Ice Karting in Rovaniemi: Where to Do It & If It’s Worth It

Something that had been on my list for ages was to go ice karting in Rovaniemi. Not many places have traditionally offered it here without booking through a tour company, so I put it aside until I got a car or a new spot opened up.

Well, both happened… so I finally made my way to Santa’s Motor Park at Santa Claus Village to give it a try! And, of course, to see if it was worth the hype or just another overpriced activity in Lapland.

And… this is an activity to add to your Rovaniemi bucket list FOR SURE. It is so fun and affordably priced! In this guide, I discuss everything you need to know before booking a trip ice karting in Rovaniemi at Santa’s Motor Park.

If you have any questions, let me know in the comments. Before I get into things, please know that this is only an activity for those over 140cm (4 feet, 5 inches), so if you are traveling with someone who is not that tall, please know now that they will not be allowed to participate.

About Ice Karting in Rovaniemi

Ice karting is a newer experience in Lapland and one that I have only seen offered in the past few years. Basically, it is winter go-karting. Simple as that. But the cool thing about ice karting is that you are on a track that is more slippery and it makes for a far more exciting experience.

It is a fantastic activity for adults and teenagers, but you need to be 140cm (4 feet, 5 inches), so it is probably not the best activity for young children.

However, I did see a few families there with young kids hanging by the fire while part of the family did the activity and the younger ones sat it out. Since it is a short activity, this is definitely a good option for those keen to do it!

Why I Picked Santa’s Motor Park

Previously, I had only seen ice karting offered with a tour company and a winter park here. I wasn’t down to do it with the particular tour company offering it and I didn’t have a car to drive to the winter park with ease. Now I have a car… AND ice karting opened up near me at Santa Claus Village. So I booked an adventure as soon as I was back in town.

Santa’s Motor Park is located right across the street from Santa Claus Village by the ST1 gas station and Wild Nordic. You can simply cross the highway via the underpass and get there within 5 minutes.

This racetrack is locally owned and Finns were working there, which I found really cool in a city where so much is held together by seasonal workers. Their karts are manufactured by the CRG company.

How to Book an Ice Karting Experience

⌛ Duration: 1-1.5 hours
📅 Seasonality: November 17, 2025 to March 31, 2026 (2-3 timeslots daily)
⚠️ Important: must be 140cm (4’5″) tall
➡️ Check rates and availability here

I am pretty open on this blog about the best place to book an experience, whether it be directly with the tour company or via GetYourGuide. In this instance, I think it is best to book on GetYourGuide as they offer a far better cancellation policy than booking directly does, and it is the same price.

Ice karting with Santa’s Motor Park is currently €94 per person on GetYourGuide (and directly) but with GYG you will have their standard 24-hour cancellation (where you get back 100%), whereas booking directly offers no full cancellation guarantee at all. I think it is good to have the security of GYG’s policy, especially in a place like Lapland, where things can change so last minute.

Anyway, you can book your experience there and you will receive a voucher right after. Make sure you get the QR code as you’ll need it for check-in. They only asked my name, however. So you can go right up to the Ticket Booth and just let them know you’re there. It was a very simple process!

There are a few timeslots throughout the day that you can book via GetYourGuide. They offer ice karting at 12pm, 2pm, and 4pm. Be sure to book the correct timeslot (I didn’t…whoops). And then show up and check in 15 minutes before. It was as simple as that!

My Experience from Start to Finish

I arrived at the ice karting track quite early to get some photos as I knew we wouldn’t be able to take them whilst driving (turns out I couldn’t video either as my GoPro died before even making it onto the track).

I immediately checked in for my timeslot (which I got wrong but they were able to accommodate as the 2pm tour wasn’t full) and waited around until we were going to start.

They will give a safety briefing and teach you how to use the ice karts once your time approaches. The presentation was in English and easy to follow.

They also split you into groups as only 8-10 people can be on the track at a time. My group was the first one, so I was then given a helmet and a balaclava before entering the ice kart. We had a total of three groups that day.

You will have two races. They will not be back-to-back unless they are not busy. We had three groups that day, so I went in group one and then had to wait around while the other two groups went before doing my second race. Don’t worry, there is a fire, cookies, a hot juice, and a kota you can chill out in! It was fun to chat with other travelers during this time, so I enjoyed the downtime.

Anyway, back to the racetrack. During your first lap on your first race, you will be following a safety kart (an ATV) to get familiar with the course. Once this lap is done, you can go full speed!

We had around 10 minutes (I think it was slightly longer, to be honest) on the course before making our way back to the starting point, allowing the next group onto the racetrack. During the second race, you can go full speed the entire time.

As noted above, you can chill out, enjoy hot juice, and sit by a fire inside or outside when your group is not on the course.

All in all, we spent around 20 minutes racing (slightly more when I look back at the time of it all), which seems short but did feel quite long when on the course. Especially given that it is cold out there!

What to Know Before You Go (+ Tips)

1. You need to wear your own clothes out there.

Other than a balaclava and a helmet, you are on your own clothing-wise! You will need really good gloves and a thick parka. You’re only racing for 10 or so minutes at a time, so you can warm up by a fire in between, but the gloves/mittens are imperative!

2. The seats are not that wide.

The seats in the ice karts are not overly wide and may be a struggle to fit in if you have wider hips. If you’re slightly larger, I would probably opt out of this and book a snowmobile excursion as a replacement if you don’t already have one booked. These karts were definitely designed with men in mind…

3. Do not wear a scarf.

Scarves are not permitted to be worn on the track for safety reasons. I would bring a neck gaiter, or you can purchase one at the ticket booth if you think you’ll need one. I recommend just wearing a turtleneck sweater that day if you have one in your suitcase.

4. Do not crash or operate an ice kart impaired.

These are not bumper cars and you are not permitted to crash them intentionally into others or into the sides of the track. Unfortunately, a lot of teenagers on my trip thought it would be fun to crash and it impacted a lot of us that day and we found it annoying. The staff will come out to help (your engine turns off if you crash), but it was a little annoying to constantly have to go around them.

Do not drink or take medicine that will impair you before coming over to Santa’s Motor Park. This is pretty self-explanatory but just one of their rules. Pregnant women must also refrain from booking this experience.

5. There are two toilets on-site. 

There are two toilets at Santa’s Motor Park, but they are dry toilets that are not in a heated area. Be sure to use them between your races or before the start.

6. Darkness may be a factor.

December and January are dark in Rovaniemi, so if you don’t feel comfortable driving in low light, book the 12pm experience. I did the 2pm one and it was pretty dark at the end of mine. And they still had the 4pm one left to go!

There are lights on the track, but it can still be a bit more difficult. If you’re coming here in February or March, don’t worry… light is aplenty!

7. You don’t need a driver’s license to drive.

These karts only fit one person per kart, but you don’t need a driver’s license to operate them. But you will need to be 140cm (4 feet, 5 inches) to operate it.

8. They do not offer hotel pick-up or transportation.

Since this experience is located at Santa Claus Village, you will need to walk there yourself from the village. Here is the exact location of where to find Santa’s Motor Park.

If you are not planning to visit Santa Claus Village on your trip but still want to go ice karting, you can still do it, or you can book a trip with a tour company to go to an ice karting track in another part of Rovaniemi. They offer transportation from the city center out there (but no transport from hotels).

Alternatively, you can check out Lapland Winter Park, as they also offer ice karting as an experience.

9. There are other options for kids.

If you’re traveling with someone who does not meet the height requirement of 140cm (4 feet, 5 inches), there is an option right there for snowmobiling and ATV trips for the kids. The machines are miniature and perfect as an alternative.

It is €43 for 15 minutes of driving on either type of vehicle and it is especially made for kids. It can be booked on the spot when you’re there.

Other Places You Can Go Ice Karting in Lapland

Ice karting seems to have really taken off in Lapland! Here are some other places you can go around Lapland:

• Ice karting in Levi
• Ice karting in Ruka
• Ice karting in Saariselkä
• Ice karting in Pyhätunturi

I haven’t done any of the other experiences yet, but am planning to go in Levi at some point this season so I can report back once I do.

Do you have any questions about ice karting in Rovaniemi? I honestly think this is one of the best budget experiences in town and it is so centrally-located that it doesn’t take a lot of effort to get to the track if you’re already hanging around SCV.

Please drop your questions or own tips in the comments. Thanks!

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