With or without a sled ride?
Reindeer sledding and dinner adds a sled ride to the camp visit and dinner, in about four and a half hours. Reviewers describe the ride as short. One writes that it lasted less than ten minutes and went in circles, so think of it as a taste of sledding, not a trip. In spring, when snow can be scarce, the ride may be cancelled: a reviewer in April was told it would not take place for lack of snow.
Reindeer camp dinner has no sled ride. You feed the reindeer and walk around the camp, listen to the Sami guides talk about reindeer herding and hear a joik, and eat a three-course dinner with bidos, the traditional Sami reindeer stew. The bus leaves from the Prostneset terminal in central Tromsø; the evening also takes about four and a half hours.
The lights are a bonus
The camp stays where it is. If the sky over it is clear and the aurora is active, you see it; if it is cloudy, you do not. The evening does not move on to a clearer spot. Reviewers who saw no lights still rated the evening for the reindeer, the stories and the food. If the aurora is the reason for your night out, a chase is the better choice; see the bus, minibus and small-group comparison.
More about reindeer in Tromsø
For reindeer experiences by daylight, longer sled rides and more about Sami culture, our sister site tromso-reindeer.com compares the reindeer tours around Tromsø.
Dress warmly
Part of the evening is spent outside with the reindeer, and a lavvo is warmed by an open fire, not by heating. Warm boots, a hat and gloves make the difference, especially if you stay outside watching the sky after dinner.
