What to do in Tromso, Norway: Reindeer Rides

One of our favorite adventures in Norway was a reindeer sleigh ride!  

We booked our entire trip through Off the Map Travel, and they set everything up for us from hotels to activities and getting to and from everything. It was really nice that we didn't have to figure out how to get from the airport or how to get to this random place in the middle of Norway. 

REINDEER SLEIGH RIDES

Here's how our day went:

From our hotel, we walked over to the Radisson Blu and got on a small bus of about 14 people to the Tromso Lapland. It was a 20-minute drive to the Sami lavvu where we changed into a winter suit and gloves that they provided so our stuff didn’t get wet! BTW, see our guide as to what to pack for a trip like this: Packing Essentials and Check List for your next Snow Adventure

We jumped back on the bus and drove another 20 mins to the reindeer! 

After a small hike uphill, the reindeer were waiting for us by our sleighs. I leaped to them (literally, I was that excited)! Of course, I had to pet them and take tons of pictures, which I'm sure they loved me invading their personal space. It's what I do best. ;-)

Soon after, we were all seated and ready for take off.

The reindeer don't run quite as fast as the sled dogs, it's a slower paced, more peaceful ride. We did a large lap around the trees through the snow. We were all bundled up so it wasn't too cold! It was nice to take in the sites and experience Norway in such a special way.

This was a once in a lifetime experience. Not only did we have a reindeer ride, but we also learned of the native Sami culture. The reindeer ride consisted of about 7 or 8 reindeer pulling individual sleds. They are connected buy ropes and then all sleds are connected one by one.

At first, the guide was leading the reindeer up and around the hill and then hopped on the sled and away we went. Our ride lasted about 40 mins total and was very peaceful trekking through the freshly powdered snow.

FEEDING REINDEER

After our ride, they tied the reindeer in a more open area, where we were able to feed them! Most of the time they would knock the food out of my hands and almost force me out of the way with their antlers to eat the remains from the snowy ground. I did get to pet them, their fur is coarse and some of them even had fur fuzz on their antlers!

We then moved locations to a traditional Sami Lavvu (it looks like a teepee) where we had reindeer stew for lunch while being told stories of their culture along and even a joik (Sami song) was sung for us. 

It wasn't quite reindeer leading Santa's sleigh, but still had an enjoyable time! 

Related Post: We slept in a teepee in the snow! See why in: Where to Stay in Norway

Don’t forget to pack these guys:

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