Lapland Ice Fishing Tour: Full Review, Is It Worth a Half Day of Your Trip?

I didn't expect a winter activity in Lapland to feel like this

It was 10:15 am, minus 22°C, and I was kneeling on a frozen lake north of Ranua. The wind came in off the Kemijoki and cut through my wool hat. Our guide, a Finnish reindeer herder named Eero, had just drilled a hole through 80 cm of ice with a hand auger. He handed me a fishing rod, a short piece of wood with a plastic lure, and said in Finnish: "Now you wait. The perch bite when they feel like it, not when you want them to."

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I felt like I was in another world. No souvenir shop, no line for a selfie. Just the crunch of the snow, the quiet hum of the wind, and the muffled sound of the line sliding into the water. That was exactly what I had been looking for, a genuine ice fishing tour in Lapland, not a staged tourist attraction.

The tour I had booked was the Traditional Ice Fishing Tour from Viator (product 57969P2). Duration: about four hours. Meeting point: a small parking lot on the outskirts of Rovaniemi, where a minibus picked us up. I was there with just a German couple from Munich and a Japanese man who was seeing snow for the first time. Eero spoke English slowly and clearly, but kept mixing in Finnish words: "kala" for fish, "jää" for ice, "pakkanen" for frost.

What surprised me: it didn't feel like a tour. It felt like going out with a friend who was showing you how to survive on the ice. Eero had brought a small gas stove, made coffee (the finest filter coffee I have ever had) and lit a campfire. We sat on reindeer hides he had laid on the snow and waited. The German caught a perch after 20 minutes. I waited 45 minutes and caught nothing. Eero grinned: "The fish know you're from the city."

Traditional Ice Fishing Tour, Rovaniemi: The Tour That Saved My Trip

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Pros: the guide was authentic, the gear was complete (rod, lure, auger, warm overalls), and the coffee was free. Cons: you need to bring patience, if the fish aren't biting, it's just cold. If you want fast action, book a husky safari.

Who this is NOT for: people who can't handle cold, or who expect to catch a fish within 10 minutes. Children under 8, the waiting gets boring fast.

The Moments That Made Lapland's Winter Activities Worth It

The second part of the tour was the highlight: Eero pulled out a thermos of hot lingonberry juice, and we sat by the fire while the sun, or rather the twilight, slowly disappeared behind the birches at 1:30 pm. The Japanese man showed me photos from his camera: the colors of the sky were soft pink and purple, not a harsh orange. Eero said: "In December we only get two hours of daylight. That's normal. You learn to like the darkness."

In that moment I understood why I had taken this tour. It wasn't about the fish. It was about experiencing how Finns survive the winter: with fire, with coffee, with a hole in the ice. I later booked a second ice fishing tour because I wanted to feel that again, but this time with a different guide, who took me to a lake north of Palojärvi. It was quieter there, colder (minus 26°C), and I actually caught a perch.

What really made the tour special: Eero explained to us why Finns fish in winter. "It's meditation," he said. "You sit there, you hear the wind, you see the snowflakes on the ice. The fish is just a bonus." I had to agree with him.

Night Ice Fishing Tour in Ranua: A Lesser Known Tour Worth Discovering

I also tried a night fishing tour offered by a different operator in Ranua, a small family business that only takes six guests per evening. We rode snowmobiles out to a remote lake, drilled holes, and fished by torchlight. The temperature dropped to minus 30°C. I was wearing three layers of wool and a thick overall, and my hands were still cold. But when the northern lights appeared at 10:00 pm (a faint, greenish band drawn across the sky), I forgot about the cold. The guide, a Sámi man named Juhani, said: "The fish see the lights too. They bite better when the aurora is dancing." I don't know if that's true, but I caught two perch that evening.

Who this is NOT for: people who don't want to ride snowmobiles (it's loud and cold) or who are sensitive to extreme cold. This tour also isn't for beginners, you have to drill yourself and carry the equipment.

What Really Surprised Me About Lapland's Winter Activities

I grew up in Lapland, but I was still surprised by how different the tour was from what I experienced as a child. When I was little, I went ice fishing with my father, we took a saw, a bucket, and a thermos of coffee. No guide, no microphones, no safety equipment. The tour today is more professional, safer, and more comfortable, but it has kept its soul.

What surprised me most: how many tourists show up dressed wrong. I saw a woman in a city down jacket, no wool layer underneath, no lined boots. She was shivering after 20 minutes and had to go back to the car. Eero had spare overalls with him, but he told me later: "Half the guests underestimate the cold. They think minus 20°C is like a cold winter day in Berlin. It's not the same."

Another shock: how expensive the tours are during high season. The ice fishing tour costs about €89 per person in December, but I have seen some operators charge up to €150 for the same service. The tour I booked was fairly priced and included everything: transfer, equipment, coffee, and a guide who wasn't watching the clock.

Who this is NOT for: people who think winter fishing is easy. It's demanding, you have to drill the hole (even if the guide helps), endure the cold, and have the patience to wait for hours. If you want quick results, book a snowshoe hike or a husky safari.

Mia Ahola's Insider Tips for Getting It Right

After three winters as a guide and countless tours I have tested myself, here are my most important tips for an ice fishing tour in Lapland:

• Book a tour with "unlimited mileage": the good guides drive as far as it takes to find a lake with good fish stocks and clear sky. Some operators stay within 20 km of Rovaniemi, that's not enough. Ask before booking how far they'll go at most.
• Wear wool underwear, not cotton: cotton absorbs moisture and freezes. Merino wool is expensive, but it saves your day. I swear by the layers: merino long-sleeve shirt, fleece jacket, thick overall. Plus lined boots and two pairs of socks.
• Bring a power bank: lithium batteries drain within minutes at minus 20°C. My phone dropped from 80% to 15% after 30 minutes on the ice. A power bank in an inside pocket, close to your body, lasts longer.
• Don't go hungry: the tour includes coffee and often a small meal (grilled sausages or fish), but it lasts for hours. Bring a snack, I had a bar of chocolate in my pocket, and after an hour it was frozen and hard as a rock. Eat it beforehand.
• Ask about the fish: if you catch one, you can usually keep it. Eero grilled our perch over the fire, with butter, dill, and lemon. That was the finest meal I had in Lapland.

Who this is NOT for: vegetarians (it's about fish) or people who don't enjoy eating outdoors. The meal is simple but authentic, not a gourmet experience.

What I Wish I'd Known Before I Went

I made a lot of mistakes before I found the right tour. Here's what I want to spare you:

• Booking the cheapest tour was a mistake: I once booked a tour for €59 that took place just 15 minutes from Rovaniemi. The lake was crowded, five other groups fishing within sight. The guide barely spoke English and had no spare overalls. I was cold and caught nothing. Spend the extra €20 and book a reputable operator instead.
• Jeans are the enemy: on the first day I wore jeans under ski pants, after 30 minutes my legs were numb. Since then I only wear wool pants or lined snow pants.
• The aurora isn't like it is on Instagram: I had hoped to see the northern lights while fishing. But on most days they are faint, a pale greenish band that's hard to make out with the naked eye. Cameras with long exposure show the colors. Don't be disappointed if you don't see anything, the tour is still worthwhile.
• The cancellation terms matter: I booked a tour that offered no refund for bad weather. It was snowing, the lake was frozen, but visibility was zero. I lost the money. Reputable operators offer a 100% money back guarantee for weather-dependent tours, ask beforehand.
• The prime time is December to March: in December it's extremely cold and dark, but the fish bite better because the ice is thicker. In March the sun shines longer and temperatures are milder (minus 10°C to minus 15°C). I recommend March for beginners.

Who this is NOT for: people who don't like cold, have no patience, or would rather sit in a museum. Ice fishing is an active, quiet experience, not for people in a hurry.