Reindeer Farms and Sleigh Rides in Rovaniemi: A Local Guide

Short answer: a reindeer farm visit from Rovaniemi takes about 3-3.5 hours including pickup. You meet the herd on a real farm in the forest, sit in a wooden sleigh pulled by a reindeer, and warm up with hot drinks while your hosts talk about life with reindeer. Our two tours start at 109€ per adult; the longer one has a 2.5 km sleigh ride of 30 to 40 minutes.

What happens on a reindeer farm visit?

A reindeer tour from Rovaniemi, whether it is called a farm visit, a sleigh ride or a reindeer safari, usually has four parts: the drive out, meeting the herd, the sleigh ride and hot drinks with stories. On our Reindeer Farm Visit & Long Sleigh Ride it goes like this:

1. Warm gear. We pick you up in Rovaniemi and stop at our office in the centre, where you put on a thermal outer suit, boots and gloves.
2. The farm. We drive to Sieriporo, an authentic, historic reindeer farm hidden in the forest. Your guide shows you around, and you see the reindeer up close.
3. The ride. You sit under warm blankets in a traditional wooden sleigh while a reindeer pulls you 2.5 km through the forest in 30 to 40 minutes, roughly walking pace.
4. Stories and treats. In the warm main house, local herders talk about reindeer husbandry over hot drinks, cookies and a fresh bun, and you receive your Reindeer Driving License.

The whole tour takes about 3.5 hours. Our Reindeer Farm & Ride takes about 3 hours with hotel pickup in central Rovaniemi: you meet the herd, your local host shares the traditions of Sámi reindeer herding, and you take a peaceful sleigh ride through the snowy forest before hot drinks by the fire. Its page does not state a ride length.

Which of our two reindeer tours should you book?

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

The long ride is not wheelchair accessible and not recommended for people with back problems or heart conditions. Both tours have free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.

How does reindeer herding work in Finland?

The reindeer of Lapland are semi-domesticated, not wild: they graze freely across the northern third of Finland, and every owner marks the calves with their own earmark. The figures below come from the Reindeer Herders' Association (Paliskuntain yhdistys), based in Rovaniemi:

• Area: 122,936 km², or 36% of Finland, including almost all of Lapland and Rovaniemi. Reindeer may graze there regardless of who owns the land.
• Herd: 179,509 live reindeer at the end of the 2024-2025 herding year, below the maximum allowed number of 203,700.
• Owners: 4,197 in 2024-2025, organised in 54 herding cooperatives. One person may own at most 500 reindeer.
• Earmarks: around 12,000 in use, built from 21 basic cuts in the ears. The Association approves new earmarks and keeps the register.
• The herding year starts on 1 June. Calves are born mostly in May and earmarked in June and July. Round-ups, where each reindeer's earmark is recorded and animals for slaughter are separated, run from the end of September into midwinter. In winter reindeer dig through more than a metre of snow for food, and herders feed them when necessary.

Is a reindeer farm near Rovaniemi a Sámi experience?

Not in itself: Rovaniemi lies outside the Sámi homeland, and in Finland both Sámi and Finnish families herd reindeer. According to the Reindeer Herders' Association, the Sámi started herding in the late Middle Ages and Finnish settlers adopted it early on. The Sámi homeland, defined in the Finnish constitution, covers Enontekiö, Inari, Utsjoki and part of Sodankylä, well north of Rovaniemi.

Our Reindeer Farm & Ride page says the local host shares the traditions of Sámi reindeer herding; the farm itself is in the Rovaniemi area. If meeting Sámi people is your main goal, the Sámi Parliament's visitor guidance recommends services that come from within the Sámi community.

When is the best time for a reindeer sleigh ride?

Sleigh rides need snow, so our reindeer tours run from November to April. According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, Lapland is snow-covered for more than half of the year, and the snow is usually deepest from mid-March to early April. Its 1991-2020 normals for Rovaniemi airport give a daily mean of −7.7 °C in December, −10.3 °C in January and February and −5.6 °C in March. Visit Rovaniemi notes that farm visits are also possible in summer, but the ride through snowy forest is a winter activity.

What should you wear for a sleigh ride?

Dress for sitting still: in the sleigh you hardly move for 30 to 40 minutes, so warm feet and hands matter most. Wear three layers (merino or synthetic base, fleece or wool mid layer, windproof insulated outer layer), wool socks, a warm hat, a neck gaiter and mittens. The Long Sleigh Ride includes a thermal suit, boots and gloves; for the Farm & Ride, bring your own or rent a winter clothing set in Rovaniemi from 39€ a day. More in our packing list for Lapland tours.

How do you choose a good reindeer farm?

Choose a farm run by people who herd all year, ask how long the ride really is, and look for calm animals and small groups. This is our advice:

• Ask who runs it. A herding family can answer questions about earmarks, round-ups and winter feeding, and the Association says most farm hosts are authentic herders.
• Ask for kilometres or minutes. "Sleigh ride" can mean a short loop or a long ride, and tour times include transfers.
• Watch the animals. Calm reindeer, space to move and a handler who sets a steady pace are good signs.
• Prefer small groups: less waiting, and less noise around the animals.
• Be careful with costumes. The Sámi Parliament's guidance says private persons do not wear Sámi dress for tourists, and calls the use of Sámi elements without a real connection to the Sámi community exploitation of Sámi culture.

Herders share these concerns: the Association's 2024-2025 review warns that real experiences risk being buried under trinkets and mass production.

Reindeer, husky or snowmobile: which should you choose?

Choose reindeer for a calm ride where you sit back, huskies to drive a sled yourself, and a snowmobile for speed. Look at the time on the trail, not only the tour length:

Snowmobile drivers need a car driving licence (category B) and must be at least 18; see our snowmobile safari guide and all our winter activities. A reindeer visit by day and an aurora hunt in the evening fit into one day. Our group Northern Lights tour costs 59€, the small-group tour 149€ and the private tour 1800€ per group of 1-8; on all three, if the guide cannot photograph you with the Northern Lights during the hunt, the tour is refunded in full. Compare them on our Northern Lights tours page, plan a package with the trip builder or follow our 3-day winter itinerary. Santa Claus Village has reindeer operators nearby too; see our honest Santa Claus Village guide.

How should you behave around reindeer?

Stay calm and quiet, follow the herder's instructions and let the reindeer come to you. The first two points come from the Sámi Parliament and the Reindeer Herders' Association; the rest is our advice.

• Never frighten or chase a reindeer. The Sámi Parliament notes that frightening reindeer is prohibited by law: they are semi-wild, scare easily and may rush to escape.
• Keep your distance during the autumn rut, as the Association advises, and drive slowly: it warns there are always reindeer on the roads in the herding area.
• Feed only what the herder gives you, never bread or snacks.
• Mind the antlers, and do not approach a reindeer from behind.
• Keep voices low, switch off the flash and stay in the sleigh until it stops.

Sources: Reindeer Herders' Association (Paliskuntain yhdistys): Reindeer brochure (2020), Porotalouden tilastokatsaus 2024-2025 (statistical review, in Finnish), reindeer herding, the husbandry year, cooperatives, reindeer tourism and reindeer on the roads; Sámi Parliament, guidance for visitors; Sámi homeland (Finland) on Wikipedia; Finnish Meteorological Institute, snow statistics and 1991-2020 normals for Rovaniemi airport (from the Rovaniemi climate table on Wikipedia); Visit Rovaniemi, reindeer sleigh rides and farm visits. Tour details from our tour pages. Checked October 2026.

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