Day 8 Snowmobile tour & reindeer sleigh ride in Levi

Day 8

29.3.2024

Contrary to all weather forecasts, the sun is shining this morning!!!

Yesterday snow was forecast for today at -1 degrees, but now the sun is shining! How cool is that???? 😍😍😍

At 10am we drive to TOKKA Safari , just 2 streets away from our apartment. We are too early, another safari tour is just being fitted out with suits and shoes, so we are asked to wait in the anteroom.

I had spent ages researching beforehand and fought my way through the jungle of safari offers. In Levi alone there are countless providers of snowmobile, husky and reindeer farm tours.

The choice finally fell on TOKKA Safari , which offers exactly the combination of

We had a snowmobile tour and a reindeer sleigh ride on the program - and - what was also important - it had to take place today , since we had related ski passes and rental fees for the ski equipment on the previous days.

As the other group leaves the dressing room, we get our fancy "overalls" (we could also ride in our ski clothes since it's not cold today, but we think the overalls are funny). The only person riding with us is a Finnish couple with 2 younger children who sit in the back seat of their parents' snowmobiles.

My son is driving with his dad (I have a backpack on my back, so I can drive alone). The minimum age is 18, and a driver's license is required. So there's no chance for my son to get behind the wheel.

We are a small group of only 4 snowmobiles + our female guide (unfortunately I forgot her name).

We start in a formation of five, husband and son behind our tour guide, then me, and behind me the Finnish couple with kids.

At first I think it's like quad biking in the desert (we did that in Abu Dhabi last year), but when I get to the bumpy road I realize how difficult it is to steer a snowmobile.

After the first few kilometers (who said we would only be driving at a maximum of 40 km/h per hour?????) through the forest, over the first frozen lake (the 50 km/h that I have to drive to keep up with the others feels like the speed of light), over bumps that make me feel like I have a rodeo horse beneath me, we drive to the middle of a huge lake, where we stop and take photos.

Since none of the "children" are allowed to drive, there is no change of driver.

When our tour guide comes to me and takes a photo of me, she outs me as "the slowest in the group" and says that from now on I "can" ride directly behind her....🥴😯🙈

Well, whatever... eyes closed and through. I just try to stay right behind her and accelerate - even though I'm constantly afraid of falling over with the vehicle. It's really so wobbly in these ruts between the bumps 😵‍

After 1 hour we reach the reindeer farm ( Levin Sammuntupa and Reindeer Farm ), which we reach through the forest, where reindeer are tied to the trees on both sides. How cute!

After we are allowed to feed and pet a reindeer (the others are very shy), we go on a reindeer sleigh ride. The route leads 1 km around the site, idyllically through the forest.

Unfortunately, I let myself be persuaded to ride at the front of the sleigh with the guide instead of getting a solo sleigh. I'm now sitting at the front, but it gets quite "cozy" in the narrow sleigh when the guide also makes himself comfortable next to me. I can't take many photos anymore because I can hardly move my arms, but I now know about reindeer and what a "reindeer guide" and "farm caretaker" does throughout the year 🤣🤣🙈

For example, I now know that only male reindeer are suitable for domestication and harnessing to sleighs. Female reindeer are too bitchy and cannot be trained. Ah yes!

Fun fact: male reindeer shed their antlers in autumn/early winter (which is why we rarely see a reindeer WITH antlers), so the famous Santa Claus reindeer are female, because only the females still have antlers in winter - they only shed them in spring! So much for Rudolph..... (more likely RudolphINE) 🤣😜😄

So at least I learned something!

After the ride we go into the house, where we can warm up with hot berry juice, coffee and cocoa. There is also a freshly fried sugar donut. Delicious!

After we have had a look around the farm (the buildings, barbecue area, small shop are also a meeting point for hikers and cross-country skiers who take a break here by the campfire), we move on. Our tour guide now gives us 3 options for the way home:

• on a small viewing hill around the ski area, back to Levi
• the same way back to Levi
• up to the ski area on Leviberg and back to Levi (she looks at me and says that it will be "very steep").

The others have already made their choice and I feel all eyes on me - ok - do I have a choice??? Then let's get up the mountain!

The day before yesterday, while skiing at the top of " Hissi 6 " (tow lift number 6), we saw a group of snowmobiles crossing the slope in front of us. I was just thinking how crazy it would be to drive up the mountain in these things!

After a brief moment of shock on the steep slope, when I briefly thought that my snowmobile was going to get stuck in the deep snow, we arrived at the top. Right at the end of Hissi 6! Funny, now we cross the piste and drive on to the panoramic restaurant TUIKKU , where we had a coffee the day before yesterday while listening to DJ Ötzi's "Sweet Caroline" 🤩😄

After a short photo stop, we go back down the mountain, mostly parallel to the ski slope, then into the forest, past the activity park at "Gondoli", back to Levi.

We have no idea if this was a standard tour or a farewell gift from our guide, who had her last day today. In any case, we are thrilled!

All in all, we were on the road for 3 hours and 15 minutes. It was really cool (even though my arms are really sore from driving).

Since the weather is so fantastic and it's really warm at 0 degrees, we head straight to the parking lot at Zero Point. I quickly jump in and buy 3 x 3-hour lift tickets and off we go up the mountain!

We ski from 2-4:45 p.m., then we're exhausted. What a great day! After we've handed in our ski equipment, we actually want to go to the après-ski - one last time - but the après-ski party is already in full swing and since it's Easter, hundreds of party-mad Finns are milling around in front of the stage, the drinks carts and the food stands. No chance - far too crowded.

Instead, we decide to have an early dinner - after all, lunch was cancelled - and grab the last seat in the pancake restaurant , where we eat super tasty "salty" pancakes (e.g. with feta and tomatoes). Super tasty (and huge portions!).

We end the evening with a sauna, an oven and an ice cream on a stick (ice cream is always good 😅).

We'll pack tomorrow morning - because then we'll be leaving our beloved Levi again 😥

Key data:

Accommodation: Levilehto Apartments

Weather: sunny at -11 to +1 degrees during the day

Safari: Snowmobile & Reindeer Sleigh Safari at TOKKA SAFARI

Levi ski pass 3h : 43 €/adult (from 12 years)