Northern Lights tour Lake Inari: Sleigh ride & dinner

Travel by sleigh into the wilderness and watch for the Northern Lights over a frozen lake.

A small-group Northern Lights tour from Saariselkä to Lake Inari combines a snowmobile-pulled sleigh ride across the ice, a campfire dinner in a traditional teepee, and a chance to meet reindeer with a local guide. The tour runs five hours, includes pickup from central Saariselkä and warm thermal clothing, and is limited to ten people per departure. Children are welcome from age seven.

The experience

Pickup from central Saariselkä takes you to the operator's office in Ivalo, where you get fitted with thermal clothes and shoes before heading to the small village of Koppelo, far from city lights. From there you board a sleigh pulled by snowmobile, wrapped in reindeer hides, and travel deeper into the wilderness with your local guide. The route crosses the frozen surface of Lake Inari itself, stopping in the silent landscape where the Northern Lights are most visible on clear nights.

The guide brings you to a small island where the family who runs the tour lives, giving a glimpse of local life in Lapland away from the main tourist areas. While you wait and watch the skies, the guide prepares dinner by campfire inside a traditional Sámi teepee: a choice of local fish or reindeer with soup and bread, plus blueberry cake or mousse. Hot drinks keep you warm throughout. You also get time to meet and feed the reindeer on the island and take photographs before the return journey to Saariselkä.

What’s included

• Pickup and drop-off from central Saariselkä.
• thermal clothes and shoes.
• snowmobile-pulled sleigh ride across Lake Inari.
• local guide throughout.
• dinner by campfire in a traditional teepee with hot drinks.
• time to meet and feed reindeer.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 18:00

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (13 to 75 years) · Child (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 9 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.

Paid on site€ 20

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Ivalo Safaris / Lenje Avoin Yhtiö

Is this one for you?Pickup from central Saariselkä means you don't need a car or local knowledge to reach the wilderness. The tour handles the journey from the town center and returns you there at the end, making it accessible whether you're staying in Saariselkä or arriving by bus or flight.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (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 happens if the Northern Lights don't appear on the night of my tour?

The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon and sightings depend on weather and solar activity. The tour operates regardless, and you spend the evening in the wilderness by the campfire, watching the skies with your guide and enjoying the landscape and local stories. Many travelers see them, but the tour's value lies in the sleigh ride, the dinner, and the reindeer encounter as well.

Do I need my own warm clothes, or are they provided?

Thermal clothes and shoes are provided as part of the tour. You'll be fitted with them at the office in Ivalo before heading out, so you don't need to bring your own winter gear.

Is the sleigh ride comfortable if I'm not used to cold weather?

The sleigh is covered and lined with reindeer hides for warmth, and you're dressed in thermal clothing. The ride itself is gentle (you're pulled by snowmobile across the ice), and the teepee dinner gives you time indoors by the campfire to warm up.

What's included in the dinner, and can you accommodate dietary needs?

Dinner consists of traditional Finnish BBQ sausages or a homemade soup made with local reindeer or salmon, bread, and blueberry cake or mousse. Vegetarian options are available by request at the time of booking, and the operator asks you to advise any specific dietary requirements in advance.