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Reindeer safari in Luosto: which ride to book

A small herd of reindeer with snow on their backs grazing among snow-laden spruces in a forest

Illustration photo: reindeer in a snowy spruce forest, not from one of the farms compared here.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

If the sleigh ride is the point, book the hour at the reindeer park near Pyhä: it is the lowest price and the only listing that states the time in the sleigh, though you make your own way there or ask for a transfer. If you want everything arranged from Luosto, book the reindeer safari sold from the village. If you would rather drive a snowmobile and treat the reindeer as a stop, the farm safari by snowmobile does that, with only a short sleigh trial.

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.

Kopara reindeer parkLapland Safaris: reindeer safariLapland Safaris: by snowmobile
Price €130 – the lowest price per person €163 €209
In the sleigh About 1 h Not stated A short trial
Length of the tour 1 h 30 min 1 h 45 min 3 h 30 min
Getting there Meet at the park; transport on request Transfer from Luosto included By snowmobile from Luosto
Starts 13:30 Wed and Sat at 11:00 Tue and Thu at 9:30
Cancelling Free up to 24 h before €25 from 8 days, full price within 7 €25 from 8 days, full price within 7

Highlighted figures are the best in that row: the lowest price per person. All three price per person. Only price is marked: a longer ride is not better for every child, and how you reach the reindeer is a preference rather than a ranking.

Where these figures come from
  • Kopara reindeer park: The lowest price and the only listing that states the sleigh time: an hour behind the reindeer at a park on the Luostontie road near Pyhä, in a group of sixteen at most. You meet at the park, so arrange the transport first if you have no car.
  • Lapland Safaris: reindeer safari: The arranged option: collected in Luosto, dressed in a thermal outfit, a sleigh ride with a herder and berry juice by a fire. It runs twice a week, and the listing does not say how long you spend in the sleigh.
  • Lapland Safaris: by snowmobile: A snowmobile safari with a reindeer farm as its destination. The sleigh ride is described as a short trial, so book it for the drive and the farm rather than the reindeer ride.

Three reindeer rides are sold in the Pyhä-Luosto area, and they are three different outings. One is an hour in a sleigh at a reindeer park on the road from Pyhä towards Luosto. One is a sleigh ride with a herder sold from Luosto with everything arranged. The third is a snowmobile safari that stops at a reindeer farm.

For the longest time in the sleigh

The reindeer park near Pyhä, sold by Kairankutsu, is the only one of the three that states how long you ride: an hour, inside a programme of about an hour and a half that starts at half past one. It is also the cheapest. You meet at the park’s restaurant on the Luostontie road, so without a car you need to ask the company for a transfer.

For a morning arranged from Luosto

Lapland Safaris’ reindeer safari collects you in Luosto, lends a thermal outfit, and takes you to a herder for a sleigh ride and a warm drink by the fire. It takes all ages. It runs only on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, and its terms are strict: the full price is due for a cancellation within seven days.

For a snowmobile day with reindeer in it

The snowmobile safari to a reindeer farm is a different purchase: two adults share a snowmobile to the farm, hear about herding over coffee, and try a short sleigh ride. Children ride in a sled behind the guide.

What a reindeer farm visit includes, and what a ride adds, is explained in the Rovaniemi reindeer farm guide. The rest of the area is on the Pyhä-Luosto destination page.

What each aurora evening costs per hour, and what a family with children of different ages pays, is worked out in northern lights tour prices in Pyhä-Luosto.

Tours you can book

Questions people ask

How do we get to the reindeer park without a car?

Ask the operator. The reindeer park listing gives a meeting point at the park's restaurant on the Luostontie road and says that guests who need transport from Pyhä or Luosto should contact the company. No price for that transfer is printed on the listing, so ask for it before booking; the two Luosto safaris include the transfer in their price.

What happens if we cancel?

It depends on where you book. The reindeer park ride, booked through Viator, can be cancelled free until 24 hours before. The two safaris sold from Luosto by Lapland Safaris carry a 25-euro fee from eight days out and the full price from seven days before the start. On a short winter trip where plans can change, that difference is worth weighing before the price.

Can small children come?

On all three, in different ways. Lapland Safaris' reindeer safari takes all ages and sells child fares. Its snowmobile safari takes children over two in a sled pulled by the guide. The reindeer park listing notes that infants sit on laps and that infant seats are available in its transport. Dress small children for sitting still: an hour in a sleigh is colder than an hour of walking.

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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