Every winter we see the same happy chaos in Rovaniemi: four to eight friends piling out of a minibus in matching overalls, someone already filming, someone else asking where the ice hole is. Groups like that have the best time here, as long as the trip is planned so the energy lasts all five days.

This is the itinerary we would hand to our own friends: two aurora nights, one big husky and snowmobile day, an evening in a private sauna with an ice hole, and one more big outing on the last day. Every activity can be booked on this page.

How we built a five-day plan for four to eight friends

A friends' trip to Lapland has a different rhythm from a family holiday. You want speed, noise, a bit of competition on the snowmobiles, a long evening in a sauna with an ice hole outside, and at least two proper shots at the Northern Lights. You do not want to spend half the trip negotiating in a group chat about who wants to do what. So this plan does the negotiating for you.

The anchor is the Kuoksa Husky & Snowmobile Adventure5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5, because it gives the whole group both of the big Lapland thrills in one five-hour outing: a 5 km husky sled you drive yourselves, about an hour of snowmobile driving through forest and over frozen lakes, and open-fire salmon soup with rye bread in a teepee. Around it we put a snowmobile aurora evening on night one, a private sauna and ice-swimming evening on day three, a small-group Northern Lights hunt on night four and a choice of a longer snowmobile safari or ice fishing on day five.

A group of four to eight is the sweet spot for this. Several tours need at least four people to run reliably, and the small-group aurora hunt takes 2–8 guests. Pick-up within 10 km of the centre and winter overalls, boots and gloves are included on everything in this plan.

Days 1 and 2: snowmobile aurora night, then huskies and snowmobiles

Day 1 — arrive and go straight out on the Northern Lights Tour Snowmobile Driving

If you land by mid-afternoon, there is no better way to start than the Northern Lights Tour Snowmobile Driving5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €149). It is an evening tour of about four hours with roughly an hour of snowmobile driving, then food and drinks by the campfire in a teepee while you watch the sky. It is a first aurora chance and a gentle introduction to the snowmobiles before tomorrow's bigger day. If your flight lands late, swap it to night two or five.

Day 2 — Kuoksa Husky & Snowmobile Adventure

This is the day the group chat will be full of videos. The Kuoksa Husky & Snowmobile Adventure5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 starts with about an hour on the snowmobiles, then a lunch of open-fire salmon soup in a teepee, then the musher's instructions and a 5 km self-driven husky ride. The dogs scream with excitement at the start and then go silent once they run, and groups tend to come back arguing about who handled their team best.

Book this if you want the two big adrenaline experiences in one day with lunch sorted. Skip it if half the group only wants huskies; then book the Nulkki Husky Adventure5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €189) instead. In bad weather, the husky part can be shortened and guide-driven for safety, which is the right call even if it feels disappointing at the time.

Days 3 to 5: sauna and ice hole, aurora hunt, and one more big day

Day 3 — slow morning, then Private Wooden Heated Sauna and Ice Swimming

After two active days, the group needs a slow morning. Sleep in, walk the city, find a good lunch. In the evening, the Private Wooden Heated Sauna and Ice Swimming5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €199 per person) gives you a traditional wood-heated sauna just for your group, a hand-cut ice hole, towels, a light snack and drinks. There are morning, afternoon and evening slots; for friends, the evening one is hard to beat. This is the bit of the trip that turns into the best stories. The ritual is simple: sit in the heat until you cannot, walk out into the frost, lower yourself into the black water for a few seconds, climb out shouting, and go back in. Swimwear is optional at this private sauna.

Night 4 — Professional Small Group Northern Lights Hunting Tour

Your second and more serious aurora chance. On the small-group Northern Lights hunt5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €199) the guide reads the cloud and aurora forecasts and drives to wherever the sky looks clearest, sometimes close by, sometimes a long way out. The start time is between 17:00 and 21:00, confirmed by email by 14:00, and the hunt typically lasts 4–10 hours. A professional photographer takes DSLR photos of the group, warm drinks and snacks are included, and there is a 100% refund if no Northern Lights photos are captured. With eight of you, you fill the whole group.

Day 5 — Wilderness Snowmobile Safari or Ice Fishing with Snowmobiles

Let the group decide on day four over breakfast. The petrolheads will want the Wilderness Snowmobile Safari5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €199): about two to two and a half hours of driving with food and drinks by an open fire, five hours in total. The calmer half might prefer Ice Fishing with Snowmobiles5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €149): about an hour of driving out to a frozen lake, ice fishing gear and instructions, and a campfire. If you have a late-night flight, either fits before you leave.

What to choose if you only book two, three or four activities

Only two: the Kuoksa Husky & Snowmobile Adventure5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 and the small-group aurora hunt. Huskies, snowmobiles and a serious attempt at the Northern Lights: the essentials for most groups.

Three: add the private sauna and ice swimming. It is the most Finnish experience on the list and the one that bonds a group.

Four: add the snowmobile aurora evening on night one, so you get two aurora chances.

Five: the full plan with the wilderness safari or ice fishing on the last day.

By budget: swap the small-group hunt for the Northern Lights hunting tour by bus5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €109, also with a refund if no aurora photos are captured) and choose ice fishing over the longer safari. By group mood: if nobody wants to drive, the snowmobile tours have twin-drive passengers, and the husky combination still lets the non-drivers ride.

A practical tip for groups: nominate one organiser per activity rather than one for the whole trip. Each person books one or two of the tours for everyone and settles up afterwards, so nobody carries the whole bill and nobody forgets the discount code. Bring your own thermal base layers and a warm hat; the overalls, boots and gloves are provided, but what you wear underneath decides whether day five still feels fun.

What the friends' plan costs per person

"From" prices per adult at the time of writing. Live prices show in each booking window.

Our 5% reader discount applies to every booking in the plan. For six friends on the full plan, that is roughly €313 back in the group kitty. One more cost to know about: snowmobile self-liability is €900, reduced to €250 if you buy the €25 waiver.

Book your whole plan in one go

Each button opens live dates right here. One person can book for the whole group in each checkout: type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout for 5% off — on every activity you book.

Night 1: Northern Lights Snowmobile Driving →

Day 2: Kuoksa Husky & Snowmobile Adventure →

Day 3: Private Sauna and Ice Swimming →

Night 4: Small Group Northern Lights Hunt →

Day 5: Wilderness Snowmobile Safari →

Book the husky day and the aurora hunt first; they fill up fastest in peak weeks. Use HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 on each checkout. For more inspiration, see our full guide to activities in Rovaniemi.

Upgrades and combinations for groups

Want reindeer in the mix as well? The Lapland Bucketlist Adventure with Huskies, Reindeer & Snowmobiles5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €449) replaces day two with a six-hour day that adds a 2–3 km reindeer sleigh ride to the huskies and snowmobile, with a salmon soup lunch and a professional photographer, in groups of up to 16. It is rated moderate, so it suits active groups.

For full privacy, the Private Northern Lights Tour Snowmobile Driving5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €990) and the private Northern Lights hunting tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €1,990) keep the night just for your group. Check how many people the from-price covers before you compare it with individual tickets, and note the cancellation window: free up to seven days before.

We have written more about a husky and snowmobile day for a group of friends and about sauna and ice swimming in Rovaniemi.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best activity in Rovaniemi for a group of friends?
For most groups it is the Kuoksa Husky & Snowmobile Adventure: you drive your own husky sled for 5 km, drive a snowmobile for about an hour and eat open-fire salmon soup in a teepee, all in one five-hour outing from €299 per person with pick-up included.

Is our group big enough for the tours to run?
Usually yes. Several combination and husky tours may be cancelled or rescheduled if fewer than four people book (six on public holidays), so a group of four to eight already clears that bar on its own. The small-group aurora hunt takes 2–8 guests.

Who can drive the snowmobiles?
Drivers must be at least 18 and hold a driving licence. Passengers do not need one. The standard ticket is twin drive, two people per snowmobile, and you book one ticket per person; the self-liability is €900, or €250 if you buy the €25 waiver.

Do we have to go into the ice hole at the sauna?
No, but in a group someone always does, and then everybody does. The private sauna is yours, the ice hole is hand-cut for the cold plunge and the guide explains how to do it safely. Swimwear is optional at this private sauna.

Should a group of eight book a private aurora tour?
It can be worth comparing. The small-group hunt is from €199 each and takes up to eight guests, so eight of you fill it. The private version is from €1,990; if that from-price covers your whole group, it is roughly €249 each for eight. Check the group size in the booking window.

Does the 5% discount work for the whole group?
Yes. Type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout on every booking and the 5% comes off the whole basket, so one person can book all the tickets for the group in each checkout.

Our pick for a friends' trip

If the group can agree on only one booking, make it the Kuoksa Husky & Snowmobile Adventure5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5. It is the day that delivers the most Lapland per hour: dogs, engines, frozen lakes and a hot lunch by the fire. Add the private sauna for the evening after and an aurora hunt on another night, and you have the trip people keep talking about at every reunion.

Check dates for the Husky & Snowmobile Adventure →

Type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout for 5% off on every booking. Have a brilliant trip, and keep the beers for after the sauna, never before the snowmobiles.