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Snowmobile safari in Ylläs: which short ride to book

Two small snowmobiles crossing a wide, open snowfield on a fell under a pale, hazy sky

Illustration photo: snowmobiles on an open fell, not from one of the safaris compared here.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

Start with what you would otherwise have to arrange. If you have no winter gear or car, the two rides that list both pickup and clothing, Safartica's and Kylmämaa's, save you the most trouble. If you have your own gear, Snow Fun Safaris' is the cheapest and still collects you. Lapland Safaris' lends the outfit but lists no transfer. Families should note where children ride, and every driver should check the liability figure before signing.

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.

Snow Fun SafarisLapland SafarisSafarticaKylmämaa
Price €109 – the lowest price per person €120 €129 €142
Duration 2 h 2 h 2 h 3 h
Pickup Included Not listed Included Included
Winter clothing Not stated Included Included Included
Driver's liability Not stated Max. €980, €150 with €20 waiver Max. €990 Max. €1,500
Children From 4, in the guide's sled Not recommended under 4 4–14 in the guide's sled From 3, on a sledge
Cancelling Free up to 24 h before €25 from 72 h, full price within 71 h Free up to 24 h before Free up to 24 h before

Highlighted figures are the best in that row: the lowest price per person. All four price per person with two people to a machine. Only the price is marked: the other rows are trade-offs, and a longer ride is not a better first one.

Where these figures come from
  • Snow Fun Safaris: The cheapest, about 20 km with a stop in a warm kota, and it collects you. It lets 7 to 14 year olds ride on the snowmobile behind a parent. The listing names no clothing, so bring your own or ask.
  • Lapland Safaris: A thermal outfit and a hot drink in the price, and the lowest printed driver liability, which a 20-euro waiver cuts to 150 euros. It lists no transfer, and its cancellation terms are the strictest here.
  • Safartica: Pickup and winter clothing both listed, and the page states the driving time, about an hour and a half. The beginner's pick if you have nothing with you.
  • Kylmämaa: The longest of the four at three hours, with a family company's small group, pickup and a full set of winter gear down to wool socks. The driver's liability is the highest printed here.

Four companies sell a short snowmobile safari at Ylläs, and their prices sit within 33 euros of each other. The differences that matter are in what each price covers.

What the price includes

Three of the four collect you from your accommodation. Lapland Safaris’ page lists no transfer for this ride. Three of the four lend winter clothing; Snow Fun Safaris’ listing names none, so if you have no gear, add a rental or choose another ride. Kylmämaa’s list is the fullest, down to wool socks and mittens.

Before you sign as the driver

Three of the four print what the driver pays after an accident: 980 euros with Lapland Safaris, which a 20-euro waiver cuts to 150, 990 with Safartica and 1,500 with Kylmämaa. Snow Fun Safaris’ listing prints no figure, so ask. Check whether your travel insurance covers it before the trip rather than at the briefing.

With children

All four put small children in a sled behind the guide’s machine. Snow Fun Safaris is the one that also lets 7 to 14 year olds ride on the snowmobile behind a parent. Kylmämaa gives a half-price child fare for ages 4 to 12.

If your dates might move

The three GetYourGuide listings can be cancelled free until a day before. Lapland Safaris’ Ylläs terms charge 25 euros from three days out and the full price inside that.

What happens on a snowmobile safari, from the briefing to the driving, is in the Rovaniemi snowmobile safari guide. The longer days, including the Snow Village trips, are listed below, and the rest of the resort is on the Ylläs destination page.

Tours you can book

Questions people ask

Can I ride alone?

On Lapland Safaris' two-hour ride, for 50 euros extra per person. Lapland Safaris also sells a three-hour ride in which every adult drives their own machine, at 228 euros, for over-eighteens only. The other three pages price two people to a machine and do not print a solo supplement, so ask when booking.

Can a teenager sit on the snowmobile rather than in the sled?

It depends on the seller. Snow Fun Safaris lets young people of 7 to 14 ride on the snowmobile behind an adult. Safartica and Kylmämaa allow children taller than 140 centimetres as passengers, Safartica at the adult price. Lapland Safaris' pages say the same about 140 centimetres. Younger children ride in the sled behind the guide.

Is there a minimum group?

At Kylmämaa, yes. Its listing asks for at least two adults on each departure and for bookings by midnight the day before, so a single traveller or a late decision may not get a place. The other three pages print no minimum, so a couple can book any of them.

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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