Reindeer with children in Kilpisjärvi: age, clothing and the walk
Illustration photo: a reindeer herd in Norway, not in Kilpisjärvi.
The short answer
With a child under eight, the family farm in the village is the only option: it welcomes babies and children, and its one-hour visit with a sleigh ride is the shortest outing there. With children of eight or more and no Arctic clothing of your own, the safari company's evening lends everyone a thermal suit, but children pay the full rate. Walk to the farm from the hotels; the safari company drives you from its office.
The two reindeer visits in Kilpisjärvi set opposite rules for children.
Age and what children pay
The safari company’s evening takes nobody under eight, and says its rates are the same for all participants because they follow the seats and equipment reserved.1 The family farm welcomes babies and children and explains its child pricing when you enquire.2
What the children wear
The safari company lends a full thermal set with the tour, which is a real saving for a family that has flown in without Arctic clothing. The farm asks you to come dressed for outdoor conditions, with at least two warm layers, insulated boots, gloves and a hat, and does not say it lends anything.
Getting there
The farm is in the middle of the village, a walk from the hotels, and has a basic outdoor toilet that is not accessible. The safari company meets at its office and drives to the farm it visits. The evening itself is described on reindeer in Kilpisjärvi.
Questions people ask
Why do children pay the adult rate on the safari company's tour?
The company explains that its pricing is based on reserved equipment and seats, so rates are the same for all participants, and that the cheapest option for families on its snowmobile tours is to share machines or use sleigh seats. On the reindeer evening there is no such option, so a child of eight and an adult pay the same 95 euros.
Can the safari company collect us from our accommodation?
On its own site it offers pick-up and return from resorts within five kilometres of its office for 8 euros per person, booked with the reservation; the meeting place is otherwise its office, 15 to 5 minutes before the start. The family farm is in the middle of the village within walking distance of the hotels, so with young children the walk may be simpler than a pick-up.
What if a child is too cold to stay the whole visit?
Neither place publishes a rule on leaving early. The safari company's evening includes a hut with a fireplace and a hot drink, and the farm's visits include time in its Kammi by the fire, so both have somewhere warm built into the programme. At the farm, being in the village also means a cold child is a short walk from the hotel.