Booking choice: The 2 km reindeer sleigh ride through the forest, from $200 per person. Check dates Tour details
Every autumn the same question lands in our inbox in different words: will there be a sleigh ride on my dates? The honest answer depends on one thing, the snow. A reindeer sleigh is a wooden sled on runners, and it needs a snowy track.
Below: when the snow usually settles, what you can do with reindeer before it does, how long the season runs, which weeks suit which trip and when to book. For the month-by-month picture beyond this winter, read our guide to the best time for a reindeer ride.
The quick answer
Visit Rovaniemi says the first snow usually melts and then returns for good within weeks, usually in late November, sometimes earlier or only around December. From then until about mid-April the sleigh rides run. Before the snow, farms offer visits, feeding and walks with reindeer. On every ride you sit in the sleigh while a herder or guide leads the reindeer; you do not drive.
When does the reindeer sleigh season start in Rovaniemi?
When the snow settles for good. Visit Rovaniemi says that is usually late November, sometimes earlier or only around December.
Night frosts start in October, and the first snow often comes and goes. Santa Claus Village puts it plainly in its FAQ: there is typically no snow from mid-April to mid-November at the Arctic Circle, but the first lasting snow has come as early as the end of October in some winters and only in early December in others. Nobody can promise the date. It is up to nature.
The Finnish Meteorological Institute counts the permanent snow cover as the longest unbroken run of days with at least 1 cm of snow on the ground. In Lapland the winter is long, about seven months, and the snow is usually deepest in early April. That long white stretch is the sleigh season.
| Month | Snow (Visit Rovaniemi) | Average temperature | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| October | Possible | 0 to plus 10 C | About 9 hours |
| November | Possible; usually lasting by late month | Minus 10 to plus 5 C | About 7 hours, down to about 5 |
| December | Most likely snowy | Minus 20 to minus 10 C | About 2 hours 30 minutes |
| January | Snowy | Minus 30 to minus 15 C | About 4 hours |
| February | Snowy | Minus 20 to minus 15 C | About 8 hours |
| March | Snowy | Minus 15 to minus 5 C | About 12 hours |
What can you do with reindeer before the snow arrives?
Visit a farm, feed the herd and hear the herders' stories, or go for a walk with a reindeer. The sleigh part waits for the snow.
Early winter is a good time to meet reindeer. The forests are quiet, the light is low and golden, and the farms run visits without the sleigh. The walk with reindeer at Apukka was made for this: you lead a reindeer on a 2 km forest walk, then share black-pot coffee and herding stories. There is no sleigh at all, so the snow does not matter.
The farm visit with a photographer says the program changes with the season, and its 400-metre sleigh ride runs only when there is enough snow. You still get close time with the herd and professional photos. Visit Rovaniemi adds that early winter is one of the best times to spot the northern lights, as the nights get darker and the sky is often clear.
Lead a reindeer through the autumn forest on a 2 km walk, then black-pot coffee by the fire. No snow needed.
Check dates for the walk with reindeer at ApukkaWhat happens to a sleigh ride if there is not enough snow?
The listings say it plainly: sledding runs only when there is enough snow. Every tour here cancels free up to 24 hours before, so you can move your date.
The early weeks are the tricky ones. If you travel in the first half of November, book a ride that is good without the sleigh, or watch the snow and keep the free cancellation in mind. From December the odds are firmly on your side.
What changes between the rides is how long you sit in the sleigh. A farm loop is 400 to 500 metres. A forest ride is 2 to 2.5 km. If you are paying for the longer ride, a snowy trail is the whole point, so we would aim the forest rides at December onwards.
| Tour | In the sleigh | Before the snow settles | From (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walk with reindeer | No sleigh: a 2 km walk | Runs as normal | $122 |
| Farm visit with a photographer | 400 m, if there is snow | Farm visit and photos; ride only with enough snow | $140 |
| Reindeer farm visit | 500 m | Sleigh needs snow | $97 |
| 2 km forest sleigh ride | 2 to 2.5 km, about 40 minutes | Sleigh needs snow | $200 |
How long does the 2026-27 sleigh season last?
Until about mid-April. Santa Claus Village says some winters end in early April and others last to the end of April or early May.
The second half of the season is the bright half. Visit Rovaniemi says the sun comes out in February, and by March the days run about 12 hours. The snow is still deep: the Finnish Meteorological Institute says the snow cover in Lapland is often thickest as late as early April.
Late winter is also reindeer racing time. The Reindeer Herders' Association gives the racing season as mid-February to the beginning of April. Guests on the last spring visits say many reindeer have already been taken north for the summer, and the farms switch to summer visits.
Which part of the season suits which reindeer ride?
Late November and December for Christmas and the dark, January for deep cold and quiet, February and March for light and long forest rides.
December is the Christmas month, and the polar night arrives with it. On the shortest day, 21 or 22 December, the sun does not rise at all in Rovaniemi. That darkness is the setting for the aurora reindeer safari by night, a 2 to 2.5 km ride through the forest after dark. For the Christmas weeks in detail, read our post on Christmas in Rovaniemi.
January is the coldest month, with averages from minus 30 to minus 15 C, and most rides lend thermal overalls. February and March are our favourite weeks for a long daytime ride: real light on the snow, and still a proper winter underfoot.
| Weeks | What it is like | A ride that fits |
|---|---|---|
| Late November | First lasting snow, short days | Farm visit, 500 m, from $97 |
| December | Christmas, polar night, about 2 hours 30 minutes of daylight | Aurora safari by night, from $200 |
| January | The deepest cold, quiet farms | Sámi heritage family, 2.5 km, from $222 |
| February and March | Sun back, deep snow, long days | 2 km forest ride, from $200 |
| Early April | Spring light, last weeks of snow | Local farm, 2 km ride, from $207 |
Ride 2 to 2.5 km through the forest after dark, then warm up by the fire. The northern lights are a bonus, never a promise.
Check dates for the 2 km aurora reindeer safari by nightWhen should you book a reindeer ride for the 2026-27 season?
Early. Visit Rovaniemi says popular tours fill up quickly in the peak weeks, and every ride here cancels free up to 24 hours before.
Free cancellation takes the risk out of booking ahead. Lock in a seat, then watch the snow. Small-group rides such as the safari with a Sámi heritage family tend to go first. The aurora safari has only 12 reviews so far and the ride at Santa Claus Village 21, so there is less guest feedback to go on, with the same free cancellation. The bigger days, such as the reindeer, huskies and Santa Claus Village day with 2,418 reviews, have more departures.
Put the ride early in your trip. If a storm or a late snow moves it, you still have days left to rebook. Prices on this site are from-prices in USD for 2026, and they move with the season.
About 40 minutes in the sleigh on a snowy forest trail, thermal overalls and boots lent, then hot drinks and snacks by the fire.
Explore the 2 km reindeer sleigh ride through the forest Tour detailsFrequently asked questions
When does reindeer sledding start in Rovaniemi?
When the snow settles for good, usually in late November according to Visit Rovaniemi. In some winters it comes earlier, in others only around December.
Can you ride a reindeer sleigh in October or early November?
Only if there is enough snow. Farm visits, feeding and the walk with reindeer run without snow, and the sleigh rides start once it stays.
How late in spring can you go on a reindeer sleigh ride?
Usually until about mid-April. Santa Claus Village says some winters end in early April and others last to the end of April or early May.
Do you drive the reindeer sleigh yourself?
No. A herder or guide leads the reindeer, which walk or trot in a line, and you sit in the sleigh. Some farms hand out a reindeer driving licence as a souvenir.
Ready to book
Choose your ride
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
2 km Reindeer Sleigh Ride Through the Forest
- Reindeer sleigh ride of 2 to 2.5 km (about 40 minutes)
- Thermal overalls and winter boots
- Hot drinks and snacks by the open fire
Reindeer Farm Visit with Sleigh Ride
- Transport from Rovaniemi city centre
- Guide
- Reindeer farm visit
Walk with Reindeer at Apukka
Lead a reindeer on a 2 km forest walk, then black-pot coffee and herding stories
