Reindeer with kids in Ylitornio: what each farm allows
Illustration photo: a Finnish reindeer village, not in Ylitornio.
The short answer
With a baby or toddler, start with the Santa station, where children up to three go free and the reindeer are part of the day, or the Aavasaksa rides, where infants to two ride free. With children of four and over, the Aavasaksa programme has the clearest child fare and puts two adults to a sleigh. Dress everyone for sitting still, and ask about the three-year-old gap before booking in Aavasaksa.
Each of Ylitornio’s reindeer outings counts children differently, and for a young family the age lines matter more than the price.
Where the age lines fall
The Aavasaksa rides charge nothing for infants up to two, a child fare from four to fourteen and the adult fare from fifteen, which leaves a three-year-old outside both bands.1 The Raanujärvi farm’s shop counts infants below two and children from two to twelve.2 The Santa station lets children up to three in free.3
In the sleigh
The Aavasaksa rides seat two adults to a sleigh and do not say how children are fitted in, so ask whether a child can ride with a parent or needs a place of its own. The farm in Raanujärvi does not say how its sleigh is shared.
Getting there and staying warm
No reindeer outing here collects you, so the car is part of the plan. Winter clothing is not included at Aavasaksa, where a set can be rented, and the other farm does not mention it. The fares themselves are compared on reindeer farm in Ylitornio.
Questions people ask
Will a small child enjoy half an hour in a sleigh?
The company describes the short ride as slow, quiet and suitable for all ages, and half an hour is the shortest reindeer outing sold in Ylitornio. Whether a particular child enjoys it depends on the cold more than on the reindeer, so dress them warmly and choose a midday start if you can: the booking page showed a morning slot for the ride and a noon slot for the longer programme.
Can we bring a pushchair?
The farms' pages say nothing about pushchairs, and a sleigh trail in the forest is not built for wheels. The Santa station describes itself as wheelchair-accessible, which also covers a pushchair indoors. For the farms, plan to carry a toddler between the car and the sleigh and ask the farm where you can leave a buggy.
Can children feed the reindeer themselves?
Feeding is listed as part of the longer Aavasaksa programme and of the Raanujärvi farm's visit, and as part of the Santa station's day ticket. None of the three sets a minimum age for it. The short Aavasaksa ride does not mention feeding, so if the children's highlight is holding out lichen to a reindeer, choose one of the other three.