped maximize space inside the igloo itself, since there isn’t a ton of extra room.

Last, you’ll want to eat dinner before you arrive at the igloo, or bring food with you, since there’s no food options on site. You can grab dinner in the town of Hella, just a few minutes down the road. Or, you can bring food with you!

We decided to have ourselves a little picnic inside the igloo with wine, charcuterie, bread, and other snacks for the evening! It was lovely!

Things to Do Near the Igloos

This Iceland igloo hotel is perfectly situated along Iceland’s South Coast, just over an hour outside of Reykjavik.

We personally stayed in the Igloos our last night after a full day of hiking the Katla Ice Cave outside of Vik! The drive from Vik was about an hour to the Igloos.

Besides hiking to the Ice cave (which was EPIC), Vik is also a great place to have lunch! We ate at the adorable Suður-Vík and then explored the famous black sand beach: Reynisfjara.

Along the drive from Vik to the Igloos, you’ll find two of Iceland’s most famous waterfalls: Seljalandfoss and Skogafoss. These waterfalls are a must-see on any Iceland itinerary!!

We actually backtracked and explored these waterfalls on our last day after checking out of the Igloo hotel due to time constraints. However, you could also do these on the same day as Vik, depending on your schedule!

You’re also not far from the main stops along Iceland’s Golden Circle route, like Thingvellir National Park, Geysir Hot Spring, and Gulfoss Waterfall. We conquered this as a day trip from Reykjavik, but you could also do it from Hella!

Other Igloos in Iceland

As you can imagine, these igloos are very popular and book up fast! However, more and more igloo hotels are popping up in Iceland.

Here are some other places to check out in case the Aurora Igloos are sold out for your dates:

Why You Should Book Your Stay!

Staying at the Aurora Igloos is a one-of-a-kind experience that NEEDS to be on your Iceland bucket list.

Imagine relaxing in a heated bed while gazing up at the Northern Lights with a cup of hot chocolate in your hand… I mean what sounds better than that?! And even if you don’t see the Lights, it’s still an incredible experience.

Whether you’re visiting Iceland to hunt for the Aurora Borealis, see the famous South Coast waterfalls, or hike to an ice cave, this Iceland Igloo hotel is the perfect place to stay for your adventures!

book your stay here!

Once you’ve booked your stay here, make sure to read my article on the nearby Katla Ice Cave tour to continue your Iceland trip planning!

Don’t forget to pin this post for future planning!

Save this post for later!

Enter your info below and I'll email you the link to this blog post so you can refer back to it later 🙂

The Most Magical Stay at an Iceland Igloo Hotel!