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The best time to visit Riisitunturi

Deep winter for the heaviest snow on the spruces, February for more daylight.

The short answer

The best time to visit Riisitunturi is January and February, which House of Lapland names as the best months for photographing the crown snow-load. Metsähallitus writes that the crown snow starts to develop in October at the latest, but in early winter and in spring the snow varies more. February adds longer days: in Rovaniemi the sun rises at 9:19 and sets at 15:43 on 1 February, against barely two hours of sun around Christmas.

Tours on this page
Snowy Giants Small-Group Trip
Wild about Lapland · 8 hours, back in Rovaniemi around 16:00 Snowy Giants Small-Group Trip
★ 4.8 (338) from €190
Book now
Snow Monsters by Coach or Small Group
BookLapland · 8 hours Snow Monsters by Coach or Small Group
★ 4.8 (157) from €62
Book now
Fell Hike with Edited Photos
Beyond Arctic · 9 hours Fell Hike with Edited Photos
★ 4.8 (134) from €140
Book now
Compare all 4 options

See which Riisitunturi tours still have seats on your dates

The tours with the most reviews run through the winter. What changes over the season is the snow on the trees and the light you have for the walk.

PhotoTourGuidePickupWalkGearPrice p.p.ReviewsBook
Snowy Giants Small-Group Trip
Wild about Lapland		YesOutside centre onlyabout 4 kmClothing, boots€190★ 4.8 (338)Book now
Snow Monsters by Coach or Small Group
BookLapland		Guide or coach onlySelected hotels or officeabout 4 kmOveralls, boots€62★ 4.8 (157)Book now
Fell Hike with Edited Photos
Beyond Arctic		PhotographerHotelabout 4 kmClothing, boots€140★ 4.8 (134)Book now
Hike with a Photographer
Arctic Photo Experience		PhotographerWithin 10 km5 kmnot stated€190★ 5.0 (117)Book now

Prices are per adult as GetYourGuide shows them when this page loads, taxes included. Where a listing sells a coach seat and a guided hike, the price shown is its cheapest option, so open the listing to see what the guided day costs.

Tours that run through the winter

The top of each card shows guide or coach and the walking distance. Open it for the full list of inclusions and the operator's health and age limits.

Snowy Giants Small-Group Trip
Wild about Lapland

Snowy Giants Small-Group Trip

A guide for the whole day, at most 8 people, winter clothing and boots included. Hotel pickup only for accommodation outside the city centre.

  • Duration: 8 hours, back in Rovaniemi around 16:00
  • Language: English
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
from €190 ★ 4.8 (338 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full tour details

Highlights

  • A guide for the whole day; hotel pickup for accommodation outside the city centre, a walk of about 4 km in the park
  • Limited to 8 participants
  • Winter clothing, boots and equipment are included; snowshoes may come along
  • The guide carries a camera and takes photos of you

About this tour

The operator places Riisitunturi about 150 km east of Rovaniemi and plans roughly two hours of driving each way. In the park the group walks about 4 km to the spots where the spruces carry the heaviest snow, and the guide may bring snowshoes if the snow calls for them.

Around the walk there is a campfire with a snack, biscuits and hot drinks. Pickup times are confirmed by e-mail at least a day before and can shift with the weather.

What's included

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off for accommodation outside the city centre
  • Equipment, professional winter clothing and boots
  • Campfire snacks, biscuits and hot drinks
  • Photography
  • Professional guide
  • Taxes and fees

Know before you go

  • Some walking is involved.
  • The tour runs in all weather conditions.
  • Pickups start before the stated time; the exact time comes by e-mail at least a day before.

Not suitable for

  • People with heart problems
  • People with pre-existing medical conditions

Guide or coach, pickup, walking distance and inclusions as the operator states them on the booking page.

Snow Monsters by Coach or Small Group
BookLapland

Snow Monsters by Coach or Small Group

Either a heated coach with a driver-host and the trail at your own pace, or a 4x4 small group with a guide and a campfire BBQ. Overalls and boots come with both.

  • Duration: 8 hours
  • Language: English, Spanish
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
from €62 ★ 4.8 (157 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full tour details

Highlights

  • Two options: a heated coach with a driver-host and no hiking guide, or a guided small group in a 4x4 with selected hotel pickup
  • About 4 km of snowy trails, walked at your own pace on the coach option
  • Arctic winter overalls and, if needed, winter boots come with both options
  • The guided small group adds a campfire BBQ with a hot drink

About this tour

On the coach option, the driver-host handles the winter roads, gives a briefing on the recommended route, viewpoints and timing when you arrive, and you walk the roughly 4 km on your own. No guide goes with you on the trail. The meeting and return point is the Book Lapland office in Rovaniemi.

The small-group option travels in a heated 4x4, adds a local guide on the trail and ends with a BBQ and a hot drink. The operator gives about two hours of driving each way.

What's included

  • Return transport from Rovaniemi to Riisitunturi National Park
  • Heated coach or 4x4 vehicle, depending on the option
  • Arctic winter overalls for temperatures down to -40 °C
  • Winter boots if needed
  • English-speaking driver-host
  • Route, timing and practical briefing at Riisitunturi
  • Small group only: local guide, selected hotel pickup, BBQ and hot drink

Know before you go

  • The recommended walking route is about 4 km on snowy trails.
  • Normal mobility and moderate fitness are recommended.
  • The coach option is self-guided.
  • Small-group pickup details are confirmed by e-mail before departure.

Not suitable for

  • Wheelchair users

Guide or coach, pickup, walking distance and inclusions as the operator states them on the booking page.

Fell Hike with Edited Photos
Beyond Arctic

Fell Hike with Edited Photos

A photographer guide, 10–15 edited photos sent afterwards, warm clothing and boots, at most 8 people.

  • Duration: 9 hours
  • Language: English
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
from €140 ★ 4.8 (134 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full tour details

Highlights

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off; about 4 km of hiking in the national park
  • Limited to 8 participants
  • The guide is a professional photographer; 10–15 edited photos are sent afterwards
  • Warm clothing and winter boots are included

About this tour

The group travels about two hours from Rovaniemi in a people carrier, then hikes roughly 4 km and climbs up the fell, with several stops for photos of the snow-covered forest.

Lunch is pastries and sausages grilled over a campfire. The operator describes the trail as demanding and does not take children under 8.

What's included

  • Wilderness and photography guide
  • Light lunch during the day
  • Hot drinks and snacks
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • People carrier transport
  • Warm clothing, winter boots, BBQ gear
  • 10–15 photos from the tour, sent afterwards

Know before you go

  • The trail at Riisitunturi can be demanding.

Not suitable for

  • Children under 8 years

Guide or coach, pickup, walking distance and inclusions as the operator states them on the booking page.

Hike with a Photographer
Arctic Photo Experience

Hike with a Photographer

A professional photographer leads the 5 km hike and helps with your own pictures. Edited photos afterwards; raw files are not handed out.

  • Duration: 8 hours
  • Language: Spanish, English
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
from €190 ★ 5.0 (117 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full tour details

Highlights

  • Hotel pickup within 10 km of Rovaniemi (surcharge further out); a 5 km hike in the park
  • Limited to 8 participants
  • A professional photographer guides the hike and gives tips for your own photos
  • Campfire lunch with a view, and edited photos afterwards

About this tour

The guide is a professional photographer who leads a 5 km hike and helps you get better pictures of the snowy landscape along the way. Lunch is cooked over a campfire at a viewpoint.

After the tour you receive edited high-quality photos. Raw files are not handed out. Winter clothing is not part of the listing, so plan your own layers and boots.

What's included

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off within 10 km of Rovaniemi, surcharge from 10 km
  • 5 km hike in the park
  • Lunch (tell the operator about special diets in advance)
  • Edited high-quality photos

Know before you go

  • Raw photos from the day are not provided.

Not suitable for

  • Pregnant women
  • Wheelchair users

Guide or coach, pickup, walking distance and inclusions as the operator states them on the booking page.

OctoberCrown snow starts to develop at the latest (Metsähallitus)
Jan–FebBest months for crown snow-load photos (House of Lapland)
11:08–13:22Sunrise to sunset in Rovaniemi on 21 December

Month by month

MonthSnow on the treesDaylight in Rovaniemi
NovemberBuilding up; varies most in early winterSunrise 8:15, sunset 15:45 on 1 November
DecemberBuilding up; some reviewers found thin snow10:13 to 13:58 on 1 December, 11:08 to 13:22 on 21 December
JanuaryBest months for photos (House of Lapland)10:59 to 13:43 on 1 January
FebruaryBest months for photos (House of Lapland)9:19 to 15:43 on 1 February
MarchVaries more as spring comes7:33 to 17:28 on 1 March
AprilVaries more as spring comes6:32 to 20:13 on 1 April

Times from the US Naval Observatory for central Rovaniemi. Riisitunturi lies east of Rovaniemi, so the times on the fell differ a little.

January and February

By January the snow has had months to build up on the spruces. House of Lapland calls January and February the best time for crown snow-load scenes. January still has short days, a little under three hours of sun in Rovaniemi at the start of the month, and soft low light. In February the days lengthen fast and the sun may reach the fell during the walk.

December and the short days

Around the solstice the sun is up from 11:08 to 13:22 in Rovaniemi, with civil twilight from 9:16 to 15:14. The drive out and back is in the dark and the walk fills the light hours. Snow on the trees is still building: two December reviewers on different tours describe little snow and cloud, and felt they had not seen what the photos show.

The reviews that complain about bare trees, fog or melting snow come mostly from December and March trips. Experience Tours Lapland writes that weather and snow conditions vary, especially in early winter and spring. If you can only go at the edges of the season, check the current snow with the operator.

March and April

Spring brings long days, from 7:33 to 17:28 in Rovaniemi on 1 March and to past 20:00 by April. Some March reviewers had sun and blue sky on the fell; others found the snow melting or the view lost in fog. The weather now decides more than the month. Metsähallitus writes that the spring thaw on the Riisitunturintie road usually blocks access to the trailhead from the end of April to mid-May, so check luontoon.fi before a spring trip, by tour or by car.

Season and weather in the reviews

A white-out in February, a clear January sunset and a December day in cloud with little snow on the trees.

“Loved this! Went in February, and while we did not have the best weather (minor white out conditions) the guide Mark helped keep the activity really fun, safe and informative. Enjoyed the stop at the hut for snacks and drink. Solo Traveler”
Kelly · United States · March 2026 Snowy Giants Small-Group Trip · Wild about Lapland
“… He recommended we wait for a sunset which was absolutely perfect, pink skies and views for miles, and he had packed us a great BBQ to have while we waited. On the drive back it got dark and he pulled over to the most unreal aroura too and let us take photos. …”
Daniel · United Kingdom · January 2026 Highlights or Premium Day Trip · Arctic Safari Guides
“It was very expensive for what it was. The weather conditions prior to leaving Rovaniemi were poor with extremely heavy cloud cover … Effectively we walked up a hill in the cloud and back down again in the cloud. Due to little snow not even the trees were covered like marshmallows as per all the images in your advertising …”
Julie · Australia · December 2025 Snowy Giants Small-Group Trip · Wild about Lapland

Reviews of Riisitunturi day trips, quoted from GetYourGuide.

Questions and answers

When is the best time to see the snow monsters?

January and February, according to House of Lapland. The crown snow starts to build in October at the latest, according to Metsähallitus, but in early winter and spring the amount varies more.

Is Riisitunturi worth visiting in December?

It can be, but the days are very short and the snow on the trees is still building. Some December reviewers found little snow. Expect blue light rather than sun.

Can I visit Riisitunturi in March or April?

Yes, and the days are long. The snow varies more in spring, and some March reviewers found it melting. Ask the operator about current conditions. From the end of April to mid-May the thaw usually blocks the road to the trailhead, according to Metsähallitus.

How much daylight is there in Rovaniemi in winter?

Around the solstice the sun is up for about two hours in Rovaniemi, with twilight before and after. By the start of February it is over six hours, by March nearly ten.

Related on this site

The snow monsters

What crown snow-load is and why it varies.

What to wear

Clothing for the coldest weeks.

Tours with photos

Light and photographers on the fell.

Check dates for your trip

The home page lists every Riisitunturi tour by number of reviews.

Open the tour table