If you’re traveling to Norway, and more precisely to Tromsø, be sure to visit a Sámi reindeer-herding family camp. It’s a unique opportunity to experience Sámi culture and see hundreds of reindeer, all surrounded by a truly magical winter landscape.
Visiting Tromsø Arctic Reindeer herding family camp has definitely been the highlight of our trip, and I’m sure it will be yours too!
But first, who are the Sámi?
The Sámi are the Indigenous people of Sápmi, a cultural region that stretches across northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. They have lived in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions for thousands of years. The Sámi speak several Sámi languages and are recognized as an Indigenous people with specific cultural and land rights.
We booked with Tromso Arctic Reindeer, you can book your date and time directly on their website here.
The tour duration will depend on what you book, but day tours are 4 hours long, evening tours 4,5 hours and you will have many different activities such as reindeer sledding, herd feeding, traditional lunch in a Sami tent and learning about the Sami culture from a guide.
Prices go from 1690NOK per person depending on the activity you book :1690NOK without the sledding, 1890NOK for a short sledding tour or 2090NOK for the long sledding tour. To give you an idea, 1690NOK equals to around 140€, which is really fair for a 4-hour excursion in Tromsø !
Here is their WhatsApp number if you have any question regarding the tours, I can only recommend this agency, they have been really nice and helpful all the way:
First thing to think of is WARM clothes. You will probably be cold while seated on the sled, so bring gloves, a beanie, a scarf and a warn waterproof coat.
Definitely bring some good shoes for walking on the snow/ice, but the camp will provide you with spikes if it gets really icy.
They will provide as well refreshments and a lunch/dinner. We had a delicious reindeer stew with tea and cookies ! Note that there are also vegetarian options available.
First off, you will be picked up either at Tromso Havn Prostneset bus terminal or Tromso Lodge & Camping. After a short drive, you will enjoy a reindeer sledding ride (if you booked this option). As you are seated in a wooden sled, the reindeer will guide you on the snow while you enjoy the ride and the stunning landscapes and surroundings.
Of course, booking the sledding tour is a bit more expensive, but I would certainly recommend it. It is slow paced, so you really have the time to admire both the landscapes and the reindeer:
We were also really glad to start of with that, so we could take advantage of the last moments of daylight while on the sled. That way we got to experience the Camp both with a nice lighting and also at night as you will see below…
Afterwards, you will have the chance to come very close the reindeers, as you will be able to feed the herd of hundreds of reindeers!
Be mindful of their antlers while feeding them – they can get excited and may accidentally catch your coat or bump you as they reach into your bucket of grain.
As we gave those buckets of food to the reindeers, the night started to set and some auroras appeared, which made the moment even more magical! So try to think to look up sometimes, you might be surprised with a beautiful sky.
After this wholesome moment, you will be invited to gather inside a Sami tent, enjoy a warm drink and some cookies around a fire, and then taste a traditional Sami stew of reindeer, potatoes and carrots cooked on the fire.
A Sami guide will then explain you a bit more about the Sami culture and this reindeer herding family camp. While being fun and entertaining, we learned a lot about the Sami culture and their history. I have many funny stories and interesting facts to share, but I will let you discover it yourself when booking this unforgettable experience.
Later on, the bus will be waiting for you to take you back to Tromsø city center.
An absolute 10 out of 10 for this experience that I recommend without any hesitation, it beautifully ended our stay in Tromsø.
I would definitely recommend booking a reindeer herding family camp tour, especially with Tromso Arctic Reindeer if you are coming to Tromsø. You will have incredible memories, made in a heavenly decor.
You will enjoy a well organised and peaceful tour. We loved the gathering inside the Sami tent, where we learned a lot about Sami Culture and the family herding. We had a really good storyteller, and the tour was really well panned out.
If you plan on coming to Tromsø soon you can check out my Three days itinerary in Tromsø.
If you need more information about what to know before going to Tromsø, you can check out this article.
If you need a custom itinerary, you can fill this form, and I’ll make your own personalised itinerary.
