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Best reindeer tour in Salla: one pick for each visitor

A team of five reindeer pulling a sled at speed across a snowfield, with a forest behind

Illustration photo: a reindeer sled race in the Russian Arctic, not in Salla.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

To see reindeer up close without committing an afternoon, book the park's half-hour sleigh ride to the feeding corral. To drive a reindeer yourself, book its three-hour safari. For a whole day with the animals and lunch in a kota, book its one-day safari. Choose the fell resort's farm safari only if a long snowmobile ride is part of what you want.

How the operators compare

Prices are the operators' own published starting prices as of the date this guide was updated, and they change through the season.

Feeding rideReindeer safariOne-day safariFarm by snowmobile
Suits A quick look Driving a reindeer A whole day with the animals Riders who want reindeer too
You drive Nothing A reindeer A reindeer A snowmobile
Length 30 min 3 h 5–6 h 5–6 h

Nothing is ranked: half an hour at the corral and a day with a herd are different outings, not better and worse ones. Prices are on the reindeer price page for Salla.

Where these figures come from
  • Feeding ride: Half an hour by sleigh behind a snowmobile to the park's corral, to see does and calves fed up close.
  • Reindeer safari: Three hours with a lesson, then your own reindeer and sleigh for three to four kilometres behind the guide.
  • One-day safari: Five to six hours driving reindeer with feeding stops and lunch in a kota, from January to March.
  • Farm by snowmobile: About 70 km by snowmobile from the fell resort to a reindeer farm in the wilderness, with soup in a Lapp hut.

Salla’s reindeer outings differ in what you do with the animals and how long you give them.

A quick look

Salla Wilderness Park runs a sleigh behind a snowmobile to its corral, where a guide talks about the does and calves while you watch them feed, in about half an hour.1

Driving one yourself

On the park’s three-hour safari each adult drives a reindeer and sleigh of their own for three to four kilometres behind the guide, with warm clothing lent.2

A whole day

The park’s one-day safari spends five to six hours with the reindeer, with feeding stops and lunch in a kota, from January to March.3 The fell resort’s farm safari reaches a herd by snowmobile, and suits riders more than reindeer lovers.

Tours you can book

Priced per person

Price not stated

Questions people ask

Can we combine the feeding ride with something else the same day?

Easily, since it lasts about half an hour and starts at the park in the village. The same park runs its two-hour husky safari from the same address at half past ten and two in the afternoon, so a morning with the dogs and a short reindeer visit fit one day without driving anywhere else.

How far ahead do we need to book?

The park takes reservations until four in the afternoon the day before, and runs its outings once at least four people have booked, so a couple in a quiet week may find a departure does not run. Book early in your stay and ask whether others are already booked on your date.

What should we wear to drive a reindeer?

The park lends overalls, safari boots and mittens, so bring what goes under and above them: wool next to the skin, a warm hat and a neck warmer. Driving a reindeer sleigh means sitting still in the cold for long stretches, which is colder than it sounds, so dress warmer than you would for a walk.

Written by

Lapland Handbook Staff

Lapland Handbook is written by its editorial staff in Rovaniemi. Every price, age limit and group size in a comparison is read from the operator's own page and marked "Not stated" when the operator does not publish it. Each guide names who should not book, and names the operator that suits each kind of group, whichever it is.

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