Every September the same question lands in our inbox: is there anything to do in Rovaniemi before the snow? The short answer is yes. Ruska – the Finnish word for the autumn colours – is a quiet, beautiful time here, and a handful of our tours are built for exactly this in-between season, when the forest is yellow and red but the lakes are not yet frozen.

This page is our own autumn line-up, explained the way we would explain it at the front desk: which tours run, where we pick you up, what is included and what is not, and how the weather decides a few things for us. Every price and rule below comes straight from our tour pages.

Our main autumn tour is Running with the Pack, 3km Husky Tour & Kennel Visit: from 133 €, 2 hours, very easy, with a kennel visit, a husky ride on a cart (sleds once there is enough snow), hot juice and cookies. Alongside it we run the authentic reindeer farm visit (from 122 €, 1 hour 30 min) until mid-November, and the Wild Berry Hunt (from 89 €, 3 hours) while the berry season lasts. Once the snow settles, the 5 km husky tour takes over.

At a glance

• From: 133 €
• Experience type: Early winter Husky tour
• Duration: 2 hours
• Difficulty: Very easy
• Book in Advance: Cut off: 4 hours before start time
• Included: Guided husky ride of 5 km (on carts only 3Km); Modern husky kennel visit; Transfers from/to Santa Claus Village, Hostel Cafe Koti in the city center, Arctic SnowHotel or with own transfer at the K-Market Sinettä.; Hot juice and cookies; Informative talk about huskies.
• Cancellation: We will charge a cancellation fee of 100% if booking is cancelled 7 days or less before the event. We will charge a cancellation fee of 10% if booking is cancelled 365 days or less before the event.
• Accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible; Not stroller accessible

What ruska means in Rovaniemi

Ruska is the name Finns give to the few weeks when birches, aspens and the low plants of the forest floor turn yellow, orange and red. Visit Rovaniemi describes September as generally the most reliable month for the colours here, with the middle weeks of the month often the most spectacular, and notes that early October can still show beautiful autumn scenery.

The same source points out something our guides love about this season: from late August onwards the nights are dark enough again for the Northern Lights to return. So an autumn trip can mean coloured forests in the daytime and, with luck and clear skies, auroras after dark. We explain how our aurora tours work in our Northern Lights season 2026–2027 guide.

What ruska is not: snow season. Most of our winter programme – sleds, snowmobiles, ice fishing – waits for proper snow and ice. The tours below are the ones designed to work without it.

Running with the Pack: our autumn husky tour, step by step

Running with the Pack is a low-threshold way to meet sled dogs before the snow. In our own words from the tour page: visit the kennel, meet the pack and experience the running dogs, and hear how the dogs live and train.

• Pick-up: transfers run from Santa Claus Village (Bearhill Husky – Santa’s Husky Rides), Hostel Cafe Koti at Valtakatu 21 in the city centre, or you can come with your own transport to K-Market Sinettä, Sinetänsalmentie 8. Pick-up times range from 90 to 15 minutes before the tour start.
• Kennel visit and talk: you visit a modern husky kennel and get an informative talk about huskies.
• The ride: you sit in the sled or cart while a musher drives the team through the Lapland forest. While we are operating on carts, the ride is 3 km; once there is sufficient snow cover we switch to sleds and the included ride is 5 km.
• Afterwards: hot juice and cookies.

The whole experience lasts 2 hours and the difficulty is very easy. The tour runs in the autumn weeks of October and November; the booking calendar always shows the exact departures that are open.

Why the thermometer decides, not us

The single most important rule on this tour is about the dogs. The tour page says it plainly: for animal welfare reasons the tour is offered only weather permitting, at 10 degrees Celsius or colder – otherwise it is too hot for the huskies to pull. Sled dogs are built for cold, and a mild autumn afternoon can be too warm for them to work.

That is also why we cannot promise sleds in October. We can only switch to sleds once there is enough snow, so during the early winter period the experience may still take place on carts. If snow is what you are dreaming of, look at the second half of November, when the Running with the Pack 5km Husky Tour & Kennel Visit (from 164 €, 2 hours 15 minutes) is scheduled.

For the full picture of our winter husky programme, see all our husky activities and our complete guide to husky tours in Rovaniemi.

The reindeer farm visit in Sierijärvi

Autumn is a busy time in the reindeer year, and our visit of an authentic reindeer farm in Sierijärvi Village runs until 13 November. You meet the sleigh-pulling reindeer during their summer holiday, have a chance to feed them, and hear about the life of reindeer herders and the yearly cycle of the reindeer. The families behind the farm have practised reindeer herding in Rovaniemi since at least the year 1800.

• From 122 €, 1 hour 30 min on site, very easy.
• Included: transport to the farm and back, guiding in English and Finnish, the chance to feed and photograph the reindeer, and warm berry juice with cookies.
• Pick-up is offered within 10 km of Rovaniemi city centre, including from Postmaster Hotel. The 1.5 hours does not include the drive there and back.
• The minimum is two paying adults, and children under 15 can only join with their parents.

If you want to understand why autumn matters so much to herders, read about our reindeer safaris and browse all our reindeer activities.

Berries by the lake: the Wild Berry Hunt

The Wild Berry Hunt takes you into our private forests to pick seasonal berries, with a guide who knows the good spots. When the basket is full, we sit down by the lake with light traditional snacks and drinks by the campfire.

Our tour page lists the berry calendar honestly: cloudberries from mid-July to mid-August, blueberries into early September and lingonberries in September. That makes this a tour for the early part of ruska; late in the autumn the berry season simply ends, so please check the calendar for the last departures.

• From 89 €, 3 hours, easy.
• Guide in English (Spanish, Portuguese and Finnish on request, with limited availability).
• Pick-ups and drop-offs within 10 km of the city centre are included, including Postmaster Hotel and Aurora Hill Resort.
• At least 2 people are needed on weekdays and Saturdays, and at least 4 on Sundays and public holidays.

More walks and day trips are in our nature and culture tours.

The small print, quoted from our tour pages

• Running with the Pack – cancellation: a cancellation fee of 100% applies if the booking is cancelled 7 days or less before the event, and 10% if it is cancelled 365 days or less before the event.
• Running with the Pack – clothing: we do not provide clothing on this tour. Autumn can be chilly one day and mild the next, and it can be muddy, so wear layers, wool rather than cotton, and clothes that can get dirty.
• Running with the Pack – sharing: single travellers share the sled with people outside their party.
• Accessibility: the husky tour is not wheelchair or stroller accessible.
• Reindeer farm – cancellation: 100% fee 2 days or less before the event, 70% 7 days or less before, and 5% 14 days or less before.
• Wild Berry Hunt – cancellation: free cancellation up to 24 hours before the activity; after that the fee is 100%.

Combining autumn tours with a stay at Postmaster or Aurora Hill

Two of our own places make autumn easy. Postmaster Hotel sits in the heart of Rovaniemi next to the railway and bus station, with Leima Kitchen & Bar downstairs for breakfast, lunch and Lappish–Finnish bistro dishes. The reindeer farm visit and the Wild Berry Hunt both pick up from the hotel.

Aurora Hill Resort is our family-owned cabin resort, the highest located resort in Rovaniemi, about 10 minutes from the city centre. Breakfast is delivered to your cabin, and guests get free access to the Northern Lights Alert App, which sends a notification when the auroras appear over the resort. In autumn, when dark nights have returned, that is a very practical way to not miss them.

For guided aurora nights, our Northern Lights Tour at the Campfire starts from 99 € for 3 hours; see all our Northern Lights activities for the departures that are open. Our book-early code EARLY27 gives 10% off activities booked for 01.11.2026–31.03.2027, excluding husky and reindeer tours.

Which autumn tour to book

Book Running with the Pack if you want to meet sled dogs up close, you are happy with a cart ride if the snow has not arrived yet, and you are travelling with small children – the tour page describes it as family friendly and suitable for very small children, as long as they are dressed warmly.

Choose the reindeer farm visit instead if you would rather feed animals and hear how a herding family lives through the year. Choose the Wild Berry Hunt if you come early in the season and want a slow forest day. And wait for the 5 km tour in the second half of November if a snowy sled ride is the whole point of your trip.

Frequently asked questions

When does the autumn husky tour run?

Running with the Pack is our early-winter husky tour for October and November. The booking calendar on the tour page shows the exact departures that are open.

Will the husky ride be on a sled or a cart?

We can only switch to sleds once there is sufficient snow cover. Until then the tour runs on carts and the ride is 3 km; on sleds the included ride is 5 km.

Can the husky tour be cancelled because of the weather?

Yes. For animal welfare reasons the tour is offered only when it is 10 degrees Celsius or colder; otherwise it is too hot for the huskies to pull.

Do you provide warm clothing in autumn?

Not on the Running with the Pack tour. Please dress according to the weather: layers, wool instead of cotton, a hat and gloves, and clothes that can get muddy.

Is Running with the Pack suitable for small children?

Yes. It is one of our family-friendly tours and is also suitable for very small children. As we do not provide extra clothing, please dress small children warmly.

Where do you pick us up for the husky tour?

From Santa Claus Village (Bearhill Husky – Santa’s Husky Rides), Hostel Cafe Koti at Valtakatu 21, or K-Market Sinettä if you drive yourself. Pick-up is 90 to 15 minutes before the tour starts; tell us your preferred address when booking.

How long does the reindeer farm visit take?

The visit itself lasts 1 hour 30 minutes. That does not include the transport time to the farm and back to your pick-up place.

Ready to book?

You may also like

• Running with the Pack, 5km Husky Tour & Kennel Visit AVAILABLE 16.11–22.11 — from 164 €, 2 hours 15 minutes
• Visit of authentic reindeer farm in summer / autumn Available 30.4-13.11 — from 122 €, 1 hour 30 min
• Wild Berry Hunt — from 89 €, 3 hours

Sources

• Visit Rovaniemi – Autumn colours in Rovaniemi