Sami Siida – Experience Living Arctic Sami Culture
Welcome to Sami Siida in Alta.
We are a family-owned business built on generations of reindeer herding. With pride and authenticity, we invite you to experience Sami culture not as spectators – but as welcomed guests.
With us, you will meet our reindeer up close, learn about the traditions and rhythms of reindeer husbandry, and discover how nature shapes our way of life through the eight Sami seasons. Our experiences include traditional reindeer sledding through the Arctic landscape, cultural storytelling in our lavvu, hands-on handicraft (duodji), and close encounters with the animals that are at the heart of our culture.
After your activities, you can enjoy authentic Sami cuisine in Norway’s largest Sami restaurant, where we serve traditional dishes made from local ingredients – especially reindeer – prepared with respect for heritage and sustainability.
We offer genuine, personal experiences. Many of our guests tell us they leave feeling calmer, more grounded, and deeply connected to nature and culture.
This is not a show.
This is our life.
And you are invited to be part of it.
Siida experience
With us, you will get to know a culture and traditions that have lived on for generations, shaped by the rhythm of nature and the life of reindeer herding.
As our guest, you come close to both us and our reindeer, experiencing a way of life that is still genuine and alive today.
Join a traditional Sami reindeer sledding journey through the Arctic landscape, or gather around the fire to listen to joik, stories, and legends passed down through generations. In the evening, you may be lucky enough to witness the magic of the Northern Lights dancing across the sky. During the day, you can enjoy the beautiful Arctic colors – the soft winter light, the blue hour, and the vast open landscape that brings a special sense of calm.
With us, you don’t just participate in an activity – you experience an authentic and atmospheric stay in Alta, filled with peace, closeness, and genuine Sami hospitality.
Reindeer sleighride
Experience the unique Sámi culture as you ride a sled behind a reindeer and hear about the semi-nomadic lifestyle around the fire in a Lavvo.
The reindeer herder
Experience the semi-nomadic life of the Sámi people and reindeer husbandry on a day trip to the plateau.
Sámi cultural experience
Experience Sami culture up close through stories, artefacts and reindeer in an authentic Sami Siida.
The unique Sámi restaurant
Enjoy a delicious meal, Sámi flavours with reindeer as the main ingredient.
With us, you can choose from traditional Sami dishes made from local and organic ingredients sourced from the tundra, the river, and the fjord.
Reindeer and salmon are always on our menu – ingredients that have been a natural part of our food culture for generations.
Stop by for an authentic Sami dining experience in warm and welcoming surroundings.
We tempt you with homemade cakes and desserts, and traditional coffee brewed over the fire – which can be enjoyed in our Ávvulávvu, meaning “Lavvu for Celebration.” Here, we gather around the open fire, share stories, and let the food and atmosphere create something truly special.
With us, taste, tradition, and togetherness come together – just as they have for generations.
