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7 days | Independent tour | Dec-Mar | Tromsø to Kilpisjärvi
This 7-day tour combines Tromsø with the glass igloos at Vasara Reindeer Ranch in Kilpisjärvi, right on the border of Finland and Norway. The Ranch is an original Sámi reindeer farm, home to a herd of over 800 reindeer and to Nils-Matti Vasara, a 12th generation Sámi reindeer herder. His wife Mia owns and runs the guest experience, and describes the property simply: 'not built to impress. It's built to feel something. Quiet. Real. Intentional.' With only four glass igloos, it is as remote and unhurried as that sounds.
As a Certified B Corporation, 50 Degrees North has designed this tour using handpicked local hoteliers and suppliers who share our ethos of delivering services and activities of high social and environmental standards.
The CO2-e per person per day of all tours is carefully measured following each season. We fully offset all emissions of our tours on your behalf, and we constantly look at ways to reduce emissions where possible.
Private transfers
After breakfast, you are met by our guide at your hotel and brought outdoors on a historical and cultural city walk through Tromsø city. During this walk you visit the Polar Museum with your guide. This museum contains the history of the Arctic explorers Amundsen, Nansen and Scott. The walk ends at the Polaria aquarium and environmental centre.
In the evening, you have the option of enjoying a Northern Lights Cruise (additional supplement applies) or having a relaxing dinner in one of Tromsø's many restaurants.
After breakfast, check out and transfer from Tromsø to Tamokhuset. On arrival, you will be provided with warm winter clothing and begin dog sledding with thorough safety instructions and a practical demonstration. Two people share each sled and dog team, one as the musher and one to sit back and enjoy the ride, switching places midway along the 12 km trail. Depending on snow conditions, the trail takes around one and a half hours to complete.
After the dog sledding, you will be served a hot meal around the open fire in a traditional North Norwegian setting before continuing to tonight's accommodation at Vasara Reindeer Ranch.
Your host at the Ranch is Mia Vasara, who owns and runs the guest experience here alongside her husband Nils-Matti, a 12th generation Sámi reindeer herder. The Ranch is an original Sámi reindeer farm, home to a herd of over 800 reindeer. Mia describes it as "not built to impress. It's built to feel something. Quiet. Real. Intentional." Check in and settle into your glass igloo on the shores of Lake Peera.
EACH REINDEER RANCH GLASS IGLOO FEATURES:
This is the all-time fastest and easiest Scandinavian tour: it takes less than a minute to visit three countries. The yellow border mark of Finland, Sweden and Norway stands about 15 kilometres from Kilpisjärvi village in Koltavuoma. This is called the world´s most peaceful border. You will be following the Snowmobile trail that runs from Kilpisjärvi to Koltavuoma mostly on frozen lake and follows the border of Finland and Sweden, winding by the side of Malla strict Nature Reserve. On the way back you will stop for a coffee break.
After an eventful day in the Finnish Lappish nature, a one-of-a-kind sauna experience is in store for you: The Arctic Land Sauna at Vasara Reindeer Ranch.
The Arctic Land Sauna sits on the shore of Lake Peera at Vasara Reindeer Ranch. From November to April, reindeer roam freely across the Ranch grounds, moving between grazing areas as they have done for generations. The sauna offers a quiet place to sit with that landscape, whether under the dark skies of winter or the long light of late summer, when the aurora may appear after months of absence.
Mia's husband Nils-Matti is a 12th generation Sámi reindeer herder and one of very few Sámi people today who herd full-time. Today you join him on the tundra, following his working day rather than a fixed itinerary.
The day begins with a car transfer from Kilpisjärvi village to the Ranch at Lake Peera. From there, roads give way to wilderness, and the journey continues by snowmobile sledge. Warm gear and blankets are provided for the crossing.
The destination isn't fixed in advance. Nils-Matti will send word of where to find him and the herd, because it's the reindeer who set the direction, and reindeer follow the wind. Whether the meeting point is half an hour out or an hour, the journey across the frozen tundra of the Käsivarsi Wilderness Area is part of the experience.
Once with Nils-Matti, you can help feed the herd and spend time among the reindeer at close range. Over lunch eaten outside, he'll talk about his work, his family, and life on this land.
The evening returns you to the Ranch and your final night in the glass igloos.
After breakfast, private transfer to the airport.
All prices listed are per person, based on two people sharing a room. We can modify this tour slightly to a lower-priced alternative.
Talk to us about extending this tour to Muonio, Levi, Ylläs or Rovaniemi. It is possible to do an optional Northern Lights Cruise in Tromsø.
ANIMAL WELFARE POLICY:
At 50 Degrees North, animal welfare is a top priority during all our tours and packages. We carefully select suppliers who adhere to strict animal welfare standards, ensuring that wildlife interactions are respectful and comply with local, national, and international regulations. We avoid offering excursions that involve captive wildlife, except where they are properly regulated, and all activities are designed to minimise disturbance to natural ecosystems. Our travellers are educated on responsible, including responsible animal interactions, through our 'Responsible Travel Tips' for travellers, and our guides are trained to lead by example, promoting ethical conduct towards both wild and domesticated animals. By prioritising animal welfare in every aspect of our tours, we ensure that your travel experience is both enjoyable and ethically sound. Read our article on Animal Welfare to learn more.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Weather conditions may occasionally affect certain activities, and as a result, the schedule may be adjusted to ensure the best possible experience for all guests. For multi-activity stays, often the order of the activities will be confirmed locally on arrival. Activities might vary slightly in their duration or location due to the weather and local conditions. Any activities that are unable to be re-scheduled due to weather conditions will be refunded as a general practice, as determined by the activity provider.
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