Best snowmobile tour in Enontekiö: which ride for which trip
Illustration photo: a snowmobile rider in the mountains, not in Hetta.
The short answer
For a first ride without your own Arctic kit, book Näkkälä Eräpalvelut's 22-kilometre safari, which includes the riding gear. For a longer run, its 50-kilometre safari or the husky kennel's weekly Palojoki tour. For a day with a destination, take the trip to the village of Näkkälä, which a family can do in the sleigh. In spring, the kennel's two-day tour with a cabin night is the fullest outing on sale.
Two companies sell guided snowmobile rides from Hetta. The husky kennel’s tours are compared on snowmobile safaris in Enontekiö; the other, Näkkälä Eräpalvelut, sells on its own site with the riding gear in the price.1
A first ride without your own kit
Book Näkkälä’s 22-kilometre safari, an hour and a half with driving instruction and gear included, for two people or more.
A longer run
Näkkälä’s 50-kilometre safari takes two to three hours. The kennel’s 40-kilometre Palojoki tour runs only about once a week, so fit your dates to it rather than the other way round.
A day with somewhere to go
The trip to the Sámi village of Näkkälä drives about 50 kilometres from Hetta with food and a hot drink at a kota. Anyone who would rather not drive can ride in the sleigh.
A night out in spring
From late March the kennel sells two-day tours with a night in a wilderness cabin, from 300 euros a head sharing a machine, for four people or more unless you also book its huskies.2
The national park next to the village is closed to snowmobiles on every one of these rides.3
Questions people ask
Can we hire a snowmobile and go on our own?
Yes, from a rental firm in the village, and the husky kennel's guide to the area says no permit is needed on the snowmobile tracks around Hetta or on the Victoria route. Crossing the tundra and wilderness towards Kilpisjärvi or Karesuvanto needs a snowmobile permit bought from Metsähallitus. The rental firm publishes no prices on its site, so ask it directly for a day rate and what the hire includes.
Which company is cheaper for a short ride?
On the sticker, the kennel: 80 euros a head sharing a machine on its 20-kilometre tour against 95 for Näkkälä Eräpalvelut's 22 kilometres. But Näkkälä's price includes the riding gear, while the kennel hires clothing separately, so a pair without their own suits and boots should add that before deciding which is cheaper for them.
When does the long safari run?
Näkkälä Eräpalvelut lists a long safari from January onwards and asks you to request a quote for it. The husky kennel's Näkkälä circuit of 70 to 90 kilometres runs mainly in March and April. If a long day on the machine is the point of your trip, those two facts decide the month more than the price does.