Ice Fishing on Lake Inari from Saariselkä: Reindeer & Lunch

Drill through Arctic ice, catch fish in a Lappish teepee's warmth

This 5-hour ice fishing activity departs from Saariselkä for Lake Inari, where you drill through the frozen surface, fish with a guide's instruction, meet reindeer on a small island, and eat a 3-course lunch by an open fire in a traditional teepee. Hotel pickup, thermal clothing, snowmobile transport and all equipment are included. Children from age 7 are welcome.

Step-by-step itinerary

Ice fishing and reindeer visit

• Pick up from hotel by minibuss
• Receive warm thermal clothes and shoes
• Travel to Koppelo village
• Ride snowmobile sledges to fishing spot
• Receive fishing instructions and rod
• Ice fish in Lake Inari
• Visit small island and meet reindeers
• Enjoy 3-course lunch and hot drinks in teepee

The experience

You start from your Saariselkä hotel, picked up by minibus and driven to Ivalo, where you change into thermal clothing and insulated shoes. From there, snowmobiles and sledges carry you across the snow to Koppelo and onward to a remote fishing spot on Lake Inari: the kind of place most visitors never reach. The silence and the scale of the frozen landscape are the real backdrop here. The snowmobile ride itself is part of what you came for, not just the means to get there.

Your guide walks you through ice fishing from the start: drilling the hole, setting your rod, waiting for the bite. You're not watching someone else do it. You're holding the rod, reading the line, making the catch. The guide handles the instruction and stays nearby, but the fishing is yours. Afterward, you ride out to a small island where two reindeer live. This is a brief, low-key encounter, not a performance. Then comes the meal: a 3-course lunch served inside a warm lappish teepee with an open fire burning. Hot drinks come with it. The teepee is where you thaw out and eat, and it's the only shelter on the day.

The whole outing runs 5 hours from pickup to drop-off. You don't need fishing experience or any particular fitness level. The guide meets you where you are, and the activity is built so that people who've never fished before can enjoy it just as much as anyone else. If fishing doesn't grip you, the landscape, the reindeer and the meal in the teepee are reason enough to go.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup from Saariselkä and minibus transport to Ivalo.
• thermal clothing and insulated shoes.
• snowmobile and sledge ride to the fishing site.
• ice fishing rod and instruction from a local guide.
• reindeer visit on a small island.
• 3-course lunch and hot drinks served in a warm lappish teepee by open fire.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day except WednesdayDeparts at 09:30

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (13 to 75 years) · Infant (7 to 12 years) · Under 7: can't be booked

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 6 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Ivalo Safaris / Lenje Avoin Yhtiö

Is this one for you?Book this if you have a free afternoon or morning in Saariselkä and want to step outside the hotel into something genuinely different: the snowmobile ride and the teepee meal are what make the day stick with you, whether or not the fishing itself is your main draw.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (7 to 12 years). Children under 7 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What do I actually do during the ice fishing part?

Your guide shows you how to drill through the ice, set up your rod and fish in the traditional Lappish way. You handle the rod yourself and fish for the duration. The guide is there to help if you get stuck or have a question, but the fishing is your activity, not a demonstration.

How cold is it, and what am I wearing?

You receive thermal clothing and insulated shoes at the office in Ivalo before you head out, so you stay warm through the snowmobile ride and the fishing. The teepee has an open fire, which is where you warm up again during lunch.

What's included in the lunch?

A 3-course meal is served in the lappish teepee, along with hot drinks. It's cooked by an open fire and is part of the experience, not an add-on.

Do I need to know how to fish beforehand?

No. The guide gives you all the instruction you need, and the trip is designed so that beginners and experienced anglers both have a good day. Many people come for the landscape and the reindeer as much as for the fishing itself.