Reindeer activities
Utsjoki is the only municipality in Finland with a Sámi majority and one of the few places where reindeer herding is practiced in its most traditional form. Our family´s reindeer graze in Paistunturi Wilderness area, free on the fells.
We have three different reindeer activities in winter and spring: snow safari to grazing lands, a day on the fells with reindeer herder and home farm visit. Scroll down to read more about the tours and booking.
Our reindeer activities respect the natural behavior of the reindeer and we do not put reindeer into captivity for tourism purposes.
A Day with Sámi reindeer herder
Join us for a day with our reindeer on the fells. You can watch and learn about traditional Sámi reindeer herding, and if you wish, also participate in feeding our reindeer. This kind of tour is something unique and original to experience, as our reindeer are not put in a fence, but live freely in Paistunturi wilderness area. It is also culturally and socially the most sustainable and most animal-friendly reindeer activity available in Lapland.
This program is available only in March and April!
Snow safari to Paistunturi wilderness area
To understand reindeer herding culture, you have to understand the land and how land is used in Sámi culture. On our Snow Safari to Paistunturi wilderness area and our family pasture lands, we observe the reindeer with binoculars, tell you more about the siida-system and reindeer herding districts and the natural pasture cycle that is used in our district.
Snow safaris are available from December to April.
Visit reindeer farm in Utsjoki
We welcome you to visit to our home reindeer farm to meet some of our reindeer and to understand more about the local reindeer herding culture and its importance to the Sámi culture!
Reindeer farm visits are available from November to April.
What is so special about reindeer in Utsjoki region?
Utsjoki is special protected indigenous reindeer herding area. In the wilderness areas of Paistunturi and Kaldoaivi, more than 10.000 reindeer graze freely in the wilderness, each of them owned by a reindeer herder. About 20 % of the population in Utsjoki own reindeer, so the livelihood is a very important part of everyday life in the municipality.
You can observe the reindeer you see in wilderness from a distance, but it is not allowed to approach or chase the reindeer without consent from the owner. It is also not polite to use photographs of privately owned reindeer for commercial purposes without the consent of the rightful owner of the reindeer. Dogs should always be kept in a leash. Using drones to film reindeer is also problematic, as the reindeer are afraid of drones. If you want to see reindeer more close or photograph and film reindeer in nature, you can always join our guided tours to be sure you are not causing harm!
Some reindeer live on home farms. If you see a private yard with reindeer, you should always book a guided tour to the farm before entering the property, as these locations are also people´s private homes.
We let our reindeer live like reindeer
Reindeer are a core element in the Sámi culture. For us, it is important to respect the reindeer and their natural way of living in wilderness. We prefer to let our reindeer live freely in the wilderness, and not to put them in captivity inside fences. This way we make sure our reindeer keep their ability to find food in the wilderness in the best natural grazing lands, and preserve the instincts they need to escape from predators. If reindeer live in a fenced area, they often tend to become too tamed and slow to be able to escape from natural predators anymore.
For guests traveling in Utsjoki in winter or spring, we offer possibility to join us in our reindeer work when we observe the herd in the wilderness and in the spring-winter feeding of the herd. For guests traveling to Utsjoki in summer, we offer guided hikes where we can observe the herd from a distance with binoculars and we explain about the indigenous way of using land.
Observing and working with reindeer in the wilderness with their rightful owner, following the natural needs of a reindeer, is a culturally sustainable tourism program.
Every winter we also keep some reindeer on our home yard (like the orphaned female Babyshark, racing reindeer Kultala or the very social boy Cry Baby with an eye-infection), and guests are welcome to come meet them with us for the morning or evening feeding time. Some of the home reindeer come closer to human and some prefer to stay at a distance, and we don´t force the reindeer to come to people. We do not offer any reindeer sleigh ride activities because of ethical reasons related to the well-being of the reindeer.
Interested in our tours or private guiding? We’re here to help!
You can always send us email to inquire tours and if you have any questions. We reply within 1-2 business days!