Build an Igloo. Meet Polarman.
Touch the Arctic.
Most Lapland trips are planned around huskies and Northern lights. But ask any family what they remember years later? It's the afternoon they built a snow igloo with their own hands.
We run the only igloo-building programme and Polarman's Camp in Levi. Nothing as it exists anywhere else in Finnish Lapland.
The thing nobody tells you about Lapland
You came for the huskies. Your children will remember the snow.
Every winter, thousands of families arrive in Levi with a bucket list: husky safari, reindeer sleigh, a glimpse of the Northern lights. All of it is wonderful. But something unexpected happens when children from UK, France, Spain, Dubai, or Singapore step into knee-deep Finnish snow for the first time in their lives.
They stop. They go quiet. Then they erupt.
They dig. They throw. They fall backwards and make angels. They've seen snow in photographs their whole lives, and suddenly it's real, it's cold, it's in their mittens, and it holds the shape of their fist. This is the moment that doesn't fit in a schedule. And it's the moment they'll describe to their friends at school for the next two years.
Our snow programmes are built around exactly this moment - only with a local expert, a roaring fire, and an igloo to prove it happened.
Only in Levi - nowhere else in Lapland
Deep in the Lappish forest, away from the ski slopes and tourist centres, Polarman has built something that took years and thousands of tonnes of snow to create: a living Snow Igloo Park.
No other operator in Levi, or in Finnish Lapland, runs a programme like this. Polarman is an Arctic wilderness expert who has spent decades working with snow, ice, and the rhythms of the subarctic winter. His camp is not a theme park. It is a living workshop, and every session produces something real.
During the Blue Moment session (late afternoon, when the Arctic light turns the snow an extraordinary shade of indigo), you arrive at the camp as the day's last light fades into the treeline. The fire is already burning. Polarman is already at work. The evening is yours.
- Guided tour of the Snow Igloo Park - see dozens of igloos built by families from around the world
- Learn how traditional Arctic snow structures are built and why they stay warm inside
- Warm drinks and snacks by the open fire in a genuine wilderness setting
- Perfect for children from age 3 - no physical requirements, no prior experience needed
Build Your Own Snow Igloo - Winter Survival Masterclass
This is the most hands-on snow experience in Finnish Lapland, and one of the most genuinely satisfying things a family can do together in winter. You will arrive at a frozen lake or riverside clearing, pull on your gear, and with the guidance of a professional Arctic wilderness expert, start building a structure that will actually stand up, actually keep you warm inside, and actually bear your family's name until spring.
Building a snow igloo is not easy. That's the point. When it works, and with our guide, it always works, you feel a very particular kind of pride. The kind that comes from making something real in a difficult environment.
Children from ages 7 and up are genuinely useful here. They pack snow, they help, they crawl inside to check the space. By the end, they will tell you they built the igloo. They will not be wrong.
When it's finished, your igloo becomes part of our permanent Snow Igloo Park - a growing Arctic village built by visitors like you, from families across the world.
What makes our snow programmes differen
Not another snowball fight. Real Arctic craft.
You make something permanent
Your igloo joins the Snow Igloo Park and stands with your name until the spring melt. Not a photo op, a structure you built with your own hands.
Exclusive to Levi - unmatched in Lapland
Polarman's Camp and the Snow Igloo Park exist nowhere else in Finnish Lapland. You won't find this in Rovaniemi, Saariselkä, or Ylläs. Only here.
Children are not passengers
These are not watch-the-guide-do-it experiences. From age 7, children carry real responsibility in the building. The igloo is genuinely theirs.
Lainio Snow Village Guided Visit from Levi
25 years of Arctic art, 20 million kilograms of snow, rebuilt every winter
Lainio Snow Village, 40 km from Levi, is one of Finnish Lapland's most spectacular annual creations. Each winter, a team of artists and engineers constructs an entirely new world from 20 million kilograms of fresh snow and 300,000 kilograms of natural ice - a village of corridors, galleries, carved suite, an Ice Bar, and a restaurant where even the chairs are sculpted from frozen lake water.
A public bus now connects Levi to Snow Village. But our guided excursion offers something the bus cannot: a local Lapland expert who knows the stories behind the sculptures, can explain how each structure is built to survive Lapland winters, and who transforms a visual spectacle into a conversation about Arctic life and craftsmanship.
We offer two versions - a guided visit with a drink in the Ice Bar, or the full experience with a dinner in the legendary Ice Restaurant, where the temperature never rises above -5°C and the menu is decidedly warm.
- Local guide shares the history and craft behind the sculptures - context that changes what you see
- Comfortable group transfer door-to-door from Levi centre
- The guide knows the best photo spots and timing
- Warm drink in the Ice Bar included, not an extra
How to choose your snow experience
Build it, explore it, or dine in it?
Not sure which to choose? Many families book
Polarman's Camp on arrival evening (short, easy, magical) and
Build Your Igloo mid-trip when the children are ready for the challenge.
Common questions
Everything you need to know before you book
Can you actually build a real igloo in Levi?
Yes, and it will be structurally sound enough to enter. The finished igloo joins our Snow Igloo Park and stands until the spring melt. This is not a pre-built prop you pose next to; it's a structure you construct from scratch over about two hours of genuine effort.
What is Polarman's Camp and why is it unique in Lapland?
Polarman's Camp is a one-of-a-kind snow programme operated exclusively by Scandinavian Travel Group. Polarman is an Arctic wilderness expert with decades of experience building and living with snow structures in Finnish Lapland.
The Blue Moment experience at the camp takes advantage of the extraordinary Arctic twilight light (typically late afternoon) that turns the entire snow landscape a deep indigo blue. No other operator in Levi or Finnish Lapland runs a programme like this.
How long does it take to build a snow igloo?
The full Build Your Own Snow Igloo session runs 3 hours, including transfer, getting geared up, the build itself (typically 90-120 minutes of active work), and the campfire conclusion with warm drinks. Most groups find the building phase goes faster than expected once they find their rhythm, the physical work keeps everyone warm and the satisfaction of the finished dome makes the time feel shorter than it is.
What is the difference between the Igloo Build and Polarman's Camp?
Build Your Own Snow Igloo is a construction masterclass; the focus is on learning the technique and producing a finished structure. It is physically active and takes 3 hours. Polarman's Camp is an atmospheric evening experience, more contemplative, and centred on the existing Snow Igloo Park, the campfire, and the Arctic twilight light. Many families do both: the camp on an early day in Levi to ease into the snow world, and the igloo build when the children are settled and ready for a challenge.
Is the Lainio Snow Village experience worth it if we can get the bus?
The public bus gets you there. Our guided excursion gets you inside it. The difference is a local guide who explains the engineering behind the snow architecture, identifies the sculptors' techniques in each gallery, and times your visit to the Ice Bar at the best light. Groups consistently report that the guided experience changes what they actually notice and remember. If you're visiting once, it's worth the guided version, particularly if you add the Ice Restaurant dinner, which is an experience unto itself.
Are these experiences available for private groups?
Yes. All snow programmes can be arranged as private group experiences, ideal for families who want exclusive access, corporate incentive groups, or multi-family bookings. Private igloo-building sessions can be arranged for groups of up to 15 people. Contact us directly via WhatsApp or email for private group pricing and availability.
Your family's igloo is waiting to be built
Snow programmes run from December through March. Popular dates fill weeks in advance.
If you're planning a Lapland trip, secure your snow experience before you book anything else.