Tromso reindeer sledding tours differ in one thing the titles hide: whether the price buys a sled ride at all. Some give up to 30 minutes in a reindeer caravan, some a short loop, and four are feeding and culture visits with no sled.
For most travellers, the pick is Reindeer Sledding, Feeding and Sami Storytelling from Tromsø. It packs a real sled ride, hand-feeding a herd of about 300 reindeer and a hot lunch with Sámi storytelling into four hours, and it is rated 4.7 from 6,866 reviews, the most proven reindeer morning in the city. The lowest price in this comparison is $133 per person, for a three and a half hour camp visit where you choose sledding or feeding when you book. If you want dinner and a chance of the northern lights, the night sledding tour with a three-course Sámi dinner runs four and a half hours after dark. The longest time on the sled comes on the Sámi-guided tour with lunch, which gives up to 30 minutes in a reindeer caravan, two guests to a sled. If snow fails or you travel with small children, four tours here skip the sled ride entirely and focus on feeding and culture. Every tour in this catalog offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start.
Key takeaways
We currently compare nine reindeer camp and sledding tours from Tromsø on one page: what each price buys, whether a sled ride is included, how long the ride lasts, what food you get, group size, ratings and cancellation rules. Five of the nine include a sled ride, four do not and focus on feeding, culture or a snowshoe walk instead. Every tour here starts in central Tromsø, at the bus terminal at Prostneset, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Skansegata 9 or the Magic Ice Bar, all a few minutes apart on foot. Adult prices start at $133 per person. This is an independent catalog, not a booking site and not a tour operator, and it does not claim to list every reindeer tour sold in Tromsø.
A sled ride, feeding a herd of about 300 reindeer and a hot lunch with Sámi storytelling in four hours from the city bus terminal, rated 4.7 from 6,866 reviews: the most proven all-in-one reindeer morning in Tromsø
A sled ride behind a reindeer, feeding a herd of about 300, then a hot lunch and a joik in a Sami tent. Four hours from the Tromsø bus terminal, morning or afternoon.
Pick sledding or hand-feeding when you book, add Sami stories in a lavvu, food, lent winter clothes and photos by a professional photographer. 3.5 hours, 45 guests at most in camp.
Feed the herd and sled in the dark, then a three-course Sami dinner by the fire and time outside to watch for the aurora. 4.5 hours from the bus terminal.
Up to 30 minutes in a reindeer caravan, two to a sled, then lunch, artefacts and songs from a Sami guide. Leaves the Radisson Blu at 10 am, partial refund if snow fails.
Hand-feed and pet the reindeer as long as the feed lasts, then Sami stew in a wooden turf hut. 4.5 hours from the Radisson Blu. Good when you want the animals, not the ride.
Ninety minutes inland to Camp Tamok, thermal suit and boots included, a short sled ride, feeding and a stew in a lavvu. 7 hours, ages 4+, a small herd of 5 or 6.
Up to 16 guests at a Sami family camp: lasso a reindeer the herders way, then feed it, with a snack in a heated cabin. 3.5 hours, kids from 6. No sledding.
Feed the herd, then a beginner snowshoe walk with photo stops and a bidos lunch. December to March, ages 8+, up to 25. Bring your own boots.
A Sami reindeer camp in the late afternoon, then a night in the wilderness by a bonfire with an aurora guide who photographs you. 9 hours, up to 18, bring a passport.
The table shows every listing in catalog order, with the adult price from the listing, whether a sled ride is included, the stated duration and the traveller rating. Figures current for Q4 2026.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start on every listed tour.
Take the catalog pick, Reindeer Sledding, Feeding and Sami Storytelling from Tromsø. Four hours covers the three things a first visit should have: a sled ride behind a reindeer, hand-feeding a herd of about 300 animals, and a hot traditional lunch in a lavvu with stories and a joik. It starts and ends at the Tromsø bus terminal at Prostneset, and it is the most booked reindeer tour in the city, rated 4.7 from 6,866 reviews.
Expect a busy camp with large shared groups.
Reindeer Sledding or Feeding at a Sami Camp with Camp Photos costs $133 per person, the lowest price in this comparison. The catch is the choose-one rule: your ticket buys either the sled ride or the hand-feeding, not both. You still get a walk through the Sámi camp, half an hour of storytelling in a lavvu, food and photos taken by a professional photographer, in three and a half hours from Skansegata 9.
Book Night Reindeer Sledding with a 3-Course Sami Dinner and a Chance of Northern Lights. You hand-feed the herd, ride the sled in the dark, then eat a three-course dinner with bidos stew cooked over the fire in a candlelit gamme, with time outside afterwards to watch the sky. The lights are a chance, never a promise.
For a longer night built entirely around the aurora, Sami Reindeer Camp Visit and Northern Lights Night in the Wilderness runs nine hours with a dedicated lights guide who photographs you under the aurora.
Sami Reindeer Sledding and Feeding with a Traditional Lunch gives the longest ride in this catalog, up to 30 minutes in a caravan where each reindeer and sled is tied in a row behind a lead reindeer. Sleds are shared by two people. The tour departs at 10:00 am from the Radisson Blu Hotel and runs four to five hours, with a Sámi lunch, artefacts and traditional singing from a Sámi guide.
Skip the sled and book Reindeer Feeding and Sami Culture with Lunch in a Turf Hut. It is all ages, you hand-feed and pet the reindeer for as long as the feed lasts, and the Sámi stew lunch is served in a warm turf hut. Note the 48-hour rule for allergies and that strong fragrances are not allowed near the herd.
If you would rather add a gentle walk, Reindeer Feeding and Snowshoe Hike with a Bidos Lunch runs from age 8 with a beginner snowshoe walk.
Small-Group Visit to a Sami Family Reindeer Camp with Lasso Throwing takes no more than 16 guests to one family's camp. You learn lasso throwing the way herders catch reindeer, feed the animal you caught, and share snacks and hot juice in a heated cabin. The listing says it outright, there is no sledding.
Recommended from age 6.
Camp Tamok Reindeer Sledding Day in the Tamok Valley Wilderness runs seven hours, with a 90-minute bus ride each way inland to Camp Tamok in the Tamok valley. Thermal suits, boots, mittens and a hat are included, and the day adds a short sled ride, feeding and storytelling plus a warm stew in a lavvu. The camp keeps only five or six reindeer, so this buys wilderness scenery more than a big herd, and three of the seven hours are on the bus.
A harnessed reindeer near Tromsø. Photo: Lorie Shaull, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The table puts the four things that change the day side by side. Feeding means hand-feeding the herd, and the meal column shows what the listing serves. Clothing lent means the operator provides winter gear, which matters when you pack.
| Tour | Sled ride | Feeding | Meal | Clothing lent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reindeer Sledding, Feeding and Sami Storytelling from Tromsø | Yes | Yes, herd of about 300 | Warm lunch in the lavvu | No |
| Reindeer Sledding or Feeding at a Sami Camp with Camp Photos | Choose sled or feed | Yes, on the feeding option | Food at the camp | Yes |
| Night Reindeer Sledding with a 3-Course Sami Dinner and a Chance of Northern Lights | Yes, after dark | Yes, herd of about 300 | 3-course dinner with bidos | No |
| Sami Reindeer Sledding and Feeding with a Traditional Lunch | Yes, up to 30 min | Yes | Lunch with drinks, vegan option | No |
| Reindeer Feeding and Sami Culture with Lunch in a Turf Hut | No | Yes, hand-feed and pet | Sami stew and hot drinks | No |
| Camp Tamok Reindeer Sledding Day in the Tamok Valley Wilderness | Short ride | Yes | Warm stew and hot drinks | Yes, thermal suit, boots, mittens, hat |
| Small-Group Visit to a Sami Family Reindeer Camp with Lasso Throwing | No | Yes, after lasso throwing | Snacks and hot juice | No |
| Reindeer Feeding and Snowshoe Hike with a Bidos Lunch | No | Yes | Bidos stew, cookies, hot drinks | No, bring your own boots and clothing |
| Sami Reindeer Camp Visit and Northern Lights Night in the Wilderness | No | Herd visit, feeding not stated | Vegetarian soup and hot drinks | Yes, warm overalls, XS to XXXL |
Reindeer sledding depends entirely on snow, so four listings sell the camp experience without a sled. Reindeer Feeding and Sami Culture with Lunch in a Turf Hut is the best of these for families, because it is all ages and the feeding lasts as long as the feed does. Small-Group Visit to a Sami Family Reindeer Camp with Lasso Throwing trades the ride for a group of 16 or fewer and real time with one Sámi family. Reindeer Feeding and Snowshoe Hike with a Bidos Lunch adds a beginner snowshoe walk from age 8. Sami Reindeer Camp Visit and Northern Lights Night in the Wilderness is built for the aurora, not the sled. Book these outside the snow months, with young children, or if you care more about the people and the animals than the ride.
On Reindeer Sledding or Feeding at a Sami Camp with Camp Photos, the $133 price buys one activity, not both. You choose sledding or feeding when you book, so decide before checkout which matters more to you. A reviewer also noted you get only a small amount of feed to hand out on the feeding option.
If you want both activities in one day, the catalog pick at $201 includes a sled ride and feeding together.
None of these tours collects you from your own hotel. You meet in central Tromsø and travel by bus or minibus. The catalog pick and the night sledding tour meet at the Tromsø bus terminal at Prostneset, Samuel Arnesens gate 5, followed by a short seaside drive to the camp.
The budget sledding-or-feeding tour meets at Skansegata 9, about 1 hour by road from its camp, and you cannot drive there yourself. Camp Tamok is 1.5 hours inland by bus. The small-group family visit meets in front of the Magic Ice Bar on Kaigata 4, and two tours meet at the Radisson Blu Hotel on Sjøgata 7.
Feeding is the heart of every camp visit. You hold out the feed and let the reindeer take it, and on most listings this happens before or after the ride. The herds differ in size, from about 300 reindeer at the busiest camps to the five or six kept at Camp Tamok.
On Reindeer Feeding and Sami Culture with Lunch in a Turf Hut, feeding and petting last as long as the feed holds out. On the family visit you feed the reindeer you caught with the lasso.
Guests do not steer. The ride is a caravan, called a raid on one listing, where each reindeer and its sled are tied in a row behind a lead reindeer led by the herder. Sleds are often shared by two people.
Reindeer pull slowly and quietly, so expect a calm glide through the trees rather than speed. Most listings do not state the ride length. A short ride at the camps runs about 10 to 15 minutes, according to the city tourism listing for a short sledding visit, while Sami Reindeer Sledding and Feeding with a Traditional Lunch gives up to 30 minutes.
If the snow is thin or icy, the herder shortens or cancels the ride, and listings that state a policy give a partial refund while the rest of the visit goes ahead.
The meal is served around an open fire. A lavvu is the Sámi tent with a fire in the middle, a gamme is a turf or wooden hut. The dish is usually bidos, the traditional Sámi reindeer stew, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free versions offered on most listings.
While you eat, the guide talks about Sámi reindeer life and Arctic survival, shows artefacts and, on several tours, sings a joik, the traditional Sámi song.
Camp visits run three and a half to five hours door to door, including transport. The shortest are the budget camp visit and the family visit at 3.5 hours each. The catalog pick runs 4 hours, the night sledding tour 4.5 hours, and the Sámi-guided sledding tour 4 to 5 hours.
The outliers are the 7-hour Camp Tamok day, with about three hours of it on the bus, and the 9-hour camp and aurora night that returns late.
A lavvu pitched on the Tromsø waterfront for a summer event. The camps use the same tent. Photo: Tristan Schmurr from Luxembourg, Luxembourg, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Night Reindeer Sledding with a 3-Course Sami Dinner and a Chance of Northern Lights is the only sledding tour here that runs after dark. You feed the herd of about 300 in the dark, ride the sled in the dark, then sit down to a three-course dinner with bidos stew cooked over the fire in a candlelit gamme, with stories and a joik in the lavvu. The evening ends with time outside watching the sky, which no daytime tour gives you.
The northern lights need dark, clear skies and solar activity, and the listings say so plainly. On a cloudy night you still get the sled, the dinner and the stories, but no lights. Book the evening tour for the experience itself, and treat the aurora as a bonus rather than the reason you paid.
If the aurora is the point, Sami Reindeer Camp Visit and Northern Lights Night in the Wilderness is designed for it. The nine-hour night starts with a Sámi camp visit and a joik, then a heated minibus with up to 19 seats drives into open wilderness for a bonfire, stories and sky-watching with a dedicated northern lights guide who photographs you under the aurora. Warm overalls are lent in sizes XS to XXXL, you must bring your passport, and there are no toilets in the remote spots.
It is a new listing with only 5 reviews so far.
The chart gives the average afternoon high in Tromsø for each month (Norwegian Meteorological Institute normals, 1991-2020). At the camps outside the city it is often colder than in town, and wind chill on an open sled makes it feel colder still.
Reindeer sledding near Tromsø is snow-dependent, roughly November to early April. December to March is the most reliable stretch for snow on the ground at the camps, and the snowshoe tour on this site runs from 1 December to 31 March, which tells you where the operators draw the line. Average afternoon highs in midwinter sit around -1°C (30°F) in January and February, and it is often colder at the camps inland, with wind chill on an open sled making it feel colder still.
From about 26 November to 15 January the sun stays below the horizon, though it hides behind the mountains from about 21 November to 21 January. This does not mean darkness all day. A few hours of blue twilight around midday give enough light to see the herd, the sled and the mountains, and the night tours gain long dark hours for the aurora.
January highs average -1°C (30°F) with lows around -5°C (23°F).
Late February to March is a favourite window. Days lengthen fast, the light on the snow turns bright and photogenic, the camps stay frozen, and the aurora season is still open. March highs average around 1°C (33°F), which feels mild on a still day and brutal in the wind.
Travellers who want daylight photos of the herd should aim for this stretch.
Outside the snow season the camps still run reindeer visits with feeding, Sámi culture and a meal, and recent reviewers booked feeding visits in June and August. There is no sledding then, so Reindeer Feeding and Sami Culture with Lunch in a Turf Hut is the model for a summer visit. In winter, thin or icy snow can shorten or cancel the ride.
On the listings that state a policy, you get a partial refund and the rest of the visit, the feeding, the meal and the stories, goes ahead as normal. Climate figures come from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute normals for Tromsø, published on Wikipedia.
Early afternoon in the polar night, looking across Tromsø to the mainland. Photo: Osopolar, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Tromsø is part of Sápmi, the traditional land of the Sámi, the Indigenous people of northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia's Kola peninsula. Reindeer herding here is not a themed performance, it is a living livelihood with its own law and its own language of camp words.
Under Norway's Reindeer Husbandry Act of 2007, reindeer herding inside the Sámi reindeer-herding area is reserved for people with a reindeer earmark, which in practice means Sámi families with herding in the family. The herding area covers about 40% of Norway, as documented by the International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry. Not every camp works the same way.
Some tours are hosted by the herding family itself, others by a tour company that keeps a few reindeer at its own camp, and the listings that say so name a Sámi guide or a Sámi family.
The camp words in the listings carry meaning. A lavvu is the Sámi tent with a fire in the middle, a gamme is a turf or wooden hut, and bidos is the traditional reindeer stew. A joik, sometimes spelled yoik, is the traditional Sámi song, and on several tours the guide sings one around the fire.
The stories cover reindeer life, Sámi artefacts and Arctic survival, told by the families themselves or by guides who work with them.
Ask before photographing people, the same courtesy you would want at home. Follow the herders' instructions during feeding, they know the animals and the feeding rules protect both sides. And skip strong perfume or cologne for the day, fragrances are not allowed near the herd on these tours.
There is one reliable free sighting every year. Sámi National Day falls on 6 February, and during Sámi Week in early February Tromsø hosts the Norwegian Reindeer Racing Championships on Storgata, the main street. Reindeer pull racers on skis over a 201 m sprint, right through the city centre, and racing has been part of Sámi Week since 2004.
Watching from the street costs nothing, and the Norwegian lasso-throwing championships are held the same weekend, as Visit Tromsø explains.
Outside that week, the honest answer is that there is no free way to see a herd up close. Herds graze outside the city and move with the seasons, so any real contact, feeding, petting or a sled ride, means booking a camp visit. The cheapest paid option in this comparison is the $133 camp visit at Skansegata 9, and the free 6 February racing is the best way to meet a reindeer without spending anything.
Reindeer racing on Storgata on Sámi National Day. Photo: anjči from London, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Both are animal-pulled sled rides from Tromsø, but they deliver different days. The comparison below uses the husky prices listed on a booking platform for reference only. Those husky tours are not part of this catalog and are not compared on this site.
| Compare | Reindeer sledding | Husky sledding |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Slow and calm, reindeer walk | Fast, dogs run and want to |
| Who drives | The herder leads the caravan, guests ride | On self-drive tours, guests drive their own dog team |
| Feel | Quiet, cultural, tied to the Sámi camp visit | Sporty, focused on the run |
| Price from | $133 per person | Around $233 per person, up to about $356 for the most reviewed self-drive adventure |
| Best for | Feeding, Sámi culture, young children, a slow Arctic afternoon | Speed and an active ride |
If you have room for only one animal tour, choose by temperament. Reindeer sledding is a quiet glide that comes bundled with feeding, a fire-warmed meal and Sámi storytelling, and it suits all ages on most listings. Husky sledding is shorter on culture and longer on adrenaline, and the self-drive format means you work the sled.
Travellers who want both can book the reindeer camp in the morning and keep a husky day for a second morning.
Only some listings lend clothing. Camp Tamok includes a thermal suit, winter boots, mittens and a hat. The budget sledding-or-feeding tour includes clothes, and the camp and aurora night lends warm overalls in sizes XS to XXXL, which you confirm with the operator.
The catalog pick, the night sledding tour and the Sámi-guided lunch tour do not include winter clothing, and the snowshoe tour explicitly does not lend boots or winter clothing. Every listing asks for at least two warm layers, a hat, a scarf, gloves and insulated winter boots.
Three videos: a short traveller clip of feeding and sledding near Tromsø, a camp seen from the air, and a Sámi herder telling her own story. We did not film them and have no relationship with the creators.
Thoroughly enjoyable. The animals looked healthy, the owners and assistants were helpful and friendly and seemed enthusiastic about their subject
The most beautiful experience and the perfect way to end our trip to Norway!
The activity was great, we loved seeing reindeer up close and learning about Sami culture.
This attraction was absolutely amazing! I went there with my 11-year-old daughter and everything from start to finish was great.
Amazing day!! We loved our time at camp Tamok - learning all about the Sami culture, traditions, and way of life.
Our Sami live guide was lovely. We had a wonderful day with the reindeer. A soup for lunch with a vegetarian option.
Reindeer sledding in Tromsø starts at $133 per person for a three and a half hour camp visit where you choose sledding or feeding, and the dedicated sledding tours run from $201 to $339 per person. Every listing here is priced per adult and offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start. See the full price table for every tour compared here.
If you want a quiet, cultural Arctic experience rather than a thrill, yes. The catalog pick, Reindeer Sledding, Feeding and Sami Storytelling from Tromsø, combines a sled ride, feeding about 300 reindeer and a hot lunch in a lavvu in four hours, rated 4.7 from 6,866 reviews. The ride itself is slow, so choose a husky tour instead if speed is what you are after.
Most listings do not state the ride length, and a short ride at the camps runs about 10 to 15 minutes in a reindeer caravan. The longest ride in this comparison is up to 30 minutes, on Sami Reindeer Sledding and Feeding with a Traditional Lunch, where sleds are shared by two guests. Thin snow can shorten or cancel the ride, with a partial refund on the listings that state a policy.
The snow season runs roughly November to early April, and December to March is the most reliable stretch for snow at the camps. Late February to March adds long daylight and bright snow for photos, while midwinter brings the polar night and the best aurora chances. Average January highs are around -1°C (30°F), so dress for colder at the camps.
No, the sled needs snow, but the camps still run. Outside the season and when snow fails, tours switch to feeding, Sámi culture and a meal, and listings that state a snow policy give a partial refund when the ride is cut. Reindeer Feeding and Sami Culture with Lunch in a Turf Hut is the model for a no-snow visit, with hand-feeding, petting and a stew lunch in a turf hut.
Reindeer herding in the Tromsø area is a protected Sámi livelihood, reserved under Norwegian law for families with a reindeer earmark, and several of the camps compared here are hosted by Sámi herding families. The rides are slow caravans led by a herder, and the animals feed by hand from visitors. Read each listing's herd size and group size before booking, since a small family camp and a 300-reindeer busy camp offer different experiences.
Yes, actively. Under Norway's Reindeer Husbandry Act of 2007, herding inside the Sámi reindeer-herding area is reserved for people with an earmark, in practice Sámi families with herding in the family, and the herding area covers about 40% of Norway. Every camp visit in this comparison, including Small-Group Visit to a Sami Family Reindeer Camp with Lasso Throwing, takes place on that living tradition.
Most sledding tours accept all ages, with children riding with an adult, though you usually bring your own baby seat for the bus. The snowshoe tour starts at age 8 and Camp Tamok at age 4, while the family visit is recommended from age 6. For the youngest children, Reindeer Feeding and Sami Culture with Lunch in a Turf Hut is the easiest option, all ages with no sled at all.
Most listings in this comparison state no weight limit, but one Sámi-guided night listing from the same operator as the Radisson Blu tours caps riders at 100 kg. Sleds are often shared by two people, which spreads the load. Check the weight rules on your specific listing before booking.
On night tours, yes, but only as a chance, since the aurora needs dark, clear skies and solar activity. Night Reindeer Sledding with a 3-Course Sami Dinner and a Chance of Northern Lights adds sky-watching time after dinner, and on a cloudy night you still get the sled and the meal. For a dedicated chase, the nine-hour camp and aurora night brings a lights guide who photographs you under the aurora.
Each tour has its own page with the meeting point, the timings and the small print.
Tromsø Reindeer Sledding
