Reindeer rides in Santa Claus Village
A short ride between visits to Santa, a longer safari from the farm in the village, or a full-day package: what each option gives you.
Santa Claus Village on the Arctic Circle has its own reindeer farm, and many travellers ask whether they need a tour at all. For a short ride you do not; for a longer ride or a day that combines reindeer, huskies and Santa, a booked tour saves the planning. The table shows the bookable safaris from the village area and the packages that combine a reindeer ride with huskies and Santa.
Bookable reindeer rides and Santa packages
Grouped by type. Within each group the most-reviewed tour comes first.
| Photo | Tour | Reindeer ride | Also included | Transfer | Duration | Rating ↕ | Price ↕ | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reindeer safaris from the village The ride is the whole programme. | ||||||||
|
2–2.5 km forest ride Santa Claus Holiday Village Safaris | 2–2.5 km (~40 min) | — | Hotel pickup, Santa Claus Village area | 3 hours | ★ 4.8 (275) | €179 per person | Book now |
|
2–3 km safari in Santa Claus Village Santa Claus Reindeer | 2–3 km (~30 min) | — | No, meet at the farm | 1 hour | ★ 4.5 (21) | €120 per person | Book now |
| Packages with reindeer, huskies and Santa Short rides of 400–500 m each, as part of a longer day. | ||||||||
|
Reindeer, huskies & Santa Claus Village Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park | 500 m | 500 m husky ride · Santa Claus Village, salmon soup | Check listing | 6 hours | ★ 4.6 (2,416) | €188 per person | Book now |
|
Reindeer & huskies + aurora BBQ Northern Future Oy | 400 m | 500 m husky ride · Evening aurora BBQ, up to 8 per car | Check listing | 7 hours | ★ 4.5 (171) | €219 per person | Book now |
|
Santa Claus, reindeer & huskies Northern Future Oy | 400 m | 500 m husky ride · Meeting Santa Claus | Check listing | 5 hours | ★ 4.7 (108) | €219 per person | Book now |
Prices come live from GetYourGuide and Viator; the booking page shows the final amount before you pay. Distances and times are the operators’ own figures from each listing, checked 28 September 2026; times marked “(reviews)” come from traveller reviews. “Not stated” means the listing gives no figure, and we do not estimate one.
Walk-in rides in the village
The reindeer farm inside Santa Claus Village runs short walk-in rides of 400 and 800 metres, which you can join without booking a tour. If all you want is a few minutes on the sled during a visit to the village, that is enough. The catch is the queue: at busy times, reviewers report waiting of up to about an hour.
The walk-in rides are not bookable through this site and we do not list their prices. What we compare is the next step up.
The 2–3 km safari from the farm in the village
The same farm, Santa Claus Reindeer, runs a winter safari of 2 to 3 kilometres with about 30 minutes on the sled. It has a fixed start time and no transfer: you meet at the farm in the village (Joulumaantie 13) and make your own way there. If you are staying in or visiting the village, it is the longer ride with the least travel.
The forest ride with hotel pickup
Santa Claus Holiday Village Safaris runs a 2–2.5 km ride through the forest with about 40 minutes on the sled and pickup from hotels in the village area. Reviewers praise the quiet ride, the hot drinks by the fire and the feeding afterwards. The critical reviews are about organisation: waiting time, transport and a pickup that one reviewer reports as more than an hour late. Plan the rest of the day with that in mind.
Santa packages: reindeer, huskies and Santa in one day
The packages combine a short reindeer ride of 400 or 500 m with a 500 m husky ride and either time in Santa Claus Village, a meeting with Santa Claus or an evening barbecue. They suit a single day in Rovaniemi when you want to tick off several things at once. Reviewers of the package with Santa Claus Village and lunch enjoy how much fits into the day; the critical ones point out that each ride lasts only a few minutes and that part of the day is spent waiting for other participants. The full comparison of these combinations is on our reindeer + husky combos page.
For a quick first ride while you are in the village, the walk-in ride does the job, though you should expect a queue at busy times. For a longer ride with a fixed start, book the 2–3 km safari at the village farm or the forest ride with hotel pickup. For a single day with reindeer, huskies and Santa, a package saves the organising, with short rides in exchange.
What travellers say
Real traveller reviews from GetYourGuide.
2–2.5 km reindeer sled ride through the forest
★ 4.8 (275 reviews)
“This is a beautiful tour to experience the magic of Reindeers with a quiet sleigh ride through the forest, followed by hot beverages by the fire and finally feeding reindeers. …”
“Amazing experience meeting the baby reindeers and going on the sled ride. It was very relaxing …”
“The tour was very nice, but the organization (waiting time, transport, punctuality, and adherence to the procedures) was bad. …”
“they were more then 1 hour late for pick us up,whithout explanation or apology”
The ride itself is praised throughout: quiet, through the forest, with hot drinks by the fire and feeding afterwards. The critical reviews are about organisation: waiting time, transport and punctuality, with one reviewer reporting a pickup more than an hour late.
Reindeer, huskies & Santa Claus Village
★ 4.6 (2,416 reviews)
“It was a great excursion that allows you to do/experience a lot in a day. The time at the reindeer manor was great. The husky and reindeer sleigh rides were a lot of fun. The lunch was delicious … Then they take you to Santa's village …”
“The place is very beautiful and the activities meet the expectations The tour started 1 hour and 30 minutes late, and this was not nice”
“A 2-minute ride with the reindeer, and another 2-minute ride with the huskies. The rest of the time was spent waiting for the other participants …”
Reviewers like how much fits into one day: the reindeer farm, the husky ride, lunch and Santa Claus Village, with the huskies a favourite of children. The critical reviews name the other side of that: rides of only a few minutes each, time spent waiting for other participants, a late start, and a price that some reviewers find too high for the activity itself.
Reviews collected from the tours' booking pages. Shortened for length (marked with …), wording unchanged; names reduced to first name and country.
FAQ
Can I ride with reindeer in Santa Claus Village without booking?
Yes. The reindeer farm inside the village runs walk-in rides of 400 and 800 metres. At busy times reviewers report queues of up to about an hour.
Is there a longer reindeer ride in Santa Claus Village?
Yes. The same farm runs a bookable winter safari of 2 to 3 kilometres with about 30 minutes on the sled. It starts at the farm in the village, without a transfer.
Which reindeer tour picks up from hotels near Santa Claus Village?
The 2–2.5 km forest ride from Santa Claus Holiday Village Safaris picks up from hotels in the village area. For the packages, check the listing for pickup details.
Are the Santa packages worth it?
They are a convenient way to combine reindeer, huskies and Santa in one day. Both rides are short, 400 to 500 metres each, and reviewers mention waiting for other participants. If a longer reindeer ride matters more to you, book a safari and visit Santa separately.
Do the reindeer rides in the village run all year?
Sleigh rides need snow, and the bookable safaris run in the snow season from around mid-November to early or mid-April. For summer, see our farm visit page.
Reindeer rides and Santa packages in the village
The bookable reindeer rides and Santa packages, side by side.
See the comparison ↑