Reindeer in Santa Claus Village or on a Farm Near Rovaniemi?

You can ride behind reindeer without leaving Santa Claus Village, eight kilometres north of the centre of Rovaniemi, or go out to a farm 20 to 35 minutes’ drive away. If you are at the village anyway, or have an hour rather than a morning, book Santa Claus Reindeer’s Winter Reindeer Safari at Santa Claus Village, from US$134 a person (checked November 2026): about 30 minutes by sleigh through the village’s own forest, then a campfire.

You meet the guides at Santa Claus Reindeer, Joulumaantie 13, ten minutes before the start. Thermal clothing and transfers to the village are not included. Free cancellation runs until 24 hours before.

Where the village and the farms are

Santa Claus Village says it is eight kilometres north of the city centre, with the Arctic Circle line marked in its central square, and it is open every day of the year. Visit Rovaniemi, the city’s tourism office, lists local bus 8 among the ways to get there; santaclausvillagerovaniemi.com covers bus 8, taxis from the airport and driving there.

The farms are further out, and each outing gives a drive time: 20 minutes to Reindeer Manor or to Johanna’s home farm, about 25 minutes on Arctic Photo Experience’s van, 35 minutes on Beyond Arctic’s minivan, and 30 to 35 minutes on the transfer to Apukka Resort. Unari Lake Reindeer Farm is 90 km north.

The ride inside the village

Santa Claus Reindeer’s route runs through the village’s own forest area at the Arctic Circle, 2-3 km at a calm pace, wrapped in reindeer hides, for about 30 minutes. The second half hour is by a campfire with a warm drink and a light snack while the guide talks about reindeer and herding. The whole thing takes an hour, guided in English and Finnish. It has 21 reviews on GetYourGuide, averaging 4.5.

Check times for the village sleigh ride

What it leaves out is the farm visit: the listing is the ride and the campfire, with no clothing and no transfer included, so you come dressed for the cold and make your own way to the village.

The farms outside it

On a farm you get the reindeer in their pens and pasture, the herders, and usually a kota with a fire. Arctic Photo Experience's farm visit spends about two hours there with a photographer and adds a 400 m ride when there is enough snow; Beyond Arctic's has a 2-km ride and feeding. Both pick you up in Rovaniemi.

Some farm outings collect you from the village itself. Santa Claus Holiday Village Safaris picks up at the Santa Claus Holiday Village reception, at Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus and at SantaSport for its 2 to 2.5 km forest ride. Apukka Resort Oy’s 2-3 km ride and walk with reindeer run transfers from Rovaniemi city centre or Santa Claus Village, 30 to 35 minutes each way.

Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park's day with reindeer, huskies and Santa Claus Village does both: a 500 m reindeer ride and a 500 m husky ride at the farm, lunch, then free time in the village.

Village or farm?

Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.