Get your thrills with our snowmobile tours in the Arctic

Snowmobile, snow scooter, Ski-Doo or skimobile, whatever the name, driving this motorised vehicle is so much fun! Go on an adventure in the stunning winter Arctic landscape and enjoy the best views of the mountains during the day or go in the evening to admire the beautiful Northern Lights. We have guided snowmobile tours including return transport from Tromsø.

See all snowmobile tours

What do you need to know

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What is a snowmobile?

A snowmobile is a small motorized vehicle steered by skis at the front and propelled by a belt of track at the back.

Snowmobiles don’t have any enclosures, except for a windshield. It’s an all-terrain vehicle designed for winter travel on snow and ice and does not require a road or trail, even though most are driven on open terrain or tracks.

Snowmobiles replaced traditional means of transport such as dog or reindeer sleds (or even snowshoeing) and increased the mobility of the populations concerned, making travel faster and easier.

Consequently, snowmobiling has become the preferred mode of transportation in winter in the Arctic. For instance, Sami people in Norway use it on a regular basis, especially for reindeer herding.

Snowmobiling has now also become a leisure activity and snowmobile safaris have developed all over Northern Norway!

How to drive a snowmobile

Riding a snowmobile is one of the most exciting experiences you can have in the snow!

Driving a snowmobile is not hard and is quite intuitive.

No previous experience is needed but it’s important to follow the safety rules given by your snowmobile guide.

Here are some tips on how to drive a snowmobile:

  • Check our liability that applies to our Snowmobile tours here (snowmobile section).
  • Make sure you don’t sit too far back or too far forward.
  • Keep your hands on the handlebars and turn them in the direction you want your snow scooter to turn in a similar way as you ride a bike.
  • Don’t be at full throttle when making big turns, or you could slip over.
  • Maintain a steady speed as you hit the throttle and make sure to hit the gas when going uphill.
  • If you want to stop, release the accelerator. You don’t necessarily need to push the brakes.
  • Find your balance and maintain it, especially when turning. You might need to lean a little to use the weight of your body to navigate the sled, just like they do in bobsleigh.