Eating out on the ice on a Levi fishing trip
Food on the ice is part of the day, and the five trips from Levi handle it very differently. One cooks a soup over an open fire and one serves salmon soup in a heated shelter. Two offer drinks and snacks, and one lists no meal at all.
Five trips, five ideas of lunch
A meal on a frozen lake does more than fill you up. After an hour of sitting still at the hole, something hot warms you from the inside in a way no jacket can.
That makes the food worth checking before you book. Our price comparison shows what each fare includes, and this page looks closer at the plate.
Lappish soup on an open fire
Safartica's snowmobile safari at ~$234 is the only trip with a full lunch. The guide cooks a Lappish soup over an open fire out in the wilderness, and hot drinks follow before the ride back.
Fish from the hole can go into that soup too, the listing adds. If anyone in the group lands a fish, it may go into the pot.
The five hours of the safari are long enough that a proper meal matters. Eating by the fire also gives everyone a long break from the cold.
Soup by the fire, after a morning on the ice
Safartica cooks a Lappish soup over an open fire on its five-hour snowmobile safari, with hot drinks before the ride home. Your catch may join the pot.
Salmon soup in a heated shelter
Keo Wilderness at ~$99 serves a traditional Finnish hot salmon soup with a hot drink and cookies. You eat in a heated wooden shelter, and there is an outdoor fireplace too.
For the cheapest fare of the five, that is a generous meal. The shelter also makes it the most comfortable place to eat on any of these trips, which matters on a hard frost day.
Wooden shelters with a fire inside are a Lapland tradition. You may hear them called a kota, the round hut found across the north.
A campfire, whatever the title says
Beyond Arctic's trip at ~$117 has BBQ in its listing title. The description itself mentions a campfire with hot drinks and snacks, so do not expect a grilled meal.
That is plenty for a three-and-a-half-hour afternoon, as long as you eat properly before you leave. The fire is also where the photographer-guide takes some of the best pictures.
Hot drinks only, or no meal at all
Safartica's trip by car at ~$122 includes hot drinks, which keep the cold out for two and a half hours. It does not list food.
Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park at ~$190 lists no meal on its three-hour trip. Eat before you go, and bring a snack in an inside pocket if you get hungry in the cold.
Cold burns energy. A proper meal before even a short trip makes the time on the ice far more comfortable.
Dietary needs and allergies
None of the listings describe vegetarian or allergy-friendly options. If you have a dietary need, tell the operator when you book and wait for an answer before the day.
Soups cooked on the ice are made in one pot for the group, so a separate dish is not always possible. Asking early gives the operator time to plan.
The same goes for hot drinks. If you cannot have milk or sugar, mention that when you book too, so the guide knows before packing the flasks for the group.
Making the most of the meal
- Take off thick gloves only once your food is in front of you
- Hold the hot cup in both hands to warm your fingers
- Sit on a pad or a reindeer skin rather than the bare snow
- Keep a drink bottle inside your jacket, since water freezes fast
Our page on dressing for the ice has more on staying warm, and the guide to the fish explains what might end up in the soup. A catch is never guaranteed, so the soup is not either.
Families with picky eaters can read our guide to fishing with children, which looks at which trips have food and a warm place to eat it.
Eating before and after the trip
Morning trips leave little time for a slow breakfast, so eat something filling before the meeting point. Oats and eggs carry you further in the cold than a pastry, and so does a hot sandwich.
On the trips without a meal, plan lunch in Levi village afterwards. You come back hungry from the ice, and a warm restaurant feels very welcome after a few hours outside.
Drink enough water as well. Cold air is dry, and people on the ice tend to drink less than they need because they do not feel thirsty.
Which trip feeds you best
For a proper lunch, Safartica's safari is the clear choice, with a soup made over the fire and time to sit and eat. It costs the most, partly because of the meal and the five hours.
For a good meal on a smaller budget, Keo's salmon soup in a heated shelter is hard to beat. Beyond Arctic suits people who want a fire and a snack more than a full plate.
If you plan to fish twice, our two-day plan pairs a short trip with the safari. That way you can try both the salmon soup and the fire-cooked lunch.