Rovaniemi ice fishing tour prices, extras included
The cheapest ice fishing trip from Rovaniemi is the quiet one, ~$99 for a forest walk to a frozen lake with no engines involved. Put a snowmobile in the day and the fare roughly doubles, to ~$181 with one operator and ~$211 with the other. Below are the three trips side by side, then the small print that can add to the bill.
Three trips on one table
The table shows the three tours on our home page at their regular "from" price per person on GetYourGuide. The figure moves a little with the date you choose, so read it as a starting point and confirm it on the booking page.
| Tour | From | Length | Transport | Group | Start point | Included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safartica, snowmobile and ice fishing with lunch (our pick) | ~$211 | 5–6 h | Snowmobile, 2 per sled | Up to 50 | Koskikatu 9, central Rovaniemi | Winter clothing, transfers, safari, fishing, soup lunch, hot drinks, biscuits |
| Wild About Lapland, ice fishing experience | ~$99 | 3–4 h | A 5–10 minute forest walk | Up to 8, or private | Rovakatu 24, Rovaniemi | Winter clothing and boots, fishing gear, campfire snack, hot drinks |
| Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park, ice fishing and snowmobile combo | ~$181 | 4.5 h | Snowmobile, about 20 km | Up to 20 | Joulumaantie 5, Arctic Circle area | Hotel transfer, winter clothes, fuel, fishing gear, sausages by the fire |
None of the three asks you to rent clothing. Each listing puts winter gear in the fare, which saves a real chunk of money if you arrive with a city coat.
Why the snowmobile days cost about double
The gap between ~$99 and the two engine days is mostly the machines. A snowmobile needs fuel and upkeep, and the guide has to lead a long line of sleds safely through forest and over frozen rivers.
Time adds to it as well. Safartica's day at ~$211 lasts five to six hours, with two to three of them spent driving, and a hot soup lunch cooked at the fire. It holds 4.8 from 900+ reviews on GetYourGuide and 4.9 from 66 reviews on Viator.
Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park's combo at ~$181 is shorter at about 4.5 hours and covers roughly 20 km (12 miles) on the sled. You get sausages by a bonfire instead of a meal, and hotel pickup in the centre is part of the fare.
If the ride itself is half the reason you came, the extra money buys something. If you mainly want to sit by a hole and fish, read how the snowmobile days compare with the walk-in trip first, since it may save you the difference.
A full day on the sled with lunch at the fire
Safartica's trip leaves from its office on Koskikatu for a snowmobile safari to a quiet lake. You fish with a guide and eat Lappish soup cooked outdoors, and winter clothing is in the price.
The walk-in trip is the lowest fare
Wild About Lapland's walk-in trip at ~$99 costs about half of the snowmobile days. A short forest walk of five or ten minutes brings you to a wide lake, where you drill your own hole and fish with a local guide.
The group never goes above eight people, and a private booking for your own party of up to eight is offered too. The trip lasts three to four hours and ends with a campfire snack and hot drinks rather than a full lunch.
Its value score on GetYourGuide is the lowest of the three at 4.3, against 4.6 for Safartica. Some guests seem to expect more than a few hours by a hole for the price, so read the step-by-step account of a day on the ice before you decide.
The liability fee on the snowmobile days
This is the cost most people miss. Whoever drives a snowmobile carries a liability for damage to the machine, and both engine tours spell it out on their listings.
- Safartica: 990 euros per accident, lowered to 150 euros if you buy an insurance of 20 euros on the spot
- Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park: 950 euros per person per snowmobile, lowered to 150 euros with an insurance of 15 euros bought before the start
- Wild About Lapland: no snowmobile, so no liability fee at all
Most drivers take the insurance, since one slide into a tree can cost far more than the fee. Count it into your budget per sled, and know which of the two of you is driving.
Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park seats two adults on one snowmobile. If you travel alone or in an odd number, you share with another guest, or pay a supplement to drive by yourself.
Other extras to budget for
The fares cover the essentials, but a few costs sit outside them. None is large, though together they can add a noticeable amount to a family bill.
- The snowmobile insurance above, per sled
- A single-driver supplement at Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park
- The private option at Wild About Lapland, priced on the listing for your group
- Tips for the guide, never required in Finland but welcome after a long cold day
- A hot meal back in town after the walk-in trip or the sausage stop, since neither replaces lunch
Safartica asks for special diets at checkout, so note any allergy there rather than on the day. Our guide on what you might catch explains why the lunch rarely includes your own fish.
Cancelling and paying later, plus pickup
All three tours cancel free up to 24 hours before the start. GetYourGuide also lets you reserve now and pay later on each of them, which helps when your Lapland plans are still moving.
Pickup is shown as available on both the Safartica and Wild About Lapland listings on GetYourGuide. Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park includes hotel pickup and drop-off in the town centre, which matters since its base sits about 8 km (5 miles) north near Santa Claus Village.
For two people, a snowmobile day with insurance comes to roughly twice ~$211 plus 20 euros. Families should read the guide to ice fishing with children first, since the sums change once child seats and sled rules come in.