Husky, Reindeer or Snowmobile in Rovaniemi: Which Should You Pick?

Short answer: pick huskies if you want to drive a sled yourself (5 km 179€, 10 km 209€), reindeer if you want a calm ride where you sit back and listen (109€ or 169€), and a snowmobile if you want engine power and about an hour on the trail (from 115€, drivers 18 or older with a car licence). All three run on snow from November to April, by day, so any of them fits before an evening aurora hunt.

We run seven of these tours from Rovaniemi: two husky safaris, two reindeer tours and three snowmobile tours. Prices are per adult unless a child price is given.

Husky, reindeer or snowmobile: the quick verdict

The real differences are who drives, how long you spend on the trail, and the rules for children and drivers.

Compare time on the trail, not only tour length: on a 5-hour husky safari you drive for 10 to 45 minutes, and the transfer, lesson and kota break fill the rest. A snowmobile gives you the most time moving, the long reindeer ride the most time sitting still, so dress for cold hands and feet.

Husky safari: 5 km or 10 km?

Choose the 10 km safari for real time on the runners and pickup from your accommodation, and the 5 km safari for a shorter, lower-priced first taste with more departure times.

Both take about 5 hours and include thermal winter clothing, a short driving lesson, a warm kota break with hot drinks and time with the dogs, with a guide in English and Spanish. For 30€ more, the 10 km safari runs at the kennel we co-own in Jokela and gives you roughly two to three times as long on the sled. If you hope for hours on the runners, neither safari is an expedition. The 10 km safari is not wheelchair accessible and is not recommended for pregnant travellers or for people with back problems or heart conditions.

Book the 5 km husky safari or the 10 km husky safari from our kennel in Jokela, or read our husky safari guide for how to drive a sled and how to judge a kennel.

Reindeer: Farm & Ride or the long sleigh ride?

Choose the Long Sleigh Ride for a stated 2.5 km ride with winter clothing included, and the Reindeer Farm & Ride for a shorter, lower-priced farm visit.

Nobody sits on a reindeer's back: on both tours you ride in a sleigh. On the long ride, infants sit on your lap and strollers are fine, but it is not wheelchair accessible and is not recommended for people with back problems or heart conditions. On the Farm & Ride you sit still in your own clothes, so dress warmly or rent a set.

A tour is not always the best choice. If you are at Santa Claus Village anyway and only want to see reindeer briefly, reindeer operators have their own bases near the Village. And Rovaniemi lies outside the Sámi homeland, so if meeting Sámi people is your main reason, our reindeer farm guide explains what to look for. Book the Reindeer Farm & Ride or the Reindeer Farm Visit & Long Sleigh Ride.

Snowmobile: 1-hour, family or ice fishing?

Choose the 1-hour tour to learn to drive, the family safari if you travel with young children, and the ice fishing tour for a longer outing with a campfire meal; on all three, every driver must be at least 18 with a valid category B (car) licence.

Twin driving means two people share a snowmobile and take turns. Without a licence you ride as a passenger. On the family safari, bring the physical licence card, because digital copies are not accepted. Our rule is stricter than Finnish law: according to Traficom, you may drive a snowmobile from the age of 15, and the driver and the passenger must both wear helmets, which we provide on all three tours.

Book the Snowmobile 1 Hour Tour, the Family Snowmobile Safari with a heated children's sleigh or the snowmobile and ice fishing tour, or read our snowmobile safari guide for wind chill, safety and the licence rules.

Which is best for toddlers, teenagers, seniors and first-timers?

Reindeer suit toddlers and anyone who would rather sit than drive, the family snowmobile safari suits young children, teenagers pay adult prices and cannot drive a snowmobile, and all seven tours are graded easy for first-timers.

Travelling while pregnant? The 10 km husky safari is not recommended during pregnancy, and the family snowmobile safari not from the fourth month. Whatever your age, tell us before booking about any condition that may affect your safety.

Can you do two in one day?

Yes: the easiest pair is a morning reindeer tour and an afternoon snowmobile ride, while a husky safari takes about 5 hours and leaves room for only one short tour after it.

• Reindeer, then snowmobile. The long sleigh ride leaves at 08:45 or 09:45 and takes about 3.5 hours; the 1-hour and family snowmobile tours run several times a day, until 20:00 and 19:30.
• Huskies, then snowmobile. The 10 km husky safari leaves at 08:30 and takes about 5 hours, which leaves the later afternoon for a snowmobile departure.
• Ice fishing on its own. Pickup is between 09:00 and 11:00 and the tour takes 4-5 hours.

Plan for daylight and margin. In mid-December the sun is up only from about 10:58 to 13:26, so an afternoon ride runs in twilight or after dark; in mid-February it rises at about 08:28 and sets at about 16:35. Tour lengths include transfers and are approximate. On Build your trip a local guide fits the timings for you and replies with a day-by-day plan and one price.

How do you fit one with an aurora night?

Do the day tour in the morning or early afternoon, rest and eat, then join the hunt: our small-group tour picks you up around 18:00 and the group tour leaves Rovakatu 19 at 19:30 or 20:00.

The hunt runs late: the group tour lasts 4-6 hours, and most small-group nights end between midnight and 02:00. On the morning after a hunt, choose a later start, such as the 11:00 departure of the 10 km husky safari or the 13:45 long sleigh ride. Winter clothing is not provided on the Northern Lights tours, so if you did not pack Arctic layers, rent a winter clothing set in Rovaniemi for 39€ for 1 day or 54€ for 2 days.

Our 59€ group aurora tour and our small-group aurora tour with pickup (149€) both drive to the clearest sky, and if your guide cannot photograph you with the Northern Lights during the hunt, the tour is refunded in full. Compare our three Northern Lights tours, or see how a husky day and two aurora nights fit together in our 3-day Rovaniemi winter itinerary.

Whichever tour you pick, every Polar Lapland aurora hunt comes with the 100% money-back Aurora Guarantee: no photo of you with the Northern Lights, full refund.

Sources: prices, times, ages and rules from our own tour pages and FAQ, October 2026; sunrise and sunset times from our December and February guides. Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), Snowmobiler: do you know the rules? (driving age 15 under Finnish law, helmets for driver and passenger), checked October 2026.

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