Reindeer in Kilpisjärvi: what the two hours include
Illustration photo: a collared reindeer in a forest, not from the visit described here.
The short answer
Book it for the herder's account of the year rather than for a ride. Ninety-five euros buys two hours: the drive to a local farm, feeding reindeer by hand, an explanation of the herding year and Sámi customs, and a hot drink with a pastry by a fireplace in a hut. Outdoor and thermal clothing are lent, which is unusual at this price. Four people are needed for the tour to run, and children under eight cannot come.
The reindeer outing in Kilpisjärvi is an afternoon with a herder rather than a ride, and the listing is clear that the family it visits has kept animals here for generations.
What the two hours hold
Transport from the operator’s office to a local farm, time feeding reindeer by hand, and an account of the herding year, the customs around it and the clothing that goes with them. It ends in a hut with a fireplace, a hot drink and a sweet pastry. Nothing is promised about sleighs or distance, because the visit is not built around either.
The clothing is the quiet bargain
Ninety-five euros includes an overcoat and a full thermal set, a beanie, woollen underwear and woollen gloves, with eyewear thrown in for day tours after February. Most two-hour outings at this price tell you to bring your own layers. Here you can arrive with a city coat and still stand outdoors comfortably, which matters more in Kilpisjärvi than in the resorts further south.
Two conditions to plan around
Children under eight are not accepted, and the tour needs four people to run at all. If fewer book, the operator offers a full refund or a private tour at extra cost. Kilpisjärvi is small and quiet in deep winter, so a couple hoping to join should ask how the numbers look for the date they want before building a day around it.
The aurora evening from the same company is on northern lights in Kilpisjärvi, and its day tours on snowmobile safari in Kilpisjärvi.
A second farm in the village, Kilpis Reindeer, sells its own visits a short walk from the hotels; the two are set side by side on the best reindeer tour in Kilpisjärvi.
Tours you can book
A two-hour visit on Sámi culture and reindeer herding
Run by Kilpissafarit
From €95per person
Length2 h
Book now on GetYourGuide(opens in a new tab)
Questions people ask
What happens if we are only two?
The tour needs four people to run. If fewer book, the operator says it will offer either a cancellation with a full refund or a private tour at extra cost, which is a fairer arrangement than a silent cancellation but still means a couple cannot count on the advertised price. In a village of a few hundred people in midwinter, that is worth planning around.
Is clothing included?
Yes, and more than most: an overcoat, a thermal clothing set, a beanie, woollen underwear and woollen gloves, with eyewear for day tours after February. For a two-hour outing at 95 euros that is a generous kit, and it means you can travel to Kilpisjärvi without buying an Arctic wardrobe for one afternoon.
How do we get there?
The meeting place is the Kilpissafarit office, 15 to 5 minutes before the start, and transport to the farm is part of the tour. Optional pickup from accommodation within five kilometres is offered. If you are coming from Norway or Sweden, the operator points out that the times it gives are Finnish time, which is an hour ahead of both.