Snowshoeing and Ice Fishing Tour

A quiet forest, a frozen lake, and a fishing hole drilled through thick ice: this four-hour outing gives you two classic Lapland activities in one morning. You snowshoe from the forest toward the lake, learn basic wilderness and fire-making skills, then settle in to fish while sausages grill over the flames.

I like the small maximum group of eight, which keeps the outing personal and makes it easier for the guide to help with snowshoes, ice drills, and fishing lines. I also like the simple Finnish camp meal: hot drinks, snacks, and sausages cooked over an open fire feel far more fitting here than a rushed restaurant lunch.

The main thing to understand is that this is a calm nature experience, not an action-packed trek. The snowshoe section may be short, fishing requires patience, and there is no guarantee of a catch. In poor weather, wind and snow can make standing on the ice uncomfortable even with the supplied winter clothing.

Key points to know before booking

• Two Lapland activities in four hours: Snowshoe through a forest and across snowy ground, then try ice fishing on a frozen lake.
• A peaceful, small-group setting: The tour is limited to eight people and heads away from central Rovaniemi.
• Warm up beside a fire: Hot drinks, Finnish snacks, and sausages are prepared around an open fire, with a tipi tent used on some outings.
• Fishing is part skill, part luck: Your guide helps drill the hole and explains the basics, but a fish is never promised.
• Winter gear is supplied: Snowshoes, ice-fishing equipment, professional winter clothing, and boots are included.
• Jana has earned strong praise: Her patient, flexible guiding helped adapt the outing to different abilities.

From Rovaniemi to a quiet corner of Lapland

The tour begins at Wild About Lapland on Rovakatu 24 in central Rovaniemi. The activity lasts about four hours, and the group then returns to the same meeting point. For accommodations outside the city center, hotel pickup and drop-off are included, which saves you from arranging a taxi in full winter clothing.

The drive takes you away from town toward a quieter natural setting. That change matters. Rovaniemi is Lapland’s main visitor center, but the appeal of this activity is the chance to leave its streets behind and spend time among snowy trees and open ice.

The tour is offered in English. With a maximum of eight people, you are not joining a large coach outing where instructions disappear into the crowd. The guide can show you how to adjust your footing, help with the fishing gear, and keep an eye on the group as conditions change.

You receive confirmation when booking, and the activity is available to most people. Service animals are allowed, and the meeting point is close to public transportation. The supplied information does not set out a detailed fitness requirement, but the experience does require enough stamina to walk in snowshoes and remain outdoors in winter conditions.

Learning to walk in snowshoes

Before entering the forest, the guide explains how to use the snowshoes. This short lesson is important. Snowshoes do not make winter walking effortless, and you may need a little time to get used to their width and weight.

The first steps can feel awkward. You need to lift your feet rather than stride normally, and uneven snow can catch the edges. The payoff is practical: snowshoes help keep you from sinking as deeply into soft snow. One person reported occasionally dropping knee-deep even with them, while without snowshoes the same route might have been far harder.

The route may include a forest path or a shorter approach toward the lake. This is one part of the experience where expectations matter. If you are hoping for a long backcountry snowshoe hike, the standard outing may feel brief. The snowshoeing often serves as the way to reach the ice-fishing site, rather than as a separate half-day trek.

Still, the forest section has its own appeal. The quiet is the point. You hear less traffic, see fewer people, and get a straightforward introduction to moving through Lapland’s winter woods. Some people find the possibility of slipping or sinking part of the fun, but you should be comfortable with a little awkwardness underfoot.

The guide adapts the pace to the group. Jana, in particular, was praised for patience and for adjusting the outing to match different abilities. That makes this a better choice for a first snowshoe experience than for someone seeking a demanding technical route.

Reaching the frozen lake

The snowshoe route leads to a frozen lake, where the focus shifts from walking to ice fishing. The open ice gives the outing a striking change of setting. You move from trees and soft snow to a broad, pale surface with plenty of room around you.

Your guide chooses a place to fish and shows you how to drill through the ice. This is one of the most hands-on parts of the trip. You are not simply handed a rod and left to guess what to do. The guide helps create the hole and explains the basic method, including how far to lower the line.

Ice fishing is slow by nature. You lower the line, watch, and wait. The quiet can be soothing if you like simple outdoor activities, but it can also feel dull if you need constant movement. One useful point from the experience is that you may be standing while fishing, with no chairs provided. Dress for warmth and expect to shift your weight rather than sit comfortably beside the hole.

Catching lunch is the cheerful idea behind this part of the outing, but you should treat it as a possibility, not a promise. Several people caught nothing, and that is normal enough for a short fishing session. The guide cannot control the fish, the weather, or how quickly the group settles into the right technique.

You may also need to remain very still. One practical lesson is that moving quietly and patiently gives you a better chance than repeatedly disturbing the line. The supplied details do not promise a specific species or catch size, so do not book this expecting a large fish for your midday meal.

If someone catches a decent-sized fish, the guide will prepare and cook it over the fire. Undersized fish are returned to the lake quickly and with care. That approach gives the activity a useful conservation-minded touch, while keeping the meal connected to the place rather than treating the catch as a guaranteed product.

Fire-making, sausages, and a warm break

While you fish, the guide prepares a fire on the lakeshore. This is more than a pause for snacks. The tour includes basic survival and fire-making skills, so you get a small lesson in how people manage warmth and food in a winter setting.

Finnish snacks and hot drinks are served around the fire. Sausages are grilled over the flames, making this the most social part of the morning. Even if nobody catches a fish, the food and warm drink give the group something to share while the guide tends the fire.

A tipi tent has been used on some outings, providing a welcome shelter from cold and wind. Conditions and the exact site can affect what facilities are available, however. An April outing took place in a public park without an indoor warming facility after the private park normally used by the company was no longer available at the end of the main season.

That detail is worth keeping in mind. The included professional winter clothing and boots help, but they do not make you immune to weather. In heavy wind and snow, even insulated overalls may not be enough to feel warm while standing still. Face protection can be especially useful, and you should bring whatever personal winter accessories you already rely on.

Lunch is not included as a separate service. The snacks, drinks, sausages, and any fish caught and cooked on site form the food element of the outing. Alcoholic drinks are also not included.

What the price covers at $137.80

At $137.80 per person, this is not the cheapest way to spend a morning in Rovaniemi. Its value depends on how much you would otherwise spend renting gear, finding transport, and arranging two separate winter activities.

The fee includes the snowshoes, ice-fishing equipment, winter clothing, boots, guide, snacks, hot drinks, and applicable taxes and handling charges. For someone arriving without a full set of cold-weather gear, the clothing and boots are a meaningful part of the package. You also avoid trying to source an ice drill or learn the equipment without help.

The transport arrangement adds value if you are staying outside central Rovaniemi, since hotel pickup and drop-off are included for those accommodations. If you are already near Rovakatu 24, you simply meet at the activity provider’s office and return there afterward.

I would judge the price favorably if you want an easy introduction to both activities and do not want to organize the details yourself. I would judge it less favorably if your priority is a long snowshoe route, a guaranteed meal, or several hours of serious fishing. The tour sells access, equipment, instruction, and a shared outdoor setting. It does not sell a guaranteed catch.

The group size helps protect the value. Eight people is small enough for assistance without making the outing feel entirely private. A group of four can feel especially comfortable, although an unusually tiny group may feel quiet or even a little lonely if you prefer company and conversation.

Weather, season, and comfort

This activity depends on suitable weather. If conditions are poor, the operator may cancel and offer another date or a full refund. The same applies if the minimum number of participants is not reached.

That policy is sensible for an outing on a frozen lake, but it means you should leave some flexibility in your Rovaniemi schedule. A weather cancellation is less troublesome if you are not trying to fit the tour into your final free morning.

Seasonal timing also matters. In April, the main tourist season may be winding down, and the usual privately rented site may no longer be available. The exact setting can therefore be less sheltered late in the season. A public site can still provide a fine snowy outing, but it may not offer an indoor place to warm up.

The experience is most comfortable when you prepare for cold, wind, and long periods of standing still. The operator supplies professional winter clothing and boots, but personal gloves, a warm hat, and face protection remain sensible additions. The supplied information does not specify a recommended clothing list, so use the gear provided as protection, not as a reason to underdress.

Who will enjoy this outing most

I would recommend this tour to you if you want a gentle introduction to Lapland’s outdoors, especially if you have never used snowshoes or tried ice fishing. The guide gives instructions before each activity, and the small group makes it easier to ask for help.

Nature lovers will get the most from the pace. The appeal lies in the snowy forest, the open frozen lake, the fire, and the quiet waiting. You need to enjoy a little stillness. If your ideal excursion involves constant action, several long trails, or guaranteed wildlife sightings, this may not be your best choice.

It can suit mixed-ability groups because the guide can adjust the pace. The tour is accessible to most participants, but it still calls for some basic stamina. Walking in snowshoes is different from normal walking, and the return trip requires another stretch outdoors after the fishing stop.

It also works well for people who want several small experiences in one booking. Rather than arranging snowshoe rental, transport, a fishing lesson, food, and a fire separately, you receive all of that in one compact outing.

Practical details before you go

The tour is offered in English and uses a mobile ticket. It starts and ends at Wild About Lapland, Rovakatu 24, 96100 Rovaniemi, unless pickup and drop-off apply to your accommodation outside the city center.

The maximum group size is eight. Equipment for both activities is supplied, along with professional winter clothing and boots. Snacks and hot drinks are included, but alcoholic drinks and a separate lunch are not.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the local start time for a full refund. Changes or cancellations made less than 24 hours before departure are not accepted for a refund. Since the tour requires suitable weather and a minimum number of participants, the operator may offer another date or experience, or provide a full refund, if it cannot run.

The experience has a 4.6 rating from 35 reviews, with 91 percent recommending it. The strongest praise centers on the calm setting, friendly guides, small groups, forest snowshoeing, and the warm fire with grilled sausages. The recurring cautions are just as useful: fishing can be slow, the snowshoe route may be shorter than expected, and windy conditions can make the frozen lake feel cold.

Should you book the Snowshoeing and Ice Fishing Tour?

Book it if you want a practical, well-organized taste of two traditional winter activities and value the help of a guide. The combination of snowshoes, a frozen lake, fire-making, hot drinks, and sausages gives you a full Lapland morning without complicated planning.

Skip it if you mainly want a long snowshoe expedition or are counting on catching and eating a fish. The fishing is a patient waiting game, and the snowshoe section may be mostly an approach to the lake. For the right person, that slower rhythm is the attraction. You get time to notice the silence, learn a few useful winter skills, and enjoy a simple meal beside the fire.

FAQ

How long does the Snowshoeing and Ice Fishing Tour last?

The experience lasts approximately four hours, including the snowshoe walk, ice fishing, fire-side break, and return to Rovaniemi.

Where does the tour start and finish?

It starts at Wild About Lapland, Rovakatu 24, 96100 Rovaniemi, Finland, and ends back at the same meeting point. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included for accommodations outside the city center.

Are snowshoeing and ice-fishing equipment included?

Yes. The necessary equipment for both activities is included, along with professional winter clothing and boots.

Is food included on the tour?

Finnish snacks, hot drinks, and grilled sausages are included. If you catch a decent-sized fish, the guide can prepare and cook it over the fire. A separate lunch and alcoholic drinks are not included.

Is catching a fish guaranteed?

No. The activity gives you instruction and equipment, but fishing depends on conditions and luck. Any undersized fish are returned to the lake.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time for a full refund. If poor weather or an insufficient minimum number of participants forces cancellation, you will be offered another date or experience, or a full refund.