Things to do aboard the Sampo Icebreaker

The Sampo is a retired Finnish icebreaker turned winter tourist vessel, sailing out of Kemi, roughly 115 km and about 1 h 30 min from Rovaniemi. Cruises run only in winter, once the Bay of Bothnia freezes over, usually from late December to April, with no guaranteed start or end date each year. A sailing lasts a few hours and includes time pushing through pack ice.

Most departures offer an optional stop for buoyancy suit floating in a channel the ship has opened: you go into sub-zero water, but the suit seals out the cold, so it is not a hypothermia risk and not open swimming. Places are limited and sell out in peak weeks, so book ahead.

Sailings can be delayed, shortened or cancelled if ice conditions do not allow safe passage, so keep the day flexible.