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Reindeer in Inari with children: ages, seats and getting there

A brown and white reindeer with one antler nosing the snow among bare birches, more reindeer on the slope behind

Illustration photo: reindeer on a snowy slope in northern Norway, not in Inari.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

With a child under three, go to the ranch beside the village, which says the whole family can join, or ask the safari company first: the hotel in the village takes no child under three on any activity. With children of twelve to fourteen, the hotel's outings are the ones that still charge them a child fare. For a sleigh ride, a family of four fills two sleighs, and the safari company fetches you from your hotel in the village.

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.

Galddoaivi: ranch feedingVisit Inari: sleigh rideWilderness Hotel: meet the reindeerWilderness Hotel: sleigh ride
Youngest child taken Not stated: whole family welcome Not stated 3 years 3 years
Child fare Not stated 30% off, ages 4–11 30% off, ages 3–14 30% off, ages 3–14
Seats in a sleigh No sleigh Two people per sleigh No sleigh Not stated
Length 1 h 1.5–2 h with transfers 2 h 2 h

Nothing is marked: the right outing depends on how old the children are. The hotel's age and fare rules are its group-wide ones, from its questions and answers.

Where these figures come from
  • Galddoaivi: ranch feeding: An hour feeding and photographing reindeer at a ranch beside the village centre, which the operator says is safe for the whole family.
  • Visit Inari: sleigh ride: About forty minutes in a wooden sleigh behind a reindeer, ending with a warm drink by the fire before the transfer back to the village.
  • Wilderness Hotel: meet the reindeer: Two hours meeting and hand-feeding reindeer with a guide who tells stories about herding, with transport from the hotel in the village.
  • Wilderness Hotel: sleigh ride: A sleigh ride behind reindeer at a farm, seated, with the transfer from the hotel. The time in the sleigh is not stated.

The rules for children differ more between Inari’s reindeer sellers than the outings do. Start from the age of your youngest.

The youngest children

The first two rows of the table settle most of it. The hotel’s line applies to every activity it sells, and at three it recommends only the shorter ones.1 The safari company prints a child fare but nothing about children below it,2 so ask before booking with a toddler. The ranch’s only word on age is that feeding the reindeer is safe for the whole family.3

In the sleigh

The safari company’s two-to-a-sleigh rule covers all its reindeer and husky outings,4 so a family of four travels in two sleighs and needs an adult for each. The hotel says its guests ride comfortably seated but not how many share a sleigh, which is worth asking if you want a small child beside you.5

Getting there

The safari company collects guests from hotels in Inari village at an agreed time, and charges extra to fetch them from Ivalo or Saariselkä. The hotel’s reindeer outings include the transport from the hotel. For the ranch you make your own way to the meeting point, and the sleigh or car takes you on from there.

Which outing suits what you want to see is on the best reindeer tour in Inari.

Tours you can book

Questions people ask

Is the evening reindeer ride too late for children?

It leaves at half past seven in the evening and takes two hours with the transfers, so children are back in the village at about half past nine. The safari company gives the same child fare on it as on its daytime rides. For young children who tire early, the morning or afternoon sleigh ride is the same outing in daylight, and leaves at half past nine or half past one on the same four days of the week.

Do we need to bring winter clothes for the children?

For the safari company's reindeer outings, warm outer clothing is in the price: overalls, boots, mittens and a balaclava. The company still asks everyone to come dressed in layers underneath, wool or synthetic rather than cotton, with a scarf or neck warmer, thin gloves under the mittens and socks that are not too tight. Bring spares for small children.

What happens if it is too cold on the day?

The safari company keeps the right to cancel an outing, or change its route and length, if it judges that the weather puts guests or staff at risk. It gives no temperature limit, so a very cold morning is its call on the day. With small children, keep a spare day in the week, because a cancelled outing may not fit back in.

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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