A reindeer ride is one of those experiences that feels like it should be part of a trip to Lapland, and we've now done one twice. Our first was at Lappin Saaga in Levi, and we did another on a separate trip at Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi.
Both times we chose a ride of around 1km, which took roughly 15-20 minutes. For us, that was plenty. Reindeer move at a much slower pace than huskies, so the ride is quite calm and gives you time to enjoy being out in the snow.
Although the actual rides were quite similar in length, the overall experiences were very different. Our visit to Lappin Saaga felt much more personal, whereas we found the experience at Santa Claus Village more commercial. For around the same amount of money, our Lappin Saaga experience lasted roughly an hour and included our reindeer ride, one-to-one time with an elf and the chance to meet their Icelandic horses too.
So, is a reindeer ride in Lapland worth it? For us, yes, particularly if you've never done one before. We enjoyed both of ours, although when we returned to Lapland again we didn't feel the need to book another. It was an experience we were happy we'd done, rather than something we felt we needed to repeat on every trip.
Having tried a reindeer ride in two different places, I'd also pay just as much attention to the overall experience you're booking as I would to the length of the ride itself.
In this guide, I'll go through what our reindeer rides were like, whether we thought 1km was long enough, how the two experiences compared and what I'd look for if I was booking another one.
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🦌 Is a reindeer ride in Lapland worth it? Yes, especially if you've never done one before. We've done two and enjoyed both.
🛷 How far did we go? Both of our reindeer rides were around 1km.
⏱️ How long did 1km take? Around 15-20 minutes, which felt long enough for us.
💰 Which experience was better value? Lappin Saaga in Levi. It cost around the same as our Santa Claus Village experience, but the whole visit lasted roughly an hour and included much more than just the ride.
🎅 What was Santa Claus Village like? We enjoyed the ride, but the overall experience felt much more commercial.
👨👩👧👦 Good for families? Yes. It's a gentle activity and one I'd particularly recommend on a first trip to Lapland.
💙 Would we do it again? Probably not on our next trip. We've done it twice now and didn't book one when we last returned to Lapland. I'd spend the money trying something different instead.
Reindeer rides come in different lengths, from very short taster rides to longer journeys through the forest. Reindeer travel at a much slower pace than huskies, so even a 1km ride can last around 15-20 minutes.
| Reindeer ride | Approx. ride time | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| 400-500m | 5-10 minutes | €20-€35pp |
| Around 1km | 15-20 minutes | €30-€50pp |
| 2-3km | 25-40 minutes | €50-€80pp |
| Longer experiences | 45 minutes+ | €80-€120+pp |
These are rough prices and timings to help you compare options. Prices vary between operators and resorts, and the advertised experience time may include meeting and feeding the reindeer, transfers, drinks, stories around a fire or other activities as well as the actual sleigh ride.
A reindeer ride is much slower and calmer than a husky ride. You sit in a sleigh while the reindeer walks along a snowy trail, so there's plenty of time to look around and enjoy the scenery as you go.
Both of our rides were around 1km and took roughly 15-20 minutes. For us, that felt about right. Because you're travelling quite slowly, it didn't feel like the experience was over too quickly, and I don't think I'd personally pay a lot more just to travel a longer distance.
The ride itself is only part of what I'd look at when booking though. Our two experiences really showed us how different the overall visit can be, even when the actual reindeer ride is a similar length and price.
At Lappin Saaga in Levi, the whole experience felt much more personal and lasted around an hour. As well as the sleigh ride, we had one-to-one time with an elf and got to meet the Icelandic horses.
Our Santa Claus Village experience felt much more commercial in comparison. We still enjoyed the reindeer ride itself, but having experienced both, Lappin Saaga was definitely the one we preferred.
That's why if I was booking a reindeer ride again, I'd look at what the whole experience includes, rather than automatically choosing the longest ride.
For us, yes. Both of our reindeer rides were around 1km and took roughly 15-20 minutes, and we came away feeling like we'd had enough time on the sleigh.
Reindeer move at quite a gentle pace, so 15-20 minutes feels longer than you might expect when you're looking at the distance before booking. You have time to settle in, enjoy the snowy surroundings and actually take in the experience.
I don't think we'd personally pay significantly more for a 2km or 3km ride. If I was choosing between experiences at a similar price, I'd be more interested in what else was included, such as time with the reindeer, feeding them, meeting the herder or having a drink around the fire.
That's something we noticed particularly at Lappin Saaga. The actual ride wasn't any longer than the one we did at Santa Claus Village, but we enjoyed the overall experience much more because there was more to it than simply getting on the sleigh and doing the ride.
You don't get the same wind chill as you do on a husky ride because you're travelling much more slowly, but you are sitting still for 15-20 minutes, so you can start to feel the cold.
I'd make sure you're properly wrapped up with a warm hat, snood, gloves or mittens and good winter boots. Hot Hands inside your mittens are useful again, particularly if you're visiting when the temperatures are very low.
Some reindeer experiences provide thermal suits, while others don't, so check what's included before you go. If your experience includes time outside meeting or feeding the reindeer as well as the sleigh ride, you could actually be outdoors for much longer than the advertised ride time.
We've covered everything we take with us in our What to Wear in Lapland Guide, so I'd use that rather than buying anything specifically for a reindeer ride.
When comparing reindeer rides, I wouldn't look at the distance and price alone. Having done two similar length rides with very different overall experiences, I'd check exactly what is included in the booking.
• The length and distance of the actual sleigh ride
• How long the whole experience lasts
• Whether you get time to meet or feed the reindeer
• Whether you visit a reindeer farm or simply do the ride
• What else is included in the experience
• Whether thermal clothing is provided
• Whether transfers are included
• Whether there is somewhere warm to go afterwards
• Whether drinks or snacks are included
I'd also look at reviews to get a feel for how personal the experience is. Our rides at Lappin Saaga and Santa Claus Village were both around 1km, but the overall experiences were very different.
If I was choosing again and the prices were similar, I'd pick the experience that gave us more time with the reindeer and included other things to do rather than simply choosing whichever offered the longest sleigh ride.
For us, yes. We've done two reindeer rides in Lapland and I'm glad we've experienced them, particularly as they felt like such a traditional part of visiting Lapland.
Both of our rides were around 1km and lasted roughly 15-20 minutes, and that was plenty for us. I wouldn't personally pay a lot more just to book a longer ride. I'd put that money towards finding an experience where you get more time with the reindeer or other things included instead.
Having tried both, we much preferred our experience at Lappin Saaga in Levi. It felt more personal and, for around the same money, we got a whole experience lasting roughly an hour rather than the sleigh ride being the main part of it.
We didn't book another reindeer ride on our most recent Lapland trip, and I don't think we'd automatically book one next time either. We've done it twice now and feel like we've had the experience.
If you've never done one though, I'd definitely recommend trying it once. I'd choose around 1km again and spend more time comparing what the overall experience includes rather than worrying about finding the longest ride.
Whenever I spot great-value DIY Lapland flights and accommodation from UK airports, I share them with members of the Build a Break Travel Club. If you'd like to experience Lapland without paying package holiday prices, it's a great place to start.
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