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Reindeer safari in Lapland: which Levi ride to book
A reindeer safari in Lapland can mean a short loop at a farm or a long glide through the forest. From Levi the listings range from 600 m to 3 km, and they differ in what happens around the ride.
Check availabilityfrom $130 · cancel without a fee
Editorial team, reindeerfarmlevi.comUpdated October 22, 2026Read time: 7 min15 sources
The short version
- 01Herders first
- This site's tour puts the herders' talk at the centre, with a short ride and hot juice, for 1.5 hours.
- 02Longest ride
- The Lappish sled ride covers 3 km, then you feed young reindeer in their corral.
- 03Low price, 1.5 km
- The 1.5 km Kermikkä ride from Levi Center starts from $102.
- 04Sámi herder
- The 800 m ride with a Sámi herder holds 4.69 from 38 reviews.
- 05Lichen feeding
- Feeding by hand is included on the 1 km safari to the Sokkaporantie farm.
What counts as a reindeer ride around Levi
Search for a reindeer safari in Lapland and you will find everything from a quarter-hour loop to a full day out. Visit Finland describes reindeer safaris as sleigh rides that can take anything from half an hour to an entire day, with speeds that stay moderate.1 Around Levi, the bookable listings sit at the short end of that range: a short drive out of the village, time with the animals, the ride, a warm drink and the way back.
That makes the choice less about distance alone and more about what surrounds the ride. Some outings are built around the herders and their stories, some around the forest track, some around feeding the animals or sitting by a fire in a kota afterwards. Visit Finland notes that many farms give short reindeer sleigh rides on site, and that at the farms you learn about reindeer and the lives of their herders.2
The reindeer you meet on these visits are not wild animals and not pets either. Visit Finland calls them semi-domesticated, half tame and half wild, and every reindeer in a Finnish forest is owned by a herder.3 A sleigh reindeer is trained for the job over years, and it keeps a reindeer's pace, not a timetable's.4
The herders' visit this site recommends
The tour this site is built around is the Levi reindeer experience run by Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park Levi. After meeting your guide you are driven to meet the reindeer in Levi, where local herders and farmers explain the traditions of reindeer herding and how herders know which reindeer belongs to them. The ride itself is a short reindeer sleigh ride; the listing gives no length for it.
Hot juice and cookies are served, pickup and drop-off from set locations are included, and the visit runs 1.5 hours, guided in English. It starts from $130, costs nothing to cancel until 24 hours ahead, and can be booked now and paid later. Children aged 4 to 12 travel at a child rate.
It is rated 4.14 from 503 reviews. Reading those reviews, the praise goes to the guides, the information about the animals and the feeding afterwards, while several guests found the ride itself short. That is the honest trade: you book this one for the time with the herders and their reindeer, and if the sleigh ride is the main point for you, one of the longer rides below fits better.
Length in metres
How far the reindeer pull you
m
Side by side
Reindeer rides you can book from Levi
| Ride | Length | Time | Rating | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herders and short ride | Not stated | 1.5 hrs | 4.14 | Herding talk, hot juice |
| Kermikkä forest ride | 1.5 km | 1 hr | 4.42 | Snacks, wheelchair access |
| Ride with a Sámi herder | 800 m | 1 hr | 4.69 | Husky kennel, hut |
| Safari with feeding | 1 km | 1.5 hrs | 4.27 | Lichen feeding, tea |
| Forest ride, kota | 1.5 km | 1.5 hrs | 4.38 | Kota, hot drinks |
| Short forest ride | 600 m | 1 hr | 5.00 | Kota, hot drinks |
| Lappish sled ride | 3 km | 2 hrs | 4.31 | Corral feeding, pastry |
Lengths, durations and ratings from each GetYourGuide listing; the 600 m ride has 2 reviews.
Three different visits
Herders, a quick forest loop or the long track
Most to learn
Low price
Longest rideDecision helper
Which Levi reindeer ride suits you?
Pick what matters most on your visit
Herders' visit
Local herders and farmers explain the herding traditions and the earmarks.
Lappish sled ride
3 km through the forest, then feeding in the corral.
Rautusjärvi ride
An 800 m ride guided by a Sámi reindeer herder.
Sokkaporantie safari
Reindeer feeding is included, with the 1 km ride as an option.
Kermikkä ride
The listing on this page marked wheelchair accessible.
The safaris can take anything from half an hour to an entire day with meals and coffee breaks by the campfire.
Short forest rides from Levi Center and the tourist office
Polar Lights Tours runs the Kermikkä ride from Levi Center, at Hissitie 11 next to Kotipizza. A bus takes 15 minutes each way; then come a 10-minute safety briefing, 30 minutes of guided ride with an optional photo stop and 10 minutes of local snacks. The route is about 1.5 kilometres, the listing is marked wheelchair accessible, and it is rated 4.42 from 222 reviews, from $102.
Lovimainas sells two lengths from the Levi Tourist Office, with a 10-minute transfer to its reindeer camp in Sirkka: a 600-metre ride lasting 1 hour and a 1.5 km ride lasting 1.5 hours. Both include hot drinks and a kota, a log cabin to shelter from the cold, and in a frost of -30 °C or harder both move to a new date or are refunded in full.
The 1.5 km ride is rated 4.38 from 44 reviews and starts from $126; the 600-metre ride has only 2 reviews so far and starts from $92. On both, anyone 14 or older counts as an adult. Food and souvenirs are on sale at the camp; bring a card or some cash if you want more than the hot drink.
Map
Levi, its reindeer farms and the Sámi Homeland to the north
Where Levi sits in Finnish Lapland, the camps and farms its reindeer rides drive to, and the meeting points in the village.
1Rovaniemi2Levi3Kolari4Sodankylä5Raattama6Enontekiö7Inari8Utsjoki
2Levi9Rautusjärvi10Sokkaporantie11Muoniontie
12Samiland13Hissitie 1114Burger King Levi
- 1Rovaniemi
About 170 km from Levi's centre, with numerous reindeer farms in and around the town.56
In Google Maps ↗ - 2Levi
Levi's home village is Sirkka in Kittilä, some 170 km above the Arctic Circle; the municipality keeps 12,000 reindeer.78
In Google Maps ↗ - 3Kolari
The nearest railway station, about 80 km from Levi.5
In Google Maps ↗ - 4Sodankylä
Its northern part around Vuotso belongs to the Sámi Homeland; the polar night here lasts four days.910
In Google Maps ↗ - 5Raattama
The wilderness village of the 5.5-hour farm visit with a snowmobile sleigh ride, snowshoes and a soup lunch.
In Google Maps ↗ - 6Enontekiö
One of the municipalities of the Sámi Homeland; Kittilä, where Levi lies, is not among them.9
In Google Maps ↗ - 7Inari
Home of the Sámi Museum Siida, whose pages trace the herding year from the calf month of May.119
In Google Maps ↗ - 8Utsjoki
On the northern border, inside the Sámi Homeland; its polar night lasts almost two months.910
In Google Maps ↗ - 9Rautusjärvi
The camp of the 800 m sleigh rides with a Sámi herder, 10 to 15 minutes by van from Levi.
In Google Maps ↗ - 10Sokkaporantie
The farm of the 1.5-hour reindeer safari with lichen feeding, 15 minutes by car.
In Google Maps ↗ - 11Muoniontie
The camp of the 3-in-1 day with reindeer, huskies and a snowmobile-towed sleigh.
In Google Maps ↗ - 12Samiland
The exhibition at Levi Summit, whose paddock reindeer stay from November to April.1213
In Google Maps ↗ - 13Hissitie 11
The Levi Center meeting point of the Polar Lights Tours rides, next to Kotipizza.
In Google Maps ↗ - 14Burger King Levi
Where the black minivan to the Rautusjärvi camp waits.
In Google Maps ↗
Checklist
Before you book a ride
01
Check in the listing
- The cancellation window, 24 hours or 2 days
- Where and when to meet; some rides start at a hotel door
- Age rules and who counts as an adult
02
Bring along
- Layers for standing still in the cold
- A card or cash for snacks and souvenirs
- Mittens you can slip off for a photo
03
At the farm
- Follow the guide's lead around the animals
- Keep your voice low and your hands still
Cost calculator
Price a ride for your group
Choose a ride and the number of people.
People
Total from$260
pp from $130
Check availabilityfree cancellationTotals: the lowest GetYourGuide price for each reindeer outing multiplied by your party, converted with today's ECB rate; GetYourGuide confirms the exact sum.
Video
BBC Travel Show: Finnish Lapland reindeer safaris
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A Sámi herder at Rautusjärvi
Keo Wilderness takes small groups of up to 9 by black minivan from the parking place in front of Burger King Levi to a camp at Rautusjärvi, 10 minutes away. Its listing states an 800 m sleigh ride guided by a Sámi reindeer herder, a visit to a husky kennel with Siberian and Alaskan huskies, and hot drinks with cookies in a traditional Finnish hut.
It holds 4.69 from 38 reviews, the strongest score among these rides with more than a handful of reviews, and it starts from $103. The whole outing lasts 1 hour, and the operator is strict about time: late arrivals are neither refunded nor rescheduled. Be at the minivan 10 minutes early. People with animal allergies are advised not to book.
This is the listing to choose if hearing about reindeer from a Sámi herder matters to you. Levi lies in Kittilä, and the Sámi Homeland in Finland covers Enontekiö, Inari, Utsjoki and northern Sodankylä instead.79 Near Levi, look for a Sámi guide in a listing's own wording, as this one states it, and never assume one at every farm.
Longer rides: 1 km with feeding, 3 km through the forest
Easy Travel's Lapland reindeer safari collects you at Hullu Poro or the Levi tourist information and drives 15 minutes to a farm at Sokkaporantie 44, where the hour on the farm includes a guided visit, tea and feeding the reindeer. The 1-kilometre sled ride is included if you select that option, and a farm visit without the ride is offered when the snow is too thin.
It is rated 4.27 from 105 reviews and starts from $112, but note the terms: free cancellation runs only up to 2 days before, and the listing carries no reserve-now-pay-later label. It is not suitable for wheelchair users or pregnant women, and children must be accompanied by an adult.
For the longest ride, Polar Star Travel's Lappish sled ride covers 3 km at a family-run farm, then lets you meet and feed young reindeer in their corral before hot drinks and a pastry. You meet at the main door of Design Hotel Levi at 9:30, the outing lasts 2 hours, and it starts from $191, rated 4.31 from 48 reviews.
Choosing well: price per metre is the wrong measure
Lined up by price, the rides look like a ladder: the 600-metre ride is the cheapest and the 3 km ride costs about twice as much. Yet what you pay for is the visit as a whole, and the extras differ more than the distances. One listing gives you a Sámi herder, another a kota fire, a third a long forest track and a fourth an hour of herders' stories.
Look at the cancellation rules too. The Kermikkä ride, like nearly every ride compared here, stays free to cancel until 24 hours ahead, while the Easy Travel safari asks for 2 days. Lapland weather can change a holiday plan overnight, and a reindeer safari in Levi is easy to fit into a different day if you have kept that flexibility.
Then think about who is coming. Visit Finland notes that the moderate speeds make reindeer rides suitable for all ages, but each listing sets its own rules on age, health and mobility.1 If one person in your group uses a wheelchair, the Kermikkä ride is the listing marked wheelchair accessible. If anyone has an animal allergy, the Rautusjärvi listing names animal allergies among the reasons not to book.
On the day: getting the most out of a short ride
With rides this short, the minutes around them matter. Arrive at the meeting point early, dressed for standing still in the cold rather than for walking, and keep your camera in an inside pocket until you need it. On the Kermikkä ride a 10-minute safety briefing comes before the reindeer moves off; on any ride, the guide's few words about how to sit and what to hold are worth hearing.
Treat the animals as the guides do. Visit Finland asks visitors to remember that reindeer do not like loud noises, sudden movements or petting, and Finnish law forbids disturbing or frightening them.1415 A quiet voice and slow hands help everyone in the queue, children included, and the herders will tell you when it is fine to come closer.
Ask questions while you warm up. The talk by the fire is where you learn how a calf is chosen for the sleigh or how a herder reads the earmarks, and the people who work with these animals every day are usually glad to explain. That part of the visit is not measured in metres, and it is often what guests remember longest.
Pick your date
The herders and their reindeer are waiting.
Pickup in Levi, a short sleigh ride, hot juice, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
You ask,we answer.
Which Levi reindeer ride is the longest?
The 3 km Lappish sled ride. Polar Star Travel's ride covers 3 km, then you feed young reindeer in their corral.
How long is the sleigh ride on this site's tour?
Short; the listing gives no length. The herders' talk, photos, the ride and hot juice share the 1.5 hours.
Which ride is the cheapest?
The 600-metre ride from the tourist office. It starts from $92, but has only 2 reviews so far.
Is there a ride with a Sámi herder?
Yes, at Rautusjärvi. Keo Wilderness lists an 800 m ride guided by a Sámi reindeer herder, rated 4.69.
Can I feed the reindeer?
On some rides, yes. Feeding is included on the Sokkaporantie safari and the 3 km ride; other listings do not state it.
Is any ride wheelchair accessible?
The Kermikkä ride carries the label. The Polar Lights Tours ride from Levi Center carries the wheelchair accessible label.
What if it is extremely cold?
Some rides move or refund. At -30 °C or colder, Lovimainas offers a new date or a full refund on its rides.
Sources
What this text is based on
- 1Visit Finland (Business Finland's national tourism organisation)Where can I see a reindeer? And what do I do when I encounter one?↩
- 2Visit Finland (Business Finland's national tourism organisation)Where can I see a reindeer? And what do I do when I encounter one?↩
- 3Visit Finland (Business Finland's national tourism organisation)Where can I see a reindeer? And what do I do when I encounter one?↩
- 4Visit Finland (Business Finland's national tourism organisation)Where can I see a reindeer? And what do I do when I encounter one?↩
- 5Visit Levi (the official site of the Levi resort)Arrival at Levi↩
- 6Visit Rovaniemi (the official tourism organisation of Rovaniemi)Reindeer, huskies and other Arctic animals↩
- 7Visit Levi (the official site of the Levi resort)Frequently asked questions↩
- 8Visit Levi (the official site of the Levi resort)Reindeer farms and rides in Levi↩
- 9Sámi Parliament in Finland (Responsible Tourism in Sámi Homeland)Knowledge and Skills of Sámi Tourism: visitor guidance↩
- 10thisisFINLAND (Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland)When the sun doesn't rise in northern Finland↩
- 11Siida, the Sámi Museum and Nature CentreThe Sámi Homeland's eight seasons: spring↩
- 12Visit Levi (the official site of the Levi resort)Samiland↩
- 13Visit Levi (the official site of the Levi resort)Samiland↩
- 14Visit Finland (Business Finland's national tourism organisation)Where can I see a reindeer? And what do I do when I encounter one?↩
- 15Visit Finland (Business Finland's national tourism organisation)Where can I see a reindeer? And what do I do when I encounter one?↩
