Santa Claus Safaris FAQ

1. Is thermal clothing included in the safari?

Thermal clothing is NOT included in our safaris.

However, you can rent an Elf suite which will add some extra comfort and most importantly, it gives you elfish look giving you the elf-credibility needed to cope with our elves! The Elf suite include Elf overalls, boots and woollen socks, gloves, scarves and hats. For snowmobiling the helmets and balaclavas are included in the price of the excursion.

2. Will we see the Aurora Borealis for certain?

Since the Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon and don’t have timetables, we can never guarantee that they will be visible. We always carry on with the safaris regardless of the weather, since it can change very fast here in Lapland. We do not refund the safaris, even if the Northern Lights are not visible.

3. Can children participate on the snowmobile safaris?

Children are welcome to join our snowmobile safaris unless otherwise mentioned. They will be travelling in a sledge pulled by our guides snowmobile. Children over 140cm tall can sit on the back of the snowmobile as passengers, when they pay the adult price for the safari.

4. How will the children travel on the husky safaris?

Children will mainly travel on one big husky sledge. Due to safety reasons, the staff at the husky farm is entitled to decide whether the child will travel on the big sledge or a small one. On longer safaris adults drive the sledges in pairs and all the children are together in one big sledge that the guide from the Husky Farm is driving.

5. Do children get a discount?

Children aged 4-14 years are entitled to special rates which are presented in the excursion rates. Children under 4 years old participate free of charge.

Even though teenagers 15-17 years old are considered as adults, they are not allowed to drive the snowmobiles or required to sign the commitment form.

6. Do I need a driver’s licence for snowmobiling?

According to Finnish law you are allowed to drive a snowmobile if you have a valid driving licence with a classification of minimum T, A1, A or B. Generally this means that you need to be over 18 years old and have a valid driver’s licence to drive a car or a motorcycle. The information in a foreign driving licence must be written in the Latin alphabet and indicate the right to drive or there must be a translation of the information by a reliable party, such as an authorised translator, into Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, German or French.

NOTE! Take the driving license with you on the snowmobile safaris as the Police may check the validity of the license during the safari.

7. How do I make a booking?

You can book safaris directly from our online webstore at www.santasafaris.com where you can also make the payment online. You can also book safaris directly at our Eld Adventure Center or other service locations upon your arrival, but we cannot guarantee availability for late bookings.

8. What if it’s cold outside?

The winter in Lapland is always cold. We do not cancel our safaris due to weather conditions. If the weather is -20C or colder, the children will be transferred to venues by car in our snowmobile safaris if possible. This is purely for safety reasons.

If the weather is very cold, we recommend you to not use any lotions or moisturisers on your face!

More layers of clothing will keep you warm.

Cold Weather Guidelines:

If temperatures drop below -20°C:

Children (2–14 years old) will be transported by car during snowmobile programs if possible, for safety reasons.
Young children (0–2 years old) will not be allowed to participate in activities for safety reasons.

If temperatures drop below -30°C:

Children (0–14 years old) will not be permitted to join reindeer and husky sled rides for safety reasons. However, short rides (jengas) may still be possible.
For longer reindeer and husky rides, the driving time may be divided into shorter sections for safety.

If temperatures drop below -40°C:

We will attempt to reschedule booked excursions, as extreme cold poses safety risks for both participants and animals.

9. What if I crash the snowmobile? What is the self-liability waiver?

The driver of the snowmobile is held liable for damages caused to the vehicle. The maximum personal liability is 980€ per person/snowmobile/accident.

The self-liability waiver reduces the maximum self-liability from 980€ to 150€. The self-liability waiver costs 20€ per driver and per safari and can be bought at our webstore for all our snowmobile safaris, or on the spot before the safari. The self-liability waiver is personal.

10. Can I join if I’m pregnant?

Snowmobile and husky sled programs are not suitable for pregnant individuals due to the bumps and vibrations on uneven trails, as well as exposure to snowmobile exhaust fumes. To avoid any potential pregnancy complications, we recommend choosing an alternative excursion instead.

11. Can I join if I’m in a wheelchair?

If you are comfortable sitting on a sledge, you can participate on the following snowmobile safaris:

SNOWMOBILE SLEIGH RIDE WITH SANTA’S ELF

MEET SANTA’S MOST TRUSTED HUSKY DOGS

MEET SANTA’S FAVORITE REINDEER (NOTE, REINDEER RIDE MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE!)

SNOWMOBILE SAFARI WITH SANTA’S ELVES – A WINTER ADVENTURE IN THE FOREST

Please note that participating on these safaris always depends on the condition of the individual.

12. Do I get to drive my own snowmobile for the safari?

The prices of our snowmobile safaris are always per person, when two persons are sharing one snowmobile.

If you wish to drive your own snowmobile on the safari, you can purchase the single driving supplement. The single driving supplement costs 50€/1-4h and 85€/4+ hours. This is personal and added to the price of the safari. You can purchase this supplement when booking any snowmobile safari online.

13. Can I get the single driving supplement for the husky or reindeer safari?

Unfortunately there are no single driving possibilities for husky nor reindeer safaris.

14. Will it be dark in the evening?

In the middle of winter in Lapland the sun can only be seen a couple of hours during the day.

Here are some approximate examples about the times for sunrise-sunset in Lapland:

Rovaniemi:

Mid-December 11:00-13:30

Mid-January 10:30-14:30

Mid-February 8:30-16:30

Mid-March 6:30-18:30

We encourage you to take part on our excursions in the dark time of the day too. The wintry forests are mystical in the dusk and dark and the snow makes the nature look brighter than you may expect!

15. How long does the winter season last?

Our winter season starts December the 1st and lasts until around the 5th of April. Normally there isn’t enough snow on the ground for snowmobiling, husky or reindeer safaris before and after these times.

In Rovaniemi, we offer some excursions in November too, but the selection of the excursions is depending on the weather, snow and ice conditions.

16. Will you pick us up for the safari?

We DO NOT offer pick-ups as we are located in the heart of the Santa Claus Village at the Arctic Circle.

The meeting point for the safaris is at the Elf Adventure Center (Former Forest Manor) at Joulumaantie, 96930 Rovaniemi. It is withing walking distance from the Santa Claus Village center.

We will send you the meeting time and location by email after the confirmation.

17. Can I take my own car to the reindeer and husky farms?

The reindeer and husky farms don’t allow walk-in visits. You can only visit these farms by joining our safaris. On our safaris we will transfer you to the farms as a group due to organisational reasons.

18. What if I’m late?

The meeting time for our safaris is always before the starting time of the safari. The safari starting time is the time when the whole group is equipped and ready to go. We will not keep the whole group waiting for customers arriving late.

19. Can I pay by credit card. What about cash?

Santa Claus Safaris accepts the following credit cards: Visa, Visa Electron, American Express, Master Card, Maestro and Diners Club International. Unfortunately we are not able to accept cash.