Tours and Tickets by Tromso Lapland
Northern Lights and Reindeer Sledding in Tromso
Most visitors to Northern Norway don't get an authentic taste of Sámi culture, but you will on this tour from Tromso that's led by a Sámi reindeer-herder guide. You are introduced to animals, invited into a lavvu (like a tipi), and told stories about the culture of the Sámi, the indigenous people of Northern Europe. Enjoy sledding through the pristine Arctic wilderness, spot the northern lights, and savor a delicious meal inside the lavvu.
Read more
4 to 5 hours
Overnight Stay in Lavvu, Northern Lights, and Reindeer Sledding in Tromso
Spend time in a lavvu (traditional Sámi dwelling) and talk with reindeer herders—not possible for most visitors to Northern Norway—on this overnight tour from Tromso. Travel to the island of Kvaloya, where your reindeer-herder Sámi guide takes you sledding with their animals and into their lavvu to enjoy a home-cooked meal and conversation before spending the night. It's also the ideal location for spotting the northern lights.
Read more
17 hours
380Reviews10Q&A
Reviews
Traveler rating
- 269
- 69
- 22
- 7
- 13
Traveler type
Time of year
Language
More
Selected filters
- Filter
- English
Popular mentions
+1
We had an amazing evening! Reindeer sled riding, overnight in a Sami tent, traditional Sami dinner and the Sami guide who spoke on their culture and ways of life (she is a reindeer herder!), and we saw the northern lights! This was a cool experience, but I am not sure I'd sleep over again. At age 60 sleeping in Lavvu on reindeer skin and stocking a fire oven once an hr was a stretch. That being said, I am very glad I did it. However you can come out and do everything else and then return back to town rather than stay in the tent.…
Read more
Date of experience: February 2020
Helpful
Response from Bernhard S, Guest Relations Manager at Tromso Lapland
Responded Sep 7, 2020
Dear Katey, Thank you for the great feedback. We really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us. We are really happy to hear that you enjoyed your visit to us and saw the Northern Lights at our camp. Welcome back! :) Best, Bernhard
Read more
The sled ride was exactly as you see on the website, not exciting, but a good experience anyway. Feeding the reindeer is great, just to be able to be so close to them was a thrill. Lunch was awful, a watery brown broth with the odd bit of vegetable, really tasteless. There was fresh bread but that was it. I would rather not have bothered. The talk was also disappointing. The guide was lovely but it was mostly about traditional clothing and very little about life as a reindeer herder which was what I was hoping for. Also be prepared, they call this a Sami camp and the toilets are 'primitive'. So, great to see reindeer but overall I was let down by this tour.…
Read more
Date of experience: February 2020
Helpful
Response from Bernhard S, Guest Relations Manager at Tromso Lapland
Responded Sep 7, 2020
Dear Emerald, Thank you foryour balanced and honest feedback. We really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us. We are happy to hear that you enjoyed the sledding and had an overall positive experience. Our reindeers do their best, and so do we. We're sorry that you didn't like the soup. In case someone needs to season theirs, there is always some fresh pepper and salt available. Best, Bernhard
Read more
It was a different activity , reindeer sledding which is quite calm and moves slowly but the views all around are beautiful just being in nature with the snow scenery, the peace and serenity surrounding u its just amazing! It is cold whilst doing the ride, so make use of the suits they give u that does help! After u get to feed the reindeer, everyone enjoyed this ! The go into the tent with a warm fireplace and have a lovely warm vegetable soup with bread and coffee/hot choc and biscuits, and hear all about the Sami culture Its interesting to hear about their culture and way of daily life living in those extreme weather conditions So overall a great experience and enjoyed it…
Read more
Date of experience: March 2020
Helpful
Response from Bernhard S, Guest Relations Manager at Tromso Lapland
Responded Sep 7, 2020
Dear fatzmo, Thank you for the great feedback. We really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us. We are really happy to hear that you enjoyed your visit to us and got to experience the duality of the cold, serene nature and the nourishing, warm fire. Welcome back! :) Best, Bernhard
Read more
Staying in the Lavu is a great experience. Cozy and warm. The dinner was not that tasty. We had only the vegetarian one so can't tell about the other one. Sled riding with the rain deer was not that exciting. I guess they just don't like humans so they didn't seem to like pulling sleds. Feeding them felt nice, thou.…
Read more
Date of experience: February 2020
Helpful
Response from Bernhard S, Guest Relations Manager at Tromso Lapland
Responded Sep 7, 2020
Dear 83cezard, Thank you foryour balanced and honest feedback. We really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us. We are happy to hear that you enjoyed your visit and had an overall positive experience. Unlike huskies, reindeers only run when they are distressed (or cold). Reindeer sledding is therefore a slow activity. Best, Bernhard
Read more
It was a great experience to see the Sami culture and learn about their traditional way of life. I enjoyed the simplicity as well as appreciated the hardship that they can encounter during the very cold winters. Reindeer sledding was nice to experience, but it was a shame that there were no lights along the sleighs to see better in the dark. I found the ride very cold (and I had two layers on), so I would recommend still using one of their thermal suits you can borrow FOC. It was great to experience a traditional Lavu and try reindeer stew - very tasty. They ended evening with a a joike demonstration. The family are wonderful hosts, the only downside was I found the dinner side of the trip was a bit short lived - not a lot of time to socialise with the locals towards the end. Overall, it's still worth experiencing whilst in Tromso - especially if you are a culture buff!…
Read more
Date of experience: December 2019
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
Response from Bernhard S, Guest Relations Manager at Tromso Lapland
Responded Sep 7, 2020
Dear Charlene, Thank you for the great feedback, we really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us. The lack of lights on the sledges is to reduce light pollution to allow for a better view of the Northern Lights. We are really happy to hear that you enjoyed your visit to us. Best regards from a fellow culture buff, Bernhard
Read more
