THE LAPLAND SERIES, DAY 11 & 12
ROVANIEMI – KEMI – POLAR EXPLORER ICEBREAKER TERMINAL – RUKA
Today was another long travel day as we drove a few hours south from Rovaniemi to the coastal town of Kemi, Finland—home of the legendary Polar Explorer Icebreaker.
I’d booked the Seaside Glass Village months in advance, but for some mysterious reason, it was fully booked only on this exact date. Just when I’d resigned myself to Plan B, a last-minute cancellation came through! We grabbed three rooms and crossed our fingers it would live up to the hype.
WELCOME TO SWEDEN, COUNTRY NUMBER 160
Despite the original title of this post, Kemi is in Finnish Lapland, not Sweden. The frozen expanse you see from your window? That’s the Gulf of Bothnia part of the Baltic Sea that borders both Finland and Sweden. But the Polar Explorer Icebreaker departs from Finland, and our entire experience—from check-in to checkout was 100% on Finnish soil.
Fun fact: This trip marked country #160 on my world tour—but I’m still planning a proper visit to Stockholm to truly “tick off” Sweden!
We couldn’t check in until 4 PM (hours after sunset in deep winter) and left the next morning at 8 AM… so we barely saw daylight. But even in near-total darkness, the Arctic magic was real.
WHERE IS THE POLAR EXPLORER ICEBREAKER?
The Polar Explorer is the world’s only passenger icebreaker that lets you safely float in icy seawater thanks to high-tech survival suits. It docks right in Kemi, Finland, and is operated as part of the Snow Experience 365 complex.
The Polar Explorer Icebreaker
SNOW EXPERIENCE
The Seaside Villas are part of Snow Experience 365, which usually includes a snow hotel and an ice castle. This year? Neither was built too warm, they said. (Yes, even the Arctic has off years.)
So instead of sleeping in an ice room, we spent the evening doing what any slightly sleep-deprived travel crew would do:
- Sliding down the same rickety snow slide for the tenth time.
- Hunting Kemi for the least disappointing pizza (shoutout to Puistopaviljonki) And getting weirdly competitive over the new Monopoly card game.
- It wasn’t glamorous—but it was real. And sometimes, that’s the best kind of travel.
The Polar Explorer Icebreaker, Sweden
DAILY INFO….
- MILES COVERED – 242.3 miles
- HOTEL – Seaside Glass Village, Kemi 7.5/10
- RESTOS – Puistopaviljonki
- ATTRACTIONS –
Snow Experience 365
Monopoly cards
Polar Explorer Icebreaker
Ice floating - MILES COVERED -331.7 miles
- STEPS – 9,500 & 6,700
SWEDEN
Visiting the polar explorer took us across the border to country 160, Sweden. I am in two minds whether to call this a visit or not as it was literally half a day, mostly spent on a boat, not to mention I am super keen to still visit Stockholm to really tick it off the list!
The Polar Explorer Icebreaker, Sweden
FLAG….
- BLUE – Represents justice, loyalty, truth, vigilance and perseverance.
- GOLD – Is a representation of generosity.(Fun fact: The Finnish flag is blue and white—but in this bilingual region, Swedish heritage runs deep, which is why the Swedish flag often flies alongside it. Still, we were firmly on Finnish soil.)
THE POLAR EXPLORER ICEBREAKER
Like any red-blooded guy who geeks out over machines, I was giddy watching this 6,000-ton beast crunch through a foot of sea ice like it was stale bread. There’s a smaller icebreaker right in Kemi, but if you want the full experience including ice floating you have to take the Polar Explorer. You can roam the entire ship: the bridge, the engine room (so loud, so cool), the top deck where ice shards fly like confetti. It’s not just a cruise—it’s a front-row seat to Arctic engineering at its finest.
The Polar Explorer Icebreaker, Sweden.
The Polar Explorer Icebreaker, Sweden
RELATED READ: THE GEM OF THE FAROE ISLANDS
ICE FLOATING
Mum and dad haven’t shut up about having a dip in the ice lake in Saariselka (Click to read). They tell the story like it was a casual Tuesday stroll conveniently forgetting the high-pitched shrieking. So when I casually mentioned, “Oh, we’re doing ice floating tomorrow,” their faces went pale.
Here’s the secret: you don’t get wet. You’re zipped into a bright orange dry suit—sealed like a space capsule—that keeps you 100% dry, shockingly warm, and ridiculously buoyant. You just… float. On frozen seawater. In silence. It’s peaceful, surreal, and utterly unforgettable.
They lasted 20 minutes. So did I. And not one of us screamed like a baby girl. (Okay, maybe a little.)
The Polar Explorer Icebreaker, Sweden
SWEDEN FACTS:
- LANGUAGE – Swedish , or as they call it “Svenska.”
- HELLO – “Hallå”
- HOW TO CHEERS -“Skål!”
- BEVERAGE OF CHOICE – “Glögg” red wine.
- POPULAR SPORT – Ice hockey and football
- STAPLE DIET – Potatoes
20 HOUR SUITS
Thank goodness for those dry suits. Not a single drop of icy water touched our skin. It felt bizarre knowing the sea was -2°C, yet floating like a buoyant marshmallow in a cozy cocoon. These suits are mandatory on icebreakers and can keep you alive for 20 hours in freezing water. We lasted 20 minutes and that was plenty. Any longer and I might’ve tried to build an igloo mid-float.
SUMMED UP….
- HIGHLIGHT – Ice floating
- LOWLIGHT – Not being able to check in until 4pm (when its dark)
FINAL THOUGHTS
I expected to enjoy this. I didn’t expect it to become one of the most magical moments of my entire trip. The raw power of the icebreaker, the silence of the frozen sea, the sheer weirdness of floating on ice it’s the kind of experience that sticks with you.Worth the drive from Rovaniemi? A thousand times yes.
Now it’s time to say goodbye to the crew and head to Ruka for the final leg of the journey and yes, more cold water antics. (River floating, anyone?)
FAQs
- Is the Polar Explorer Icebreaker in Sweden or Finland?
It’s in Finland—Kemi, to be exact. Despite the name and nearby Swedish waters, the entire experience (hotel, terminal, cruise) is in Finnish Lapland. - Do you get wet during ice floating?
No. You wear a sealed dry suit that keeps you 100% dry, warm, and buoyant—zero skin touches the water. - Can you do this as a day trip from Rovaniemi?
Technically, yes (it’s a 2.5–3 hour drive), but winter daylight ends by 3 PM. Staying overnight in Kemi is strongly recommended.
SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
158/229
NEXT UP
Back into the cold water for some river floating 🤣!!! Click to read.
This post was part of The Lapland Series. If you would rather read the rest of the series from the blog just click here.
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Question Time
- Have you been to Sweden?
- What other suggestions do you have for when I revisit?
- Have you driven in the snow?
Let me know in the comments below . . .
