ÁRBI VUOJÁN

Visit a Sami village and enjoy a longer drive (4-5 km) with the reindeer sled in the wintery countryside. We offer this unique and unforgettable experience on Tuesdays and Fridays from January 14 to April 1, 2025. During this time the ice on the river is thick and safe and there is enough snow to drive on the moors.

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In the small Sami village of Rávttas 20 km from Kiruna, you will encounter the genuine life of the reindeer people in an environment classified as Natura2000 by the EU. The biological diversity in this area is a fundamental prerequisite for the reindeer's existence. In this area our ancestors lived as nomads until the 1950s and 1960s when the reindeer herding Sami finally were allowed to build houses. Thus the village of Rávttas came into being. Here our family has some reindeer in a corral during the wintertime (in April we'll let them go to graze together with the other reindeer in the mountains and roam freely). The reindeer are considered as semi-domesticated; they are easily startled and skeptic towards people but can be tamed. You will get close to our reindeer and some of them will even eat from your hand. Historically reindeer have always been tamed for different uses; milking, carrying, transportation.

 

The highlight of this tour is the ride with the reindeer sled through the snowy, silent and magnificent landscape close to the mountain range. It's an unforgettable experience to try steering the reindeer  - sometimes competing with each other, sometimes lazy - and at the same time enjoying nature. Remember that historically skiing and reindeer sledding were the only ways to transport yourself in Lapland in winter, before the building of roads and railways in the 20th century. 

 

After the ride it’s time to relax and enjoy your lunch with ecological, smoked and fried reindeer meat (suovas) and bread, sitting on soft reindeer hides around the fire in the lávvu. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and listen to stories as we prepare the food and make coffee.