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Reindeer with children in Sodankylä: which visit suits which child

A smiling woman carrying a green bucket among reindeer on a snowy shore, with a fjord and snow-covered mountains behind

Illustration photo: feeding reindeer near Tromsø in Norway, not in Sodankylä.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

With small children, book Arctic Wonders' two-hour farm visit, which includes the transfer from the village, lends winter clothing and ends with a warm drink in a kota. Add the sleigh ride if the children want to sit behind a reindeer. Keep Arctic SISU's half day with a herd for older children who can stay outdoors for four hours in their own warm clothes, and ask both companies about child prices.

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.

Arctic Wonders: farm visitArctic Wonders: 1 km rideArctic SISU: herding
How long a child is out 2 h 2 h 4 h
Warm clothing Lent; sizes not stated Lent; sizes not stated Not included
A ride for the child None 1 km behind a reindeer Sled behind a snowmobile

Nothing is ranked: the right visit depends on the youngest child. No listing states an age limit or a child fare.

Where these figures come from
  • Arctic Wonders: farm visit: Two hours with feeding and a warm drink in a kota, transfer from the village and winter clothing lent.
  • Arctic Wonders: 1 km ride: The same visit with a short ride in a sled behind a reindeer, for children who want to ride.
  • Arctic SISU: herding: Four hours with a herd of hundreds, reached in a sled behind a snowmobile, in your own warm clothes.

For a family, the reindeer visits from Sodankylä are best judged by how long a small child has to stay outdoors and whether anyone lends them warm clothes.

The short visits

Arctic Wonders collects you at its village office, drives you to the farm, lends overalls, boots and gloves, and has the family help with the feeding before a warm drink in a kota, all in about two hours.1 Its one-kilometre ride adds a turn in a sled behind a reindeer without making the visit longer.

The half day

Arctic SISU Experience spends four hours with a large herd, getting there in a sled pulled by a snowmobile and walking with the reindeer in the forest.2 It lends no thermal clothing, so it suits older children who are dressed for a long time outside.

Tours you can book

Questions people ask

Does a small child ride in the reindeer sleigh alone?

The listings do not say how children are seated, only that the rides are one or three kilometres behind a reindeer. Ask whether a small child rides on a parent's lap or in a sled of their own, and whether there is a minimum age for the ride, before choosing the longer one.

Are there children's sizes in the clothing that is lent?

Arctic Wonders lends thermal overalls, boots and gloves on every farm visit, but its listings do not mention children's sizes. Say your children's heights and shoe sizes when you book, and bring their own snowsuits anyway: a child who arrives already warm stays happy longer.

Can a baby come to the farm?

No listing excludes one, and none mentions pushchairs. The farm visit takes place outdoors among the reindeer and in a kota, so a baby carrier works better than wheels on packed snow. Ask the company whether a baby needs a ticket, since the price is printed only per person.

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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