Short answer
- Typical price: around €170 per person, half of tours between €130 and €205.
- Time on the snowmobile: often about an hour, inside a tour of two to three hours.
- To drive: 18 or over, with your physical driving licence. A photo or copy is not accepted.
- Children: ride in a sled pulled by the guide’s snowmobile; some operators heat it.
A snowmobile safari is the other thing everyone does in Lapland, after the aurora. We list 157 snowmobile tours in Finnish Lapland, most from Rovaniemi and Levi. In Tromsø there are only a few, and they cost more.
What a tour looks like
You are picked up or meet in town, driven to the operator’s base, and kitted out: overalls, boots, gloves, a balaclava and a helmet are normally included. After a safety briefing you ride in a line behind a guide, usually two to a snowmobile, swapping drivers halfway. Many tours stop at a hut or a fire for a hot drink.
Read the listing for the riding time rather than the tour length. A “3-hour” tour often means about one hour on the snowmobile; the rest is transfers, dressing and the briefing. Longer safaris of four hours or more, sometimes combined with a reindeer farm or ice fishing, give you more time on the trail.
Who can drive
The rules below are what operators in Finnish Lapland ask for. They are consistent across the tours we read, but check the listing for yours:
- Age: drivers must be at least 18.
- Licence: a valid driving licence, carried with you. Operators state that a photo or copy on your phone is not accepted, and police can check during a safari.
- Alcohol: none before driving. The same law applies as for a car.
- Damage: drivers carry a self-liability for damage to the snowmobile, typically around €900–1,000 per vehicle. Ask whether a waiver is available.
If you do not have a licence with you, you can still go as a passenger.
Families
Children ride in a sled towed behind the guide’s snowmobile; some operators heat it and add seat belts. Child prices usually apply from about 3 to 12. Height limits vary, so check before you book.
Day or night
Most safaris run in daylight, which in midwinter means late morning to early afternoon. Evening safaris combine the ride with a chance of the aurora. It is colder and you see less of the forest, but the headlights on the snow are an experience of their own.
How to choose
- Look for the riding time and distance, not the tour length.
- Small riding groups (five snowmobiles or fewer per guide) mean fewer stops and a better pace.
- Bring your licence if you want to drive.
- Book the snowmobile in daylight and keep the evenings for the aurora, unless you want both at once.
More from the region: all tours in Finnish Lapland, husky sledding, and what to wear (on a snowmobile the wind makes it feel much colder).
Prices, counts and tour details were checked in our catalogue on 8 November 2026. They change often; the price on Viator when you book is the one that counts.
Links to tours go to Viator. If you book, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and ratings change often.