Reindeer sledding from the Tromsø cruise port
On a cruise, Tromsø is usually one day, sometimes a night, rarely more. A reindeer tour fits that day better than almost anything else in the Arctic, because it is short and it leaves from the harbor. Whether it works depends on two things, the month your ship calls and the time you have to be back on board.
First check the month, not the reviews
Most cruise ships visit Tromsø between May and September, under the midnight sun. That alone can rule out a sled ride before you even look at a tour. Without snow, there is no sledding. The camps stay open in summer and you can still feed the herd and sit in the lavvu, but the sleds wait in the shed. Our guide to reindeer visits without snow covers that case.
Winter cruises, from about late November to early April, are a different story. Northern Lights itineraries and the coastal express ships call in exactly the months when the camps run their sleds, and Tromsø becomes one of the easiest places in Norway to try it. Which winter month is best is in its own guide.
Prostneset or Breivika: where your ship docks
Tromsø has two places where cruise passengers come ashore. Smaller ships and the coastal express tie up at the Prostneset terminal, on the harbor in the city center. Larger cruise ships usually use the Breivika quay, about 4 to 5 km north of town, in a port area you cannot comfortably walk from. Cruise lines generally run a shuttle into the center, and taxis wait at the quay; plan on 15 to 20 minutes each way.
Prostneset matters more than usual here, because three of the five tours on our comparison page leave from that very building. Our pick from Tromsø Arctic Reindeer and its evening sled with dinner board their bus at the bus side of the terminal, and Camp Tamok checks you in at the Destination Tromsø meeting point inside. Tromsø Lapland meets outside the Radisson Blu Hotel a few minutes' walk away, and the camp closest to town pins its meeting point in the booking.
Choose by your all-aboard time
Our rule is simple. Take the start time, add the length of the tour, add the trip from your berth, then keep an hour of buffer. If that lands after all-aboard, pick an earlier or shorter tour.
| Your all-aboard | Tours that fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Before about 2:30 pm | None, realistically | Even the shortest sled tour is back at about 1:30 pm; too tight with a shuttle |
| 2:30 to 3:30 pm | Closest camp, sled option at 10 am | 3.5 hours, back around 1:30 pm |
| 3:30 to 6 pm | Our pick at 10 am, Tromsø Lapland at 10 am | Back around 2 pm or 2:30 pm |
| 6 to 11:30 pm | Our pick or Tromsø Lapland at 1 pm | Back around 5 pm or 5:30 pm |
| After 11:30 pm or overnight | The evening sled with dinner, or Camp Tamok on a long day | The evening tour is back at 10:30 pm; Tamok takes about 7 hours |
From Breivika, add another half hour to every line. And do not trust the timetable blindly, because snow on the road or a slow group can add a quarter of an hour, which is exactly why the buffer exists.
The tour that leaves from the terminal
Tromsø Arctic Reindeer's bus departs from Prostneset at 10 am and 1 pm, for ~$197 with a sled ride, feeding and lunch. Free cancellation until 24 hours before.
On the coastal express
Hurtigruten and Havila ships stop in Tromsø every day, but usually for a few hours in the afternoon heading north and around midnight heading south. Check your own timetable. A stop of three or four hours that starts after lunch rarely fits a tour that leaves at 10 am or 1 pm, and the evening tour leaves at 6 pm. On those short stops, the excursion sold on board is often the only realistic way to see reindeer, because the ship plans around it.
Ship excursion or booking yourself?
A tour sold by your cruise line has one real advantage. If the bus is late, the ship waits. That is worth something on a tight day. A tour you book yourself is usually cheaper, often the very same camp, and gives you the choice of departure. If you miss all-aboard, though, that is your problem, and the ship will not wait.
On a call of six hours or less, or on a coastal express stop, take the ship's excursion. On a full day or an overnight call, book yourself, take the morning departure and enjoy the afternoon in town. What the tours cost helps you compare with the price your ship quotes.
What to bring from the cabin
- Your ship card and ID. You will not need a passport for the tour, but you need the card to get back on board.
- Every warm layer you packed. Three of the five tours lend no winter suit. Our clothing guide has the list.
- Boots with grip. Quays and sidewalks in Tromsø are often icy; cheap ice cleats that slip over your shoes are sold in town.
- A charged phone in an inside pocket. Cold drains batteries fast, and you will want photos of the herd.
- Small cash or a card for the camp shop. Some camps sell reindeer hides, crafts and coffee. Card is accepted almost everywhere in Norway.