"We had so much fun. This was my first time on a snowmobile but not for my husband so I let him drive the whole time. The reindeer soup at lunch was amazing and for sure worth a try"
Illustration.
From Rovaniemi · 5 to 6 hours · Snowmobile, ice fishing, lunch
Ice Fishing in Rovaniemi
Safartica's day: you drive a snowmobile along frozen rivers to an ice fishing spot, drill a hole and fish, then eat a Lappish soup lunch by the campfire. Winter clothing, transfers and hot drinks are included; two people share each snowmobile.
From
US$186.44
per adult (November; December US$219.34, January to March US$208.32)
Free cancellation
With a snowmobile or without
Which Ice Fishing Trip in Rovaniemi?
For ice fishing in Rovaniemi with a day out around it, book Safartica’s Rovaniemi: Snowmobile and Ice Fishing Adventure with Lunch, from US$186.44 per adult on November dates (checked November 2026). You drive a snowmobile along frozen rivers to a fishing spot in the wilderness, drill your own hole, and eat a Lappish soup lunch by the campfire. The price moves with the season: US$219.34 in December and US$208.32 from January to March.
Snowmobile, fishing, lunch
Rovaniemi: Snowmobile and Ice Fishing Adventure with Lunch
Safartica: a snowmobile shared by two along frozen rivers, ice fishing and a soup lunch by the fire. Winter clothing and transfers included. US$186.44 in November, US$219.34 in December, US$208.32 January to March.
See dates →Just the fishing, 3 hours
Rovaniemi: Ice Fishing Experience
Wild about Lapland: a short forest walk to a frozen lake, your own hole, winter clothing and boots, a campfire snack and hot drinks. One adult can book.
See the trip →A private lakefront
Rovaniemi: Ice Fishing from a Private Lakefront Property & BBQ
Arctic GM Experiences OY: 4 hours at its own lakefront, pickup from your accommodation, thermal overalls, sausages and hot drinks. Groups of up to 8.
See the trip →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026), per adult. The price for your date shows in the calendar before you pay.
Want the fishing without the snowmobile, or a smaller group? The table below sets three shorter trips beside Safartica’s day.
- 4.8 / 5 924+ Reviews
- 5 to 6 hours Duration
- Lunch in A Lappish soup lunch outdoors, hot drinks and biscuits, and whatever you catch cooked at the fire
- Licence Drivers 18 or older with a valid driving licence; two people share each snowmobile
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Day Includes
Winter clothing, transfers, the snowmobile with instructions, ice fishing, a soup lunch outdoors and hot drinks with biscuits.
Safartica's own highlights, inclusions and notes, as listed on GetYourGuide in November 2026.
Safartica's own highlights, inclusions and notes, as listed on GetYourGuide in November 2026.
Highlights
- Ride a snowmobile on a thrilling adventure through the wilderness near Rovaniemi
- Learn how to make a hole in the ice and try your hand at traditional ice fishing
- Enjoy a campfire lunch of warm soup and whatever fish you might catch
- Admire the wonderful Nordic scenery of the surroundings of the city
- Learn about Finnish culture and tradition with your guide during the adventure
What's Included
- Winter clothing
- Transfers
- Snowmobile instructions and safari 2 persons per snowmobile
- Driving time approx. 2-2,5 hours
- Ice fishing
- Lappish outdoor soup lunch
- Hot drinks and biscuits
- Guiding in English
Good to know: The driving time is approximately 3 hours and depends on weather conditions and the driving skills of the participants · 2 persons share one snowmobile · Drivers must be 18 or older and hold a valid driving license · This activity is not suitable for infants 0-3 years old. Children 4-14 years old are seated in a sled behind the guide’s snowmobile · This activity is not recommended for pregnant women and people with fragile musculoskeletal system · The driver is liable for damages up to 990€/accident. Insurance can be purchased on the spot for €20 and lowers the liability to €150 · Please advise of any special diets, vegetarian, gluten-free, etc., at check-out · Not suitable for: Children under 2 years
How the Day Runs
From the pickup in Rovaniemi to the soup by the fire, with the start time for each season.
Pickup in Rovaniemi
Pickup and drop-off are included, from 21 pickup locations (22 in the December season). The calendar shows a 10:00 AM start in November and from January to March, and 9:00 AM in December; the winter option is an hour shorter because no transport is needed.
Dress and Learn the Snowmobile
Winter clothing is included. The guide shows you how to drive; two people share each snowmobile. Drivers must be 18 or older with a valid driving licence, and children aged 4 to 14 ride in a sled behind the guide's snowmobile.
Drive Out and Fish
You drive along frozen rivers to an ice fishing spot in the wilderness, where the guide shows you how to drill a hole in the ice and set up the rod and bait. Catching a fish is a matter of luck.
Soup by the Campfire
The guide cooks a Lappish soup lunch over the fire, with hot drinks and biscuits and any fish you caught, before the drive back to the centre of Rovaniemi.
Photo Gallery
Frozen Rivers and Lakes Around Rovaniemi
Snowmobile tracks, holes drilled in the ice and campfire lunches in the forest outside Rovaniemi.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Safartica's day from Rovaniemi: snowmobile instructions, a ride along frozen rivers with two people to a snowmobile, ice fishing, and a Lappish soup lunch by the campfire with hot drinks and biscuits. Winter clothing and transfers included. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Plan the Day
Ice Fishing Questions
Snowmobile or not, what it costs by season, whether you catch anything, the licence, what to wear, Levi and Saariselkä, and where to stay.
Shared or solo, lunch or a snack
Snowmobile and Ice Fishing
The snowmobile and ice fishing days from Rovaniemi side by side: driving time, who drives, lunch, licence and liability terms.
From US$186.44 per adult (November; December US$219.34, January to March US$208.32)
From a 2-hour trip to a snowmobile day
Ice Fishing Prices
Every Rovaniemi ice fishing trip by price per adult, Safartica's price by season, and the trips that need two people to book.
From US$186.44 per adult (November; December US$219.34, January to March US$208.32)
No catch is guaranteed
Do You Catch Fish?
What the listings promise, what reviewers report on each trip, and which trip suits you if the catch matters or if it does not.
From US$186.44 per adult (November; December US$219.34, January to March US$208.32)
One rod on the ice: no charge
Ice Fishing Licence
Metsähallitus's fee table for ice fishing, when the fisheries management fee applies, the water owner's permit, and what the guided trips include.
From US$186.44 per adult (November; December US$219.34, January to March US$208.32)
Overalls lent, or not
What to Wear
Which Rovaniemi ice fishing trips lend winter overalls and boots, which charge for them, and what each tells you to bring.
From US$186.44 per adult (November; December US$219.34, January to March US$208.32)
Levi, Saariselkä, Ivalo, Inari
Levi and Saariselkä
Ice fishing trips from the other Lapland bases: a snowmobile day from Levi, snowshoes from Saariselkä, and Lake Inari.
From US$230.37 per adult (two adults minimum, US$460.74 for two)
Centre, Ounasvaara or Apukka
Where to Stay
The city centre, the chalets and hotel on Ounasvaara hill, or a resort where the ice fishing starts at the door, set against where the trips collect.
Which base suits you
Prices are each page's featured tour: GetYourGuide checked November 2026. Tour prices are in US dollars (US$), per adult; fees set in euros are marked EUR.
Four Ice Fishing Trips from Rovaniemi Side by Side
With or without a snowmobile, how long, how you get there, warm clothing, food and who can go. GetYourGuide prices per adult with the month they were checked.
| Feature | THIS PAGE Safartica, snowmobile and ice fishing with lunch | Wild about Lapland, ice fishing | Beyond Arctic, ice fishing with BBQ and photos | Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park, snowmobile and ice fishing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From US$186.44 per adult (checked November 2026) (November; December US$219.34, January to March US$208.32) | From US$98.10 per adult (checked November 2026) | From US$115.73 per adult (checked November 2026) | From US$178.56 per adult (checked November 2026) (two adults minimum, US$357.12 for two) |
| The Day | A snowmobile along frozen rivers, ice fishing at a spot in the wilderness, soup lunch by the campfire | A 5 to 10-minute forest walk to a frozen lake, ice fishing, a campfire snack | A minivan and a short walk to a frozen lake, ice fishing, a campfire; edited photos afterwards | About 20 km by snowmobile through forest and across a frozen lake, ice fishing, sausages at a campfire |
| Length | 5 hours (6 in December); driving about 2 to 2.5 hours by the inclusions, about 3 hours by the notes | 3 hours | 3.5 hours | 4.5 hours |
| Start | 10:00 AM in November and January to March; 9:00 AM in December | 8:30 AM or 2:00 PM | 11:00 AM | 9:00 AM |
| Getting There | Pickup and drop-off from 21 pickup locations (22 in December) | Pickup and drop-off from a list of 15 places | Hotel pickup and drop-off | Transfer to and from the centre of Rovaniemi; no hotel pickup |
| Warm Clothing | Winter clothing included | Professional winter clothing and boots included | Warm clothing and winter boots, if needed | Winter clothes included |
| Food | Lappish soup lunch, hot drinks and biscuits | Campfire snack and hot drinks | Hot drinks and snacks | Sausages by the campfire |
| Who Can Go | Drivers 18+ with a valid driving licence; children 4 to 14 in a sled; not for infants 0 to 3 | No limits listed; runs in all weather | No limits listed; up to 8 people | Drivers need a valid licence (no provisional or photo copy); children 0 to 14 in a sled; two adults minimum |
| Best For | A full day out: the drive, the fishing and a hot lunch | Fishing only, bookable by one adult | A small group and photos of the day | A snowmobile and fishing day for two, from the centre |
| See dates | See the trip | See the trip | See the trip |
Just the Fishing
Shorter Ice Fishing Trips from Rovaniemi
No snowmobile: a minivan or a car to a frozen lake, the gear, a fire and something warm. Two to four hours.
WITH A FISHERMANRovaniemi: Authentic Ice Fishing with a Local Fisherman
Arctic Safari Guides' trip with a local fisherman, at a river or lake chosen for the day's ice: the 2.5-hour option gives about 1.5 hours on the ice and a snack; the 4-hour Premium about 3 hours, a BBQ lunch at a wilderness shelter, hotel pickup and photos. Winter clothing costs extra.
IN THE EVENINGRovaniemi: Evening Ice Fishing - Arctic Night Experience
Uncle's Fish's 4-hour evening trip to Niesikivalo: a sleigh behind a snowmobile to a heated Lappish tepee on the ice, burbot fishing with permits and gear included, hot drinks and light snacks. Pickup within 10 km of Rovaniemi; outdoor suits can be rented.
AT APUKKA RESORTRovaniemi: Ice Fishing like a Finn
Apukka Resort Oy's 4 hours at Apukka Resort: you sit on a reindeer skin while the guide drills the hole, a warm drink by the fire, and any fish you land cooked as a snack. Winter clothing and transfers from the city centre or Santa Claus Village included; runs only when the ice is thick enough.
2 HOURSIce Fishing Experience
Wonderlapland's 2 hours: pickup, a drive to a frozen lake or river, about an hour fishing with the gear provided and a hot drink. The winter overall and boots cost EUR 10 a person extra, asked for in advance; up to 9 people.
ON VIATORSnowmobile and Ice Fishing Experience
Nordic Unique Travels' 4.5 hours from Rovaniemi: about an hour on a snowmobile, ice fishing gear, lunch, and winter clothes with a helmet. Pickup from selected hotels within 10 km of the city centre; drivers 18 or older with a valid licence.
Ice fishing from Rovaniemi
How the Trips Differ
The snowmobile or a minivan, the hours on the ice, the price by season, the licence, and the fish you may not catch.
Ice fishing in Rovaniemi: with a snowmobile or without
The trips split in two. On a snowmobile day the ride is half the point: Safartica’s lasts 5 hours (6 in December), and you reach the ice on a snowmobile you drive yourself. On a fishing trip you go out by minivan or car, walk a little to a frozen lake, and spend one to three hours on the ice. Wild about Lapland’s Ice Fishing Experience is 3 hours with a 5 to 10-minute walk through old forest, and Wonderlapland’s 2-hour trip gives about an hour on a frozen lake or river.
Snowmobile and ice fishing compares the snowmobile days one by one, shared or solo driving included.
What Safartica’s day includes
Winter clothing, transfers, snowmobile instructions, the ride with two people to a snowmobile, the ice fishing, a Lappish outdoor soup lunch, hot drinks and biscuits, and guiding in English. Pickup is from 21 pickup locations (22 in December), and the day ends back in the centre of Rovaniemi.
The driving time is given two ways: about 2 to 2.5 hours among the inclusions, and about 3 hours in the notes, depending on the weather and the drivers’ skill. Reviewers felt the same split. “Loads of time on the snowmobiles,” wrote one in December 2024; another, the same month, felt the ride was much shorter than they had expected.
Drivers must be 18 or older and hold a valid driving licence, and must bring it. Children aged 4 to 14 sit in a sled behind the guide’s snowmobile; the trip is not suitable for infants aged 0 to 3, and not recommended for pregnant women or people with a fragile musculoskeletal system. The listing’s booking terms make the driver liable for damage up to EUR 990 per accident; insurance bought on the spot for EUR 20 lowers that to EUR 150.
Safartica also sells a snowmobile, ice fishing and soup lunch day on Viator, Lappish Lunch Break - Snowmobiling, ice fishing and tasty food, from US$217.78 per adult (checked November 2026), meeting at its office on Koskikatu.
The price by season
| Dates | Option | Length and start | Per adult | Who can book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | First Snow | 5 hours, 10:00 AM | US$186.44 | Two adults or more (US$372.88 for two) |
| December 2026 | Christmas Season | 6 hours, 9:00 AM | US$219.34 | One adult can book |
| January to March 2027 | Winter 26-27 | 5 hours, 10:00 AM | US$208.32 | One adult can book |
Safartica’s day, GetYourGuide calendar for 20 and 23 November, 4 and 16 December 2026, 15 January, 19 February and 26 March 2027 (checked November 2026). The winter option is an hour shorter “due to transportation not being needed”.
None of these is a promotion: the price is set by the season. Ice fishing prices lays every trip out the same way, with the ones that need two people to book.
Just the fishing
The trips without a snowmobile cost from US$82.67 to US$143.29 per adult (checked November 2026), and each supplies the gear:
- Wild about Lapland's Ice Fishing Experience: 3 hours, 8:30 AM or 2:00 PM, winter clothing and boots, a campfire snack. One adult can book.
- Beyond Arctic's Ice Fishing on a Frozen Lake with BBQ and Photos: 3.5 hours with a local fisher, warm clothing if you need it, and edited photos to download afterwards.
- Arctic Safari Guides' Authentic Ice Fishing with a Local Fisherman: 2.5 hours for two adults, or a 4-hour Premium with a BBQ lunch at a wilderness shelter that one adult can book.
- Polar Magic Tour Tmi's Winter Ice Fishing Experience with BBQ: 3 hours, sausages, rice cake and gingerbread cookies at the fire; two adults minimum, and you bring your own snow clothing.
- Uncle's Fish's Evening Ice Fishing: 4 hours from 4:00 or 5:30 PM, burbot fishing from a heated tepee on the ice at Niesikivalo, fishing permits included; 5 reviews (November 2026).
Will you catch anything?
Perhaps not. Catching fish is not guaranteed on Arctic GM Experiences OY’s lakefront trip or on any other trip here, and the reviews bear it out: on Safartica’s day a guest wrote in February 2026 “ice fishing was nice experience even though we did not catch any”, while another in January 2025 noted that “some of our other participants caught fish”. What the trips do promise is the rest: the hole you drill, the fire and the food. Do you catch fish? goes through the reviews trip by trip.
When the ice is there
“Waters are generally frozen from December until March”, says Visit Rovaniemi, the city’s tourism office, which adds: “It is best to check safety of ice with local experts and attend a guided tour” (checked November 2026). The calendars follow the ice. Safartica’s day already has November dates under its First Snow option; Apukka Resort Oy's Ice Fishing like a Finn runs only when the ice layer is confirmed thick enough, with a full refund if it is cancelled for lack of ice.
The days are short at midwinter: on 21 December the sun is up in Rovaniemi from 11:07 to 13:22 (computed for Rovaniemi, Finnish time). A 9:00 AM start in December sets out before sunrise.
The trips on this site go out of town to fish, not onto the river in the centre: “It is not safe to go onto the river ice in the central area of Rovaniemi. Between Jätkänkynttilä and the railway bridge, the ice conditions are dangerous throughout the winter”, the City of Rovaniemi said in a notice of 6 February 2026.
What reviewers say about Safartica’s day
Safartica’s day has 924 reviews on GetYourGuide at an average of 4.8. Of the 350 most recent, the oldest from March 2024, 300 give five stars and 13 give three or fewer. The complaints in those are about the day around the fishing: a large group that slowed the ride (March 2025), a long lunch, and in December 2024 a guest who expected more distance on the snowmobile. The five-star reviews talk about driving on the frozen river and lake, the guides, the reindeer soup and the warm gear.
Before you book
- Bring the licence. Safartica’s drivers need a valid driving licence on the day; a passenger without one can share a snowmobile with a driver who has one.
- Two people, or one? Safartica’s November dates need two adults; from December one adult can book. Some fishing-only trips need two adults as well: ice fishing prices marks which.
- Do you need a fishing licence? For ice fishing with one rod, no: the licence rules quote Metsähallitus’s table.
- What to wear. Winter clothing is lent on many trips, not on every one: what to wear for ice fishing lists it trip by trip.
- Staying in Levi or Saariselkä? Ice fishing in Levi and Saariselkä covers the trips there and at Lake Inari.
- Cancelling. Every GetYourGuide trip here can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before.
Pickup, and where to stay
Safartica collects from 21 pickup locations in Rovaniemi; Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park transfers guests to and from the city centre, with no hotel pickup; StayLapland and Uncle’s Fish collect from accommodation within 10 km of the centre. Where to stay in Rovaniemi weighs the centre, Ounasvaara’s chalets and a resort with ice fishing on site.
Guest Reviews
What Guests Say
4.8/5
from 924 reviews
"We had Moira and Pierre as our guides for these activities and they were so helpful and made the entire experience run very smoothly. We had plenty of time driving around on the snowmobiles with a break for the ice fishing and then we drove to a warm hut for soup and hot drinks to warm us all up! There was plenty of photo opportunities and definitely an experience we would recommend to do with Safartica as it was amazing from start to finish."
"What an amazing experience. Laura and Emil I believe were our guides. They are so nice, professional and well prepared. In this trip we also get enough time on the snowmobile, ice fishing was nice experience even though we did not catch any then the Lunch was amazing, we had rain deer soup. Overall only to recommend."
Read all 924 verified reviews
See All ReviewsSnowmobile Out, Fish, Eat by the Fire
Safartica's day from Rovaniemi: the snowmobile with instructions, ice fishing at a spot in the wilderness, a Lappish soup lunch, winter clothing and transfers. Starting from US$186.44 per adult (November; December US$219.34, January to March US$208.32).
See datesIce Fishing in Rovaniemi: Questions
Which trip, what it costs by season, whether you catch anything, the licence, the cold, children and the ice season.
For a full day, Safartica's Snowmobile and Ice Fishing Adventure with Lunch, from US$186.44 per adult in November (checked November 2026): you drive a snowmobile out along frozen rivers, fish through the ice and eat a soup lunch by the campfire. For the fishing alone, Wild about Lapland's 3-hour Ice Fishing Experience takes one adult at US$98.10, with winter clothing and boots included.
Ice fishing alone, 2 to 4 hours, costs from US$82.67 per adult on this site, and snowmobile and ice fishing days start at US$178.56; both of those need two adults (checked November 2026). The cheapest are Polar Magic Tour Tmi's 3-hour trip and Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park's snowmobile day. Safartica's day costs US$186.44 in November, US$219.34 in December and US$208.32 from January to March. See ice fishing prices.
Not always. Catching fish is not guaranteed on Arctic GM Experiences OY's lakefront trip, a guarantee of catching fish is among the things Arctic Safari Guides' trip does not include, and catches are not guaranteed on Uncle's Fish's evening trip. Safartica's lunch is a soup either way, with your catch in it if you are lucky. See do you catch fish.
Not for ice fishing with one rod: Metsähallitus's fee table lists it as no charge (checked November 2026). The fisheries management fee (EUR 6 a day, EUR 16 a week, EUR 47 a year) is for lure fishing, ages 18 to 69, and in some areas the owner of the water needs to give permission. On a tour the operator chooses the spot and brings the gear. See the licence rules.
To drive, yes: Safartica's drivers must be 18 or older and hold a valid driving licence. Two people share each snowmobile, so a passenger without a licence can ride behind a driver who has one. Children aged 4 to 14 ride in a sled behind the guide's snowmobile.
Your own warm layers under the winter clothing the operator lends. Safartica includes winter clothing; Wild about Lapland lends professional winter clothing and boots; Wonderlapland charges EUR 10 a person for an overall and boots, asked for in advance. See what to wear.
'Waters are generally frozen from December until March', in Visit Rovaniemi's words (checked November 2026). Safartica's day already has November dates, and Apukka Resort Oy runs its trip only when the ice is confirmed thick enough. Visit Rovaniemi adds: 'It is best to check safety of ice with local experts and attend a guided tour.'
Yes, within each listing's limits. On Safartica's snowmobile day children aged 4 to 14 ride in a sled behind the guide's snowmobile, and it is not suitable for infants aged 0 to 3. Children under 8 may find Arctic GM Experiences OY's lakefront trip challenging in extreme cold.
Yes, from Levi, Saariselkä, Ivalo and Inari as well. Safartica runs a 5-hour snowmobile and ice fishing day from Levi, and Ivalo Safaris and Galddoaivi Safaris fish on Lake Inari. See ice fishing in Levi and Saariselkä.
Still have questions? Email us at info@icefishinginrovaniemi.com