Reindeer in Kemijärvi: what the two hours include
Illustration photo: reindeer on a snowy shore, not from the outing described here.
The short answer
Book it if you want an evening with a working herder rather than a long ride. Jauri Resort's two hours cost 185 euros and include the transport from four pickup points in Kemijärvi, thermal gear, a reindeer sled trip, lasso throwing, and berry juice and a snack around a fire in a kota. The listing does not say how far or how long the sled trip is, so ask if the ride is the point, and note that animal allergies rule the outing out.
Kemijärvi has one reindeer outing on the booking platforms, and it is an evening with a herder rather than a ride through the forest.
What the two hours hold
Jauri Resort’s listing puts four things inside them: a reindeer sled trip, throwing the suopunki lasso, a fire in a kota with berry juice and a snack, and a herder who talks about the animals and the work. Thermal gear is lent and the transport is included, with four pickup points in Kemijärvi offered at checkout, so the outing needs no car and no winter wardrobe of your own.
The number it does not give
How far the sled goes, or how long you sit in it. Two hours is the only figure on the listing, and the sled trip is one item in a list of four. Operators in Sodankylä and Salla print a distance for the same kind of outing, so the absence here is worth noticing rather than filling in: ask when you book if the ride is what you are paying for.
Who should skip it
Anyone with an animal allergy, which the listing names as a reason the outing is not suitable, and anyone hoping for a wilderness safari of several hours. The price is 185 euros a person with no child’s fare published, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start.
The aurora evenings from the same town are compared on northern lights in Kemijärvi, and the husky farm nearby on husky safari in Kemijärvi.
Tours you can book
A reindeer sleigh ride with lasso throwing and a fire in a kota
Run by Jauri Resort
From €185per person
Length2 h
Book now on GetYourGuide(opens in a new tab)
Questions people ask
How long is the sled trip itself?
The listing does not say. It gives two hours for the whole outing and lists the sled trip alongside the lasso throwing, the fire and the transport, without a distance or a time for the ride. Where operators elsewhere in Lapland print a figure, this one leaves it open, so a visitor for whom the ride is the point should ask before booking rather than assume.
Does it include getting there?
Yes. Round-trip transport from Jauri Resort is listed, and the booking offers four pickup points in Kemijärvi to choose from at checkout, which makes this one of the few outings in the town that does not need a car. Thermal gear is included as well, so you can travel in ordinary winter clothes and change at the start.
What is suopunki throwing?
The suopunki is the lasso a herder uses to catch a reindeer from the herd, and the listing includes a chance to try throwing it, usually at a pair of antlers set in the snow. It is harder than it looks and it is the part of these evenings children tend to remember, which is one reason the outing is built around the herder's work rather than the length of the ride.