Vuoján – Reindeer sled excursion

Handle and drive your own draft reindeer with a sled along an approx. 10 km long trail through the vast and gorgeous winter landscape of Sápmi. This is an amazing hands-on eco adventure for outdoor enthusiasts that look for a truly traditional Sámi activity.

The reindeer sledding guide takes you via a short minibus transfer from Jukkasjärvi to the Sautosjohka reindeer enclosures out in the woods. Here you meet several generations of reindeer and those tamed and trained based on Sámi traditional knowledge, so-called härks, become today’s travel company. You will get to know your reindeer and the guide will offer detailed instruction on handling and driving your reindeer with a sled before you are ready to embark on a trip of your lifetime.

Each guest will drive, standing on their sled’s runners, their own drag reindeer. You follow the guide with his lead reindeer in the front, in a convoy through the snowbound forest landscape and across frozen marshes and waterways. It is a pacey tour, with you being in full control of your reindeer, but also relaxing so you can enjoy animals and nature along the way.

After some time of active reindeer sled driving across Sámi cultural landscape, we arrive to a nice spot where the guide prepares a classical and tasty reindeer herder lunch: suovas, smoked reindeer meat fried over open flames, and served on gáhkku-bread with a dash of lingonberry jam. We also sip a cup of freshly boiled coffee around the crackling outdoor fire. The mesmerising atmosphere opens up for personal conversations about Sámi culture, traditions and lifestyle – with the reindeer as one of the Sámi community’s most important upholder of Sámi culture and resource.

After the break, the journey with reindeer and sleds continues and steers due Sautosjohka reindeer enclosures again. Here, everyone helps to unharness the draft reindeer before releasing them back to their enclosures. You bid farewell to your new travel companions, and we return to the starting point in Jukkasjärvi village.