The 15 Best Wilderness Tours in Lapland

1.Small-Group Northern Lights Wilderness Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 1,515 reviews · 4 hours · from $136Our pick

Leave Rovaniemi with an English-speaking Aurora guide and up to seven other guests. Travel to as many as three dark wilderness spots, warm up by a fire with sausages, bread, marshmallows, and hot chocolate, and receive professional Aurora photos the next day.

“Carlos delivered an unforgettable Northern Lights hunting experience. His expertise, passion, and dedication ensured we found the perfect spot to witness the breathtaking aurora. He provided insightful commentary, kept us comfortable in the cold, and made the journey as magical as the lights themselves. Highly recommend for anyone seeking a once-in-a-lifetime adventure!”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Guided Wilderness Snowmobile Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 741 reviews · 2 hours · from $121

You’ll learn to handle a snowmobile, gear up in thermal clothing, then ride for about an hour through snowy forest trails outside Rovaniemi. Guides such as Emily, Jeremy, Vero, and Thibault are praised for clear instruction and friendly help. Two people share one snowmobile unless you pay the €60 single-driving supplement.

“The entire event was truly wonderfully organized. From pick-up to drop-off, we felt well-cared for. The ride was pure pleasure. The ride duration (approximately two hours) was very well-timed. The experience was well worth the money. I especially thank our guide (Tibou), who showed great empathy and commitment. Highly recommended. 5/5”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Guided Wilderness Snowmobile Safari & Barbeque

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 622 reviews · from $124

Meet at Valtakatu 26 for a small-group snowmobile safari on private lakefront property outside Rovaniemi. After safety training, you’ll drive for about an hour, often in two 30-minute turns, with photo stops and a fire-side barbecue. Guides such as Roman, Jeremy, and MG help keep the ride safe and relaxed.

“We did the snowmobile with Arctic GM and it was just amazing! The tour is super well organized, they pick you up on your location, they offer clothes and equipments. The location of the activity is just wonderful and the guys are very nice. Special thanks to our driver from Talin with his amazing playlist, and Max our French guide for the snowmobile. Super recommended.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Northern Lights Wilderness Small-Group Tour from Rovaniemi

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 290 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $155

Leave Rovaniemi with an English-speaking Aurora guide and a group of up to eight. Your driver follows weather and solar forecasts to try up to three wilderness locations, then builds a traditional fire and serves hot drinks, Finnish snacks, and possibly sausage. Photos arrive by download link the next day.

“My family and I had a great experience. Our guide Amy a great guide. We were very fortunate to see the northern lights but wouldn’t have seen them if not for her expertise on where to go as the forecast was calling for cloud coverage.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Snowmobile Safari into the Wilderness

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 254 reviews · 2 hours · from $129

From central Rovaniemi or Santa Claus Village, you’ll travel to Apukka Resort for a 2-hour snowmobile safari. After a safety lesson, two adults share a machine and ride 15 to 30 km through pine forest, frozen marshes, and open wilderness, with a quiet break along the way.

“Absolutely fantastic. So happy we chose Apukka for our snow mobile safari. Proper wilderness safari. Amazing guides super friendly and knowledgable. Equipment super and all snow wear. Allowed to spend the day on resort free snow tubing, roasting marshmallows and seeing horses and reindeer. Excellent trip and company Apukka thank u for wonderful memories”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Wilderness Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 192 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $104Best value

Spend 3.5 hours in Rovaniemi’s forest with an English-speaking guide such as Lola, Eline, or Eneko. Walk easy winter or summer trails, identify animal tracks, learn wilderness fire skills, and enjoy hot drinks with a campfire snack in a group of no more than eight.

“Great experience with the guide, we even got to eat berries from the forest itself. I loved the barbecue in the woods!”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Winter Wilderness Snowshoeing Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 111 reviews · 3 hours · from $104

Spend three hours snowshoeing through Lapland wilderness with an English-speaking guide and no more than eight people. Learn basic snowshoeing, fire-making, and winter survival skills, then warm up with a campfire snack. Pickup, clothing, boots, and equipment are included.

“It was a beautiful walk trough the forest together with a very enthousiastic and fun guide Ruben. The views, the surroundings were already beautiful, but our guide gave it that little extra.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Full Day Snowmobile Safari into the Lappish Wilderness in Rovaniemi

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 49 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $306Top rated

Spend about six hours riding snowmobiles beyond Rovaniemi’s usual short routes. Safartica provides warm clothing, gear, a guide, hot drinks, and a Lappish lunch by the fire. Patrick has guided at least one departure, and some routes include open snow for freestyle riding.

“An all day snowmobile tour of beautiful nature. Our guide was Patrick and we had a great time. Pick ups & drop off are well organized and they provide all the necessary gears. In addition to an organized drive through the forest etc. we were given two occasions to "freestyle" on a large open space! Also you can switch drivers in the middle. We had reindeer stew as lunch and it was delicious! Nice break to rest a bit and warm up before completing rest of the journey. It was one of our favorite experiences in our trip to Rovaniemi!”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Snowmobile Tour with Small Group in Remote Wilderness 3 Hours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 47 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $222

Join PolarMax Adventures in Rovaniemi for about 2.5 hours of snowmobiling through snowy forests, frozen lakes, and private trails. Guides such as Thomas, Toumas, and Marko tailor the pace, while children ride safely in a covered sledge behind the guide.

“This is a once in a lifetime experience. Truly amazing. PolarMax look after you like family and the experience feels so personal. It is definitely a Must do when you visit Rovaniemi!”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Snowmobile Safari into Arctic Wilderness

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 43 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $142

Drive a snowmobile beyond Rovaniemi with safety gear, a clear briefing, forest trails, photo stops, and hot berry drink with cookies. Guides such as Carlos, Sami, Luigi, and Lucas are praised for friendly, careful instruction. Children under 140 cm ride safely in a guide-pulled sledge.

“Non avevo mai fatto un giro sulla motoslitta, per cui ho voluto cogliere l'orccasione per provare quest'esperienza. Il giro é stato piacevole e divertente, il percorso purtroppo era un po' accidentato a causa del ghiaccio in quanto non nevicava da qualche giorno, ma comunque abbiamo fatto il nostro giro in motoslitta senza problemi. La guida ci ha fornito tutte le indicazioni di sicurezza e sui comandi del mezzo prima di partire, mentre durante il giro faceva da apripista indicandoci il percorso.”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Explore the Wilderness

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 36 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $161

Leave Rovaniemi by minivan for a guided 4 km hike through Arctic forest. Your guide, possibly Ryan, adapts the route to weather and your interests, supplies warm clothing and boots, and sends edited photos after the outing. Pickup is available within 10 km of the city center.

“It was great. The hike was beautiful. Ryan the guide went a way that we could avoid most of the large groups that were out in the woods. He did a great job and was very nice.”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Full-Day Snowmobile Safari into the Wilderness

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 32 reviews · 6 hours · from $293

Ride 4 to 5 hours through Rovaniemi’s forests, frozen lakes, and river routes with an English-speaking guide. You’ll share a snowmobile, stop at a wilderness kota for hot drinks and soup, and may reach untouched powder snow. Guides have included Ramón, Teemu, Alexie, and Marina.

“This tour was excellent. Everything was well organized and thoughtfully provided, including food, hand and feet warmers, and clothing. We had the chance to experience beautiful nature and see wild reindeer. We stopped at the Snow Hotel and at a wooden cabin, where we enjoyed a fire and lunch. Our guide, Ramón, was extremely kind and helpful—very open and welcoming—and he prepared an amazing lunch. Our driver, Marina, was also very friendly. I highly recommend this tour; it is absolutely worth the money.”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Guided Wilderness Kayaking Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 28 reviews · 3 hours · from $117

Paddle a calm Lapland lake near Rovaniemi for three hours with pickup, a guide, kayak or canoe equipment, lifejacket, and a hot drink. Miguel has led some outings, while language options include English, French, Spanish, Catalan, and Persian. Group size is limited to nine.

“We were very disappointed with this tour. Miguel was friendly and picked us up from the hotel. Contrary to the description of the activity, this was not a river tour. We were driven to a lake about 30-40 minutes outside of Rovaniemi, where we were given a single kayak. These were not canoes either. After that, we were left to paddle alone on the lake for 2 hours at sunset. It was not a guided tour, and we didn’t learn anything about the area or Finnish culture. Additionally, there was no hot drink provided. After paddling around on our own, we were driven straight back home. For us, it was…”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Traditional Lappish evening in the wilderness with dinner

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 28 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $189

Travel 30 minutes from Rovaniemi to a private Arctic lake, learn Finnish sauna customs, take an icy swim, and eat smoked salmon cooked over an open fire. The four-hour evening includes an English-speaking guide, towels, slippers, hotel transfers, and small-group service for up to 14 people.

“It’s not as scary as you think it might be. The guides explain everything and provide a wonderful meal. The others in our group felt like dear friends by the end of the evening.”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Reindeer Safari in Arctic Wilderness

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 27 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $238

Travel from Santa Claus Village to a forest reindeer farm near Rovaniemi. After thermal clothes are provided, share a blanket-covered sleigh ride, meet reindeer and fawns, then warm up with drinks, snacks, and a talk from the farmers. English service is offered, with groups capped at 16.

“We were well looked after and kitted out in warm gear. Everyone was warm and welcoming and very informative as well as being patient when there were small kids in tow”

Check availability →Read our full review