From September onwards one question fills our inbox and WhatsApp more than any other: “When do your winter tours start?” It is a fair question. Flights get booked months ahead, and nobody wants to arrive in Rovaniemi in early winter and find that the tour they dreamed of is not running yet.
This article is our honest answer for winter 2026–2027. We explain which dates we have actually published, which tours depend on snow and ice rather than a fixed calendar date, and where you can always see the real first date for each tour. Where our website does not state a date, we say so – we would rather you ask us than plan around a guess.
In short: the booking calendar on each tour page is the official opening date – the first day you can book is the first day the tour runs. Our husky tours at the Kuoksa Husky Park run from November until April, and our winter deal EARLY27 covers travel dates 1.11.2026–31.3.2027. Tours that need snow or ice open when conditions allow. A good example is the Kuoksa Reindeer Adventure – from 159 €, 3 hours, pick-up included within 10 km of Rovaniemi city centre.
At a glance
- From: 159 €
- Experience type: Reindeer tour
- Duration: 3 hours
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Book in Advance: Cut off: 12 hours before start time
- Included: 2-3 km reindeer safari in the forest of Lapland; Information about the life of reindeer, reindeer farm and reindeer herding in general; A Tour Guide in English (other languages available on request: (Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, German & Finnish. PLEASE NOTE LIMITED AVAILABILITY FOR OTHER LANGUAGES) If another language is required. Please send us an email or WhatsApp after booking.); Winter clothing (Adult & Child size), overalls, boots, gloves, socks; Cookies and juice; Photos taken with your own device; Pick-ups are included in the price within a 10 km radius of Rovaniemi city centre; Between 1 December and 10 January, drop-offs are included only to selected locations: Postmaster Hotel, Rovaniemi City Centre, Ollerovaara area and Santa Claus Village; Air conditioned car
- Cancellation: Free cancellation 24 hours before the activity. We will charge a cancellation fee of 100% if booking is cancelled less than 24 hours before the activity.
- Accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible; Not stroller accessible
StayLapland · From 159 €
3 hours · Very easy · Cut off: 12 hours before start time
How we decide when a winter tour opens
Most of our winter programme is not tied to a date on a wall calendar. It is tied to the ground. A reindeer sleigh needs snow, a snowmobile needs snow on the trails, and ice fishing needs a lake that has frozen properly. In Lapland those things arrive at slightly different times every year, so we open each tour when it can run the way it is meant to run.
That is why we publish dates in the one place that is always up to date: the booking calendar on each tour page. When we open a date, it appears there; when a date is not bookable yet, it simply is not shown. If you are planning a trip for early winter, open the calendar of the tour you want and check the first available day.
You can browse every tour we run on our activities in Rovaniemi page.
Husky tours: November until April at Kuoksa Husky Park
For our husky tours we can give you a clear window. Our partners at the kennel Tails Ahead Sleddogs write on the Kuoksa Husky Park page that, together with StayLapland, they organise the dog sledding tours at the Kuoksa Husky Park from November until April.
The classic example is the Nulkki Husky Adventure: a 5 km self-driven husky sleigh ride, 4 hours in total with pick-up, from 189 €. Two things on its product page are worth knowing for the start of the season:
- Due to bad weather, for safety, the tour can be arranged as a shortened guide-driven experience.
- The temperature limit is −35 °C, and for small children −25 °C, for safety reasons.
Before the snow arrives there is also an early-winter option. Running with the Pack is a kennel visit with a husky ride that runs in an autumn window in October and November, shown on its tour page. While there is not yet enough snow, the ride takes place on carts and is 3 km long; we switch to sleds once there is sufficient snow cover. For animal welfare reasons it runs only when it is 10 °C or colder.
Reindeer: the Kuoksa Reindeer Adventure
Our Kuoksa Reindeer Adventure takes you to our own Kuoksa Wilderness Park for a 2–3 km reindeer safari in the forest, with information about the life of reindeer, the reindeer farm and reindeer herding. It lasts 3 hours including transfers and is rated very easy.
Our website does not print a fixed opening day for the reindeer season, so we will not invent one here. What the product page does say is important for early winter: if the weather conditions do not allow for a reindeer sleigh ride, the tour is arranged as a reindeer walk instead. The booking calendar shows the dates we have opened.
Snowmobile and ice fishing: when there is snow and ice
The Wilderness Snowmobile Safari (from 199 €, 5 hours, about 2 to 2.5 hours of driving time) and Ice Fishing at Private Kuoksa lake (from 89 €, 3.5 hours) are the two tours that depend most directly on winter conditions. You cannot ride a snowmobile safari without snow on the trails, and you cannot drill a hole through ice that is not there yet.
Neither product page gives a fixed opening date, so the honest answer is: check the calendar on the tour page, and if you are travelling early in the season and want to be sure, send us a message before you book. Both pages also note that a tour may be cancelled or rescheduled in extreme weather conditions.
The dates we have published for 2026–2027
Some dates are fixed and stated on our website. These are the ones you can plan around:
- EARLY27: 10% off our activities with the code EARLY27 for travel dates 1.11.2026–31.3.2027. It excludes husky, reindeer and guaranteed Northern Lights hunting tours. We explain the code in detail in our EARLY27 article.
- Christmas-period drop-offs: between 1 December and 10 January, drop-offs are included only to selected locations: Postmaster Hotel, Rovaniemi City Centre, the Ollerovaara area and Santa Claus Village.
- Husky season at Kuoksa Husky Park: November until April.
- Eight Seasons Inari: our new glass-roof resort in Inari opens on 15.12.2026.
If the aurora is part of your plan, our article on the Northern Lights season 2026–2027 covers that side of the winter.
What is included once the season is running
Whenever you join, the Kuoksa Reindeer Adventure includes the same things, as listed on the product page:
- A 2–3 km reindeer safari in the forest of Lapland
- Information about the life of reindeer, the reindeer farm and reindeer herding in general
- A tour guide in English (other languages on request, with limited availability)
- Winter clothing in adult and child sizes: overalls, boots, gloves and socks
- Cookies and juice
- Pick-ups within a 10 km radius of Rovaniemi city centre, in an air-conditioned car
Photos are taken with your own device. The tour is not wheelchair or stroller accessible.
The small print for early-season bookings
A few rules on our product pages matter more at the start of winter, when weather is changeable:
- At least 2 people are required on weekdays and Saturdays, and at least 4 on Sundays and public holidays.
- A tour may be cancelled or rescheduled if the group is smaller than 2 people or in extreme weather conditions.
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the activity; after that the cancellation fee is 100%.
- Children under 13 must be accompanied by adults paying the full price.
- Please be ready in your hotel lobby 10 minutes before your pick-up time.
Combining the first weeks of winter with a stay
Postmaster Hotel and Aurora Hill Resort, our own places to stay in Rovaniemi, are both on the pick-up list for the Kuoksa Reindeer Adventure, the Nulkki Husky Adventure, the Wilderness Snowmobile Safari and ice fishing, so you can book a room and a tour and let us handle the driving.
Book the reindeer tour if you want a calm, very easy experience for the whole family with the reindeer at Kuoksa. Choose the Nulkki Husky Adventure instead if you want to drive your own sled, or the snowmobile safari if speed and a lunch by the open fire sound better. If your dates fall very early in the season, look at the calendars first – and if in doubt, ask us.
Frequently asked questions
When does the StayLapland winter season 2026–2027 start?
Each tour opens on the first date shown in its booking calendar. Husky tours at the Kuoksa Husky Park run from November until April; tours that need snow or ice open when conditions allow.
Is the EARLY27 code valid for every winter tour?
No. EARLY27 gives 10% off our activities for travel dates 1.11.2026–31.3.2027, but it excludes husky, reindeer and guaranteed Northern Lights hunting tours.
What happens if there is not enough snow for the reindeer sleigh?
If the weather conditions do not allow for a reindeer sleigh ride, the Kuoksa Reindeer Adventure is arranged as a reindeer walk instead.
Can we do a husky ride before there is snow?
Running with the Pack runs in an autumn window in October and November. Until there is sufficient snow cover the ride is done on carts and is 3 km long, and it only runs when it is 10 °C or colder.
Is winter clothing included on the reindeer tour?
Yes. The Kuoksa Reindeer Adventure includes overalls, boots, gloves and socks in adult and child sizes.
What is the cancellation policy?
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the activity. If you cancel less than 24 hours before, the fee is 100%.
Ready to book?
StayLapland · From 159 €
3 hours · Very easy · Cut off: 12 hours before start time
Questions about early-season dates? Email booking@staylapland.com or WhatsApp +358 40 128 7846.
You may also like
- Nulkki Husky Adventure — from 189 €, 4 hours
- Wilderness Snowmobile Safari — from 199 €, 5 hours
- Ice Fishing at Private Kuoksa lake — from 89 €, 3,5 hours