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Ice fishing with children in Saariselkä: trips a small child can manage

An angler kneeling on the ice and lifting a small fish from a hole

Illustration photo: an ice angler, not in Saariselkä.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

With a toddler, choose one of the two-hour trips: the river by the resort takes children from two but lends no overalls, while the safari house's minibus trip takes all ages and does lend them. With a child of four or more, the three-hour small-group trip has a child fare and no age limit. Keep the five-hour lake day for children old enough to enjoy a full day out.

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.

River by the resortLake by minibusSmall group, 3 hoursLake day by coach
Youngest 2 All ages No age limit Over 4
Length 2 h 2 h 3 h 5 h
Overalls lent No Yes – winter clothing is lent Yes – winter clothing is lent Yes – winter clothing is lent
Child fare Sold, price not shown Not stated €79, ages 4–12 Not read

Highlighted figures are the best in that row: winter clothing is lent. A child fare that is 'not read' appears only once a child is added in the operator's booking form. What an hour on each trip costs is worked out on the ice fishing price page.

Where these figures come from
  • River by the resort: Two hours on a river a short walk from the resort's reception; overalls are not lent.
  • Lake by minibus: Two hours on a wilderness lake reached by minibus, open to all ages, with outdoor clothing lent.
  • Small group, 3 hours: Three hours for groups of two to eight, with overalls lent and a lower fare for children.
  • Lake day by coach: Five hours on a remote lake with lunch by the fire, for children over four.

Four ice fishing trips around Saariselkä take young children, and they differ most in how long they last and what they lend.

Two hours, close by

Kakslauttanen, the resort south of the village, takes children from two on its river trip, a short walk from reception, but does not lend overalls.1 Lapponia Tours’ minibus trip is as short, open to all ages and lends outdoor clothing, though it needs two adults to run.2

Longer

Arctic Timetravels’ three-hour trip lends overalls, sets no age limit and has a fare for children from four to twelve.3 Lapland Safaris’ lake day lasts five hours and takes children over four.4

The trips for adults, and those sold through booking platforms, are compared on the best ice fishing in Saariselkä.

Tours you can book

Priced per person

Price not stated

Questions people ask

Will a small child get bored?

Possibly, and one operator says so frankly: small children might not understand the beauty of silence and the excitement of waiting for a bite. Give the child a job. At the resort the guests drill their own hole in the ice, and on the small-group trip everyone drills with an auger and baits the hook, which keeps small hands busy.

Is there food, or should we bring snacks?

On the short trips there are hot drinks and at most a snack: hot juice with a snack at the resort, hot juice on the minibus trip and hot drinks on the small-group trip. Only the lake day includes a full lunch, cooked over the campfire. Bring something extra for children who get hungry in the cold.

What if we have no winter clothing for the children?

Three of the four lend it: overalls on the small-group trip, outdoor clothing on the minibus trip and a thermal outfit on the lake day. The resort's river trip does not, but the resort rents a thermal set with boots for 32 euros a day, so add that to the cost if you are staying there.

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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