Tromsø: Reindeer Sledding & Northern Lights with Sami Dinner

You'll Feed Reindeer by Hand, Then Ride Behind Them Under the Arctic Sky

You arrive at a Sami reindeer camp, feed and interact with around 300 reindeer, then ride behind them on a traditional sleigh for 15 to 20 minutes. Afterward, you move into a warm, candlelit hut for a three-course meal and listen to Sami stories and traditional songs by the fire. If conditions allow, you'll have a chance to see the northern lights. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, along with all meals and hot drinks.

Step-by-step itinerary

Reindeer sledding and Sami culture experience

• Travel into the wilderness
• Walk among 300 reindeer
• Feed the reindeer
• Enjoy 15-20 minute sleigh ride
• Enter candlelit Gamme hut
• Have relaxed three-course meal
• Listen to Sami stories and joik
• Watch for northern lights if clear

The experience

You're standing in the snow at a Sami camp outside Tromsø, and suddenly 300 reindeer are moving toward you, not aggressively, just curious. Some will eat from your palm if you hold out your hand. It's quieter than you'd expect, and stranger. The herders have been doing this for centuries. They only started letting visitors in recently, which means you're not walking through a theme park version of their life. You're actually there.

After the feeding, you get a 15 to 20-minute sleigh ride pulled by the reindeer themselves, not the frantic kind you see in movies, but steady and real. Then you're led into a candlelit gamme, a traditional Sami hut, where the air is warm and smells like woodsmoke. A three-course meal appears: hot drinks, bidos (a Sami stew cooked over the open fire), and other dishes. It's not rushed. You eat, you listen. The guide performs joik (a traditional Sami song that sounds nothing like anything else), and tells stories about what it actually means to live this way, herding reindeer across the Arctic.

After dinner you move to a lavvu, a Sami tent, and sit around another fire. If the sky is clear (and that's the honest part, the part that depends on weather and luck), you might see the northern lights. Some nights you won't. But you're already warm, already fed, already inside something real. The lights are a bonus, not the whole point.

Pickup and drop-off are included, which saves you arranging transport in Tromsø in the dark. The guide speaks English and knows the herd and the land. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free meals are available if you need them. Bring warm layers, gloves, a hat, and winter boots. The cold is real, but the hut and the fire make it manageable.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off at designated meeting points in Tromsø.
• transportation to and from the reindeer camp.
• access to feed and interact with the herd.
• a 15 to 20-minute reindeer sleigh ride.
• a three-course dinner served in a candlelit gamme (traditional Sami hut).
• hot drinks, coffee, and tea.
• stories and cultural information from a Sami guide.
• a traditional joik performance.
• time in a lavvu (Sami tent) by the fire. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free meal options are available upon request.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 18:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 60

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcome

Operated by Tromso Arctic Reindeer

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to step into actual Sami life rather than a staged version of it: the reindeer camp, the meal, the stories, and the guide are real, and pickup from Tromsø means you don't navigate the dark Arctic roads yourself.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What if the northern lights don't appear?

The northern lights depend on clear skies and solar activity. They're never guaranteed. The tour's value is in the reindeer interaction, the sleigh ride, the meal, and the Sami cultural experience, which happen regardless of the lights.

What meals are included?

A three-course dinner including bidos (traditional Sami stew), hot drinks, coffee, and tea. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are available.

Do I need to be fit for this tour?

No. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. You walk among the reindeer, ride a sleigh, and sit by fires. There's no strenuous hiking or climbing.

What should I wear?

At least two layers of warm clothing, gloves, a hat, and good winter boots. The camp and huts are heated, but you'll be outside in the snow during the reindeer interaction and sleigh ride.

Is pickup included?

Yes. Pickup and drop-off at designated meeting points in Tromsø are included.

Can I bring a service animal?

Yes, service animals are allowed.