Guide · Compare bases

Snowmobile in Rovaniemi or in Levi: choosing your base

Both towns sell guided snowmobile rides by the dozen. Here is how a snowmobile in Rovaniemi compares with one in Levi: the setting, the best-known rides, the prices and the small print.

Check availabilityfrom $146 · free cancellation

Editorial team, snowmobile-levi.comUpdated October 22, 2026about 6 min to read20 sources

On this topic: the tour Levi 2-hour snowmobile safari into the forest 4.7 (636 reviews) 2 hours2 people share each snowmobileHot drinks and cookies on the trail from$146per person Check availabilityFree cancellation until 24 hrs before start

Short answer

01Distance apart: Levi lies 170 km from Rovaniemi by road.¹
02Rovaniemi's edge: It sits on the Arctic Circle and offers electric snowmobile safaris.² ³
03Levi's edge: Almost 900 km of routes around a fell resort.⁴
04Most reviewed ride: Rovaniemi: 2,278 reviews; Levi: 636.
05Prices: Two to three hours from $137 in Rovaniemi, $146 in Levi.

Two bases, two kinds of trip

Riding a snowmobile in Rovaniemi and riding one in Levi are closer than the map suggests, and further apart than the brochures admit. Levi lies 170 km from Rovaniemi by road, so most visitors choose one base and stay there.¹ The question is really which kind of Lapland you want around the ride: a city on the Arctic Circle, or a fell resort with the wilderness at its door.

Rovaniemi presents itself as the Arctic Capital, located on the Arctic Circle.² Its snowmobile offer runs from short beginner rides to safaris of many hours, according to Visit Rovaniemi.⁵ Levi is a ski resort on a fell above Sirkka village, 180 km north of the Arctic Circle by Visit Finland's count, surrounded by almost 900 km of snowmobile routes.⁶ ⁴

So the classic question in Lapland: Levi or Rovaniemi? Neither base is better for the snowmobile itself; the machines, the overalls and the two-to-a-seat model are the same. What differs is the setting, the crowd and how far you travel before the trail begins.

One trip, both towns

A week that uses both bases

Arrival

Rovaniemi

The city on the Arctic Circle.²
Day one

A short ride

Cross the Arctic Circle on a snowmobile.⁷
Transfer

North to Levi

Levi lies 170 km away by road.¹
Mid-week

The forest safari

Two hours through forest and over frozen water.
Late week

A long day

Six hours in the backwoods with lunch over a fire.

What Rovaniemi does well

Rovaniemi has scale. Its most reviewed snowmobile ride has 2,278 reviews, rated 4.71, and starts from $137. It takes a coach from the operator's office at Valtakatu 26 to private forest land, then drives for about an hour on forest and tundra trails, with no more than 5 snowmobiles per guide. Pickup is not included, but the office is in town.

Rovaniemi also has calling cards of its own. Visit Rovaniemi calls the city one of the few places in the world offering electric snowmobile safaris.³ And because the city sits on the Arctic Circle, you can cross the line itself on a snowmobile, behind a husky team or in a reindeer sleigh, depending on the season.⁷

The range of short rides is wide. A two- to three-hour ride that meets at the Safartica office in Rovaniemi has 1,246 reviews and about 1 to 1.5 hours of driving. A one-hour beginners' safari keeps groups to at most 6 snowmobiles, with around 30 minutes on the machine.

Reviews

How many guests rated the leading rides

reviews

Review counts on GetYourGuide: the three Rovaniemi rides compared here and Levi's three most reviewed snowmobile rides.

Side by side

Rovaniemi's and Levi's leading snowmobile rides

Ride	Town	From	Total time	Rating
Private forest and tundra	Rovaniemi	$137	3 hrs	4.71 (2,278)
Two- to three-hour ride	Rovaniemi	$137	2 to 3 hrs	4.62 (1,246)
Safari adventure	Rovaniemi	$137	2.5 hrs	4.61 (869)
This site's forest safari	Levi	$146	2 hrs	4.74 (636)
Northern lights trip	Levi	$165	3 hrs	4.53 (629)
One-hour ride	Levi	$103	1 hr	4.75 (248)

From-prices and ratings from GetYourGuide, not exact quotes; reviews in brackets.

Three leading rides

The busiest ride in each town, and one more

Rovaniemi: Drive New 2025 Snowmobiles on Arctic Safari

Most reviewed

Forest and tundra

Rovaniemi, office at Valtakatu 26

Driving: About 1 hr
Group: Up to 5 sleds per guide
Pickup: Not included

See the ride

Levi: Easy Snowmobile Safari into the Nature

Levi's most reviewed

Forest safari

Levi, Safartica office

Total: 2 hrs
Clothing: Included
Break: Hot drinks

See the ride

Rovaniemi: 2-Hour Snowmobiling Experience

Same operator

Two- to three-hour ride

Rovaniemi, Safartica office

Driving: 1 to 1.5 hrs
Children: Sledge, ages 4-14
Meet: 25 min early

See the ride

Decision helper

Levi or Rovaniemi for your snowmobile?

Pick the line that sounds like your trip

Crossing the Arctic Circle A silent electric machine Long trails and fells A full day on the snowmobile Ski and ride the same day

Rovaniemi

You can cross the line on a snowmobile there.⁷

Rovaniemi

One of the few places with electric snowmobile safaris.³

Levi

Almost 900 km of routes around the resort.⁴

Levi

A six-hour backwoods safari with lunch over a fire.

Levi

The office and the slopes share one village.⁸

Depending on the season, you can cross the Arctic Circle on a snowmobile, behind a team of huskies or in a reindeer sleigh.

Visit Rovaniemi (official tourism site of Rovaniemi)Source 7

What Levi does well

Levi's strength is the trail. The resort counts 886 km of snowmobile tracks, and the Municipality of Kittilä builds and maintains a network that an experienced rider can follow all the way to Sweden and Norway.⁹ ¹⁰ ¹¹ Several rides start from the tourist information car park with a five-minute van ride, so you spend your time on the snowmobile rather than in a coach.

The landscape changes quickly. Visit Finland describes Levi's surroundings as river valleys and frozen lakes up to the fells.¹² This site's two-hour safari crosses forest and frozen water from an office in the village centre, and is the most reviewed snowmobile ride in Levi, rated 4.74 from 636 reviews.

Levi's rides also cover a wide range of lengths. Rides run from 1 hour to a full 6-hour day in the backwoods, with a four-hour run to the fells in between. If you want to ride further each day, Levi gives you more room to do it.

Map

From Rovaniemi up to Levi and the trails around the fell

Where Levi sits in Finnish Lapland, the places around it that the snowmobile trails reach, and a close look at the village below the fell.

Map of Finnish Lapland from Rovaniemi on the Arctic Circle north to Kittilä and Levi — Rovaniemi to Levi

Map of the Kittilä area with Levi, Levi fell, Kittilä airport, Kittilä village, the lake Rautusjärvi and Pulju to the north — Around Levi

Street map of Levi village at Sirkka with the tourist information office and the ski slopes of Levi fell to the south-east — The village and the fell

1
Rovaniemi
The city on the Arctic Circle, 170 km from Levi by road.² ¹
In Google Maps ↗
2
Kittilä
The municipality Levi belongs to, with just over 6,700 inhabitants and about 900 km of official snowmobile routes.¹³ ¹⁴
In Google Maps ↗
3
Levi
The resort beside Sirkka village, with almost 900 km of snowmobile routes around it.⁸ ¹⁵
In Google Maps ↗
4
Levi fell
The fell above the village, 531 m above sea level, with 44 slopes.¹⁶
In Google Maps ↗
5
Kittilä airport
The airport 15 km from Levi centre.¹⁷
In Google Maps ↗
6
Rautusjärvi
The lake where one twilight safari rides about 25-30 km in roughly an hour.
In Google Maps ↗
7
Pulju
Start of Kittilä's 18 km snowmobile track from Pulju to Kappera.¹⁴
In Google Maps ↗
8
Levi Tourist Information
Open daily at Myllyjoentie 2, and the meeting point of several snowmobile rides.¹⁸
In Google Maps ↗

Open the map in Google Maps

Checklist

Before you pick a base

Compare

Driving time, not only the total time
Whether pickup is included
The children's age band and height line

Either town

Physical driving licence for every driver
Warm layers under the lent overalls
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before

Cost calculator

Compare the cost in each town

Choose a ride and the number of people.

Forest and tundraRovaniemifrom $137 Two to three hoursRovaniemifrom $137 Forest safariLevifrom $146 Café loopLevifrom $200

People 2

Total from$274

per traveler from $137

Check availabilityfree cancellation

Each total multiplies the lowest per-person price GetYourGuide shows for the ride by your head count, in your currency at the ECB reference rate; checkout gives the binding sum.

Video

A Rovaniemi snowmobile safari on an Arctic forest trail

Nothing loads from YouTube until you tap play.

Prices and reviews side by side

Prices are close. The three Rovaniemi rides compared here all start from $137; Levi's two-hour rides start from $146, and its one-hour ride from $103. A couple pays two tickets in either town, since two people share one snowmobile on almost every ride.

Reviews are where Rovaniemi pulls ahead on numbers. The three Rovaniemi rides compared here have 2,278, 1,246 and 869 reviews, against 636, 629 and 248 for Levi's most reviewed snowmobile rides.

The ratings themselves are similar. Those three Rovaniemi rides score 4.71, 4.62 and 4.61; Levi's 4.74, 4.53 and 4.75. Neither town has a monopoly on good guides. Choose by setting and schedule, not by a tenth of a star.

Families and the small print

Children's rules differ by operator more than by town. In Rovaniemi, the busiest ride takes no children under 6, seats under-15s in a sled pulled by the guide, and lets passengers of 15 and over who are at least 140 cm tall sit on the snowmobile. Another Rovaniemi ride puts children under 150 cm in the sled and lets taller ones ride at the adult price.

In Levi, this site's safari seats children aged 4-14 in a sledge behind the guide and lets a child over 140 cm ride as a passenger on an adult ticket. The Rovaniemi ride from the Safartica office uses the same age band of 4-14 in the sledge. Read the line for your own children in the listing you book, whichever town it is.

Licence rules are the same in principle. Rovaniemi's busiest ride asks for a driver of at least 18 with a class B car licence, and this site's Levi ride for a driver of 18 with a physical licence. Finnish law applies in both: category T on official routes, which a car licence includes.¹⁹ ²⁰

Combining both towns

Some trips include both. Visit Levi lists Rovaniemi among the places it gives road distances to, 170 km away.¹ If you land in Rovaniemi and stay in Levi, an Arctic Circle ride on your first or last day and a longer trail ride in Levi make a natural pair.

The Rovaniemi ride then gives you the line on the map and the city's electric safaris, and Levi gives you the long white distances. Ride the short one first: an hour or two in Rovaniemi teaches you the throttle, and the longer Levi trail rewards the confidence you bring.

If you only have one base, do not worry about missing out. A first-timer gets the same essential experience in either town: the lesson, the line of snowmobiles, the hot drink and the moment the forest opens onto a frozen lake. Book the ride in whichever town you sleep in, so the evening after it is spent warming up rather than on a coach. A long transfer after a cold afternoon on the snowmobile is the part of a Lapland trip that guests rarely enjoy.

Which base suits you

Choose Rovaniemi if your trip is short, if you want the Arctic Circle itself, or if an electric snowmobile appeals.⁷ ³ Its ride list is long and its most reviewed rides have thousands of reviews behind them.

Choose Levi if you want the trail to be the point of the trip, with rides from an hour to a full day and a network of almost 900 km around a fell resort.⁴ It also suits skiers, since the snowmobile office and the slopes sit in the same village.

Whichever you choose, the booking rules are the same: none of the rides on this page charges for a cancellation made 24 hours or more ahead, so you can hold a date while you decide.

Pick a date

The trail starts at the edge of the village.

Two hours in all, clothing provided, and nothing to pay if you cancel a day ahead.

Check datesfrom $146 · free cancellation 4.7 · 636 checked reviews

You ask,we answer.

How far is Levi from Rovaniemi?

170 km by road. Visit Levi gives that distance from Rovaniemi to Levi.¹

Is Rovaniemi on the Arctic Circle?

Yes. Visit Rovaniemi describes the city as located on the Arctic Circle.²

Can I ride an electric snowmobile?

In Rovaniemi. Visit Rovaniemi calls it one of the few places offering electric snowmobile safaris.³

Which town has more snowmobile reviews?

Rovaniemi. Its most reviewed ride has 2,278 reviews; Levi's has 636.

Are prices different?

Only a little. Rovaniemi's leading rides start from $137, Levi's two-hour rides from $146.

Where are the trails longer?

Around Levi. Levi counts 886 km of snowmobile tracks around the resort.⁹

Can small children ride in both towns?

Yes, in a sled behind the guide. Both this site's Levi ride and a Rovaniemi Safartica ride seat ages 4-14 in a sledge.

Sources

What this guide is based on

1
Visit Levi (levi.fi, the official Levi site)Arrival in Levi - flights, trains, buses and driving
↩
2
Visit Rovaniemi (official tourism site of Rovaniemi)Cross the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi
↩
3
Visit Rovaniemi (official tourism site of Rovaniemi)Snowmobiling in Rovaniemi
↩
4
Visit Levi (levi.fi, the official Levi site)Snowmobiling in Levi - tours, tracks and rentals
↩
5
Visit Rovaniemi (official tourism site of Rovaniemi)Snowmobiling in Rovaniemi
↩
6
Visit Finland (Finland Convention Bureau)Levi
↩
7
Visit Rovaniemi (official tourism site of Rovaniemi)Cross the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi
↩
8
Visit Levi (levi.fi, the official Levi site)The villages of Kittilä
↩
9
Visit Levi (levi.fi, the official Levi site)Levi in numbers
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10
Municipality of KittiläSnowmobile routes in Kittilä
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11
Visit Levi (levi.fi, the official Levi site)Snowmobiling in Levi - tours, tracks and rentals
↩
12
Visit Finland (Finland Convention Bureau)Levi
↩
13
Visit Levi (levi.fi, the official Levi site)The villages of Kittilä
↩
14
Municipality of KittiläSnowmobile routes in Kittilä
↩
15
Visit Levi (levi.fi, the official Levi site)Snowmobiling in Levi - tours, tracks and rentals
↩
16
Visit Levi (levi.fi, the official Levi site)Levi in numbers
↩
17
Visit Levi (levi.fi, the official Levi site)Arrival in Levi - flights, trains, buses and driving
↩
18
Visit Levi (levi.fi, the official Levi site)Levi in numbers
↩
19
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency)Snowmobiler - do you know the rules? (page last updated 9 January 2025)
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20
Liikenneturva (Finnish Road Safety Council)Snowmobile
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