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Tromsø · Sápmi · Sami Culture
Tromsø Sami Experience
A daytime visit from Tromsø: hand-feed reindeer, eat a traditional Sami stew in a gamme, a Sami hut, and hear about the Sami way of life with reindeer. 4.5 hours from the Radisson Blu on Sjøgata; hotel pickup is not included.
- 4.7 / 5 2407+ Reviews
- 4.5 h The daytime visit, from the Radisson Blu on Sjøgata 7; hotel pickup not included
- 6 Feb Sami National Day; Tromsø's Sami Week 2027 runs 31 January to 7 February
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Daytime Visit Covers
Transport from Tromsø, a guide, the reindeer feed, a warm meal with a vegan option and hot drinks are included. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not.
Highlights
- Warm up with a traditional Sami meal and hot beverages inside a wooden hut
- Learn about the way of life and culture of the Sami people
- Enjoy the beautiful northern Norwegian landscape at the camp
What's Included
- Reindeer feeding
- Guide
- Warm meal (vegan option available)
- Warm drinks (coffee, tea, chocolate)
- Transportation
Good to know: Custom pickup and drop-off are not available · Not suitable for: People with mobility impairments, Wheelchair users · Not Included: Hotel pickup and drop-off
From Sjøgata to the Gamme
A date, the meeting point at the Radisson Blu, the reindeer, then the meal and the talk in the hut.
Pick a Date
Check availability to see the start times. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before, and you can reserve now and pay later. Tell the operator about food allergies at least 48 hours before the start, or the meal may not suit you.
Meet at the Radisson Blu
The meeting point is the Radisson Blu Hotel on Sjøgata 7 in central Tromsø. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, and custom pickup points are not available. Transport to the camp is included.
Feed the Reindeer
At the camp, in the north of Tromsø, you feed the reindeer by hand and can pet them. Bring warm clothing, a hat, gloves, a scarf and warm shoes.
The Meal and the Talk in the Gamme
Inside a gamme, a Sami hut, you get coffee, tea or hot chocolate and a traditional Sami stew, with a vegan option, while your guide talks about the Sami way of life with reindeer and shows Sami cultural artifacts. Not suitable for wheelchair users or people with mobility impairments.
Photo Gallery
The Reindeer, the Hut and the Landscape
Photos from the daytime visit's listing: the herd at feeding time and the camp north of Tromsø.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Pick a date and see the start times. Meet at the Radisson Blu on Sjøgata 7; hotel pickup is not included. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Before You Book
Sami Culture in Tromsø, One Question per Page
What a visit contains, which visit fits, the museum and the walk in town, Sami Week 2027 and the words you will hear.
Prices are each page's featured tour: GetYourGuide checked November 2026. Listing prices are per person, in US dollars, unless a card says otherwise; museum fees are in Norwegian kroner (NOK), as the museum publishes them.
Sami Culture Visits with a Meal, Side by Side
Four visits from Tromsø with reindeer and a meal or snack: where each meets, where you eat, whether a joik is part of it, how the host is described, and what is not included. Prices per person from the listings, with the month they were checked.
| Feature | THIS PAGE Reindeer Feeding and Sami Culture with Lunch (Tromsø Lapland) | Reindeer Camp and Sami Cultural Tour with Lunch (Tromsø Arctic Reindeer) | Reindeer Feeding and Sami Experience with Lunch (Tromsø Lapland) | Reindeer Experience at a Sami Camp (K Ringberg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From $164 per person (checked November 2026) | From $182 per person (checked November 2026) | From $183 per person (checked November 2026) | From $214 per person (checked November 2026) |
| Length | 4.5 hours | 4 hours | 4.5 hours, with a 50-minute drive | 3.5 hours, with about 30 minutes by bus |
| Meets At | Radisson Blu Hotel, Sjøgata 7; hotel pickup not included | Tromsø bus terminal | Radisson Blu Hotel, Sjøgata 7; hotel pickup not available | Magic Ice Bar, Kaigata 4 |
| Where You Eat | A gamme: a traditional Sami stew, vegan option, hot drinks | A hut: a meal cooked over the fire, hot chocolate; then a campfire in a Sami tent | A Sami hut: a warm meal with vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and lactose-free options | A warm cabin: a light snack, coffee or tea |
| Joik | Not included | Yes, with stories by the campfire | Not included | Not included |
| Host, as Described | Not stated | A reindeer ranch described as owned by Sami people | Not stated | A Sami family welcomes you |
| Also | A talk on the Sami way of life with reindeer; Sami cultural artifacts | A herd of 300 reindeer; stories passed down over generations | A talk on the Sami way of life with reindeer; winter suit and snow boots included | Lasso throwing if time allows; Sami handmade products for sale; no sledding |
| Not Included | Hotel pickup and drop-off | A booster seat for children (bring your own) | Hotel pickup and drop-off | Sledding |
| Who It Can't Suit | Wheelchair users, people with mobility impairments | Not stated | Wheelchair users, people with mobility impairments | Children under 6, wheelchair users |
| Free Cancellation | Up to 24 hours before | Up to 24 hours before | Up to 24 hours before | Up to 24 hours before |
| Who It Suits | A first, daytime introduction: reindeer, a meal in a gamme and a talk | Travellers who want a joik and stories on a lunch visit | Travellers who want winter clothing provided on a daytime visit | Families with children aged 6 and over, in a small group |
| Check dates | See this visit | See this visit | See this visit |
Evenings, Museums and Sledding
More Sami Visits from Tromsø
An evening visit with hot drinks in a candle-lit lavvu, a 3-course dinner in a gamme and a joik, a camp visit followed by an aurora chase, a Sea Sami exhibition in town, and visits that add a short sled ride.
EVENING DINNER, LAVVU AND JOIKTromsø: Reindeer Camp Dinner with Chance of Northern Lights
Tromsø Arctic Reindeer's 4.5-hour evening visit from the Prostneset bus terminal, 30 to 35 minutes each way: Sami reindeer herders, feeding the reindeer, hot drinks in a candle-lit lavvu, a 3-course dinner in the gamme with bidos as the main course, stories and a joik, and a chance of the northern lights. Runs from 1 November to the beginning of April. A booster seat for children is not included.
CAMP VISIT, THEN AN AURORA CHASETromsø: Reindeer Camp Visit & Aurora Chase
Tromsø Arctic Reindeer's 8 to 9 hour evening from the Prostneset terminal, limited to 18: a visit to a Sami reindeer camp, where a Sami guide performs a joik, then an aurora chase with a bonfire, vegetarian soup, hot drinks, thermal suits and photos. Back about 01:30. Minimum age 6.
SEA SAMI EXHIBITION IN TOWNFull Steam Museum - Guided Sami Culture Excursion
Full Steam Tromsø AS's guided Sea Sami exhibition at the Full Steam Museum on Søndre Tollbodgate 3, with a Sami guide in a kofte: Sea Sami life and artifacts, the kofte explained, a live joik demonstration, and entry to the museum's Northern Light and Seafarer exhibitions. Food, drinks and souvenirs are not included.
A SLED RIDE WITH A SAMI GUIDETromsø: Reindeer Sledding and Sami Cultural Tour with Lunch
Tromsø Lapland's 4.5-hour visit from the Radisson Blu on Sjøgata 7 with a Sami guide: a reindeer-sled ride of up to 30 minutes when the snow allows, feeding the herd, bidos or a vegan lunch, and a talk on Sami life, culture and clothing. Each sled takes 2 adults, and no one over 110 kg may ride; if weather stops the ride, part of the price is refunded. Personalised pick-up points are not included.
SLEDDING OR FEEDING, LAVVU STORIESTromsø: Reindeer Sledding, Feeding & Sami Culture Experience
Reindeer Experience Tromsø's 3.5 to 4 hour tour from Skansegata 9 to a Sami camp about an hour away: reindeer sledding or feeding, your choice, 30 minutes of storytelling by Sami people in a lavvu, and professional photos. Food and clothes are not included, and you cannot drive to the camp yourself.
A SHORT SLED RIDE AND A LAVVUTromsø: Sami Reindeer Sledding
Best Arctic AS's 5.5-hour trip from the Prostneset terminal to a Sami camp an hour away: feeding the reindeer, a 10 to 15 minute reindeer-sled ride, lasso throwing, not at live reindeer, then soup with bread, coffee or tea and stories about reindeer husbandry and Sami life in a heated lavvu. Not suitable for children under 4.
Sami Culture from Tromsø
Which Visit, and What It Contains
The daytime visit in full, the visits with a joik, the evening visit, the camps and the drive, Sami culture in town, and Sami Week 2027.
Sami culture is the reason to make this trip, and the reindeer are part of it rather than the whole of it. Inside the Sami reindeer-herding area, which takes in parts of Troms, Norway’s Reindeer Husbandry Act gives the right to reindeer husbandry to the Sami population. The visit this page follows is Tromsø Lapland’s Tromsø: Reindeer Feeding and Sami Culture with Lunch, a daytime visit of 4.5 hours from the Radisson Blu Hotel on Sjøgata 7: you feed the reindeer by hand, eat a traditional Sami stew in a gamme, a Sami hut, with a vegan option, and listen to your guide on the Sami way of life with reindeer, with Sami cultural artifacts to see. It was per person from $164 in current promotion (usually $183), checked November 2026, with 2,407 reviews and free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included.
The short answer
If you want the reindeer, a hot meal in a hut and a talk on Sami life in the daytime, book the daytime visit. If you want to hear a joik, the traditional Sami song, pick a visit that includes one, because the daytime visit does not. If your evenings are free and you hope for the northern lights, an evening visit with dinner gives you a chance of them, not a promise. And if you would rather not travel to a camp at all, Tromsø has a Sami history walk and a university museum with Sami exhibitions, both in town.
Four ways to spend time with Sami culture from Tromsø
Tromsø: Reindeer Feeding and Sami Culture with Lunch
Tromsø Lapland, 4.5 hours from the Radisson Blu on Sjøgata 7: hand-feeding the reindeer, a traditional Sami stew with a vegan option and hot drinks in a gamme, and a talk on the Sami way of life with reindeer. No joik, lavvu or sledding on this one; hotel pickup is not included.
Check dates →Tromsø: Arctic seaside tour and Reindeer feeding with lunch
Wondering Reindeer AS, 4.5 hours from the Scandic Ishavshotel: a coastal drive, feeding the herd, a joik performed in a lavvu around an open fire, and a bidus lunch, with a Sami reindeer herder guiding the whole tour. Hotel pickup is not included unless from that hotel; alcoholic drinks or sodas at the hotel are not included; minimum age 3.
See the visit →Reindeer Feeding & a Chance of Northern Lights with Dinner
Tromsø Lapland, 4.5 hours from the Radisson Blu to the camp at Breivikeidet: feeding and petting the reindeer, bidos, a traditional Sami stew, in a gamme, traditional handcrafted clothes to see and touch, folk music, and a chance of the northern lights, which is not guaranteed. Tips and hotel pickup are not included.
See the evening visit →Tromsø City Walking Tour with Sámi History & Mythology
Sami Walking Experience, limited to 8: 2.5 hours on foot from Storgata 95 through Tromsø's oldest streets, on the city's history and on Sami history and mythology, told by a Sami culture bearer. About 1.6 km with one seated break; transport, meals and drinks are not included.
See the walk →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide, checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
The four answer different wishes. The daytime visit is the plainest introduction: reindeer, a meal, a talk. The herder’s visit adds the joik and a herder as your guide, and it costs more. The evening visit trades the daytime for the night sky. The walk keeps you in town and puts the stories first. Which Sami camp visit from Tromsø sets every visit side by side, and what a Sami experience in Tromsø contains explains each part.
What the daytime visit contains
You meet your guide in central Tromsø, at the Radisson Blu Hotel on Sjøgata 7, and travel by the operator’s transport to a camp in the north of Tromsø. The camp is not named. At the camp you feed the reindeer by hand and can pet them. Then you are welcomed into a gamme, a Sami hut, for coffee, tea or hot chocolate and a traditional Sami stew for lunch, with a vegan option. Over the meal your guide talks about the Sami way of life with reindeer, shows Sami cultural artifacts and explains how people survive in extreme Arctic conditions. The whole visit lasts 4.5 hours.
What it does not include matters as much. There is no joik, no lavvu tent and no sled ride on this visit; who guides it is not stated. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, and custom pickup points are not available, so plan your own way to Sjøgata. If you have a food allergy, tell the operator at least 48 hours before the start, or the meal may not suit you. The visit is not suitable for wheelchair users or people with mobility impairments, and pets and strong fragrances are not allowed. Bring warm clothing, a hat, gloves, a scarf and warm shoes.
Gamme, lavvu and joik: which visit has which
The words on the listings are not interchangeable. A gamme is a hut, and that is where the daytime visit serves its meal. A lavvu is the cone-shaped Sami tent with a smoke hole, used when moving with the reindeer and for longer stays. A joik is the traditional Sami song, and it is performed only on the visits that list one.
| Visit | Where you eat or sit | Joik | Host, as the visit is described |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reindeer Feeding and Sami Culture with Lunch (Tromsø Lapland) | A gamme | Not included | Not stated |
| Reindeer Camp and Sami Cultural Tour with Lunch (Tromsø Arctic Reindeer) | A hut for the meal, then a campfire in a Sami tent | Yes | A reindeer ranch described as owned by Sami people |
| Arctic Seaside Tour and Reindeer Feeding with Lunch (Wondering Reindeer AS) | A lavvu around an open fire | Yes | A Sami reindeer herder guides the whole tour |
| Reindeer Feeding and a Chance of Northern Lights with Dinner (Tromsø Lapland) | A gamme | Folk music; no joik listed | Not stated |
| Reindeer Camp Dinner with Chance of Northern Lights (Tromsø Arctic Reindeer) | A candle-lit lavvu, then dinner in the gamme | Yes | Sami reindeer herders and Sami guides |
| Reindeer Experience at a Sami Camp (K Ringberg) | A warm cabin, with a light snack | Not included | A Sami family welcomes you |
Prices per person, checked November 2026: the daytime visit $164 in current promotion (usually $183), the ranch visit $182, the herder’s visit $237, the evening visit with dinner $164 in current promotion (usually $183), the camp dinner $210 and the Sami family’s camp $214. Sami words you will hear explains joik, lavvu, gákti and duodji.
The camps and the drive
The camps the listings name lie outside the city, on the mainland. Measured by road from the Prostneset bus terminal in Tromsø with a route planner, the camp area at Breivikeidet, where Tromsø Lapland’s evening visit goes, is about 55 km away, Nordkjosbotn about 81 km and Camp Tamok about 104 km. Tromsø Lapland gives its evening visit a transfer of 45 minutes to an hour. The daytime visit names no camp and gives no drive time, only that the camp is in the north of Tromsø, so this page does not place it on the map.
Sami culture in town
You do not need a camp to learn about Sami life in Tromsø. The Arctic University Museum of Norway, at Lars Thøringsveg 10 on the south of Tromsø island, has exhibitions about the Sami people; UiT, the university that runs it, puts it about 2.5 km from the city centre, with bus 40 stopping at Tromsø Museum. Adult admission is NOK 130, and visitors under 18 go free. From 16 August to 14 June it opens Monday to Friday 10:00 to 16:30 and Saturday and Sunday 11:00 to 16:00. A guided tour of the Sami exhibitions runs every Friday at 13:00 from September 2026 to May 2027; the museum’s page gives no price for it. Read the museum’s own visitor page before you go.
If you would like someone to tell the story as you walk, the Sami history and mythology walk starts at Storgata 95, and the guided Sea Sami exhibition at the Full Steam Museum, on Søndre Tollbodgate 3, includes a live joik demonstration. The museum and the city walk covers both, with a map.
Sami Week 2027 and 6 February
6 February is the Sami national day, kept in memory of the first Sami national assembly, held in Trondheim in 1917; it was first celebrated in 1993 and is an official flag day in Norway. In Tromsø, Sami Week 2027 runs from 31 January to 7 February 2027, organised by the Midnight Sun Marathon Foundation, and ends with the Norwegian Championships in reindeer racing in the city centre. The 2027 programme had not been published when the organiser’s page was read on 4 November 2026, so no day, street or line-up is given here. Tromsø Sami Week 2027 has what is known.
Visiting with respect
The people you meet at a camp are hosts at work. Ask before you photograph a person. Gákti, the traditional Sami garment, is clothing, not a costume: the Norwegian encyclopedia Store norske leksikon describes it as worn at feasts and by some people every day, with colours and a cut that can show where the wearer comes from and which family they belong to. Say Sami. The same encyclopedia calls “Lapp” an outdated term used by non-Sami that is perceived as derogatory today; “Tromsø Lapland” is the name of a company, not a word for the people.
There is no visitor code from Sametinget, the Sami Parliament of Norway, to quote here. In 2021 Sametinget and Tromsø kommune announced an ethical guide for the commercial use of Sami culture, and no published version of it could be found in November 2026. The advice above is ours.
Reindeer, a Gamme and the Sami Way of Life
Tromsø Lapland's daytime visit: hand-feed the reindeer, eat a traditional Sami stew with a vegan option in a gamme, and hear about the Sami way of life with reindeer, 4.5 hours from the Radisson Blu on Sjøgata 7. Hotel pickup is not included. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Starting from $164 per person in current promotion (usually $183).
See datesMore of Tromsø
Reindeer, Sami and Arctic Tours from Tromsø with Open Dates
Camp visits, evening tours and other trips from Tromsø with live availability. What is included and the cancellation terms are on each listing.
Sami Experiences in Tromsø: Questions
What a visit contains, joik and lavvu, the evening visits, hotel pickup, children, the museum, Sami Week 2027 and the right words.
Most are a visit to a reindeer camp outside the city: feeding the reindeer, a meal in a hut or a tent, and a guide talking about the Sami way of life. Some add a joik, the traditional Sami song, or a short sled ride; a few run in the evening with dinner and a chance of the northern lights. Tromsø Lapland's daytime visit was from $164 per person (checked November 2026). See what a Sami experience in Tromsø contains.
No. Tromsø Lapland's daytime visit includes hand-feeding the reindeer, a traditional Sami stew in a gamme, a Sami hut, and a talk on the Sami way of life with reindeer, but no joik, lavvu or sled ride. To hear a joik, pick a visit that includes one, such as Wondering Reindeer AS's tour with a Sami reindeer herder or Tromsø Arctic Reindeer's ranch visit.
A gamme is a hut; a lavvu is a cone-shaped tent with a smoke hole, used when moving with the reindeer and for longer stays. The daytime visit serves its meal in a gamme. Several other visits sit you in a lavvu around a fire. See Sami words you will hear.
Not on the daytime visit: you meet at the Radisson Blu Hotel on Sjøgata 7, and custom pickup points are not available. Transport from there to the camp and back is included. Other visits meet at the Prostneset bus terminal, the Scandic Ishavshotel or the Magic Ice Bar; each listing gives its own point.
Only on an evening visit, and only by chance. Tromsø Lapland's evening visit with dinner and Tromsø Arctic Reindeer's camp dinner both offer a chance of the northern lights, not a guarantee. The daytime visit is not an aurora tour.
It depends on the visit, and this site repeats only what each listing states. Wondering Reindeer AS's tour is guided by a Sami reindeer herder, K Ringberg's visit is welcomed by a Sami family, and the camp dinner has Sami guides. Who guides Tromsø Lapland's daytime visit is not stated.
On most visits, with age limits that differ. The daytime visit states no age limit but does not suit wheelchair users or people with mobility impairments. K Ringberg's visit is not for children under 6, Wondering Reindeer AS's tour has a minimum age of 3, and the camp visit with an aurora chase a minimum age of 6.
On the daytime visit, yes: the traditional Sami stew has a vegan option. Tell the operator about allergies at least 48 hours before the start, or the meal may not suit you. Several other camp visits list a vegetarian or vegan option too, including the herder's tour and the evening visit with dinner.
At the Arctic University Museum of Norway, on Lars Thøringsveg 10, which has exhibitions about the Sami people. Adult admission is NOK 130 and under-18s go free; a guided tour of the Sami exhibitions runs on Fridays at 13:00 from September 2026 to May 2027. See the museum and the city walk.
From 31 January to 7 February 2027, organised by the Midnight Sun Marathon Foundation. It takes in Sami National Day on 6 February and ends with the Norwegian Championships in reindeer racing in the city centre. The 2027 programme was not published when the organiser's page was read on 4 November 2026. See Tromsø Sami Week 2027.
No: say Sami. The Norwegian encyclopedia Store norske leksikon calls "Lapp" an outdated term used by non-Sami that is perceived as derogatory today. "Tromsø Lapland" is a company name. See Sami words you will hear.
Still have questions? Email us at info@tromsosamiexperience.com