A guided walk on snowshoes through the forest around Rovaniemi, by day or after dark. The listings sound alike; the table shows where they differ: pickup in the centre, overalls and boots, time of day and the youngest age allowed.
Pick one day, or the first and last day of your stay in Rovaniemi. We look up the booking calendar of every snowshoe tour on this site and list the ones with places left.
Clothing: Overall, boots
Clothing: Clothing, boots
Clothing: Bring warm layers
Clothing: Overall, boots
Clothing: Clothes, boots on request
Clothing: Overall, boots, mittens
Clothing: No overall or boots
Clothing: Overall, poles; own warm shoes
Clothing: Clothing, boots if needed
Clothing: Own warm clothing and shoes
Clothing: Winter clothes
Clothing: Bring warm clothing
Clothing: Clothing; own boots, gloves
Clothing: Poles, head torch
Clothing: Winter gear
Clothing: Overall, boots, gloves
One tour per category, chosen on pickup, clothing, group size and food as the listings state them. The full table follows below.
Groups of at most 8, pickup within 10 km of the centre, sausages and warm berry juice by the fire and a few photos from the guide. Ask for clothes and boots when booking. From age 10.
A full lunch cooked over the fire in a teepee, after a walk in a forest about 30 km out of town. Hotel pickup; bring your own warm layers. From age 8.
An evening walk in a group of at most 8, overall and boots lent, fire lit with flint and steel. The aurora is never guaranteed. Pickup only outside the centre, from age 10.
Thermal overalls, snowshoes and poles included, sausages and hot drinks at a fire, pickup at your accommodation. Groups of at most 8, from age 12.
Three questions: daylight or aurora, what matters most, and the age of the youngest walker. Age limits are taken from each listing; tours without a stated limit are not suggested for young children.
Question 1 of 3
Question 2 of 3
Question 3 of 3
No tour fits every answer, so here is the closest one.
Transfer from the city centre or Santa Claus Village if needed; thermal overall, boots, woollen socks and mittens lent. The guide explains Arctic plants, animals and life in the north.
Pickup at accommodation outside the city centre; winter clothing, boots and snowshoes included. Old forest, frozen swamps and lakes, at most 8 participants.
Pickup at selected hotels within 10 km of the city centre; overall, boots and snowshoes lent. The guide shows you how to put on the snowshoes, then leads into the forest.
Pickup and drop-off at your hotel; dress in your own warm layers. A forest about 30 km outside Rovaniemi.
Pickup at your accommodation; winter clothing lent, bring your own boots and gloves. 45 to 60 minutes on snowshoes, partly off-trail in deep snow.
Pickup within 10 km of the centre; winter clothes and boots only on request. Groups of up to 8, rated easy and suitable for all fitness levels.
Hotel pickup and drop-off; warm clothing and winter boots if you need them. A walk of a few kilometres with a professional photographer as guide.
Pickup at your accommodation in Rovaniemi; thermal overalls, snowshoes and poles included, bring your own warm shoes. Forest and frozen lakes at Vikaköngäs, a protected wilderness area north of Rovaniemi.
Pickup within 10 km of the city centre; overalls and boots are not included. At most 8 participants, guided in English or Spanish.
Pickup outside the city centre (surcharge from 10 km); overall, boots and snowshoes included. Old forest, a frozen river or lake, or a hilltop, chosen for the group and the aurora chances.
Pickup from the centre of Rovaniemi or set points; winter clothes and snowshoes included. Route chosen each night from weather, cloud cover, moonlight and aurora forecasts.
Pickup and drop-off included; no winter gear, bring warm clothing and sturdy, waterproof shoes. An evening snowshoe hike with a stop at a watchtower over the forest.
Also a good fit
Sorted by number of reviews; tap Price or Reviews to re-sort. Walking time, group size, age limits and food for every tour are on the full comparison page.
| Photo | Tour | Time of day | Pickup | Total time | Clothing | Price p.p. | Reviews | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest snowshoe walk with campfire BBQ NordicUnique Travels | not stated | Hotels within 10 km | 3 h | Overall, boots | €105 | ★ 4.4 (805) | Book now |
| Wilderness snowshoe trip in a group of 8 Wild about Lapland | not stated | Not in the centre | 3 h | Clothing, boots | €89 | ★ 4.6 (119) | Book now |
| Snowshoe walk with lunch in a teepee ToTheNorth | not stated | Your hotel | 3 h | Bring warm layers | €75 | ★ 4.9 (65) | Book now |
| Night snowshoeing with a northern lights watch Wild about Lapland | Evening | Not in the centre | 3 h | Overall, boots | €105 | ★ 4.5 (53) | Book now |
| Small-group forest walk with BBQ and photos Into North | not stated | Within 10 km | 4.5 h | Clothes, boots on request | €98 | ★ 5.0 (46) | Book now |
| Snowshoe walk from Apukka Resort Apukka Resort | not stated | Centre or Santa Village | 3.5 h | Overall, boots, mittens | €95 | ★ 4.8 (36) | Book now |
| Snowshoeing with a flint-and-steel fire Nordic Escapes | not stated | Within 10 km | 3 h with transfer | No overall or boots | €99 | ★ 4.9 (29) | Book now |
| Vikaköngäs snowshoe walk with sausages Arctic GM | not stated | Your accommodation | 3 h | Overall, poles; own warm shoes | €69 | ★ 4.7 (16) | Book now |
| Snowshoe trip with a photographer guide Beyond Arctic | not stated | Your hotel | 3 h | Clothing, boots if needed | €105 | ★ 5.0 (8) | Book now |
| Night forest hike to a watchtower Wonderlapland | Evening | Included | 3 h | Own warm clothing and shoes | €130 | ★ 4.8 (8) | Book now |
| Midday snowshoe walk to a wilderness lodge Wild Nordic Finland | Midday, from 12:00 | Hotel pickup | about 2 h | Overall, boots, gloves | €79 | ★ 4.7 (7) | Book now |
| Quiet northern lights snowshoe walk Aihki Adventures | Evening | Centre or set points | 3 h | Winter clothes | €89 | ★ 5.0 (6) | Book now |
| Snowshoe walk with warm drinks Wonderlapland | not stated | Included | 3.5 h | Bring warm clothing | €125 | new listing | Book now |
| Morning snowshoe walk and Lappish BBQ Northern Future | Morning, 9–12 | Your accommodation | 3 h with transfer | Clothing; own boots, gloves | €89 | new listing | Book now |
| Two-hour snowshoe tour near the centre East Lapland Group | Day or evening | No pickup listed | 2 h | Poles, head torch | €79 | new listing | Book now |
| Snowshoe walk in the Lapland forest Lapland Welcome | not stated | Hotels on a list | 3 h | Winter gear | €119 | new listing | Book now |
Each snowshoe price is per adult and is read from GetYourGuide or Viator when the page opens, so a listing with a hotel surcharge or a second option can cost more on the booking page.
What each listing says about time on snowshoes, total length, group size, minimum age and food. Most listings give only the total time, which includes the drive.
| Tour | On snowshoes | Total time | Max. group | Minimum age | Food |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest snowshoe walk with campfire BBQ | Not stated | 3 h | Not stated | Not stated | Sausages, blueberry juice |
| Wilderness snowshoe trip in a group of 8 | Not stated | 3 h | 8 | From 5 | Campfire snack |
| Snowshoe walk with lunch in a teepee | Not stated | 3 h | Not stated | From 8 | Lunch in a teepee |
| Night snowshoeing with a northern lights watch | Not stated | 3 h | 8 | From 10 | Campfire snack, hot drinks |
| Small-group forest walk with BBQ and photos | Not stated | 4.5 h | 8 | From 10 | Sausages, berry juice |
| Snowshoe walk from Apukka Resort | Not stated | 3.5 h | Not stated | From 10 | Hot drink |
| Snowshoeing with a flint-and-steel fire | Not stated | 3 h | 8 | From 9 | Sausage, hot drinks |
| Vikaköngäs snowshoe walk with sausages | Not stated | 3 h | 8 | From 12 | Sausages, hot drinks |
| Snowshoe trip with a photographer guide | A few km | 3 h | 8 | From 6 | Snacks, hot drinks |
| Night forest hike to a watchtower | Not stated | 3 h | 9 | From 8 | Hot drink, biscuits |
| Midday snowshoe walk to a wilderness lodge | 1.5–2 h | 2 h | 14 | Not stated | Cookies, berry juice |
| Quiet northern lights snowshoe walk | Not stated | 3 h | 6 (booking limit 8) | From 7 | Warm snacks, hot drinks |
| Snowshoe walk with warm drinks | Not stated | 3.5 h | Not stated | Not stated | Warm drinks, biscuits |
| Morning snowshoe walk and Lappish BBQ | 45–60 min | 3 h | 8 per car | From 5 | Sausages, bread, berry tea |
| Two-hour snowshoe tour near the centre | Not stated | 2 h | 6 | From 12 | Warm drinks, biscuits |
| Snowshoe walk in the Lapland forest | Not stated | 3 h | Not stated | From 4 | Hot drinks, light snacks |
Pickup and clothing are in the comparison table.
In daylight you see the snow-loaded spruces, animal tracks and the frozen lakes the routes cross, and most daytime listings end with a fire and something to eat. In midwinter that daylight is short: on 21 December the sun rises in Rovaniemi at 11:08 and sets at 13:22, with twilight on either side.
The evening walks are built around the chance of northern lights. The guides pick a spot with an open view of the sky, and some wait there at a fire or near a cabin. None of them can promise the aurora, and the walk happens under cloud as well. Our page on northern lights snowshoe walks sets out what each evening tour includes.
Guests write most about patient guides, the quiet of the forest and the food at the fire. The critical reviews say the walk was shorter or plainer than the price suggested, and one describes broken equipment.
“… Our guide picked us up and dropped us off at our accommodation. We were then guided through the forest while having time to take pictures of the beautiful scenery around us. The route was circular, up to the top of the forest to see for miles from the viewing tower and back down then we finished in a shelter next to a river where our guide lit a fire and we cooked sausages. …”
“I had Vlad as our guide. As a solo traveller, I felt shy but vlad was very comforting and made conversation with me and the rest of the tour group. He made sure we had lots of fun walking through the deep snow and took really nice professional photos. The lunch he cooked for us and the hot juice was really great! Would recommend this to anyone - the snow shoe hike was not that difficult and it was very fun”
“Pick up was easy, as was finding the correct boots etc for us. Our driver James was cheerful and helpful, and our guide during the hike (sadly I cannot remember her name, but she was from Estonia) made the experience even more enjoyable with stops to explain things about nature and animals in the area to us - she was even quick to point out an arctic hare to us! The snow shoe walking itself was difficult as a beginner, but it didn't feel like a problem. Great new experience, very glad I went!”
“Our guide Max was excellent. Kept the whole group involved, had plenty of local insights and made a mean fire!! Didn’t get to see the lights but you can’t control the weather. Great fun even without that part and the food was delicious!”
“If you have never seen deep snow before this would probably be cool, but it felt like we probably could’ve done this hike by ourselves with normal shoes. We thought we were going to go to a lookout like the first photo suggests, but we were just in the forest the whole time. It was cool to see a new area in Lapland, but we didn’t really feel like it was worth what we paid, especially when we had gone for a walk in a forest the day prior and it pretty much looked the same.”
“It was very bad organized without any description of the place we were visiting . Also devices were broken and no light for everybody … I would not recommend at all The price was tremendously high for the activity just 30 mins of walking and the rest spent to find the right device for all the group .”
Reviews of snowshoe tours from Rovaniemi, quoted from GetYourGuide.
The evening option, food, clothing and children, one page each. Walking without a guide has its own page: snowshoeing on your own.
Our verdict by kind of trip: first time, small group, food, evening.
Read more
What the evening walks include, and why the aurora is never promised.
Read more
From biscuits and sausages to a cooked lunch in a teepee.
Read more
Which tours lend overalls and boots, and what to add yourself.
Read more
Minimum ages per tour, cold and walking time.
Read moreSome tours use snowshoes to reach something else. We compare those on the site for the main activity.
Half-day tours that cross a frozen lake on snowshoes and then fish through the ice. They are compared on rovaniemi-icefishing.com.
To rovaniemi-icefishing.comThe full-day trips to Riisitunturi National Park, about two hours' drive from Rovaniemi, are covered on riisitunturi.com.
To riisitunturi.comA winter hike into a canyon with icefalls, a full day from Rovaniemi. Pickup, grips and group sizes are compared on korouomawaterfalls.com.
To korouomawaterfalls.comLooking for the aurora without the walk? Bus and minibus hunts are on rovaniemi-northernlights.com. All combinations with snowshoes are listed on our combinations page.
Snowshoe listings for Rovaniemi promise forests, silence and a campfire, and the facts that matter for a booking sit in the small print: a pickup rule for the city centre, an overall that is or is not lent, a minimum age of 6 or 12. We copy those facts into one table and write "not stated" where a listing is silent. No tour operator runs this site. When you book through a link here, the booking platform pays us a commission and your price stays the same.
From the tour listings, Visit Rovaniemi and the City of Rovaniemi.
No. On most tours the guide shows you how to strap on the snowshoes before you set off, and several operators describe the walk as easy or suitable for beginners. Some listings still ask for moderate or good basic fitness, because walking in deep snow is harder than it looks. The details for each tour are on the comparison page.
Most tours collect you at your hotel, some only within 10 km of the centre or from a fixed list of hotels. Wild about Lapland is the exception: its day and evening walks pick up only at accommodation outside the centre, so guests in the centre walk to the meeting point. The two-hour tour by East Lapland Group lists no pickup and starts near the centre.
On many tours, yes, but not on all. Nordic Escapes states that overalls and boots are not included, ToTheNorth asks you to dress in warm layers, and Into North lends clothes and boots only on request. The clothing column of the table shows what each listing says.
Maybe. Every evening operator says the aurora cannot be guaranteed, and the walk goes ahead under cloud too. Wonderlapland states that there is no refund if the aurora does not appear. Book the evening walk for the walk itself and treat the lights as a bonus.
Less than the tour length suggests. Most listings give only the total time, and that includes the drive out of town. Northern Future splits its three hours into about one hour of driving, 45 to 60 minutes on snowshoes and the rest at the fire; Nordic Escapes notes that its three hours include pickup and drop-off.
Yes, from different ages. The stated minimum ages on this site run from 4 to 12, and some listings give none. Beyond Arctic accepts children from 6 and arranges private tours for younger ones; Arctic GM and East Lapland Group start at 12.
Yes. The Ounasvaara winter trail is groomed for walkers, about 6 km in total, with its nearest point 1.6 km east of the centre, and the sports centre at Ounasvaara rents snowshoes. Keep off the cross-country ski tracks, which the city reserves for skiing, and off the river ice in town, which Visit Rovaniemi calls dangerously thin.
The tours need snow cover, and the walks across frozen lakes need ice. Visit Rovaniemi says the waters are generally frozen from December to March. In late December the sun is up for only about two hours a day in Rovaniemi, so daytime walks then take place in a long blue twilight.
Every listing we checked can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before the start. The Wild Nordic Finland tour on Viator follows the same 24-hour rule. Some operators also need a minimum of two guests and move or refund the tour if it is not reached.
No. rovaniemisnowshoe.com is an independent comparison site. No operator owns it or pays to be listed; the site earns a commission from the booking platform when you book through a link, and your price stays the same.
The table has all three for each snowshoe tour from Rovaniemi.
Back to the table