Reindeer farm in Hetta: what the visit includes
Illustration photo: a reindeer herd on open ground, not from the visit described here.
The short answer
Book it for the herding rather than for a sleigh ride. The visit lasts two to three hours at one of the largest working reindeer enterprises in Enontekiö, with a lasso demonstration and lunch of reindeer sausage, Lappish bread and salad in a kota. An adult pays 75 euros, a child under twelve 50, and a child under two nothing, which makes it one of the cheapest family outings in Lapland. It needs a minimum of two people to run.
The reindeer visit sold in Hetta goes to a working herding enterprise, one of the largest in Enontekiö, rather than to a farm built for visitors.
What the two to three hours hold
A look at how a herd is kept through the winter, a demonstration of the lasso a herder uses to catch an animal, and lunch in a kota: reindeer sausage, Lappish bread and salad. The listing does not promise a sleigh ride, and that is the honest shape of the visit, which is about the work rather than about being pulled through the snow.
What it costs a family
Seventy-five euros for an adult, fifty for a child under twelve and nothing for a child under two. A family of two adults and two children pays 250, or 150 if one child is under two, which is modest for half a day with lunch in it. A minimum of two people is needed for the visit to run, so a solo traveller should check before counting on it.
When a shorter visit is possible
The listing mentions one-hour visits without lunch at 25 euros a person as occasionally possible. That is the option for a family whose small children will not last three hours, or for a day already committed elsewhere, but it is not scheduled, so ask when you enquire rather than turning up expecting it.
The husky safaris from the same company are compared on husky safari in Hetta, and the aurora evenings on northern lights in Enontekiö.
A second reindeer farm visit is sold in Hetta by Vilu Arctic Experience, with the transfer included; the two are set side by side on the best reindeer tour in Enontekiö.
Tours you can book
A reindeer herding farm visit with lunch in a kota
Run by Hetta Huskies
From €75per person
Length2–3 h
See it on the operator’s site(opens in a new tab)
Questions people ask
What does a family of four pay?
Two hundred and fifty euros for two adults and two children under twelve, and 150 if one of the children is under two, since the listing gives that age free. Against the husky safaris from the same company, where four places on the twelve-kilometre trip come to 520 euros, the farm visit is the cheapest way in this village to spend a morning with animals.
Is there a shorter visit?
Sometimes. The listing says a one-hour visit without lunch is occasionally possible at 25 euros a person, which suits a family with small children or a day already half spent. It is not a scheduled option, so ask rather than assume it will be available on the day you want.
Is lunch included?
Yes, and it is a proper one: reindeer sausage, Lappish bread and salad, eaten in a kota. That is part of why the two to three hours do not feel like a quick stop, and it is also why the price sits above a bare farm entry elsewhere. Tell the operator in advance if anyone in your party does not eat meat.