Lake Inari Snowmobile Tour & Reindeer Visit with Lunch

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/15

Duration3h 30m

GroupUp to 8

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Snowmobile safari on Lake Inari with reindeer feeding and local lunch

You’ll ride snowmobiles across Lake Inari with a small group and local guides, visit a family’s island home to meet and feed their reindeers, and share homemade lunch by an open fire in a traditional teepee. Expect real conversation, warm berry juice, and moments of Lapland silence you’ll remember long after the trip.

3h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Snowmobile Safari and Reindeer Visit

Get warm thermal clothing
Drive to Koppelo village, receive safety instructions, snowmobile tour to island, meet reindeers, lunch by open fire
Change clothing at office

The Experience

I didn’t expect to feel nervous about driving a snowmobile, but there I was in Ivalo, hands awkward in borrowed mittens, listening to Tapio’s instructions. He grinned when I stalled at first — “No rush, it’s not a race,” he said. The engine’s hum felt strange under me, but after a few minutes on the trail toward Lake Inari, the cold air kind of woke me up. You can smell the pine even through the helmet sometimes. There were just five of us plus Tina and Tapio (they run this as a family), so it never felt like one of those big group tours.

The ride over the frozen river was quieter than I thought — just this low crunch and our laughter echoing out over all that white. When we reached their island, Tina waved us inside their teepee where smoke from the fire made everything smell like wood and soup. She handed me hot berry juice (I think it was lingonberry?) and told stories about winters here. Their two reindeers wandered up — not shy at all — and I got to feed one some lichen. Its nose was softer than I expected. Tapio explained how they’re part of daily life here, not just for tourists.

Lunch was salmon soup with dark bread (vegetarian option too if you ask ahead). Sitting around that fire while snow fell outside is something I still think about — it felt almost too quiet at times except for someone’s boots shifting or Tina laughing at my attempt to say “kiitos.” Afterward we took photos with the reindeers (not a farm, just their own animals) before heading back across Lake Inari. My fingers were numb but honestly I didn’t care much by then.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup from Ivalo area hotels by minibus, all necessary thermal clothing and equipment for the snowmobile ride, guidance from local hosts Tina and Tapio throughout the journey across Lake Inari and their island home, meeting and feeding their own friendly reindeers (not at a commercial farm), homemade lunch in a traditional Lappish teepee—usually salmon or reindeer soup with bread plus hot berry juice and blueberry cake—and return transfers back to your accommodation.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Ivalo Safaris / Lenje Avoin YhtiÃ¶