Icebreaker Sampo

A majestic vessel, Arctic Icebreaker Sampo takes you on a truly unique cruise; the thundering sound of more than 3 500 tons of steel crushing the thick ice of the Gulf of Bothnia leaves even the most seasoned seafarers awestruck.

Operational since the early Sixties, Sampo ploughed open the frozen seas of Finland for trade vessels for 25 years before ending up as a tourist attraction in the northern port town of Kemi in 1987. The colossal clash between the massive bulk of steel and the thick coat of ice is an extreme experience not to be missed!

You’ll get a guided tour of the ship complete with visits to the engine room and the captain’s bridge, but THE thing to do is to swim in the frozen sea. Rather than swimming, the best way to enjoy the icy pool is to float still near the stern of the icebreaker and enjoy the colours of Finland: the blue of the sky and the white of the ice.

To add to your experience why not snowmobile to and from the ship itself across the frozen sea?

This trip can be done from Kemi, Rovaniemi or even Lulea in Swedish Lapland.