Glass igloos under the Northern Lights, private fell-side villas, world-class Nordic cuisine... your Arctic sanctuary awaits in the heart of Finnish Lapland.

CNN Award: Levin Iglut named the world's best place to watch the Northern Lights

Most travellers planning a luxury Lapland holiday think of Rovaniemi first. Levi should be at the top of the list. Finland's largest ski resort is also its most refined Arctic escape — a place where CNN-award-winning glass igloos sit minutes from world-class spa facilities, and where Nordic chefs craft menus from ingredients foraged that morning in the surrounding wilderness.

Why Levi Beats Other Luxury Lapland Destinations

Finnish Lapland stretches across an area the size of Portugal — but not all of it is equally equipped for luxury travel. Levi stands apart through qualities no other Arctic destination combines so effortlessly.

Levi at a glance

• Accessibility: Kittilä Airport is 15 minutes from the resort, with direct seasonal flights from London, Amsterdam and other major European cities

• Scale: 44 slopes and 26 lifts — Finland's largest ski resort, with services to match

• Aurora position: Above the Arctic Circle; Utsuvaara fell area at 340m altitude offers 360° dark skies — as CNN recognised in 2017

• Year-round: Winter skiing, Midnight Sun hiking, summer mountain biking, and Lapland's spectacular autumn colour season (ruska)

Unlike remote wilderness lodges that sacrifice choice for isolation, Levi offers the best of both worlds: you can ski back to your accommodation, walk to exceptional restaurants, and reach genuinely untouched wilderness within minutes of the village centre.

Where to Stay — Luxury Accommodation in Levi

Levi's accommodation landscape has matured significantly in recent years. Whether you're seeking the intimate drama of a glass igloo, the refined comfort of a design hotel, or the complete privacy of a private fell-side villa, the resort delivers options that compete with any luxury mountain destination in Europe.

Glass igloos: CNN Award · World's Best Northern Lights Viewing

Levin Iglut — Sleep Under the Aurora

Perched on the Utsuvaara fell at 340 metres above sea level, these thermal glass igloos were recognised by CNN as the world's finest Northern Lights viewing point. Heated glass prevents condensation while maintaining crystal clarity; the bed faces directly upward, making all-night aurora watching completely effortless. Each igloo includes an en suite bathroom, premium bedding, private sauna, and climate control that holds comfort even when outside temperatures plunge below −30°C. Adjacent Restaurant Utsu serves exceptional Nordic cuisine, with private igloo-side dining available for special occasions.

Design Hotel Levi — Scandinavian Refinement

The crown of Levi's hotel scene applies Scandinavian design philosophy to Arctic hospitality. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the fell landscape like living paintings; private saunas offer panoramic views over snow-laden trees; custom-designed furniture weaves contemporary minimalism with traditional Lappish craftsmanship.

The spa — multiple sauna varieties, an outdoor hot pool, signature treatments using foraged Arctic botanicals — sets a standard few mountain resorts anywhere match. The on-site restaurant showcases seasonal local ingredients prepared with genuine culinary ambition.

Private Chalets & Luxury Wilderness Villas — Complete Seclusion

Several premium privately-rented villas surround the Levi resort centre, hidden in old-growth forest yet minutes from the village. These architect-designed properties typically offer four to six bedrooms, private spa facilities, and entertainment systems. Some include dedicated staff quarters for those travelling with personal chefs or childcare. The combination of genuine wilderness seclusion and easy resort access makes them particularly sought after by larger groups and families who want a shared luxury base — one that feels nothing like a hotel.

Exclusive Arctic Experiences

Levi offers many exclusive private experiences for luxury travellers.

Private Northern Lights Excursions

The private Northern Lights experience in Levi bears little resemblance to a group tour. Small groups or single vehicles venture into dark forest guided by expert aurora hunters who track weather patterns and solar activity in real time. Equipment includes premium cold-weather clothing, and gourmet refreshments.

For the ultimate aurora experience: a private glass-roofed cabin deep in the wilderness, a personal chef, a heated outdoor lounge, and a dedicated aurora forecast specialist whose sole focus is maximising your chances of a memorable sighting. The Northern Lights season at Levi runs from late August through to April — a generous window of nearly eight months.

Husky Safaris and Reindeer Encounters

Private husky safaris allow you to drive your own team through silent winter forests and across frozen lakes — with one-to-one instruction rather than group demonstrations. Breaks happen at exclusive wilderness lodges with gourmet lunches beside open fires. No crowds, no strangers, just you and the forest.

Reindeer experiences can be elevated to include private visits to traditional Sami or Arctic settlements, where cultural ambassadors share centuries-old practices, demonstrate traditional craftsmanship, and prepare authentic cuisine using ancient techniques. Lapland's living reindeer herder culture is not a staged tourist attraction here — it is an invitation into something real.

Nordic Dining and Spa Rituals

Gastronomic Excellence

Levi's culinary scene competes with destinations many times its size. Chefs work with exceptional local ingredients — wild Arctic char, reindeer in contemporary preparations, cloudberries, hand-foraged mushrooms, and herbs that grow only at these northern latitudes.

Panorama Restaurant, perched atop Levitunturi fell, pairs a seasonal tasting menu with 360° Arctic views that change every time the light shifts. King Crab House offers the finest preparations of one of the region's most prized ingredients. For the most exclusive dining, private chef experiences can be arranged in your villa — culminating, perhaps, in a multi-course dinner beside an outdoor fire under the Northern Lights, each course paired with carefully selected wines.

Spa and Sauna — A Finnish Ritual

The sauna is not an amenity in Finland — it is a fundamental ritual. The spa at Design Hotel Levi offers multiple sauna varieties (traditional Finnish, infrared, steam), an ice room, a relaxation lounge with northern views, and an indoor-outdoor hot pool for soaking while watching snow fall.

Signature treatments incorporate authentic Arctic ingredients: cloudberry and lingonberry body scrubs, birch sap facials, and massages using heated stones from Lapland's ancient geological formations. Many conclude with a private sauna session followed by rolling in the snow — quintessentially Finnish, and completely invigorating.

Getting to Levi from the UK

Luxury travel means effortless logistics — and Levi delivers. Kittilä Airport sits just 15 minutes from the resort and receives direct winter charter flights from several UK airports during the ski season, as well as year-round connections via Helsinki. Flying time from London Heathrow to Helsinki is approximately 2 hours 45 minutes; the Helsinki–Kittilä connection takes around 1 hour 30 minutes. Total door-to-resort time from central London can be comfortably under six hours.

Getting there

• Direct charter flights from the UK to Kittilä during winter season

• Year-round connections via Helsinki — total UK journey under 6 hours

• Private jet service with dedicated handling at Kittilä

• Private transfer (Mercedes V-Class or similar) from aircraft to accommodation: 15 minutes

• Overnight sleeper train Helsinki → Kolari, followed by private transfer: a slower, romantic alternative

The Best Time to Visit Levi

December — March

Peak Winter

Deepest snow, fullest activity programme, longest dark nights for Northern Lights. Book 6+ months ahead for Christmas and New Year.

March — April

Spring Skiing

Many experts' favourite months. Excellent snow, dramatically longer days, milder temperatures, extraordinary photographic light. Auroras still visible on clear nights.

August — September

Ruska — The Secret Season

Lapland's autumn colour season transforms the fell into red, gold and copper. Northern Lights begin in late August. Uncrowded, available, and stunning — few international travellers have discovered it.

Planning Your Luxury Lapland Journey

Begin planning at least six months ahead for peak winter travel. The best experiences in Levi — specific igloo units, bespoke dining and activity arrangements — cannot be booked independently. Specialists who know Levi intimately have spent years building the relationships required to secure them.

Allow at least five nights to move beyond the ski-and-sleep rhythm and genuinely experience everything Levi offers without feeling rushed.

A considered itinerary might include: two ski days with expert private instruction, a private Northern Lights expedition, a husky safari with wilderness lunch, a Sami cultural experience, unhurried spa time, and exceptional Nordic dining — all anchored by accommodation that itself becomes part of the experience.

In Levi, luxury is not performance — it is precision. The private sauna is there because it is the authentic Finnish experience. Your chef incorporates foraged ingredients because they are genuinely superior to anything imported. Your guide shares Sami traditions because they are part of this land's living culture.

Your Arctic sanctuary awaits — where luxury meets the last great wilderness of Finnish Lapland.