Snowmobiling in Rovaniemi: the best agencies and tours

In Finnish Lapland, snowmobiling isn’t a hobby or a tourist thing. It’s a genuine way of getting around, a bit like bikes in Amsterdam, for example. Just with snow.

You’ve got roads for cars, but alongside them there are snowmobile trails pretty much everywhere, with their own signs and their own network. Out there you’ll see people doing their shopping by snowmobile, or picking the kids up from school that way, for example.

And unlike Norway and especially Tromsø, there are loads of options, though to be fair it’s a touch flatter!

Right, what you want to know is whether you can do it, who with, and under what conditions.

But first, you should know that to drive a snowmobile, you need a driving licence. Not to ride as a passenger, thankfully 🙂

The short snowmobile taster

This is the tour for trying out snowmobiling. Not the most popular tour, but the quick one. It lasts under an hour, usually 30 to 45 min, which gives you a nice easy little ride, you don’t suffer from the cold and it’s not expensive, so it’s a good compromise.

Here are the agencies that offer this option:

• Wild Nordic
• Sunny Safari Finland
• Access Lapland
• Santa Claus Safaris (with Santa’s elves!)

The classic 1 to 1.5-hour tour

This is THE classic option, the one almost every agency in Rovaniemi offers. Allow about 3 hours in total (transfer, kit, safety briefing), including 1 to 1.5 hours on the snowmobile. Enough to get the hang of it and enjoy the forest and the frozen lakes, without ending up frozen yourself! Budget-wise, it’s between 89 and 120 € per person, sharing a snowmobile between two (you swap places at the break).

Watch out for tour titles: when they say “2 hours” or “3 hours”, that’s often the total time, not the time spent at the handlebars. Always check the driving time in the description.

Agencies offering this option :

• Arctic GM (brand-new snowmobiles, on private trails)
• Wild about Lapland
• Safartica
• Snowride Lapland (8 people max)
• Nordic Unique Travels (can be combined with reindeer or huskies)

The long version: 2 hours of snowmobiling

With two hours at the handlebars, you really get away from town and have time to build up some confidence (and a bit of speed!). If you want to make the most of snowmobiling, this is the option I recommend. Allow 124 to 165 € in a group, and quite a bit more in a small group or private. The downside: more time outside, so wrap up well under the suit the agency provides.

For tours of about 2 hours:

• Wild Nordic (departs opposite Santa Claus Village)
• Safartica (with an evening around a campfire)
• Wild about Lapland (private option available)
• PolarMax Adventures (small groups, away from the busy trails, English-speaking guide)
• Arctic Attitude (private tour)

A half-day of snowmobiling in Rovaniemi

• Wild Nordic (with lunch at a restaurant)
• Wild Nordic (the adults-only version)
• Safartica (out to the Arctic SnowHotel, with a salmon lunch)
• Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park

A full day of snowmobiling

• Safartica (4 to 5 hrs of driving, campfire soup)
• Wild about Lapland (lunch in a kota)
• Arctic Lifestyle (6 hrs of driving)
• Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park
• Wild Nordic (about 120 km, everyone on their own snowmobile)

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Snowmobiling combined with another activity

Snowmobiling + ice fishing

• Safartica (about 3 hrs of driving, with lunch)
• Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park
• Apukka Resort (1.5 hrs of snowmobiling, campfire on the lake)
• StayLapland
• Arctic Attitude (private tour)

Snowmobiling + seeing reindeer

• Safartica
• Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park
• SkyView Igloo (you feed the reindeer)
• Lapland Welcome
• Safartica (plus Santa Claus Village, over a full day)

Snowmobiling + huskies (and reindeer)

• Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park (huskies, reindeer and snowmobile)
• StayLapland (5 km husky sled ride, salmon soup)
• StayLapland (the full version, with reindeer)
• Pure Lapland (small group)

Snowmobiling under the northern lights

• Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park (with a campfire)
• Arctic GM (brand-new snowmobiles)
• Wild about Lapland (small group)

FAQ – all your questions about snowmobiling in Rovaniemi

Do you need a licence to go snowmobiling in Rovaniemi?

To drive, yes. Every agency asks for a licence valid in Finland, and a standard car licence (category B) is enough. Remember to bring the original (some agencies, like Wild Nordic, won’t accept a photo or the digital version). Without a licence you can still take part, but as a passenger, sitting behind the driver!

How old do you have to be to drive a snowmobile?

Finnish law allows you to drive from 15, but most agencies in Rovaniemi set the bar at 18 (and even 20 at PolarMax). If you’re travelling with a 15–17-year-old who’s dreaming of taking the handlebars, check the conditions carefully before booking: it’s the exception rather than the rule.

Does everyone get their own snowmobile?

Not by default. Tours are two to a snowmobile, and you swap places halfway. If you want to drive the whole time, take the “single driver” option: allow 50 to 60 € extra depending on the agency. Some long outings, like Wild Nordic’s full day, are actually solo only.

Are children allowed?

Yes, and it’s actually very well organised! Children sit in a sled pulled by the guide’s snowmobile (often covered, sometimes heated). The minimum age varies by agency, usually between 2 and 4. From 1.40 m tall, a child can sit behind the driver, but then pays the adult price.

Be aware that some outings are adults only. And if your kids really want to drive, Apukka runs an outing with mini snowmobiles their size (with huskies and reindeer thrown in).

Will they pick me up from my hotel, or do I need a car?

No need for a car! The vast majority of agencies include pick-up from your hotel or from a meeting point in the centre, at Santa Claus Village or at Ounasvaara. If you’re staying in an Airbnb, the agency will tell you the nearest pick-up point.

There are a few exceptions. With Arctic GM, for example, you meet at their office in the town centre, then it’s a 40-minute coach ride to the trails. Check the “pick-up” line carefully when you book, especially if you’re staying outside the centre of Rovaniemi.

Is it hard to drive a snowmobile?

Honestly, no. A snowmobile is a thumb throttle, a brake on the handlebar, and no gears to change. The guide gives a briefing of about 30 minutes before setting off, then adapts the pace to the group. For the first few minutes you’ll probably grip the handlebars a bit hard (that’s normal!), but it comes quickly.

How long do you actually drive for?

This is THE trap when comparing tours: the advertised duration is the total time, including transfer and kit. An outing billed as “3 hours” usually includes 1 to 1.5 hours of snowmobiling. Always check the driving time in the description.

What should you wear for a snowmobile outing?

Agencies provide all the extreme-cold gear: thermal suit, boots, gloves or mittens, balaclava, helmet and often wool socks. All you need to bring is good base layers (thermal, fleece), and avoid cotton. On a snowmobile you don’t move much, and the wind from the speed chills you fast!

How much does a snowmobile outing in Rovaniemi cost?

Allow (2026 prices, sharing a snowmobile):

• 89 to 120 € for the classic outing (1 to 1.5 hours of driving)
• 124 to 165 € for about 2 hours of driving
• 183 to 257 € for a half-day
• 255 to 390 € for a full day
• from around 340 € for a private outing

What happens if I damage the snowmobile?

Good question, because it’s rarely flagged up: the driver is liable for damage. At Wild Nordic, the excess is 900 € per accident, brought down to 200 € if you take their 20 € insurance. At Lapland Safaris, it can go up to 980 €. Read the agency’s terms, and check what your travel insurance or bank card covers.

Can you have a drink before driving?

No. A snowmobile is a motor vehicle, and the alcohol limit is the same as for a car in Finland (0.5 g/l). Agencies will actually turn away participants who’ve been drinking. Save the mulled wine for afterwards!

Is it advised against in some cases?

Yes. Agencies advise against snowmobiling for pregnant women, because of the vibrations on the trails, and for people with back problems. If in doubt, ask your doctor before booking.

When can you go snowmobiling in Rovaniemi?

It all depends on the snow, but agencies generally run their outings from December to early April. In December and January the days are very short, and the afternoon outing often takes place as night is already falling.

Can you see the northern lights on a snowmobile?

Yes, several agencies offer night outings, with a stop around a campfire to watch the sky. Bear in mind that the northern lights are never guaranteed. If they’re your priority, also take a look at the best northern lights agencies in Rovaniemi.

Snowmobile or dog sled: which should you choose?

They’re two very different experiences. Snowmobiling is about the feeling of driving and the distance you cover. The sled is about silence and contact with the dogs. If you can’t decide, there are combos that do both! And for the kennels, I’ve gone into all the detail in my article on dog sledding in Rovaniemi.

What else is there to do in Rovaniemi

Obviously I talk about this a lot in the main article on Rovaniemi, covering both activities and practical info. Because there really is loads to do here! It is the capital of Finnish Lapland after all, everything’s set up for you to make the most of it.

The essentials, in my view, are:

• seeing the northern lights of course
• going dog sledding, another age-old activity of Lapland’s first peoples
• seeing reindeer and going on a sleigh ride
• and seeing Santa, naturally!

There are fun things too, like going ice karting. Never done that one, but I’ve got a feeling I’m going to love it!

Conclusion and more resources on Finnish Lapland

And there you go, now you know everything! Yes, snowmobiling is a big, big classic here in Finnish Lapland, and not just in Rovaniemi. And, like dog sledding, it’s guaranteed to give you a real thrill (even if a snowmobile is less cuddly than a big doggo).

So I recommend you do it, especially if you’ve never tried it, as it’s not particularly expensive. Just check you’ve got your driving licence, but honestly, yes, go for it 🙂

Here are some more resources to help you plan your trip to Finnish Lapland, and Rovaniemi in particular:

• Plan your trip to Rovaniemi – all the essential info, activities, itineraries
• Staying in a hotel or cottage in Rovaniemi – the best places, the most secluded ones, seeing the northern lights from your bed, I tell you everything!
• Going dog sledding in Rovaniemi – here are the best kennels and the traps to avoid
• Getting from Rovaniemi airport to the town centre – by bus, car, taxi, here are all the options
• Which northern lights guide to choose in Rovaniemi – avoid the traps, pick the safe bets and the good agencies

And on Finnish Lapland too!

• Discovering Finnish Lapland
• The best activities to do in Finnish Lapland
• Sleeping in an igloo made of glass
• The map of Finnish Lapland you can’t do without
• Which ski resort to go to in Finnish Lapland