Sámi Reindeer Tour from Tromsø city

About This Experience

Leave the crowds behind and spend a personal day with our Sámi reindeer-herding family on Sállir/Kvaløya. With only a small group of guests, there is time for genuine conversations, thoughtful questions and meaningful moments with our family and reindeer. Your experience begins at 09:00 with bus pick-up outside Scandic Ishavshotel in Tromsø city centre. Our father welcomes you aboard and guides you through Kvaløya’s fjord and coastal landscape, with stops at selected viewpoints along the way. The weather shapes every journey. Mountains, fjords and coastlines can appear peaceful and clear one day, wild and dramatic the next. Beautiful weather cannot be guaranteed in Northern Norway, but the changing light and conditions are part of what makes this landscape special. At our home in southern Sállir/Kvaløya, we provide protective outer clothing, footwear and gloves before entering the reindeer enclosure, which is only a short walk from where the bus drops you off. During winter, we bring some of our reindeer closer to home. These animals may otherwise spend much of the season alone and benefit from the care and companionship they receive here. At the enclosure, you will meet the children of our family, who will guide you during your time with the reindeer. Observe the animals at close range, try lasso throwing and ask questions about reindeer, our livelihood and living Sámi reindeer-herding culture. We then gather around the open fire inside our lávvu. Enjoy a taste of reindeer meat, with broth, coffee, tea or hot chocolate available to drink. We share stories about Sámi culture, our family’s life with the reindeer and the duodji handicrafts we create. This is not a staged performance, but a warm and personal meeting with a family whose culture and livelihood are part of everyday life. Because our groups are small, there is time to listen, talk and get to know one another. You are welcomed into our world for a little while. Our father then drives you back to Tromsø city centre after experiencing a small but meaningful part of Sápmi. The tour lasts approximately four hours and includes round-trip transport, protective clothing and footwear, time with the reindeer, lasso throwing, traditional food tasting, hot drinks and storytelling.