Private ice fishing in Kilpisjärvi: what having the guide to yourselves costs
Illustration photo: two anglers heading out onto a frozen lake, not in Kilpisjärvi.
The short answer
Book the fishing guide. On the published prices he is the cheaper way to fish privately for any group from two to five, and his trip is built around fishing, with a fish-finder and a guide whose trade it is. Turn the safari company's shared afternoon into a private one only if you want its particular afternoon and snowmobile seats, or your group is larger than five.
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.
| Grayling Land | Kilpissafarit, made private | |
|---|---|---|
| Two people | €500 – the lower total for the group | €910 in the sleigh |
| Four people | €700 – the lower total for the group | €1,160 in the sleigh |
| Five people | €800 – the lower total for the group | €1,285 in the sleigh |
| Length | 3–4 h | 3 h |
| Fish-finder | Yes | Not stated |
-
Grayling Land
- Two people
- €500 – the lower total for the group
- Four people
- €700 – the lower total for the group
- Five people
- €800 – the lower total for the group
- Length
- 3–4 h
- Fish-finder
- Yes
A fishing guide who sells only private trips, priced by the size of the group, with fish-finder electronics and sleigh transport.
-
Kilpissafarit, made private
- Two people
- €910 in the sleigh
- Four people
- €1,160 in the sleigh
- Five people
- €1,285 in the sleigh
- Length
- 3 h
- Fish-finder
- Not stated
The shared afternoon on Lake Kilpisjärvi run for your group alone, at the usual seat prices plus a flat surcharge.
Highlighted figures are the best in that row: the lower total for the group, the lower total for the group and the lower total for the group. Totals for the whole group, worked out from each company's published prices. The safari company's figures use its cheapest seat, in the towed sleigh.
Where these figures come from
- Grayling Land graylingland.com read Sep 23, 2026
- Kilpissafarit, made private kilpissafaris.fi read Sep 23, 2026
- Grayling Land: A fishing guide who sells only private trips, priced by the size of the group, with fish-finder electronics and sleigh transport.
- Kilpissafarit, made private: The shared afternoon on Lake Kilpisjärvi run for your group alone, at the usual seat prices plus a flat surcharge.
Both ways of fishing privately in Kilpisjärvi come with published prices, which makes the sums easy to do.
A fishing guide, by head count
The guide sells nothing but private trips. The price starts at 400 euros for one angler and climbs by 100 for each extra person up to five, and it covers three to four hours, the gear, a fish-finder, a full winter outfit and the sleigh ride out.1
The shared afternoon, made private
The safari company will run its own afternoon on the lake for your group alone for 660 euros on top of the normal seat prices.2 The surcharge is the same whatever the size of the group, so it weighs heaviest on a couple.
Which to choose
On the published figures the fishing guide costs less at two, four and five people. The safari company’s private option makes sense for a group that wants its particular afternoon, its snowmobile seats or a size beyond five. The shared trips themselves are compared on ice fishing in Kilpisjärvi.
Questions people ask
Can we drive a snowmobile on the private trip?
Yes, on both. The fishing guide's page adds self-driving at 100 euros per two-seater snowmobile on top of his group price. On the safari company's private option the seat prices still apply, so two people sharing a machine pay the shared-driving price each plus the flat surcharge. Drivers must be eighteen on the safari company's trips; the guide's page states no age for driving.
Is the fishing permit part of the price?
Neither company says so. Lake Kilpisjärvi lies in the Käsivarsi-Tarvanto fishing area, whose permit grants fishing on the Finnish part of the lake and costs 15 euros a day for an adult and 7.50 for anyone under eighteen. Whether a guest on a guided private trip needs one is a question to put to the guide in writing before you pay.
What if our group is bigger than five?
The fishing guide's scale stops at five people and invites larger groups to ask for a quote. The safari company's surcharge is a flat sum, so for a larger group it becomes a smaller share of the whole: its seat prices simply multiply by the number of people. Whether that beats the guide depends on the quote he gives for your group, so ask both before deciding.