Ranua Wildlife Park Visitor Guide

Most visitors take between 2.5 and 3.5 hours to complete the 2.8 km boardwalk at a steady pace. If you are visiting in sub-zero winter temperatures, pulling children in sleds, or stopping for soup at the restaurant, allow four hours.

Brown bears hibernate from late October until early April in insulated indoor dens, so their enclosures sit empty during winter. The polar bear, wolves, lynx, wolverines, and Arctic foxes stay outside and active in deep snow all winter long.

Working husky and reindeer farms focus on domestic working animals and short sleigh rides. Ranua Zoo Lapland is an authentic wildlife sanctuary dedicated to preserving native Arctic predators, owls, and forest ungulates in large natural territories.

The boardwalk winds through exposed boreal forest where temperatures frequently sink to -20°C. Wear insulated winter boots with thick wool socks, thermal base layers, a windproof down parka, insulated mittens, and a fleece-lined hat covering your ears.

Pets cannot enter the park paths to prevent agitation among the resident wild predators. The park provides heated, ventilated pet stalls near the main ticket office for a modest hourly fee.

Standard stroller wheels get bogged down in deep Lapland snow along the boardwalk. It is far easier to leave your stroller in your trunk and take one of the complimentary plastic pull-sleds waiting near the turnstiles.

Finnish highway maintenance is exceptional, and the regional bus between Rovaniemi and Ranua runs on time even through fierce snowstorms. Buses leave from the central Rovaniemi station and stop directly in front of the park entrance.