If you visit Finland, you may want to take the opportunity to meet one of the most characteristic animals of the country: the reindeer. You can find them if you visit Lapland, the northernmost region of Finland.
You can do a wide variety of activities with them, from visiting a reindeer farm to going on safari. In this article, we tell you everything you can do and the price of these activities.
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Where to see reindeer in Finland?
Reindeer are an important part of the population in Northern Finland. Lapland has a large number of reindeer and, for this reason, there are many farms where these animals are cared for.
Interestingly, the number of reindeer living in Lapland is greater than the total number of people living in the region.
The farms, spread throughout the region, are in charge of the care and feeding of the reindeer, especially during the winter. At this time of year, all the reindeer remain on the farm premises and their keepers take care of their feeding.
On the other hand, during the summer, the animals are left free and their location is only monitored through a chip, and it is controlled that they do not have any problems. Thus, they are only transferred to the farm if they have an accident or medical need.
The reindeer usually belongs to individuals who live in the area and allow them to grow on the farms, paying for food, medical and lodging expenses for the animal, as well as allowing tourists to visit the farm where they are.
In the past, reindeer were used by the Sami, the people of Lapland, as a means of transportation, as well as using their skin to make coats and tents, and even their bones to make utensils.
Visit a reindeer farm in Lapland
Reindeer farms allow access for tourists and other visitors. This activity is usually reserved in advance, as it is a guided tour of the facilities.
During the visit to the reindeer farm, one of the keepers will show you around the facilities and will talk to you about the operation of the farm, the care of the reindeer, their diet and many curiosities about these animals and their life in Lapland.
Afterwards, the farm manager will accompany you to an enclosure where you can feed the reindeer, interact with them and take some photos. On top of that, farm visits usually include a reindeer excursion or safari.
Reindeer sleigh tour
Reindeer sleigh excursions or safaris are the main activity of a farm visit.
The reindeer safari usually takes place in a closed circuit or enclosure that is within or very close to the farm. There, you will be able to ride a sleigh that will generally be pulled by two reindeer. The tour lasts about 30 or 40 minutes.
The reindeer do not usually go at a high speed, so the excursion can also be done by children. The sleigh ride will allow you to enjoy the forests and snow of Lapland especially.
Although the sledges have a blanket to protect them from the cold, it is necessary to be warm, especially if the temperatures are very low, since, when sitting on the sled, the feeling of cold will be even greater.
The activity also includes a break with food and drink by the fire to warm up.
Price and duration of a reindeer safari
The whole activity, including the visit to the farm and the safari, lasts about three hours, depending on the length of the sleigh ride. The cost of this activity is between 120 and 150 euros with a safari of about 2.5 kilometres and 40 minutes long. If the safari is shorter (about 10 minutes), the price will be a little lower.
If you are only interested in visiting the farm, discovering how the reindeer live and feeding them, you can choose to book only the visit to the enclosure and skip the sleigh ride. Thus, the price of the activity will also be reduced, going to cost about 80 euros.
In addition, it is important to note that the price of the activity includes in most cases the trip from the hotel or from a central point of the place where you are to the reindeer farm, so you will only have to worry about enjoying yourself. of the animals and landscape of Lapland.
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