9 Winter Activities in Lapland: Which Are Worth It?
Lapland offers a wide range of activities in every season. Some are more adventurous, like riding a snowmobile or ice climbing, while others are slow and relaxing, such as a reindeer sleigh ride or hiking through snow-laden forests. Below are nine winter activities in Lapland from our three trips, plus a bonus: eight we’ve done ourselves and one we keep missing, with what each costs and whether we’d book it again.
👉 Our 5-day Lapland itinerary: how we’d fit the best of these into five days in Rovaniemi.
👉 Rovaniemi with children: the family-friendly versions, with ages and prices.
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What You'll Find In This Post:
Prices are for the 2026–27 winter, checked in October 2026.
Quick Guide: Which Activity Is Right for You?
Here’s a little cheat sheet to help you choose what suits you best, depending on how adventurous you’re feeling, your budget, or whether you’ve got little ones in tow.
📌 Compare all 10 at a glance
Prices per adult, checked October 2026. Tap a name to jump to the details.
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1. Husky Sleigh Ride
How to Get There:
If you’re in Rovaniemi, most husky farms offer pickup from your accommodation.
🌟 Recommended Tour:
Our pick: a husky safari with pickup
You drive your own team for 6–10 km at a family-run farm, in a small group, with transfers from Rovaniemi and a BBQ by the fire. From €219 per person and children from 4 can come along.
Alternative:
For a longer ride: our host Sanna at Sandhill Cottage recommended Bearhill Husky, a family-run kennel just outside Rovaniemi. Its Call of the Wild safari has you driving for about an hour and a half (12–18 km).
This was a highlight of our trips and had to go at the top of the list: we absolutely loved it!
Huskies are intelligent, friendly, surprisingly playful and remarkably strong, capable of running up to 70 kilometres (43.5 miles) a day. They train hard in autumn with their handlers and truly love to run.
During the safari, you actually get to ride and command your own sled and team of huskies. To be fair, though, they know the route by heart: the most you’ll really need to do is slow them down a bit if they get too eager.
Learning the basics is simple, and you’ll get a full safety briefing before the ride.
On most safaris, you share the sled with your partner, and there’s usually a chance to swap drivers halfway through the ride.
If you’re on your own, no worries: you still get to do it, but you’ll pay a bit extra.
There are plenty of husky farms across Lapland. If you’re staying near Rovaniemi, there’s even one, Arctic Circle Husky Park, right next to Santa Claus Village. Rides typically range from short 500 m–2 km testers to longer 10–20 km safaris.
We highly recommend a 10 or 20 km tour: that’s about one to two hours on the sled, long enough to really enjoy it.
Some farms, like Raitola, about 15 km from the centre, offer combination tickets with both a husky ride and a reindeer sleigh ride, often with lunch included, and these combos are good value. Raitola’s half-day experience with lunch was a highlight.
Husky rides are at the more expensive end. A 5 km ride at the husky park by Santa Claus Village is about €85, while a safari of an hour or more is usually €200–250 per person (checked October 2026). Prices also vary with how far you are from the main tourist hubs and whether it’s a small-group tour.
Even if you’re travelling on a budget, we really recommend splurging on this: it’s absolutely worth it.
👉 Day 2 of our 5-day itinerary: a husky safari in the morning, Arktikum in the afternoon.
👉 Husky safaris with kids: ages, prices, and what younger siblings can do instead.
2. Feed the Reindeer on a Reindeer Farm
How to Get There:
Most farms near the tourist hotspots are easy to reach by car or shuttle. If you’re staying in Rovaniemi, most of them are a short drive from the city.
🌟 Recommended Tour:
The reindeer safari at a 200-year-old farm is the one we’d pick.
With more reindeer than people, it’s no surprise that reindeer farms are easy to find in Lapland. The reindeer are semi-wild: they roam freely through the forest in summer and return to the farms in winter, where the farmers make sure they’re well fed.
A visit to a reindeer farm usually includes a guided tour, where you’ll learn things like how each farmer recognises their own reindeer, the chance to feed them (a favourite for photos) and, of course, a sleigh ride.
Sleigh rides vary in length, from 500 m to 5 km. We did a 500 m ride as part of our Raitola combo, and that felt sufficient.
It’s not as exciting as the husky ride, but it comes with a fun surprise: a reindeer driving licence, valid worldwide!
Prices start at around €120–130 per person and go up for longer rides or private tours.
Check dates for the reindeer safari at the 200-year-old farm
👉 Day 3 of our 5-day itinerary: a reindeer farm in the morning, snowmobiles in the afternoon.
👉 Reindeer safaris with kids: the gentlest safari, and the farms that take babies.
3. Snowmobiling on a Frozen Lake
How to Get There:
Tours usually include pickup, or you can drive to the safari base, which is often just outside town. If you’re staying at a resort, it will probably run its own snowmobile safaris, so check with them!
🌟 Recommended Tour:
The tour we did: Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park, who picked us up at the Santa Claus Hotel. Our ride crossed a big frozen lake.
🧑🧑🧒 Family Alternative:
Wild Nordic’s family snowmobile safari: parents drive while the kids ride in a sleigh behind the guide, then the kids drive mini snowmobiles and earn their own driving licence. It’s for kids from 4, at around €160 per adult.
This was always high on my bucket list, and Lapland, with its official snowmobile road network connecting towns and landmarks, is the perfect place to try it.
⚠️ Note: you’ll need a valid driving licence, and alcohol is a strict no-go: it’s legally treated as drink-driving, and the police do random breath checks. Bring the physical licence, as operators usually won’t accept a photo or a digital copy.
Driving a snowmobile is trickier than it looks, but you’ll get the hang of it quickly, especially if you’ve used an ATV before: the dashboard and controls will feel familiar. After a thorough safety briefing, you set off through the Lappish wilderness.
Tours vary in length and cover all kinds of terrain: snowy forests, frozen lakes and even old railway lines. Some include stops for things like ice fishing or a visit to a reindeer or husky farm.
You can choose rides that last one, two or three hours. We did the two-hour version, which was wonderful, although I found it physically tiring by the end, so plan accordingly.
Prices start at around €140 for a two-hour ride.
Check dates for the snowmobile safari we did
👉 Day 3 of our 5-day itinerary: how a snowmobile safari fits around a reindeer farm visit.
👉 Kids’ snowmobiles: the mini track in Santa Claus Village, for ages 4 to 12.
4. Go Hiking or Snowshoe Hiking
How to Get There:
Local hiking areas are easy to reach by car or taxi from Rovaniemi, and guided tours usually include transport. Korouoma is about 1 h 20 min away, so you’ll need a tour or a car: we always compare rental prices on DiscoverCars, and do you need a car in Lapland? weighs it up.
🌟 Recommended Tour:
A guided snowshoe hike to Korouoma’s frozen waterfalls: the closest to our own day there, when our host drove us out and brought the snowshoes.
Alternative:
Or try a guided hike in the Arctic Circle Hiking Area, closer to town.
If your fitness allows it, hike through Lapland’s snowy forests: along with the huskies, it was the best thing we did there. What stays with you is the silence, just the crunch of your boots in the snow as you walk among snow-covered trees.
Lapland is full of beautiful trails. Close to Rovaniemi, the Arctic Circle Hiking Area has several marked routes of different lengths and difficulties. For something more dramatic, take a day trip to the Korouoma frozen waterfalls, slightly farther away but well worth the effort.
Snowshoe hiking: best with a guide
It needs some gear (snowshoes and poles), so it’s best done with a guide who can provide it.
Look for a small-group snowshoe tour that includes the gear.
Guides usually bring snacks and warm berry juice to enjoy around an open fire somewhere along the route. Snowshoeing is easy to learn, and most tours are suitable for beginners. Just make sure there’s enough snow: if you’re visiting early in the season, check with the guide beforehand.
👉 Day 4 of our 5-day itinerary: a full day at Korouoma’s frozen waterfalls, with or without a car.
👉 Kid-friendly winter hikes: short trails near town that work with little ones.
5. Try a Finnish Sauna (and Ice Dip, if You’re Brave)
How to Get There:
Either drive, or check whether pickup is included.
🌟 Recommended Tour:
We haven’t done this one ourselves, since Neva’s was at Apukka (below), but at about half the price, this sauna and ice dip is the one we’d book now: about €80 (checked October 2026).
If there’s one thing Finns take seriously, it’s the sauna: Finland has an estimated two to three million saunas, for 5.6 million people!
Saunas are enjoyed all year round, even in the height of summer, but winter is arguably the best time to try one.
It’s the only season that gives you the chance to do the full ritual: heating up in the sauna, then cooling off with a plunge into a frozen lake.
The contrast is the point: intense heat, then a blast of cold air or, for the bold, an icy dip. You come out refreshed and surprisingly energised.
Many places to stay have their own sauna, but you can also book a proper lakeside experience in a traditional wooden hut, complete with snacks and hot berry juice. If you’re feeling brave, go for the full Finnish ritual: we promise it’s worth it.
How it went for us: I gifted this experience to Neva at Apukka Resort, just outside Rovaniemi, for about €160. She got a short safety intro, and the staff were nearby in case she had any questions or needed anything.
You’re welcomed at a private hut, where the guide walks you through the essentials, and then you’re left to enjoy it on your own. There are a few other huts around, but it still felt peaceful and secluded. You can spend up to two hours relaxing in the heat, stepping outside to cool down in the crisp air, or taking the plunge into the lake if you feel up to it.
Neva ended up loving it. She braved the lake and went in up to her neck, twice! She came back glowing, refreshed and full of energy. If you’re heading to Lapland, this is one experience we wouldn’t skip.
Check dates for the sauna and ice dip
👉 Day 5 of our 5-day itinerary: a slow morning and a lakeside sauna to end the trip.
6. Cross-Country Skiing
How to Get There:
A taxi from the city centre is the most reliable way (about €25 each way). Ounasvaara is a short drive away.
🌟 Recommended Tour:
Book a cross-country skiing lesson if you’ve never done it before.
Another thing I always wanted to try, and there’s no better place than Lapland: the region has hundreds of kilometres of well-maintained trails.
In Rovaniemi, Ounasvaara is a great spot for cross-country skiing, though getting there without a car can be tricky. Public transport is limited, so a taxi (about €25 each way) is your best bet.
There is a bus, though, which we took on the way there. But after skiing for over an hour as complete beginners, we just didn’t feel like waiting forever for the bus back.
Once there, you can rent equipment and hit the tracks if you already know how to ski.
If you’re a beginner, book a private lesson; gear rental is available on site.
Cross-country skiing is quite different from downhill: the skis are narrower and longer, and I found it surprisingly hard to keep my balance, despite being an OK alpine skier.
If cross-country isn’t your thing, Ounasvaara also has downhill slopes and a snow adventure park.
Check dates for the cross-country skiing lesson
7. Ice Skating in the Forest
How to Get There:
Kotatieva is about 15 minutes from Rovaniemi by car or taxi. If you buy your day ticket on Kotatieva’s own site, its free shuttle picks you up in the city centre or at Santa Claus Village.
🎟️ Tickets:
Kotatieva’s day ticket on GetYourGuide lets you cancel for free until 24 hours before or pay later, which helps if a cold snap is forecast. It costs more than on Kotatieva’s own site and doesn’t include the free shuttle, so book there if you’re not driving.
Kotatieva Winter Leisure Park was recommended by one of our hiking guides. Its ice-skating trail winds through the forest instead of circling a rink.
At €59 for adults and €49 for children aged 3–11 (under-3s free), it costs less than most activities on this list, and the day ticket includes a traditional rink, the sledding hill, ice bowling, snowshoes and kick sledges, with all the equipment. It’s open daily from 10am to 5pm, from 5 December to 21 March, snow permitting.
Lunch isn’t included (soup or the burger or pizza of the day, from €14 for adults), but there’s a café and a Lappish hut with an open fire for toasting sausages.
You can also book Kotatieva’s private wood-heated sauna and outdoor hot tub: two hours for your group, from €278, on its own or with the day ticket.
They also run Aurora Skating in the evenings, skating the forest trail after dark. The northern lights aren’t guaranteed, of course.
How it went for us: Three trips, and we still haven’t made it. The first time we heard about Kotatieva too late, at the end of November it hadn’t opened yet for lack of snow, and on our last trip it was too cold. So check the season dates before you plan a day around it.
👉 Kotatieva with kids: skating supports, buggies on the ice and the shuttle times.
👉 Kotatieva’s forest cabins: if you’d rather stay right there.
8. Visit Ranua Wildlife Park
How to Get There:
You can rent a car and drive yourself: the roads are well maintained and it’s a straightforward route. Check out DiscoverCars for prices, and do you need a car in Lapland? weighs it up. Without a car, there’s a day trip from Rovaniemi with transfers.
🎟️ Tickets:
Adults are €24.50 online (€26.50 at the gate) and children aged 4–14 €20. GetYourGuide’s ticket comes with free cancellation; for two or more kids, Ranua’s own family ticket is cheaper.
👉 Our Ranua Zoo guide: getting there by car, bus or day trip, food, and how much time you need.
If you’re travelling with kids, or just love Arctic wildlife, Ranua Wildlife Park is a fantastic day trip from Rovaniemi.
It’s basically a zoo, yes, but one set in the middle of a snowy forest, and it feels more like a walk through nature than your usual animal park.
You’ll see polar bears, lynx, Arctic foxes, owls and even wolverines, all species that live (or once lived) in this part of the world.
The park is open all year, but we really enjoyed it in winter, with everything covered in snow and the animals more active in the cold.
Check dates for Ranua’s ticket
9. Snow Hotel — Is It Worth It? Yes, but Manage Your Expectations
How to Get There:
It’s about a 30-minute drive from Rovaniemi. If you don’t have a car, they offer shuttles and visiting packages that include transport from Rovaniemi, so it’s easy to get there without your own wheels. The snow hotel itself opens for the 2026–27 season on 15 December.
🌟 Recommended Tour:
The Snow Hotel visit with transfer: return transport from Rovaniemi, a short guided tour and time to look around on your own. Dinner isn’t included, which suits us, since we wouldn’t eat there again.
We also visited the famous Snow Hotel, and while it was definitely interesting to see, we’re a bit on the fence about recommending it. The structure itself is impressive: everything is carved from ice and snow, from the rooms to the bar to the dining tables and even the SAUNA. But for us, the experience didn’t quite live up to the hype.
We ate dinner there, and honestly, it was underwhelming. The food was forgettable, and it felt like we were mostly paying for the novelty of being cold while eating.
The one cool (literally) thing? My beer stayed cold for the entire meal, thanks to the constant -5°C (23°F) inside.
The ice bar was fun for a quick look and a drink, but overall, the whole thing felt like the most tourist-trap-y stop of our trip.
We wouldn’t stay the night, and we wouldn’t eat there again, but if you’ve never seen anything like it, popping in for a short visit and a photo might still be worth your time.
Check dates for the Snow Hotel visit with transfer
👉 A night at the Snow Hotel: if you’re still tempted to sleep there, what it costs and what to expect.
⭐ Bonus: Meet the Big Man Himself
How to Get There:
Santa Claus Village is about 8 km from Rovaniemi and easy to reach by bus (line 8 from the railway station), taxi or shuttle.
And finally, meet Santa Claus. Rovaniemi is his official hometown, after all.
Yes, it’s a bit of a tourist trap, but if you’re already here, why not?
Santa can be found in two places at once: at his official office in Santa Claus Village and at his city centre office.
Meeting him is free, but be prepared for the elves to greet you with photo packages afterwards: €42 for a printed A4 photo, or €57 for downloadable photos and video (checked October 2026).
If you don’t have kids, it’s not essential, but it was still fun exchanging a few words with the man in red.
👉 Our Santa Claus Village guide: the post office, crossing the Arctic Circle and where to eat.
👉 Meeting Santa with kids: wait times, and how to keep little ones happy in the queue.
Planning Lapland with little ones?
We can do the legwork.
We’ll check prices and availability for your dates and put the plan together: where to stay, what to book and what to skip, from parents who’ve done Lapland with a baby and at -32°C!
Plans from $189
Should You Book an Aurora Hunting Experience?
The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are natural light displays caused by charged particles from the sun colliding with the Earth’s atmosphere.
They create glowing waves of green, pink or purple across the night sky, and while they’re breathtaking, they’re also unpredictable.
👉 Insider tip: check the Finnish Meteorological Institute’s aurora forecast for real-time northern lights predictions!
Seeing them depends on a mix of solar activity, clear skies and minimal light pollution.
Aurora hunting by snowmobile is a popular experience, but it’s not without its risks.
First, there’s no guarantee you’ll see the northern lights, no matter what anyone tells you. Second, because it’s dark, you won’t enjoy the snowmobiling part as much.
If you’re staying in Rovaniemi, Arktikum Park is a great spot to see the aurora for free, with no booking needed.
👉 Our advice: don’t book your tour in advance. Aurora predictions are only reliable a few days out, so booking weeks ahead is like shooting in the dark.
Thankfully, most operators accept same-day bookings, so you can stay flexible.
👉 Aurora hunting: forecasts, free spots in town, and when a tour is worth it.
👉 Northern lights with kids: what worked with our son, without late-night tours.
What to Expect from Winter in Lapland
Whatever you book, it’s good to know what you’re signing up for weather-wise. Winter in Lapland is beautiful, but intense.
In December and January, you’ll only get a few hours of daylight, but don’t worry, it’s not pitch black. The light in those hours is soft, with pinks and blues hanging over the snow-covered forests (that famous “blue hour” glow).
Temperatures can drop well below -20°C (-4°F), especially at night, so layering properly is key: think thermal underwear, fleece and a good insulated outer shell. Our guide to dressing for Lapland goes through each layer.
Most tour companies provide overalls and boots for the activities, but make sure you come prepared, especially for the in-between moments.
Can You Do the Activities Without a Car?
You can enjoy most of these activities without renting a car, which is a good thing, because driving in deep snow and total darkness isn’t for everyone.
Many husky, reindeer and snowmobile tours offer pickup from central Rovaniemi or Santa Claus Village. Many resorts also run these experiences in-house, so you can do them without leaving your hotel.
For places a bit further out, like Ounasvaara, taxis are your best bet, although they aren’t cheap (think about €25 one way). Kotatieva runs its own free shuttle for day-ticket holders.
If you’re planning several excursions, check whether transfers are included, since a lot of providers bundle them into the price, and whether any offer combo packages, such as husky and reindeer together.
Renting a car: we compare prices on DiscoverCars, which lists the big brands and local companies at Rovaniemi airport side by side.
👉 Do you need a car in Lapland? Both ways compared, what a rental costs this winter, and our winter driving tips.
Handy Resources for Your Trip
These are a few links we found really helpful, both while planning and during our trips, and we ended up using them more than once on the road.
Final Thoughts: Which Winter Activities Are Worth It?
If you can only splurge on one thing, make it the huskies: driving your own team through the forest is still what we’d tell anyone to spend money on. After that, go hiking, which costs nothing and was the other highlight of our trips, and try a sauna with an ice dip if you’re brave. Snowmobiling is great fun if it’s on your bucket list, and Ranua is a great day out with kids.
What we’d skip: dinner at the Snow Hotel, and an aurora tour booked weeks ahead. Pop into the Snow Hotel for a look if you’re curious, and decide on an aurora tour on the day, once you’ve seen the forecast.
👉 Read next:
- 5-Day Lapland Itinerary: What We’d Do Again in Rovaniemi: where each of these fits into five days.
- Rovaniemi with Children: 9 Things Kids Love (and What They Cost): the kid-friendly versions, with ages and prices.
- Day Trips from Rovaniemi: Korouoma’s frozen waterfalls, the amethyst mine at Luosto and more.
FAQ: Winter Activities in Lapland
What is the best time to visit Lapland for winter activities?
The ideal time is from mid-November to mid-March, when most winter safaris are running, although early in the season there may not be enough snow: in late November 2024 there wasn’t enough for husky rides. December is popular for the Christmas season, but February and March offer longer daylight hours and more comfortable temperatures.
Can I see the northern lights in Lapland?
Yes! Lapland is one of the best places in the world to see the northern lights. The season runs from late August to early April, and your chances are usually best around September–October and February–March. More in our aurora hunting section.
Do I need to book tours in advance?
For most activities like husky rides and snowmobiling, booking a few days ahead is enough, though in December and early January it’s worth booking husky rides earlier. For aurora tours, it’s best to book last-minute: check the weather and aurora forecasts one or two days ahead before committing.
What should I wear for winter activities in Lapland?
Dress in layers: thermal underwear, a fleece or wool mid-layer, and a waterproof, windproof outer layer. Most tour operators provide thermal overalls and boots, especially for husky rides and snowmobiling. More in our guide to dressing for Lapland.
Are the tours suitable for children?
Yes, many tours (especially reindeer and husky safaris) are family-friendly. Check the age and height requirements: the husky safari we’d book takes children from 4, and on snowmobile safaris only adults with a driving licence can drive, while kids ride in a sled behind the guide. Ages and prices for each activity are in Rovaniemi with children.
Is Lapland expensive?
Yes, it can be: snowmobile safaris start at around €130–140 and husky safaris are nearer €200 per person. That said, there are free or budget-friendly options too, like hiking, Arktikum Park for aurora viewing, or visiting Santa Claus Village. What our trips really cost is in Lapland on a budget.
Do I need a car in Lapland?
Not necessarily, especially if you stay in Rovaniemi. But if you’re planning trips further out (like Korouoma or Ranua), renting a car gives you more flexibility. We’ve done it both ways: do you need a car in Lapland?
Is the sauna experience really for everyone?
If you’re unsure, try it anyway. Even Neva was hesitant at first, and she ended up going into the frozen lake twice, up to her neck.
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