Is a Reindeer Ride in Lapland Worth It? Our Honest Family Review

A reindeer sleigh ride is one of the classic Lapland experiences, alongside meeting Santa and snowmobiling. But if you're booking a Lapland holiday with a reindeer ride, it's fair to ask whether it's genuinely worth the time and money, or simply something everyone feels they should do.

This guide is for families visiting Lapland with children who want an honest view of what a reindeer sleigh ride is really like, and whether it's worth including in a family itinerary.

Quick Answer: Is a Reindeer Ride in Lapland Worth It?

Yes, especially as part of a wider Lapland holiday with a reindeer sleigh ride and winter activities.

It's not an adrenaline activity, and it won't fill an entire day, but it's one of the most authentic and uniquely Lapland experiences you can have. The pace is calm, the scenery is beautiful, and for younger children it often feels just as magical as meeting Santa.

We visited Ruka, Finland in December as a family of three and included a reindeer sleigh ride in Lapland as part of our week-long trip. It was easy to organise through our Crystal Ski Lapland package, which helped keep the planning simple while balancing activities around skiing and travelling with a child.

Planning a trip to Ruka with kids? Our Crystal Ski Ruka Review is a good place to start

This guide contains affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend experiences we genuinely enjoyed and would happily book again ourselves.

Reindeer experience in Finland

Reindeers in Lapland

How Long Is a Reindeer Ride in Lapland?

If you're specifically booking a Lapland holiday with a reindeer sleigh ride, it's worth knowing that many reindeer rides are relatively short.

The ride itself lasted just a few minutes, but the overall excursion lasted closer to two and a half hours once you include:

• the sleigh ride

• feeding the reindeer

• sledging

• snacks and drinks

• time around the farm

That's why the experience felt far more substantial than the ride duration suggests.

Timing and Convenience

The whole experience ran from 1:30pm to around 3:30-4:00pm, which made it perfectly timed for families. The transfer from Ruka village was short, so we weren't spending hours travelling, and the afternoon felt full without ever becoming tiring for younger children.

We stayed at Ruka Chalets, which made the logistics particularly easy. We could spend the morning skiing or exploring the village, head out for the reindeer experience after lunch, and still be back in plenty of time for dinner and evening activities. That flexibility is one of the reasons we think Ruka Chalets work so well for families visiting Lapland.

For a school holiday trip to Ruka, this kind of scheduling worked really well. It gave us a mix of skiing, winter activities and downtime without feeling like we were constantly rushing from one excursion to the next. As part of our wider Crystal Ski holiday, the reindeer ride slotted naturally into the week and felt like another memorable piece of the overall Lapland experience rather than a standalone activity.

Read our full review here: Ruka Chalets Review

Finnish Snacks by the Fire & Hot Chocolate, Cinnamon Buns and Finnish Treats

Immediately after the ride, we headed to a small Finnish hut to grill local sausages and enjoy warm cranberry juice. It was a cosy, fun moment to relax after the ride, and the kids loved it.

This wasn’t something we would have travelled for on its own — but as part of the overall Lapland experience, it worked really well. One of the things we found is that these types of activities are much easier to enjoy when the rest of the trip is already organised.

To finish, we headed into the café for hot chocolate, Finnish cinnamon buns and local biscuits, all of which was included as part of the package. By this point everyone was warm, relaxed and generally in no rush to leave. The day felt carefully paced and family-focused throughout.

Sledging: The Unexpected Highlight

One of the biggest surprises of the day was the sledging hill.

It was huge, incredibly fast and genuinely fun for both children and adults.

In fact, if you asked Joshua what he remembered most from the excursion, there's a good chance he'd mention the sledging before the reindeer ride itself.

This is one reason we think families should view the excursion as a complete Lapland reindeer farm experience rather than simply a sleigh ride.

Finnish snacks by the fire

Sledging

Feeding the Reindeer: The Part Kids Remember

Next, we were able to get up close and feed the reindeer.

For younger children, this was arguably more exciting than the sleigh ride itself.

The opportunity to interact with the animals transformed the excursion from simply being a ride into a much more hands-on experience.

If you're travelling with kids, this is one of the things that really helps justify adding a reindeer sleigh ride to your Lapland holiday.

Are Reindeer Rides Ethical?

This is a question we researched before booking.

Based on our experience, the animals appeared calm, well cared for and completely comfortable around people. The reindeer handlers were clearly knowledgeable and spent time explaining how the reindeer are looked after throughout the year.

Obviously we can only comment on what we personally observed, but at no point did anything feel uncomfortable or exploitative.

That was important to us, particularly when travelling with children.

What Age Is Best for a Reindeer Sleigh Ride?

If your main goal is creating magical family memories, we'd say this activity works particularly well for children aged roughly 3 to 10.

Younger children loved:

• meeting the animals

• feeding the reindeer

• sitting in the sleigh

Older children may enjoy the snowmobiling and skiing more, but we still found the reindeer experience added something unique to the trip.

For a more in depth look at the snow mobile experience, see: Our Snowmobiling Review

Is a Reindeer Ride Better Than a Husky Safari?

They're actually very different experiences.

A reindeer sleigh ride in Lapland is:

• quieter

• slower

• more relaxing

• better suited to younger children

A husky safari is:

• faster

• more adventurous

• more physically active

• often the bigger adrenaline experience

If we had to choose only one, I would pick the reindeer ride for younger kids and the husky for older children.

But if you're already investing in a Lapland family holiday, we'd absolutely include the reindeer experience if you can because it delivers something completely different.

For a wider look at other activities in Ruka, see: Things to Do in Ruka for Families

What Age Is Best for a Reindeer Sleigh Ride?

If your main goal is creating magical family memories, we'd say this activity works particularly well for children aged roughly 3 to 10.

Younger children loved:

• meeting the animals

• feeding the reindeer

• sitting in the sleigh

Older children may enjoy the snowmobiling and skiing more, but we still found the reindeer experience added something unique to the trip.

Tips for Families

• Dress warmly: even if snow suits are offered, layers are essential.

• Bring gloves with good grip for handling reins and feeding reindeer.

• Camera ready: the ride is short, so take photos before and after.

• Book in advance: school holidays fill quickly.

Why We Think It Worked So Well

Looking back, what made the excursion special wasn't the ride itself.

It was how it fitted into the wider holiday.

The skiing, snow activities, Santa experience and excursions all complemented each other, creating a week that felt much more than just a ski trip.

That's one of the reasons we enjoyed booking through Crystal Ski. The activities were easy to organise alongside the rest of the holiday rather than feeling like separate trips that required additional planning.

So, Is a Reindeer Ride in Lapland Worth It?

Yes, particularly as part of a wider Lapland family holiday.

If you're expecting a long sleigh ride through the wilderness, you may be disappointed.

If you're looking for an authentic, family-friendly experience that combines reindeer, sledging, Finnish food and a glimpse of traditional Lapland life, it's absolutely worth doing.

It wasn't the main reason we travelled to Lapland, but it became one of those unexpectedly memorable experiences that helped make the whole trip feel special.

planning lapland with kids?

Start here — these guides answer the key questions we had before booking

About Plan Family Escapes

We’re a UK-based family sharing real, experience-led travel guides based on trips we’ve taken with our school-age son Joshua across destinations like Lapland, Turkey and India.

Everything we share is based on what we’ve personally experienced — with honest advice on what actually works when travelling with kids, focusing on making family travel easier, more comfortable and genuinely enjoyable.