Kiruna: Sámi Reindeer Sledding & Herding Day Trip with Pickup

7h ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.79 (87 reviews) 94% rated it 5 stars Free cancellation

1/26

Join Sámi herders in Swedish Lapland for reindeer sledding food stories

You’ll join Sámi herders north of Kiruna for a day of reindeer sledding through snowy forests, share stories over traditional smoked meat and berry drinks by the fire, and see what daily life looks like in Sápmi. With pickup included and warm jackets ready, you’ll feel both welcomed and quietly changed by this day.

Prices and availability checked: 2026-08-22

Step-by-step itinerary

Leave Kiruna city
Travel 1 hour 15 minutes to reindeer area
Meet Sámi reindeer herder
Feed the reindeer herd
Go reindeer sledding on 1 km trail
Experience Sámi everyday life

The Experience

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.79 (87 reviews)

We’d barely left Kiruna when our driver pointed out a moose standing half-hidden by the trees. I pressed my face to the cold window — it was quieter than I expected, just snow crunching under the tires and the occasional laugh from the front seat. When we arrived at the reindeer corrals, our Sámi host, Per-Johan, greeted us with a handshake and that quick nod people do here. His hands looked like they’d spent years tying knots and working in winter air.

I’ll admit, I was nervous about driving my own reindeer sled — I mean, how do you steer a reindeer? Turns out you mostly let them decide (they know the trail better than any GPS). The cold bit at my cheeks but honestly, I didn’t care; there’s something weirdly peaceful about sliding through that pale blue light with only hooves and sleigh runners making any sound. At one point I caught Per-Johan humming softly in Sámi behind me — wish I could remember the tune.

Lunch was fried smoked reindeer meat wrapped in soft pita bread, with this sweet-tart berry drink that tasted like forest and frost. We sat around a fire inside a wooden hut while Per-Johan told stories about his family’s herd — he joked about stubborn calves and how sometimes even he gets lost in the woods. My gloves still smelled faintly of smoke hours later. If you’re looking for a day trip from Kiruna that feels like stepping sideways into someone else’s real life for a bit… well, this is it.

What’s included

Your day includes pickup by minibus from Kiruna to reach the Sámi family’s reindeer corrals deep in Swedish Lapland (about 1.5 hours each way), all winter clothing needed to stay warm outdoors, hands-on time feeding and herding with local guides, a chance to drive your own reindeer sled through snowy forest trails, plus lunch of smoked reindeer meat with fresh berries and hot drinks before returning to town.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats available

Operated by Go to Lapland AB