Reindeer and Sámi Culture in Alta
Meeting the reindeer in Alta: SAMI SIIDA's one-hour visit, feeding and photographing the reindeer, reindeer herding and Sámi culture, and fitting it around an aurora night.
The simplest way to meet reindeer in Alta is SAMI SIIDA’s Alta: Reindeer - A carrier of Sámi Culture: an hour with the herd, from US$68 in current promotion (usually US$85) a person (checked November 2026). A guide explains reindeer herding and why the animal has mattered to the Sámi for generations; you feed the reindeer and take pictures with them. The reindeer are there all year, so it fits any day of an aurora trip.
The calendar above is SAMI SIIDA’s reindeer visit, with 312 reviews (checked November 2026). It is in English or Norwegian.
What the hour is
| Length | About 1 hour |
| What you do | Meet and feed the reindeer, take pictures with them |
| What you learn | Reindeer herding in Norway, and the reindeer’s place in Sámi culture and survival as an indigenous people |
| The herd | There all year: some arrive in the autumn, others are born there in the spring |
| Not for | Children under 2, people with animal allergies |
| Bring | Warm clothing, comfortable shoes, a camera |
From the listing, read November 2026.
The reindeer are the centre of the visit. It is a short, gentle hour, close to the animals, rather than a sled ride or a long cultural programme.
Check dates for the reindeer visit
Fitting it around the aurora
The aurora tours leave in the evening and can run late: Alta Adventure’s small group is normally back in Alta centre just after midnight, and the campfire tour lasts up to six hours. An hour with the reindeer by day leaves the evening free. In the polar night, from 26 November 2026 to 16 January 2027, the day in Alta is a few hours of twilight with no sunrise (Norwegian Meteorological Institute), so a daytime visit means the middle of the day (the best time).
Then the aurora
For the evening, Amazing Aurora’s campfire tour picks up in the town centre at Løkkeveien 55 or near the harbour at Havneveien 32. Finnmark Adventure's northern lights bus ties in with the day: its aurora talk includes the old Sámi and Arctic beliefs about the lights.
Pick your day and night
Alta: Reindeer - A carrier of Sámi Culture
An hour with the herd: feeding, pictures, reindeer herding and Sámi culture.
Check dates →Alta: Northern Lights Adventure Tour with Fire & Free Photos
Two guides, a campfire with hot drinks, free professional photos; up to six hours.
See the campfire tour →Alta: The Northern Lights Bus – A warm and Local Experience
Finnmark Adventure's heated bus with a talk on the science and the Sámi beliefs about the lights.
See the bus →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.
More Operators in Alta
Alta Aurora Tours with Open Dates
Aurora tours from Alta with live availability. Times, pickup and cancellation terms are on each listing.
An Hour with the Reindeer
SAMI SIIDA's visit fits into a short winter day before an evening out for the aurora.
Check dates