UPDATED FEB 2020. The water was so cold that it winded me. I caught my breath, swam over to the edge and climbed my numb legs up the ladder. Once I was out of the water the breeze outside hit me like a million knives piercing my skin at once. My feet were sore from the numbness but they managed to walk me the few steps over to my tiny sauna towel. Just as I got out, a big smile came across my face and I wanted to do it all again. It was my birthday wish this year to go ice swimming in Helsinki and I was able to do just that at Löyly. Another bucket list check and extraordinary travel experience…well, experienced. I’m sharing all the details here today.
Ice Swimming In Helsinki – Where To Go For An Authentic Finnish Sauna
Disclaimer
There are affiliate links included in this post. This means at no extra cost to you, I earn a commission if you book through the link.
Basic information for ice swimming in Helsinki
Company: Löyly
Location: Helsinki
Time to get there: 25-minute using public transport, 25-minute walk
Cost: €19
Highlights: Sea swimming in the Baltic Sea, smoke sauna, extraordinary travel experience
What to bring:
- Swimsuit
- Water bottle (so you can make sure you hydrate after the sauna – you won’t need it while you’re there)
What is included in the entry:
- 2-hour sauna session
- Locker
- Shampoo and bath soap
- Bath towel
- Sauna towel
The check-in process
It’s best to make a reservation for your sauna visit to secure your spot. Bookings can be made easily online.
Once you check-in, you will receive a locker key, bath towel and sauna towel (which is like a baby towel to sit on in the sauna). All of these are all included in your entry fee.
After you are checked in, you go through to the male or female locker room.
You will be able to secure your belongings in a locker, which is also included in your entry fee.
If you remember my post on geothermal swimming in Iceland, I talked about how hygiene was an important part of the process. Well, it’s very similar to the sauna experience in Finland.
The locker room connects to a shower room, also separated for males and females, and this is where you need to shower before you are ready to sauna.
The authentic Finnish sauna experience
There are two saunas at Löyly – one standard and one smoke.
I have used many saunas before but never a smoke sauna so this was cool to be able to try something new. Although, I have to say breathing in there felt like what I imagine it’s like to be in a bushfire so I preferred the regular sauna.
No matter which you prefer, there are two spacious saunas that you can choose from.
Both males and females share the saunas and you do need to cover your bits with your swimsuit. I packed mine and wore it there, but if you forgot, Löyly has swimsuits for hire.
Fun travel fact: Löyly is a word that defines the sauna steam that comes off the rocks after water is splashed on them.
What it’s like to go ice swimming in Helsinki
There is an open room outside of the sauna with water to drink where you can take a break if need be. Then it’s time to brave the cold to dunk in the seawater.
I have to say it was way more fun than I thought it would be!
Before I got in the water I was so scared of how cold it would be, but it was actually the perfect complement to the sauna.
That bone-numbing cold somehow wakes you up and makes you feel alive again It turned out to be so addictive – after being scared at first, I got in 8 times!
Ice swimming in Helsinki is an incredible experience worthy of a spot on your travel itinerary.
It wasn’t quite ice swimming since the top hadn’t frozen over yet, but it was exhilarating and surely felt like ice. I could really relate to Jack Dawson at the end of Titanic!
If you visit in winter, you will get more ice in your ice swim but no matter when you go it will be cold.
I liked that this is a public sauna suited for tourists who want to get a taste of the Finnish sauna experience. If I went to a local sauna I don’t think I would’ve had the same fun bonding that I got at the Löyly sauna.
It was full of other tourists like me and we were all chatting and talking through our fears of the cold water together which made the experience a lot of fun.
Fun travel fact: The sauna experience is an integral part of Finnish culture. There are an estimated 2 -3 million saunas in Finland – a country with 5.4 million people!
The cafe at Löyly
Need a coffee after all that fun? You’re in luck because Löyly is a complete experience, not just a sauna.
Stop at the cafe for a coffee with a view of that icy water you were just in. You can also take the stairs to the rooftop if you want a better look at the view.
Where to stay in Helsinki
I stayed at Hotel Katajanokka, the former Helsinki county prison which has been turned into a boutique hotel.
The history has been kept alive from the defensive brick wall that surrounds the property to the artifacts displayed throughout the building.
I loved my stay in this cozy hotel. I use Booking.com to book my accommodation when I travel because I can always find a good deal there – to book your stay at Hotel Katajanokka click here.
Here is my full review of the hotel if you would like more information.
For other accommodation options – including other hotels, guesthouses or apartments, click here.
Löyly was a 35-minute walk from the Hotel Katajanokka. Walking in autumnal Helsinki is very pretty, especially through the parks.
How to get to Löyly using public transport
Bus stop (bus 14) that drops you off directly in front of Löyly. You can see the timetable and routes here.
Other things to do in Helsinki
Here is my guide on how to spend a weekend in Helsinki which is full of other things to do during your visit.
For more information:
Reserve your sauna visit on the Löyly website
Stay updated on the Löyly Facebook Page and Instagram
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