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Reindeer herding experience with Sami in Norway
Live the real life of the Sami reindeer herders in Europe's last true wilderness in Norway. The Sami are the European Union's only indigenous people who are reindeer herders. The Sami family herd the reindeer in the tundra, in the middle of the most beautiful Arctic wilderness in Northern Norway.
We invite you to stay with the Sami reindeer herders in the Arctic wilderness. There is no electricity, and no roads, just pure nature. You will join the Sami daily as they herd reindeer in the tundra. The Sami use snowmobiles for transportation, and you will sit on a wooden sled pulled by a snowmobile.
Besides immersing yourself in fascinating and rich Sami culture, you will explore and live in nature that is so pure that you can even drink straight from the stream. You can come alone or with family or friends, but the experience is always intimate and unique. This stay is extraordinary and a rare possibility to experience a Sami way of life in the Arctic Circle.
A typical day with the Sami
Welcome to live the real life of the Sami reindeer herders in Arctic Tundra.
We don't have a daily itinerary because everything happens by nature's speed at reindeer herder's life. But a typical day with a Sami family may look like this:
8 am Wake up & breakfast
10 am Visit the reindeer stock by snowmobiles and participate in reindeer herding activities (locate the herd, throw a lasso, give extra food to reindeer)
2 pm Hot drinks and lunch
4 pm Daily tasks such as cutting firewood, skiing, fetching water, give pellets to reindeer, storytelling in a cabin and food preparations together
6 pm Dinner & traditional yoik singing in the lavvu tent
10 pm Observe the sky & hunt the Northern Lights
Every guest is warmly welcome to participate in the daily tasks of the reindeer herders. The Sami family is happy to teach you all the reindeer herding tasks, like taming reindeer to pull a sled or throwing a lasso to catch a reindeer. In the cabin, guests can use traditional wooden Sami skiis freely while exploring the surroundings. It is an off-grid and slowdown experience where things happen without a clock.
While with the Sami, you usually get a chance to see and even get close to the big reindeer herd, but we like to remind you that we cannot predict the reindeer's behavior or herding conditions.
Sami homestay details
Time
Sami families welcome visitors from 25th December to March in winter. Homestays start on Thursday and end on Sunday.
December and January are months when it's the magical polar night which means winter darkness when the sun never rises. It's the best season to hunt the northern lights. Starting from February, the days get more sunshine and milder temperatures.
Location
Nearest airport: Alta, Norway
The location is in the middle of Tundra, but the nearest town is Kautokeino. A complimentary pick-up and return service by the Sami host is available from Alta airport and Alta city. Pick-up from other airports (Tromso, Ivalo) is for an additional fee.
The Sami host picks you up from Alta, and you go to Kautokeino, where you receive the winter outwear. After loading the snowmobiles, the journey continues into the wilderness, and it takes about 1 -1,5 hours to reach the cabin on a snowmobile.
Accommodation
Accommodation is in a very basic reindeer herder's wilderness cabin. There is no running water or shower and the toilet is outdoors in a separate building that is not heated. The cabin is heated with firewood. There are 3 bedrooms, all with two separate beds. One bedroom has a bunk bed. The cabin has a generator so you can charge your phone and camera. There is no wi-fi. Travelers can also spend a night outdoors in a traditional Sami "lavvu" tent.
Food
The Sami Family cooks traditional Sami homemade food from local ingredients using Arctic berries, Arctic fish, reindeer meat, bred, and much more.
If you have a special diet please inform us before. The family can cater to all kinds of different diets.
Price
Price: € 2290 / per person (4 days, 3 nights).
The price includes:
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Pick-up and return from/to Alta airport / Alta city
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Local transport (car, snowmobile)
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Accommodation in a traditional Sami reindeer herder cabin and "lavvu" tent
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All camping supplies including a warm sleeping bag and a reindeer skin mattress
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All-inclusive food & beverages
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Warm outwear clothing (overalls, a hat, mittens, and boots).
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A native Sami family as hosts and guides 24/
The price excludes:
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Flights to Alta
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Travel Insurance
Impact
Our unique trips are managed and guided by the indigenous Sami reindeer herder families. In addition to providing an extra income for the family, you support maintaining the traditional reindeer herding traditions.