Book now

Icebreaker cruise from Tornio and Haparanda

An old icebreaker with a yellow superstructure moored in a frozen harbour, cranes on the far quay

Illustration photo: an icebreaker moored in Saint Petersburg, not one of the ships compared here.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

Book Arktis from Tornio if you want a Kemi cruise at close to the Kemi price, with the bus and free cancellation until a day before. With a car and a passport, the Arctic Explorer cruise from Axelsvik on its own-transport option has the lowest price here. Take Sampo for the longer cruise and the ship tour.

How the operators compare

Prices are the operators' own published starting prices as of the date this guide was updated, and they change through the season.

ArktisSampoPolar ExplorerArctic Explorer
Price €340 €435 €395 €250
Bus from Tornio Included Included Included No, own transport
Sails from Kemi Kemi Axelsvik, Sweden Axelsvik, Sweden
Cruise 3 h 3.5–4 h 3 h 2.5 h
Cancel for free Up to 24 h Up to 24 h No Up to 3 days
Passport or ID Not asked Not asked Required Required

No cell is marked: the lowest price leaves out the bus, so it is not the same trip for less.

Where these figures come from
  • Arktis: A bus from Haparanda and Tornio to Kemi for a three-hour cruise with the floating; meals and exhibitions extra.
  • Sampo: The same bus to Kemi for the longer cruise, with a guided tour of the ship and the exhibitions.
  • Polar Explorer: A bus west across the border to Axelsvik for a three-hour cruise with an audio guide and a film.
  • Arctic Explorer: Your own way to Axelsvik, about 40 km past the border, for a two-and-a-half-hour cruise.

From Tornio and Haparanda both icebreaker harbours are within reach: Kemi to the east, and Axelsvik across the Swedish border to the west.

East to Kemi

The Icebreaking Company sells Arktis with a bus from Haparanda and Tornio for 340 euros, 33 more than from Kemi itself.15 Sampo from Tornio is sold on Viator for 435 euros, as a day of seven to eight hours with the ship tour and the exhibitions.2 Both can be cancelled until a day before.

West to Axelsvik

Polar Explorer Icebreaker sells its Polar Explorer cruise with a bus from Kemi and Tornio for 395 euros, six hours in all, which cannot be cancelled or changed as sold on Viator.3 Its Arctic Explorer cruise is sold for 250 euros if you get yourself to the terminal, which the company puts about 40 kilometres past the Finnish border; that listing can be cancelled until three days before.4 Both Swedish ships need a passport or ID card and let children from 125 centimetres float.

Choosing from Tornio

Arktis is the straightforward booking: the Kemi cruise at close to the Kemi price, with a bus from your door and the easiest cancellation. With a car, the Arctic Explorer is cheaper still, provided the passport is packed. The same ships from other towns are compared in icebreaker cruises compared.

Tours you can book

  • Arctic Explorer from Axelsvik, just over the border, on your own transport

    Run by Polar Explorer Icebreaker

    From €250per person

    Length2.5 h

    Listed on GetYourGuide · Price read Sep 28, 2026

    Book now on GetYourGuide(opens in a new tab)

  • Icebreaker Arktis in Kemi, with a bus from Tornio or Haparanda

    Run by Icebreaking Company

    From €340per person

    Length3 h

    Listed on GetYourGuide · Price read Sep 28, 2026

    Book now on GetYourGuide(opens in a new tab)

  • Polar Explorer from Axelsvik in Sweden, with a bus from Kemi or Tornio

    Run by Polar Explorer Icebreaker

    From €395per person

    Length6 h

    Listed on Viator · Price read Sep 28, 2026

    Book now on Viator(opens in a new tab)

  • Icebreaker Sampo in Kemi, with a bus from Tornio or Haparanda

    Run by Icebreaking Company

    From €435per person

    Length7–8 h

    Listed on Viator · Price read Sep 28, 2026

    Book now on Viator(opens in a new tab)

Questions people ask

Which clock are the times in?

It depends on the ship and the stop. The Kemi listings print every time in Finnish time, including the pickups in Haparanda. The Swedish company prints its cruise times in Swedish time and its Finnish pickups in Finnish time. Sweden is an hour behind Finland, so check which clock a time belongs to before setting an alarm in Haparanda.

How early is the pickup?

For the morning Arktis cruise, the bus calls at Cape East in Haparanda at 06:35, Haparanda Stadshotel at 06:45 and Hotel Olof in Tornio at 06:55, Finnish time, and the listing asks you to wait outside. The Sampo listing asks you to be at the stop five minutes before the time given when you book.

Is there anything to eat?

On Arktis, the breakfast and lunch buffets at the SnowCastle area are sold as extras, so book one with the cruise or eat before the early bus. The Sampo listing names drinks and snacks on board. On the Swedish ships, lunch on Polar Explorer is an optional add-on, and Arctic Explorer has a small café on board.

Written by

Lapland Handbook Staff

Lapland Handbook is written by its editorial staff in Rovaniemi. Every price, age limit and group size in a comparison is read from the operator's own page and marked "Not stated" when the operator does not publish it. Each guide names who should not book, and names the operator that suits each kind of group, whichever it is.

More about Lapland Handbook →