If you’re heading to the mountains this season but looking for something a bit more exciting than a hotel or bed & breakfast, you can now book a night or two in igloo accommodations scattered across the French Alps and Pyrénées.
The igloos range from fairly basic snow structurs to ones that feature dinner, bars, and lively nightlife. All that under the relative isolation of a night on the mountain side.
Here are 5 companies that offer 9 igloo accommodations.
An Alpine Igloo
Undiscovered Mountains has igloos in the Southern French Alps at the Orcières 1850 ski resort. Located at 2,300 meters up the mountain, the igloos have a sleeping platform that allows warm air to rise to keep visitors comfortable. Guests take the last lift up and then a guide shows them to the igloo for the night. Cost: €565 per night.
Village Igloo
Village Igloo has four locations in the Alps: Val Thorens, Avoriaz, Les Arcs, and La Rosière.
Each site has several igloos that can sleep a combination of 12 people. They are reached by the ski lift. A night includes dinner, a guided snowshoe hike, and the accommodations. There is also a bar and music so expect lively evenings. Cost: €419 per 2 people.
Blacksheep
Blacksheep has two igloo villages: La Plagne and Chamrousse. They offer igloos for two people, for families, or for larger groups. There’s also a “hot” igloo option at Plagne which is more of a tent dome that is heated for people who may not be totally sold on the adventure but still want the views and tranquility. Cost: €189 for two people.
In addition, Blacksheep offers an igloo dinner option at both villages that features local Savoie cooking. Cost: €49 per adult.
Nordic Adventures in the Pyrénées
The Nordic Adventure rents a series of igloos along France’s southern border in the Pyrénées Mountains. The package includes a snowshoe trek, access to their steaming hot Nordic baths, dinner, breakfast, and the gondola ride up. If you don’t have your own thermal sleeping bag, the organizers will furnish one. Cost: €115 per person plus €7 for sleeping bag if needed.
An Igloo Weekend
For a more hardcore winter experience, try Adventurine Rando. Leaving from the Formiguères ski station in the Pyrénées, participants hike out on snowshoes for 3.5 hours. Then they build their own igloo, which takes approximately another 3 hours. Cost: €160 per person.
