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Family snowmobile safari in Sodankylä: what a family with children can book

A toddler in a blue patterned snowsuit and knitted hat standing in the snow beside a small blue toy snowmobile on a string

Illustration photo: a child with a toy snowmobile, not on a Sodankylä trip.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

With children of twelve or more, book the private safari, which keeps the family together two to a machine, after the company confirms that a child without a licence may ride as a passenger. With younger children, ask Arctic Wonders whether they can come on the ice fishing ride, which states no age. For a small child who just wants to ride behind a snowmobile, the reindeer herding visit starts with a sled ride.

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.

Private safariRide and ice fishReindeer herding
Youngest 12 Not stated Not stated
How a child rides Behind a parent; confirm Behind a parent; ask In a sled
Winter clothing Lent; sizes not stated Lent; sizes not stated Not included

Nothing is ranked: the youngest child decides. The long day, with a machine for every guest, is left out because it takes no one under twelve and no one without a licence.

Where these figures come from
  • Private safari: Your group alone, two to a machine, for families whose children are all twelve or older.
  • Ride and ice fish: A ride out onto a lake, two to a machine, whose listing states no age limit; ask before booking with a younger child.
  • Reindeer herding: A different company's visit to a herd that starts with a sled pulled by a snowmobile, with no age limit printed.

Snowmobiling in Sodankylä is set up for adults, and a family has to read the small print to see where children fit.

Children of twelve and over

The private safari and the long day both exclude children under twelve, and the private one seats two to a machine, so a twelve-year-old would ride behind a parent once the company confirms it, since the listing also asks for a driving licence.1 The ice fishing ride also seats two to a machine and prints no age limit at all,2 which makes it the one to ask about with a younger child.

A sled for the youngest

Arctic SISU Experience’s reindeer herding visit begins with a sled ride behind a snowmobile out to a herd of several hundred reindeer, and states no age limit.3 It is a snowmobile ride a small child can sit through, with the reindeer as the point of the day. Families wanting a proper towed-sled safari will find several in Rovaniemi, explained on family snowmobile safaris in Rovaniemi.

Tours you can book

Questions people ask

Can a twelve-year-old come on the private safari?

The listing takes children from twelve but also says it is not suitable for people without a driving licence, without saying whether that means drivers only. A child would normally ride behind a parent, but no child of twelve holds a licence, so have the company confirm the seating in writing before you pay.

Do children get suits and helmets?

The trips lend overalls, boots, gloves and a helmet to every guest, but none of the listings says whether they come in children's sizes. Ask when you book, and bring your child's own snowsuit and winter boots in case the smallest sizes run out.

Do we need a car to reach the trips?

No. Arctic Wonders' trips start from its office on Unarintie in the village, and Arctic SISU collects guests from addresses inside an area marked on its herding listing. If you are staying outside the village, check that pickup area, or how you will reach the office, before booking.

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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