Inari Reindeer Farm: Reindeer Ride

The Reindeer Ride is one of the must-do activity when anyone visits Finland Lapland. Don’t be surprised, because the number of reindeer in this province equates to the number of people! Can you believe it? People basically coexists with reindeer and this is the reason why reindeer is the icon of Finland Lapland.

Reindeer is a species of deer native to the Arctic and it can run up to 80km/hr

A reindeer ride simply refers jumping on a ride with a sled pulled by Reindeers, and this is a great way for visitors to get real close to the reindeers. This is not some tourist gimmick but is actually the ancient transport option for the Sami people in the past.

Inari Reindeer Farm is the destination where we experienced our ever first reindeer ride in Finland. We arrived at Inari Reindeer Farm in the morning around 7:30 am and was warmly introduced and welcomed to the host family who runs the reindeer farm. Fortunately, the weather is not that cold on our day of the visit. Our first activity started right away after the introduction and the host gave us brief facts about reindeer and their characteristics. We were also given some food which we used to feed the reindeers. You can get really close up and personal with the reindeer here!

The reindeer are each tied to a tree to prevent them from running around. Here are some interesting facts about reindeer which you may not know! In fact, both males and females reindeers grow antlers! Being natives in the Arctic region, reindeer has several characteristics which enable them to survive well in the exotic climate. First, their nose can help to warm the air before it gets to their lungs, second, their hooves shrink in the winter when the ground is harder. Some subspecies of reindeer make “clicking” sound when they walk so that they can keep together in a blizzard! Wow, they can communicate via the clicking sound of their knee, how cool is that.

If you are feeling cold, you can gather around this fireplace which was set up just beside the reindeer enclosure area.

The highlights of Inari Reindeer Farm is, of course, the Reindeer Ride. This is why we are here! This could be a once in a lifetime experience for anyone. Basically, each of us waited for our turn to get on the sled which will be pulled by the reindeer. There will be a staff at the most front to lead the reindeer. You don’t have to do anything, just sit tight and enjoy the ride.

The whole reindeer ride last for 10 – 15 minutes. After which, we were guided to a hut where we managed to escape the coldness. Here, you will be served some hot coffee/tea and biscuits as well! There is also an open sharing of the history of sami people, the culture, and some background information of the host family.

Finally, after the sharing, you are free to explore Inari Reindeer Farm yourselves. There is also a handicraft souvenir shop where you can buy some handicrafts exclusively made by the family. The price is extremely cheap as compared to other tourist places (around 3X times cheaper).

This concluded our amazing experience in Inari Reindeer Farm and I definitely recommend visiting Inari Reindeer Farm in Inari, Finland.

Getting To Inari Reindeer Farm