Is ice swimming in Rovaniemi safe for you?
For most healthy adults, a short dip with a host nearby is a well-run part of a Finnish sauna evening. It is still a hard shock to the body, and the listings themselves turn some people away. We are not doctors, so treat this page as a starting point for a conversation with yours.
Ask a doctor before you book
We write about tours, not medicine. Ask a doctor before booking an ice swim if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure. The same goes if you are pregnant or unsure about your health.
The operators take the same line. Their listings exclude people with heart problems, and some go further. A sauna evening without the cold water is still possible, as the last section of this guide explains.
We also make no health promises. Finns and the listings describe the hot and cold rounds as relaxing, but that is a description of how it feels, not a medical claim.
Who the listings turn away
Each operator publishes its own list of who the trip does not suit. The table below sums them up, so check the full listing for your date before you pay.
| Tour | Not suitable for | Age limit |
|---|---|---|
| Pajasauna river sauna | Heart problems, mobility impairments | Not under 5 |
| Nordic Adventures, dinner evening | Heart problems, pregnancy, back problems, breathing problems, colds, recent surgery | Not under 10 |
| Nordic Adventures, lakeside home | Not recommended in pregnancy | Not under 14 |
| NordicUnique, frozen lake | Heart problems | 12 and under with a paying adult |
A missing item on one list does not make a trip safe for that condition. The shorter lists are simply shorter, so the doctor's advice above applies to every tour.
Feeling ill on the day with a cold or a fever is reason enough to skip the water or move your booking. Every tour here can be cancelled free until 24 hours before it starts, so decide early.
What happens in the first minute
Water under the ice stays just above 0 °C (32 °F). Stepping in triggers the cold shock response, an involuntary gasp followed by fast breathing and a racing pulse.
That reaction peaks in the first minute and is the main reason the dip stays short. A gasp with your face underwater is dangerous, which is why hosts ask you to keep your head above the surface and never dive or jump in.
The sauna before the dip helps you go in warm, but it does not stop the gasp. Expect the first breath to come on its own, and let it out slowly instead of fighting it.
Hands and feet sting first, then go numb. One reviewer on Nordic Adventures' evening described water at about 1 °C (34 °F) with the air at -25 °C (-13 °F), and still went back for more rounds.
Getting in calmly
Go down the ladder slowly, one rung at a time, holding the rail. Breathe out long and steady as the water reaches your chest, rather than holding your breath.
As a beginner, think in seconds, not minutes. A few seconds up to your shoulders is a full dip, and climbing out while you still feel in control is the right call.
Pajasauna reviewers say the host shows guests how to enter the water safely before leaving them in private. Our first ice swim guide walks through the whole evening round by round.
A guided evening where the dip stays optional
Nordic Adventures' lakeside home sauna includes an English-speaking guide, a specially maintained ice hole and snacks by the fireplace. Its listing says the cold dip is optional, and it holds 5.0 from 32 reviews on Viator.
Rules that never bend
- Never swim alone. Someone should be at the edge of the hole while you are in it
- No alcohol before or during the evening; it dulls your judgment of the cold
- Never swim under the ice or let go of the ladder area
- No diving or jumping, and keep your head above the water
- Follow the host's instructions on entry and exit
Hosts also judge the ice itself. They keep the hole open through the winter, and if they say the water is off limits on a given day, that decision stands.
On the guided trips a host or guide stays close to the ice hole. At Pajasauna your group is alone after the welcome, so agree beforehand that one person watches while another is in.
Warming up the right way
Once out of the water, dry off before heading back into the sauna or into warm clothes. Warm up gradually, and avoid jumping straight into a scalding shower if your skin is numb.
Staying in too long risks hypothermia, since cold water drains body heat far faster than cold air. Shivering that will not stop or confusion are signs to tell the host at once.
Drink water between rounds and stop when you feel dizzy or unwell. Two to four rounds of sauna and cold water suit most people. A single round is fine too, as is staying out of the water altogether.
Skipping the water is allowed
Nobody makes you go in. The sauna alone, with steam from water on the hot stones, is the heart of the Finnish tradition, and cooling off on the terrace is part of it.
Nordic Adventures' dinner evening offers a roll in the snow instead of the hole. If strangers watching makes you nervous, see where you get the sauna to yourselves in our private or group comparison.
Ice conditions also vary from year to year, and hosts decide when the ice is safe to use. Our guide to the ice season explains when holes are usually kept open, and what to pack helps you stay warm between rounds.