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Snowshoeing in Ivalo: which of the two

Ski tracks and footprints crossing deep snow among birches, long shadows in low sun under a blue sky

Illustration photo: tracks in the snow among birches, not from the Ivalo trips.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

Staying in Ivalo, book Arctic Guides: it is the less expensive of the two and collects you free in town. Staying outside Ivalo, or wanting the evening and a chance of the aurora, book Xwander, whose transfers reach Inari, Nellim, Kakslauttanen, Kiilopää and Saariselkä.

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.

Arctic GuidesXwander
Price from €85 €149
When Not stated Evening
Pick-up Free within 10 km of Ivalo Ivalo, plus five places beyond
Winter clothing Warm jackets on request Overalls and boots
Books with at least 2 people Not stated

Only the price is marked, as arithmetic. The dearer trek includes an overall and boots and a wider pick-up, which the cheaper walk does not.

Where these figures come from
  • Arctic Guides: A walk for a small group at a relaxed pace, with a warm drink and snack; free pick-up within ten kilometres of Ivalo.
  • Xwander: An evening trek from the company's base with a chance of the aurora, and transfers from five places beyond Ivalo.

Two guided snowshoe walks are sold from Ivalo on the pages we read, and both last about three hours.

In town, in a small group

Arctic Guides collects you free within ten kilometres of Ivalo, or meets you in the K-Market car park, fits the snowshoes and poles, and walks at a relaxed pace with a stop for a warm drink and a snack, coming back by a slightly different route. It lends extra-warm jackets on request, says the walk suits all fitness levels, and needs at least two people to book.1

In the evening, from further away

Xwander sets out in the evening from its base and lends overalls and boots. It includes transfers from Ivalo and, beyond it, from Inari, Nellim, Kakslauttanen, Kiilopää and Saariselkä, so it is the one to book if you are staying outside town. The company mentions willow grouse and reindeer, and a chance of the aurora away from the lights of town, which it does not promise.2

Tours you can book

Questions people ask

Can we cancel if the weather is bad?

Both listings, as we read them, allow free cancellation until 24 hours before the start, whatever the reason. Neither says what happens if the company itself calls the walk off on the day, so if a cold snap is forecast, ask whether you would be moved to another day or refunded before the 24-hour line passes.

Will we see wildlife?

Possibly, but neither company promises it. Xwander mentions willow grouse digging in the snow and reindeer grazing as things you might see, and Arctic Guides says its guide will talk about the local nature and wildlife along the way. Tracks in fresh snow are the likelier sight, and a guide who reads them is part of what you are paying for.

Is there a trip in Inari village instead?

Yes. Inari village, about 32 minutes' drive north, has an evening snowshoe walk of its own and two walks in the Muotkatunturi wilderness, which [snowshoeing in Inari](/guides/snowshoeing-inari/) compares. From Ivalo, Xwander's evening trek already includes a transfer from Inari, so it works for a stay split between the two.

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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