Rovaniemi: Ice Fishing & Arctic Campfire with Pickup

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Free cancellation

1/10

Duration4h

GroupUp to 40

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Drill through Arctic ice, catch fish, cook over snow

You walk into the Arctic forest, drill through lake ice with your guide's help, fish while the landscape stays silent around you, then gather at a campfire to eat grilled salmon and sausages cooked in the snow. Hotel pickup and all winter gear are included, and the guide handles the technical work—you just show up ready to sit still and eat well.

Step-by-step itinerary

Ice fishing and cookout experience

Walk through Arctic forest
Strap on snowshoes if needed
Drill through thick ice
Wait for fish with guide
Gather around campfire
Taste Lappish pork sausages and Arctic salmon

The Experience

A guide hands you a drill and points to the spot where you'll bore down through a meter of frozen lake. You kneel in the snow, twist the handle, and feel the ice give way in layers until water appears below—that's when the waiting starts. The guide sets up your line, you settle onto a low stool with the Arctic forest around you, and for the next couple hours, you're just watching a hole in the ice, listening to the quiet. It sounds boring until you're actually there, and then it's the opposite of that.

The walk to the lake takes you through the forest on foot or, if the snow is deep enough, strapped into snowshoes—the kind locals use, which changes how you move entirely. Your guide handles the technical part: drilling the hole, setting the equipment, knowing which lakes hold fish and which don't. You bring patience and the willingness to sit still in minus-fifteen-degree weather. Rovaniemi sits at the edge of the Arctic Circle, so the light is strange and low even in midday, and the silence is the kind you don't get in cities.

When someone gets a bite—or after a set time, whichever comes first—you head to the campfire. This is the part that saves the day if the fishing was slow. A fire burns in the snow, and your guide cooks Lappish pork sausages and Arctic salmon on a grill over the flames. You eat with your hands, drink hot blueberry juice, tear into Lappish bread. The warmth from the fire and the food hits differently when you've been sitting still in the cold. Vegetarian and vegan options are available if you ask when you book. The whole experience runs from morning pickup at your hotel until late afternoon drop-off, though the exact start time depends on the season and availability—you'll get an email from the local provider with the precise time.

Winter clothes—overalls, boots, gloves—are provided, so you don't need to own Arctic gear. The guide speaks English, with Dutch, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Chinese available on request. You need at least two people to book on weekdays and Saturdays; Sundays and public holidays require four. Children under twelve must have a paying adult with them. Be in your hotel lobby ten minutes before pickup, and if you have dietary needs beyond the vegetarian swap, mention them when you reserve.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off from Rovaniemi city center, winter clothing (overalls, boots, and gloves), ice-fishing equipment and guide support, a walk or snowshoe trek through the Arctic forest, and a campfire meal featuring Lappish pork sausages, Arctic salmon, Lappish bread, marshmallow, and hot blueberry juice, with vegetarian and vegan alternatives available upon request.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats available

Operated by Nordic Unique Travels

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to try ice fishing without owning gear or arranging transport—the guide handles the technical work and the campfire meal turns a quiet afternoon into something you'll think about for months.