Guide · Evening Tour

Reindeer and Northern Lights in Tromsø in One Evening

Feeding in the dark, dinner by the fire, and then looking up at the sky: This is how you combine a visit to the reindeer with a chance to see the Northern Lights.

Check availabilityfrom $200 · free cancellation

Editorial tromsorentierfarm.deUpdated on October 3, 2026about 7 min to read5 sources

The matching tour Tromsø: Reindeer Sled, Dinner, and Chance of Northern Lights 4.6 (2,804 reviews) 4.5 hours from$219per person Check availabilityFree cancellation up to 24 hours in advance

In short

01The Experience: Feed the reindeer, often go on a sleigh ride, and have dinner in the lavvu, with a chance to see the Northern Lights.
02Most booked: Reindeer sleigh ride, dinner, and Northern Lights chance: 4.59 out of 2,804 reviews, from $219.
03Without Sleigh Ride: Feeding and dinner with Northern Lights chance, from $178.
04Season: Between late August and early April, the Northern Lights can appear over Tromsø.¹
05Important: The Northern Lights are never guaranteed; they need a dark and clear sky.

Why Reindeer and Northern Lights Go Well Together

An evening at the reindeer camp is one of the most relaxed ways to wait for the Northern Lights. Instead of sitting in a bus for hours, you are outside in the darkness away from the city, feeding the animals, sitting by the fire, and occasionally looking up at the sky. If the lights appear, you are already in the right place. And the animals give the scene a focus that no other spot in the city can offer.

Away from the city it is darker, and that is exactly what the northern lights need. Around Tromsø their season runs from late August to early April; on each of those evenings it is a matter of darkness and a clear sky.¹ A camp without street lights offers better conditions than the harbour in the centre. The farther you are from the city lights, the better your eyes can see even faint arcs in the sky.

The evening is worth it even without lights in the sky, though. The reindeer in the dark, the fire in the lavvu, and the stories of the hosts are an experience in themselves. If you book with this attitude, you will return satisfied, no matter what the sky does that evening. If you go only for the Northern Lights, a dedicated aurora chase is a better choice. For everyone else, the evening at the camp is a lovely mix.

The Evening

From Feeding to the Sky

Departure

Escape the City

By bus to the camp, away from the city lights.
At the Camp

Feed the Reindeer

The herd in the dark, with a sleigh ride depending on the tour.
In the Lavvu

Dinner

Reindeer stew by the fire, along with stories.²
Outdoors

A Glimpse of the Sky

With luck, the Northern Lights will appear.¹
Late

Return journey

Return to Tromsø after 4.5 to 5 hours.

How an Evening at the Camp Works

The evening tours begin with a ride out of the city. At the camp, you first visit the reindeer: you feed the herd, and depending on the tour, there is also a round in a reindeer sleigh. In the dark the herd looks almost mysterious, and you often hear the animals before you see them. Pay attention to the antlers in the enclosure, because in the dark they are harder to see. Follow the guides instructions at all times.

Afterward, there is dinner in the lavvu. Often it is a stew of reindeer meat, called bidos in the Sámi cuisine, with potatoes and carrots.² During the meal, the hosts talk about their life with the reindeer and their culture. If you do not eat meat, please let us know when you book. After the cold outside, the warm meal by the fire is for many guests the coziest part of the evening.

In between and after meals, you step outside. Keep your own eyes open and ask the guides if you are unsure whether a bright veil is already the northern lights; in photos it often shows up more clearly than with the naked eye. Depending on the offering, such an evening ends after four and a half to five hours. Then it is back into town, and the return is correspondingly late.

Climate

Darkness and Temperature in Tromsø by Month

Hours without sunDays with precipitationSeason

Sunless hours at midmonth and days with at least 2.5 mm of precipitation. Measured at the NOAA station Tromsø, 1991 to 2020.⁴

Evening Tours

Reindeer in the Evening with a Northern Lights Chance

Tour	Duration	Rating	Price from
Sleigh Ride, Dinner, Northern Lights Chance	4.5 hrs	4,59	from $219
Dinner at the Camp, Northern Lights Chance	4.5 hrs	4,70	from $206
Feeding, dinner, northern lights chance	4.5 hrs	4,54	from $178
Sleigh with dinner, northern lights chance	5 hrs	4,50	from $230
Camp visit and northern lights hunt	9 hrs	4,68	from $194

Values of the tour pages on GetYourGuide. Prices are from, per person.

In the evening

With sleigh, without sleigh or with hunt

Most booked

With sleigh

The classic evening

Duration: 4.5 hrs
Price: from $219
Rating: 4,59

Check dates

Reindeer Feeding & a Chance of Northern Light with Dinner

Budget

Feeding and eating

Without Sleigh Ride

Duration: 4.5 hrs
Price: from $178
Rating: 4,54

Check dates

Tromsø: Reindeer Camp Visit & Aurora Chase

Long

Camp and hunt

A long evening

Duration: 9 hrs
Price: from $194
Rating: 4,68

Check dates

Decision helper

Which variant fits your evening?

Reindeer first or northern lights first?

Reindeer, sleigh and food Reindeer and food, cheaper Northern lights are what matter most Travel in April or September

With sleigh

The most booked evening.

Feeding and eating

From $178.

Camp and hunt

A long evening that follows the sky.

Plan without sleigh

The sleigh needs snow, the lights need darkness.

From late August to early April, northern lights can be seen in the Tromsø region once the sky is dark enough and clear enough.

Visit Tromsø Region AStranslated from English · Source 1

The Evening Tours Compared

The best-known evening tour combines a reindeer sleigh ride, dinner, and a Northern Lights chance. It lasts 4.5 hours, scores 4.59 points from 2,804 reviews, and starts from $219. If you really want to include the sleigh ride, this tour has the most guest experiences to draw on. The sleigh ride in the dark is a special experience because the landscape feels still and vast.

A dinner at the reindeer camp with a Northern Lights chance, without a sleigh ride, also lasts 4.5 hours, scores 4.70 points, and starts from $206. The feeding with dinner and Northern Lights chance is more affordable, from $178; the guides speak English and Norwegian. If you can do without the sleigh ride, you save some money here and still get reindeer, food, and the sky.

Another evening tour with a reindeer sleigh ride, dinner, and Northern Lights chance lasts 5 hours and starts from $230. If you have more time, you can combine a camp visit with an aurora chase: this tour lasts 9 hours and starts from $194. This longer option is for anyone who wants to get as much as possible out of a single evening.

Checklist

For an evening at the camp

Dress Up

Wool underwear and warm sweaters
Thick jacket and thermal trousers
Hat, neck warmer, gloves
Warm winter boots

Take along

Small tripod for photos
Warm spare batteries
Patience and eyes on the sky

Cost calculator

An evening with the reindeer for you

Work out what the evening costs for all fellow travelers.

With sleigh4.5 hrsfrom $219 Feeding and eating4.5 hrsfrom $178 Dinner at the camp4.5 hrsfrom $206 Camp and hunt9 hrsfrom $194

people 2

Total from$438

per guest from $219

Check availabilityfree cancellation

Starting prices according to GetYourGuide, converted using the ECB reference rate. The exact price is shown only at booking time.

Video

Reindeer sleigh and northern lights in one night

The video only loads when you tap Play.

When the Chances for the Northern Lights Are Good

The Northern Lights need two things: darkness and a clear sky. The season around Tromsø runs from late August to early April.¹ Reindeer sleigh rides are only possible when there is snow. If you want both in one evening, it is best to travel in the deep winter from December to March. In September or April, an evening with a Northern Lights chance is possible, but without snow there is usually no sleigh ride.

During polar night, roughly between 27 November and 15 January, it is dark almost all day.³ That does not mean the northern lights appear more often then; what matters most is whether the sky clears up. For January the weather station records 12 precipitation days with at least 2.5 millimeters.⁴ In March there are 11 such days.⁴ Clouds are therefore the biggest enemy, not the season.

Therefore, plan more than one evening for the Northern Lights if they matter to you. If the sky is cloudy on the first evening, you can try again on a second, whether at the camp, on an aurora chase, or simply outside the city. The evening with the reindeer then becomes a lovely part of the trip, not your only chance. The more evenings you plan, the better your odds.

What to Wear for the Evening

In the evening it gets colder than during the day. In January the temperature in Tromsø drops at night to an average of minus 5.3 degrees.⁴ In February it is minus 5.7 degrees.⁴ Out in the camp, while you wait for the lights, you stand still for a long time, and then every missing layer is felt. So rather dress warmly enough to stay outside than risk being too cold. Anyone who gets cold goes back to the tent early and may miss the best moment.

Visit Tromsø recommends wool underwear directly against the skin, then warm, dry sweaters and a jacket, as well as warm footwear, gloves, scarf, and a hat.⁵ A thick jacket on top and thermal trousers are not a luxury in the evening but a requirement for staying outside when the sky becomes exciting. If you do not have anything suitable, get warm clothing before your trip.

A small tripod is worth it for photos, because the Northern Lights need long exposure times. Keep batteries warm, preferably in an inner pocket, and set up the camera outside so it does not fog up. And do not forget to simply look up from time to time. A phone with night mode is often enough for first souvenir photos. The best memories are often made without a camera.

If Nothing Shows in the Sky

It can happen that the sky stays covered. Then you still have an evening with reindeer, fire, and stories, and that is more than just a consolation. Many guests write that they enjoyed the peace at the camp, even without lights. And sometimes the sky clears up exactly when no one expects it, so stay alert until departure. The fire, the food, and the animals are yours in any case.

Some evening tours offer a partial refund. Check carefully before booking what the conditions are. You can cancel the evening tours in this comparison free of charge up to 24 hours in advance if the forecast worsens significantly. If the forecast is clear, it is worth keeping the appointment even if it gets cold.

If the Northern Lights are the most important thing for you, a combination makes sense: visit the reindeer during the day and go on an aurora chase in the evening that follows the clear sky. This way you make the most of both, instead of putting all your hopes on one evening and one place. Our page on the day visit process will help you plan. A cloudy evening then does not become a wasted day of vacation.

Our Assessment

An evening with the reindeer and a chance to see the Northern Lights is ideal for anyone who wants to experience both without booking two separate trips. The combination of animals, food, and sky makes it one of the most atmospheric experiences in Tromsø, especially for couples and families with older children. The reindeer themselves are a surprise for many guests, as seeing them in the dark is unforgettable. For solo travelers, the evening is also a great way to meet other guests.

If seeing the Northern Lights is your main goal, book a Northern Lights chase that follows the clear sky flexibly. If you mainly want to see the reindeer and view the lights as a bonus, the evening tour is the right choice. Having both in one evening is a wonderful bonus when the weather cooperates. The only thing that matters is to be honest about your expectations: the animals are always there, but the lights come only with luck.

For choosing between the tours: from $219 with a sleigh ride, from $178 without a sleigh ride, and from $194 for a full evening with an extended Northern Lights chase. Check the dates early, as popular evenings sell out quickly during the high season. Use the free cancellation if your plans change. Plan the evening with a relaxed mindset.

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