First Ice Fishing Experience in Rovaniemi

Fishing experience without fishing

They took us in the afternoon, that is really not advised because it gets dark very soon in the winter. The fishing experience lasted 30 minutes, then the guide went to light the fire. I guess because he realised there was no fish at all in the lake. So at the end we 160 euros to make a hole in the lake, with the agency saying that that was the experience. We just got cold and remain very far away from a real fishing experience. They did not give us even a partial refund of the price paid! It was really a robbery! Try to avoid this agency

Response from the operator: Dear Valerio, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are genuinely sorry that the experience did not meet your expectations, and we would like to clarify a few important points for transparency. First, you contacted us around 12:30 on the same day, requesting a last-minute afternoon tour to fill your time before your flight. As you insisted to get an experience in the afternoon, we managed to organize a guide specifically for you, including pick-up at Santa Claus Village, so that you could enjoy an activity before heading to the airport. You were aware that it would be dark, as this is the natural condition at this time of year, and you had stayed in Rovaniemi already for a few days. After reviewing the situation with the guide, the fishing time lasted approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. It could have continued longer, but you expressed that you were cold, bored, and quite impatient to catch a fish, so the guide made a fire in a traditional teepee with hot juice and snacks, and gave you time to warm up. You were offered the possibility to return to the lake and continue the fishing, but you declined. As we always explain, ice fishing requires patience and luck. You insisted several times during the tour on wanting a “fish guarantee”, which is unfortunately impossible in any real fishing activity (unless it is not a "natural" spot for fishing...). Over the past days, most groups have been lucky and caught fish, but this depends entirely on nature. The value of the tour is the experience itself: being on a frozen lake, surrounded by silence and Arctic nature, learning a local activity, enjoying the beauty around. Catching a fish is always a bonus, not a guarantee. You also told us over the phone that the guide was excellent, and we appreciate that acknowledgment. Finally, it is important to mention that you began calling to request a refund before the tour had even ended, while you were still inside the warm teepee and still had the option to continue the activity. During these calls, you requested a full refund, then a 50% refund, then a detour to the airport, and warned that you would leave a negative review if these were not granted. We always aim to provide honest, respectful service and memorable experiences. We regret that your expectations did not match the nature of an authentic ice fishing activity, but we stand by the fact that the tour was delivered as described and adapted as much as possible to your own requests and comfort. We wish you all the best in your future travels. Warm regards, The Nordic Odyssey Team

via Tripadvisor

Icefishing

Very nice immersion in the Sami nature, thank you a timo for making this moment pleasant by its good humor and interesting explanations about what surrounds us.

via Tripadvisor (translated)

Great discoveries for young and old!

Many thanks to Gabriel for his good humor and generosity. She is really a nice person with whom have could spend several days expeditions without being bored. Fishing takes a lot of patience and despite the cold we have not seen the time spent with our children. Then we gathered around the fire to enjoy a barbecue based on vegetable steaks for vegetarians and sausages for those who love meat. I recommend this activity with friends or family!

via Tripadvisor (translated)

Chilly fishing

We got what it said on the tin. However there were no fish and told they hadn’t caught anything all winter. It was good to make the hole with the equipment and have an insight to how it’s done. Scenery is pretty but it was very cold. So wrap up warm. This was the only tour left ideally we wanted the bbq tour but it got cancelled on us twice before. The guide was nice and pick up was timely etc. for me this trip was nothing to write home about.

via Viator

Excellent

Great experience, we did ice fishing, sled dog and aurora hunt that turned into evening, tales and legends. Thanks to Leo who is a great guide hoping to meet you again one day and thanks to Jeremie for these stories, and it’s legend about Finland. Family naudin

via Tripadvisor (translated)