Ivalo: Aurora Hunting with Reindeer

Roast sausages by firelight while reindeer graze nearby and the sky waits for aurora.

Aurora hunting with reindeer in Ivalo combines an evening at a traditional reindeer fence, where you meet the animals, learn about herding traditions, and try the suopunki lasso technique. Roasted reindeer sausages and hot berry juice warm you by an open fire inside a traditional hut while you watch for northern lights. A live English-speaking guide leads the activity, pickup is included, and children from age 4 are welcome; the aurora itself cannot be guaranteed, but the reindeer, the food, and the Arctic setting are certain.

The Experience

The evening starts at the reindeer fence in Ivalo, where you meet the animals up close and learn how their yearly cycle shapes the herding calendar. A local guide walks you through the traditions that have sustained this way of life, then hands you a lasso to try the suopunki throwing technique—the method herders use to catch reindeer. It is harder than it looks.

Once you have spent time with the reindeer, you move to a traditional hut where the real comfort begins. Reindeer sausages roast over an open fire, and homemade hot berry juice steams in your hands. You eat and drink by the warmth while the guide keeps watch for the northern lights. The aurora is a natural phenomenon and will not appear on every night, but the hut, the fire, the food, and the animals are there regardless of what the sky does.

The whole activity runs about two hours. Pickup is arranged from your accommodation, so you do not need to find your own way to the fence. The guide speaks English throughout, and the experience welcomes children from age 4 onward, making it possible to bring the whole family into an evening that feels genuinely rooted in Arctic life rather than staged for tourists.

What’s included

• Meeting the reindeer and learning about herding traditions.
• trying the suopunki lasso technique.
• roasted reindeer sausages and homemade hot berry juice.
• time by the open fire in a traditional hut.
• a live English-speaking guide.
• pickup from your accommodation.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcome

Operated by Ivalo Experiences

Is this one for you?The activity runs about two hours in the Arctic evening, so you are outdoors and by the fire rather than moving between multiple stops—book this if you want to settle into one place, meet the animals, and let the night unfold at its own pace while you wait for the lights.

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Top questions

What exactly do you do with the reindeer at the fence?

You meet the reindeer up close, learn about their yearly cycle and the traditions of herding them, and try the suopunki lasso technique that herders use to catch them—a hands-on introduction to how reindeer are managed in the Arctic.

Is the northern lights viewing guaranteed on this activity?

The aurora is a natural phenomenon and cannot be guaranteed to appear on any given night, but you will still spend the evening at the reindeer fence, try the lasso, and eat roasted sausages by the fire regardless of whether the lights show.

What food and drink are included?

Roasted reindeer sausages and homemade hot berry juice are served inside the traditional hut, warming you while you wait and watch the sky.

Does the activity include transportation from my hotel?

Yes, pickup from your accommodation in Ivalo is included, so you do not need to arrange your own transport to the reindeer fence.

Can children join this activity?

Children are welcome from age 4 onward, and the experience is suitable for all fitness levels, making it accessible for families with young kids and older travelers alike.