Sámi culture and reindeer around Abisko

6 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

The Sámi have lived in the mountains around Abisko for thousands of years. Trapping pits and old hearths in the national park are traces of that, and today the reindeer of Gabna sameby, a Sámi herding community, graze the area. Most of its members live in Rensjön. The landscape keeps Sámi names too: the North Sámi name of Lapporten, the U-shaped mountain pass near Abisko, means goose valley.

The tours below fall into two groups. Short visits of two to four hours start in Abisko itself and take you to a reindeer enclosure or a lávvu, the Sámi tent. Day trips go further, to the village of Rautas or to the museum Nutti Sámi Siida in Jukkasjärvi near Kiruna.

Reindeer and a herder near the village

Two tours by the same operator start at Abisko Mountain Lodge and follow almost the same plan. You meet the guide at the lodge 15 minutes before departure, put on snowshoes and walk to a reindeer enclosure outside the village. There a Sámi herder talks about the animals and the work, you help feed the reindeer, and the visit ends by the fire in a lávvu with hot drinks and snacks. Snowshoes and winter overalls are provided, along with photos taken by the guide. Winter boots are not, so bring your own.

The evening version takes children from 6 years. In October and November, if there is not enough snow, the walk goes ahead without snowshoes. The morning version runs only on Thursdays from October to March and takes children from 8. In midwinter that morning walk happens in the blue twilight of the polar night, since the sun does not rise in Abisko from 6 December to 6 January.

Joik in a lávvu

Joik is the traditional Sámi song. On the concert tour you spend about an hour in a lávvu while a Sámi reindeer herder and singer performs. Video recording during the concert is not permitted. Afterwards a 4x4 takes the small group out to look for the northern lights, with a photographer as guide. Overalls, hot drinks, snacks and the photos are included; dinner and winter boots are not. The whole evening lasts about four and a half hours, and children from 6 can join.

Like any aurora tour, the chase depends on the sky, and a display is never guaranteed. Our northern lights page covers the odds and the season.

Reindeer meat by the fire

Experience Abisko starts its evening in a barbecue hut below Abisko Guesthouse, with a view over Torneträsk. The guide cooks souvas, lightly smoked reindeer meat, over an open fire. After the meal a minibus takes the group out to look for the aurora. Warm clothing and soft drinks are included, alcohol is not, and a vegetarian option is possible if you ask 24 hours ahead. The tour takes about three and a half hours and is open to children from 7. Strictly speaking it is a food and aurora evening with Sámi influence rather than a cultural visit, but it is the easiest way to try a traditional dish.

In autumn Outback Abisko offers a calmer afternoon. The tour stops at a reconstructed Sámi settlement with a goahti, a traditional Sámi hut, and serves tastings of reindeer meat, coffee cheese and gáhkku, a soft flatbread. A short walk along the Abiskojåkka river follows. Pickup covers all hotels in Abisko and Björkliden, and the guiding is in English or Swedish.

A day in the Sámi village of Rautas

Rautas lies about 45 minutes by road from Abisko. On this seven-hour trip a Sámi reindeer herder leads a snowshoe hike along the Rautas river, between 1 and 3 kilometres depending on the snow, to the herd. You feed the reindeer with lichen and spend time in a tipi while the herder tells stories about Sámi life. Transport from your accommodation in Abisko or Björkliden is included. Lunch is not, and you are asked to bring a packed lunch. The minimum age is 7.

Nutti Sámi Siida in Jukkasjärvi

Nutti Sámi Siida is an open-air Sámi museum in Jukkasjärvi, the village near Kiruna that is also home to the Icehotel. Lights Over Lapland runs a seven-hour day trip there. Pickup starts at 9:45 in Björkliden and from 10:00 in Abisko. The ticket covers the museum, the café and handicraft shop, and time in the reindeer corral. An optional guided tour starts at 12:15; you report for it at the reception. Lunch can be bought at Café Sápmi, and warm clothing is not included. Children from 5 can come along, and the shared tour takes up to 28 people.

Explore Arctic combines the museum with the Icehotel on a longer day of about seven and a half hours. You visit the Icehotel on your own with an included ticket, see the church in Jukkasjärvi, feed reindeer at Nutti Sámi Siida and drive back through old and new Kiruna, a town in the middle of its relocation. The group stops for lunch, which you pay yourself. If you are moving on, the driver can drop you in the Kiruna area or at Kiruna Airport instead of bringing you back.

For Kiruna, Jukkasjärvi and the Icehotel, see our sister guide kirunatourism.com.

Choosing a Sámi tour

If you only have an evening, the reindeer visit or the joik concert gives you direct contact with Sámi people without leaving Abisko. The Rautas trek is the closest look at a working herd, but it takes a full day and some walking on snowshoes. Nutti Sámi Siida is the better choice for background, with a museum and an easy day by coach. More full-day options from Abisko, including the fjords of Narvik, are on the day trips page.