Cahkal Hotel is in Kilpisjärvi, in the far north-west of Finnish Lapland, at the foot of Saana fell. It is a small hotel with 23 rooms, furnished in a simple Scandinavian style, with large windows looking out over the village and the tundra. The wilderness begins right behind the hotel: you can head straight out on skis or snowshoes, and you can see the Northern Lights from your room or the car park. Restaurant Aika cooks with produce from Finland, Sweden and Norway, and a separate sauna building looks out over Saana.
Caractère guests receive a welcome drink on arrival and a small gift in their room.
The hotel is open all year round, except from October to mid-November.
23
Check-in is from 4 pm. Check-out is before 11 am. Late check-out costs 40 euros until 2 pm and 100 euros until 6 pm. Later departures are charged an extra night.
From 260 euros.
In the lounge with its fireplace, guests and guides get together for a drink after a day outdoors. You can also read a book from the library or play a board game. There are deliberately no TVs in the rooms, but a large screen in the lounge lets you watch a football or ice hockey match together. Guests have access to an app that alerts them when the Northern Lights are visible. The hotel uses geothermal heating and solar panels, is built of wood and does not use plastic bottles.
The rooms are furnished in a simple Scandinavian style, with large windows overlooking the village and the wilderness beyond. Books about Lapland and the Arctic are available to read. Every room has a private bathroom with shower, soap, shampoo and conditioner, a small table with a chair, and a kettle with tea and coffee. The Superior rooms and the Suite have extra space with a sofa and coffee table. The Studios and the Suite are in a separate building and each have their own terrace; the Suite also has its own sauna. Two ground-floor Cahkal Rooms are adapted for wheelchair users.
The Cahkal View rooms, on the second floor of the main building, have the best views of the mountains. A good choice if you are coming mainly for the landscape.
The hotel does not have a swimming pool. In summer, you can swim in the natural surroundings of the hotel.
Instead of a spa, the hotel has a separate sauna building with views of Saana and a lounge with a fireplace. It is secluded, so you can cool off in the snow after your sauna, even in the nude, as the Finns do. The sauna is included during shared sauna hours and can also be booked privately. Children are welcome when accompanied by an adult. The sauna building is not wheelchair accessible.
In winter, you can go cross-country skiing, ski touring, snowshoeing, on a snowmobile trip, or on a husky or reindeer excursion. With a fishing guide, you can check nets under the ice or go ice fishing. In summer, you can hike, swim and fish. The hotel also arranges fly-fishing for beginners and experienced anglers, and ptarmigan hunting trips with a hunting guide. Most activities can also be booked as packages.
Children of all ages are welcome. There are no special facilities for children, but a baby cot is provided free of charge on request. Babysitting can sometimes be arranged through local partners if requested well in advance.
Be sure to try the homemade bread and jam, as well as local dishes such as reindeer.
No dress code: both smart casual and clean outdoor clothing are fine.
Restaurant Aika by Cahkal serves Arctic cuisine, inspired by its location near the point where Finland, Sweden and Norway meet. Ingredients are sourced locally wherever possible, and everything is prepared in the hotel’s own kitchen. The sourdough bread and knäckebröd are baked in-house, and most of the jams, syrups and sauces are homemade too. A small greenhouse supplies the kitchen with herbs and berries. In the evening, the restaurant serves a three-course menu with Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian dishes. Breakfast is served from 8 to 10 am, lunch from 1.30 to 3 pm and dinner from 5.30 to 9.30 pm. There are also a few other restaurants and bars within walking distance in the village.
The hotel is on the edge of Kilpisjärvi, 200 metres from the road and next to the tundra. The village is close to the point where Finland, Sweden and Norway meet. The Norwegian border is about a 10-minute drive away and the Arctic Ocean coast about 40 minutes. You stay in Finnish Lapland, with the mountains and fjords of northern Norway within easy reach. Kilpisjärvi is not a lively village with lots of shops: people come here for the peace and quiet, the nature and the outdoor activities.
The nearest airports are Tromsø (175 km), Kittilä (265 km) and Kiruna (280 km).
A shared transfer from Tromsø (city centre or airport) costs 400 euros per person. A private transfer from Tromsø, Kittilä or Kiruna costs from 675 euros per trip.
There is a large free outdoor car park with engine block heater posts. Two charging points are located in front of the hotel. Charging costs 20 euros per session.
A small hotel for those who travel to Lapland for nature and peace and quiet, not village life. The rooms are simple and light, the restaurant cooks with regional produce, and the sauna with views of Saana is a good way to end a day outdoors. Thanks to its location on the edge of the tundra, you can walk straight into the wilderness, and you can see the Northern Lights from the hotel.
