Deep snow, frozen lakes and enough daylight to see the forest: the months compared.
The short answer
February and March are the best months for a daytime snowshoe tour from Rovaniemi: the snow is at its deepest, lakes are generally still frozen, and on 1 March the sun is up from 7:33 to 17:28. December and January suit the evening walks, with darkness from mid-afternoon, but daytime tours then take place in about two to three hours of sun around noon and a long blue twilight.
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: Bring warm layers
Clothing: Clothes, boots on request
Clothing: Overall, boots
Snowshoe tours need snow cover, and the routes over frozen lakes need ice. Visit Rovaniemi says the first snow usually falls in November and the snow usually lasts until April. These tours run through the winter; book with free cancellation if you are unsure of the weather.
| 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 |
| 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 |
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.
Each card starts with pickup and clothing. Open it for the full list of what is included and who the operator turns away.
Overall and boots are lent, and the walk ends with sausages and hot blueberry juice at a fire. Needs at least two guests to run, four on Sundays.
A guided snowshoe walk in the forest near Rovaniemi, possibly across a lake, followed by a campfire barbecue. The operator describes it as suitable for small children and people who do little sport. No distance or walking time is given.
Pickup, clothing, food and age limits as the operator lists them on the booking page.
A forest about 30 km outside Rovaniemi and a lunch cooked over the fire in a teepee. Dress in your own warm layers.
After pickup, the van drives about 30 km out of Rovaniemi to a forest for the snowshoe walk. Afterwards the group gathers around a fire in a teepee for lunch, then drives back and is dropped at each accommodation.
Pickup, clothing, food and age limits as the operator lists them on the booking page.
At most 8 guests, sausages and warm berry juice by the fire, and a few photos from the guide afterwards. Ask for clothes and boots when you book.
The guide drives to a forest area not far from Rovaniemi for a snowshoe walk, with a look at animal tracks along the way. Afterwards the group sits by the fire for sausages and hot juice while the guide talks about Finnish nature and local culture. The operator rates it easy.
Pickup, clothing, food and age limits as the operator lists them on the booking page.
The guide picks old forest, a frozen lake or a hilltop to suit the group and lights a fire with flint and steel. Pickup only outside the centre.
An evening snowshoe walk in a group of at most 8. The guide chooses a place that suits the group and gives a good chance of seeing the aurora if it appears, and lights a fire halfway with flint and steel. The northern lights cannot be guaranteed; the walk runs in any weather.
Pickup, clothing, food and age limits as the operator lists them on the booking page.
| Month | Daylight on the 1st | Snow depth mid-month | Average temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| December | 10:13 to 13:58 (11:08 to 13:22 on 21 Dec) | 28 cm | −7.7 °C |
| January | 10:59 to 13:43 | 47 cm | −10.3 °C |
| February | 9:19 to 15:43 | 66 cm | −10.3 °C |
| March | 7:33 to 17:28 | 77 cm | −5.6 °C |
| April | 6:32 to 20:13 | 64 cm | 0.1 °C |
Sunrise and sunset for central Rovaniemi from the US Naval Observatory. Snow depth (median) and monthly mean temperature for 1991–2020 at Rovaniemi airport from the Finnish Meteorological Institute; the forests where tours walk can be colder.
Around the solstice the sun is above the horizon for just over two hours. Visit Rovaniemi describes the middle of the day in this season as a blue glow, and that is the light most daytime walks get. Snow is thinner than later in winter, and January is as cold as February on average. In return, darkness falls early, which suits the evening walks: civil twilight ends at 15:27 on 1 December. Reviewers who walked in the morning in December and January describe the sun coming up between the trees.
From February the days lengthen quickly, from about six hours of sun at the start of the month to almost ten by 1 March. The snow keeps building and reaches its median peak in mid-March. February is on average as cold as January, so the overall a tour lends still matters; March is several degrees milder.
Snow usually lasts into April, but the lakes are no longer reliably frozen after March, and the days are long, which leaves little darkness for evening walks. Daytime tours can still be pleasant in early April; check the listing for the season before you book.
Morning walkers write about sunrise in the forest, an afternoon group about sunset. One January guest walked at an extreme frost, and the guide adjusted the route.
“Very good and interesting experience!!! We chose morning hours to do the hiking (around 11 a.m) and it was totally worth it. We saw the sun rising in the middle of nowhere in the forest. The guide was well prepared and really helpful. We had a chance to eat delicious meal with traditional tea. Thanks a lot for experience!”
“We’ve had a really great time! Thanks to our guide Shihab, who had the best energy and made sure we felt fine throughout the whole hike. He also told us some facts about the nature in Finland, which was really interesting. We were also very lucky with the weather, as we got to see a beautiful sunrise. The views were unreal! I would 100% recommend this activity with this company”
“The snowshoeing was amazing and we got to spend a lot of time in the forest wandering around as well as seeing the sunset a little bit. The guides were lovely and very helpful”
“Well organized, we felt hosted and safe. Temperatures were quite cold (-32 st. C), so Atakanas, our guide adjust a route for these tough conditions. Great time & lovely experience.”
Reviews of snowshoe tours from Rovaniemi, quoted from GetYourGuide.
February and March for daytime walks: deep snow, lakes generally still frozen and much longer days than in midwinter. December and January suit evening walks, because it gets dark early.
Yes. The days are short, with the sun up from 11:08 to 13:22 on 21 December, and the snow is thinner than later in winter. Evening walks have long hours of darkness.
The average January temperature at Rovaniemi airport is −10.3 °C, the same as February, and much colder days occur. Most tours lend overalls and boots; check the clothing column.
Visit Rovaniemi says the waters are generally frozen from December to March, but the timing and thickness of the ice vary. Several operators choose the route on the day to suit the conditions.
