Best Winter Tours from Rovaniemi

1. Korouoma Frozen Waterfalls Tour

Korouoma is one of the strongest full-day excursions from Rovaniemi. The canyon lies about 115 km southeast of the city, near Posio, and offers winter hiking beneath large frozen waterfalls. Streams running down its steep rock walls freeze into blue-green columns and curtains of ice, and the walk takes you down into the canyon among them.

Our pick is the Korouoma Canyon Frozen Waterfalls Hike & BBQ: groups of up to eight, thermal overalls and boots supplied, and 4.9/5 from more than 1,600 reviews. It starts at $92 per person. For the full day, from pickup to the drive home, see our Korouoma Canyon day trip guide, and for the hike itself, our Korouoma Canyon in winter hiking guide.

2. Riisitunturi National Park Winter Tour

Riisitunturi is known for spruce trees coated in snow and frost, the shapes Finns nickname snow monsters. Choose Korouoma for canyon scenery and frozen waterfalls; choose Riisitunturi for snow-covered trees and open fell views.

The Riisitunturi Snow Monsters Tour & Campfire BBQ is an eight-hour day with a campfire meal, rated 4.8/5 from more than 150 reviews.

3. Husky Safari

The main difference between products is the amount of actual sledding. Compare the sledding distance or duration and not only the total advertised tour length, because a three-hour tour can include anything from a short ride to a long run across the snow.

The Apukka Husky Adventure, self-driven lets you drive your own team for several kilometres. It runs about three and a half hours and is rated 4.6/5 from more than 1,500 reviews.

4. Reindeer Farm Tour

Reindeer tours are slower and more cultural. Farm-based experiences generally offer more context than very short rides: you hear how herding works, feed the animals and sit in a sleigh behind them.

The Local Reindeer Farm Visit with Sleigh Ride takes about three hours and is rated 4.7/5 from more than 300 reviews.

5. Snowmobile Safari

Snowmobiling is one of the most active winter tours around Rovaniemi. Check sharing arrangements, licence requirements, insurance and children’s arrangements. On a typical tour two adults share one machine, the driver needs a valid car licence, and children ride in a sled pulled behind the guide.

The Snowmobile and Ice Fishing Adventure with Lunch adds ice fishing on a frozen lake and a hot lunch to the ride. It runs five to six hours and is rated 4.8/5 from more than 900 reviews.

6. Northern Lights Tour

The main advantage of a tour is that an operator can monitor cloud cover, weather, road conditions and aurora forecasts, and drive to wherever the sky is clearest that night. No tour can guarantee the Northern Lights. Some offer a free second night or a partial refund if the aurora does not appear; read those terms before you book.

The Northern Lights Tour with Photos runs five to eight hours after dark and is rated 4.8/5 from more than 2,600 reviews.

7. Ranua Wildlife Park Tour

Ranua is one of the easiest longer excursions from Rovaniemi and a good choice for families and Arctic wildlife. The park is about an hour’s drive south, and its residents include polar bears, wolves, lynx and owls.

The Trip to Ranua Zoo with Tickets includes the transfer and park entry, takes about five hours and is rated 4.7/5 from more than 180 reviews.

8. Arctic SnowHotel Tour

The Arctic SnowHotel is rebuilt for winter and can be visited without staying overnight. It works well as an easier half-day experience, with snow rooms, an ice bar and carved ice sculptures to walk through.

The Arctic SnowHotel tour takes about three and a half hours with transfers and is rated 4.5/5 from more than 800 reviews.

9. Icebreaker Tour

Icebreaker excursions normally require a long transfer but offer an unusual Arctic experience. From Rovaniemi you drive to the harbour at Kemi, cruise through the frozen Gulf of Bothnia and, on most tours, float in the icy water wearing a survival suit.

The Icebreaker Sampo Cruise with Ice Floating is a 10- to 11-hour day including the transfer, rated 4.6/5 from more than 240 reviews.

10. Santa Claus Village Tour

Santa Claus Village is close enough that you do not necessarily need a tour, but organised visits are widely available. It sits about 8 km from the city centre, on the Arctic Circle, and a local bus runs there.

If you would like to combine it with animals, the Reindeer, Huskies & Santa Claus Village tour adds a reindeer and a husky ride on the same day. It takes about six hours and is rated 4.6/5 from more than 2,400 reviews.

Best Rovaniemi Winter Tours for First-Time Visitors

Cover three types of experiences: one nature day, one classic winter activity and one evening experience.

• Nature day: Korouoma or Riisitunturi
• Classic winter activity: a husky safari, a reindeer farm or a snowmobile safari
• Evening experience: a Northern Lights tour

Our best day trips from Rovaniemi in winter compares the full-day options by distance and time, and the best Lapland day trips in winter puts them into a four-day itinerary.

Final Thoughts

Choose experiences that are genuinely different from one another. Korouoma works particularly well as the landscape day because it gives you several hours surrounded by canyon walls, snow-covered forest and frozen waterfalls. The ice is at its most reliable from January to March; our month-by-month guide to the Korouoma season explains why, and which Korouoma tour is right for you compares the departures.