Where are they?...
- 1. Discover Dog Sledding in Lapland
- 2. Husky Mountain Expedition in Lapland
- 3. Dog Sledding and Winter Camping on the King's Trail
- 4. Northern Lights Dog Sledding in Lapland
- 5. One-day and Overnight Husky Tours in Kiruna
- 6. Dog Sledding and Northern Lights in Vindelfjällen
- 7. Wilderness Dogsled Adventure in Vindelfjällen
- 8. Aurora Husky Adventure in Finnmark
- 9. Go Dog Sledding in Trondelag
- 10. Polar Lights Husky Sledding in Finnish Lapland
- 11. Hut to Hut Aurora Husky Safari in Lapland
- 12. Experience Dog Sledding and Winter Camping in Finnmark
- 13. Discover Husky Sledding in the Wilderness
If you're looking for a winter holiday with a difference this year, how about a dog sledding adventure in the Nordic countries? Sweden, Norway and Finland are some of the world's top destinations for dogsled tours, with a long winter season extending from November to May in some areas.
Fixed-date tours from November to May or private husky adventures on custom dates
The season for our dog sledding holidays runs from mid-November to early May depending on the tour.
Nature Travels offers many ways to answer the Call of the Wild. A large selection of scheduled dog sled tours of varying duration and level of challenge
are offered on fixed dates throughout the season, ideal for solo travellers, couples or families.
If you would like a private dog sledding tour, most of the tours can also be booked by small groups on custom dates by arrangement.
Our dog sledding tours are ideal for and very popular with solo travellers, couples, small groups of friends or larger groups arranging a private
itinerary. A private version of one of the scheduled public tours may be a suitable option if you are 4-6 or more persons travelling together, such as for adventurous
training for Armed Forces groups or a charity dog sledding expedition.
Photo: George Baker.
Some of the world's best locations for dog sledding
Dog sledding is a wonderful sport, and Sweden, Norway and Finland offer world-class opportunities for a husky holiday. The combination of outdoor
adventure, nature experience and personal challenge is hard to resist - and dog sledding is a marvellous way to experience the beauty and tranquility
of the winter mountain world.
Many of our experiences run in areas with restricted access for snowmobiles, ensuring there is nothing to disturb
the silence but the excited barking of your husky team straining to be off!
Photo: Keith Slater.
From introductory husky tours to challenging wilderness expeditions
Nature Travels dog sledding holidays are suitable for anyone in generally good physical condition, though the level of challenge varies considerably
between tours and it is important to ensure you choose the most suitable experience for you.
Life on the trail can be demanding, but above all you will need a willingness to work with the huskies in your dogsled team, caring for them and
earning their friendship during your tour. The majority of our dogsled tours are based on (adult) participants driving their own dogsled, normally with 3-5 Alaskan Huskies
or Siberian Huskies depending on the tour. For some tours, those who are not able or do not wish to drive their own sled can choose to share
a sled or use a sled attached to the guide's sled.
Photo: Kayleigh MacMillan.
You will be given full training and guidance in handling your dogsled before the tour from your local guide. Some strength and fitness is required
when braking the sled or when it is necessary to step off the sled to run or "scoot" behind for short distances when travelling uphill, but you
will be surprised how quickly you gain confidence and begin to develop the skills needed. You should be very proud of your progress as a musher
by the end of your tour!
Each of our dog sledding holidays offers something different, and it is important that you choose the best experience for you. We have outlined information below
on the range of options for dog sledding in Sweden, Finland and Norway. You may also find our dog
sledding FAQs of interest. Alternatively, please contact us and we will happy to answer any questions you may have.
Combining dog sledding with other activities
Finally, if you like the idea of a husky holiday but are not looking for a dedicated dogsled tour, we offer a range of experiences which include
dog sledding alongside other winter activites. Our Aurora Lodge Escape in Lapland and also Northern Lights Multi-activity Adventure in Lapland experiences combine dog sledding with other activities in the beautiful Lapland wilderness.
For families with younger children or those who would like to just "have a go", it is possible to arrange husky day tours when staying at Winter Log Cabin Escape in Värmland, usually using shared sleds driven by a guide.
Why is Sweden good for dog sledding?
The Sweden dogsled tours we offer are located in different parts of Swedish Lapland in the north of the country. This is a wonderful region for dog sledding because:
- Sweden's vast areas of lowland lakes and forests are ideal for husky sledding throughout the winter, so the season for dog sledding is very long. Typically snow conditions are suitable for sledding by around mid-November and the season continues all the way to late April.
- Swedish Lapland also has spectacular mountain regions which are perfect for more challenging dogsled tours, staying in mountain cabins or even winter camping. Some of our mountain dogsled tours are possible throughout the season, while others take place only in the later part of the winter from mid-February onwards.
- You have very good chances to see the Northern Lights during your tour, as you are dog sledding in the far north and in areas away from light pollution. The Northern Lights can be seen on any of our husky tours in Sweden throughout the season up until around early/mid-April, when the nights start to become too light for the Aurora to be visible.
Adults drive their own sled for all our dogsled tours in Sweden. Photo: James Padolsey.
Dog Sledding Holidays in Sweden:
Our seven options for dog sledding in Sweden range from family-friendly trips to challenging wilderness expeditions. None requires previous sledding experience, but for the more challenging tours it is important that you have an appropriate level of fitness and are used to the outdoors. You'll find more information on the requirements for each dogsled tour under "Good to know" on the relevant tour page.
Who should choose this tour?
- You are an adult solo traveller or group (children min. age 15 also possible) looking for an adventurous tour in a very remote area, but perhaps don't want a full week's dog sledding. Most tours are 5 days/4 nights (with 3 days' sledding) with some dates 6 days/5 nights (with 4 days' sledding). Tours are possible throughout the winter from November to April.
- You like very personal, small-scale experiences. Maximum group size is just 4 persons, which also makes it ideal for small private groups of friends (up to 5 persons can be accommodated on private tours).
In Vindelfjällen you may well have the world to yourself! Photo: PK.
The Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve, located in north-west Sweden, is Europe's largest protected area but there is very little tourism here, so you'll really be getting "away from it all" and may well meet no-one else during your trip.
This tour takes you up through the lowland forest into a landscape of open, rolling mountains, so you can experience the adventure of mountain dog sledding right through the winter season.
As a dogsled tour partly in the mountains, this tour can be physically challenging, especially in heavy snow conditions, and requires a general good level of fitness, but is a very popular choice for a wide range of guests.
Accommodation is first and last night in comfortable cabin near the kennels and nights during the tour in simple wilderness cabins along the route.
Who should choose this tour?
- You are:
- An adult solo traveller or group looking for a fairly accessible multi-day dogsled tour (total 2 days' sledding + short sled in morning of Day 4) long enough to realy get "into" your mushing adventure without the commitment or extra physical challenge of a longer tour. Tours are offered throughout the season from November to April.
- Adult(s) with children aged min. 6 (adult and family guests are not mixed within the same tour group) who you are confident will enjoy a multi-day winter experience of this kind. Children under 16 will share sled with an adult.
- You would like to combine your Sweden dog sledding tour with other activities. Located near Kiruna in the far north of Sweden, this tour makes an ideal combination with, for example, the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi. Snowmobile tours can also be added as an optional extra in connection with the start/end of your dogsled tour.
This tour is suitable for a wide range of both adult and family guests. Photo: Ian Cameron.
Running in a beautiful landscape of frozen lakes and forest, you will drive your own dogsled team, normally staying one night at the kennels on arrival and two nights in simple cabin at the wilderness camp.
Children under 16 are half price and travel is straightforward, with regular domestic flights or night train services between Stockholm and Kiruna. The kennels are located just 20 minutes from Kiruna town.
Who should choose this tour?
- You are an adult solo traveller or group wanting a longer dogsled tour (6 days' sledding) in a lowland area. Tours are offered weekly from December to April.
This tour is also a great option for private groups of adults or even older school groups (min. age 16). Max. group size is 6 persons for public tours but 7-8 persons per group are possible for private tours.
The beautiful dogs are always the real stars of any dogsled tour. Photo: M. Rullander.
This is an extended version of Discover Dog Sledding in Lapland, spending today 6 days' sledding and staying in wilderness cabins with a combination of day tours from fixed location and sledding to new cabins.
Choosing a longer dogsled tour increases the level of physical challenge, but being a lowland landscape, the tour is still accessible to a wide range of participants. A week-long tour really gives you the chance to immerse yourself in the sledding and the landscape, and to get to know and love your husky teams even more!
You should choose this tour?
- You are an adult solo traveller or group wanting a fairly challenging week-long dogsled tour (6 days' sledding - a longer 10-day tour with 8 days' sledding is also available) in spectacular mountain scenery and wish to travel from mid-February to April.
- You have always wanted to experience the King's Trail, Sweden's most famous long-distance trail. This tour normally runs on the section of the trail between Abisko and Kebnekaise, staying in mountain cabins along the route.
The mountain scenery in this area makes a stunning backdrop to the tour. Photo: Alistair McGregor.
Dog sledding in the mountains adds an extra dimension to any tour. With a number of uphill sections, you will need to assist your husky teams regularly by "scooting" with one foot or pushing/pulling the sled.
Weather and trail conditions in the mountains can be very variable, so the level of physical challenge and the sledding time needed between the overnight cabins can be different for each tour. In deep snow or challenging weather this can be a physically challenging tour, especially on days gaining altitude. In good weather with hard-packed trails, the daily distances can be covered relatively quickly - in the mountains, nothing is predictable!
The stunning mountain scenery and the experience of life in the mountain cabins, where you will also meet other adventurers doing the King's Trail on skis, makes this a very special choice for a dogsled tour.
Who should choose this tour?
- You are an adult solo traveller or group interested in the Husky Mountain Expedition outlined above but wanting a week-long dogsled tour (6 days' sledding) with the extra challenge and adventure of winter camping.
The element of winter camping adds an extra level of challenge to any tour. Photo: Jenny&anbsp;.
Normally following the same route as the Husky Mountain Expedition cabin tour, this winter camping alternative increases the level of challenge, as you will need to prepare camp each night for sleeping under canvas!
As with the Husky Mountain Expedition, variable weather and trail conditions can greatly affect the level of challenge encountered,making this a real winter adventure for which you should have a good level of fitness and be used to outdoor life.
You will normally camp near the mountain cabins to be able to make use of some of the facilities there.
Who should choose this tour?
- You are a solo adult or group looking for a challenging wilderness dogsled tour in the later part of the winter (tours are offered in late March and April), typically covered greater daily distances than is possible for other mountain tours. This tour is also ideal for private groups and is a very personal and small-scale expereince with group size just 4 persons.
- You want to drive a team of racing-trained huskies through one of Sweden's most remote areas.
- You have been dog sledding before and are looking for a "next step" experience (previous sledding experience is not essential, but this is an excellent choice for guests who have been dog sledding before).
As an extended version of Dog Sledding and Northern Lights in Vindelfällen,
This is the most challenging and remote of our Sweden dog sledding tours. Photo: PK.
A unique opportunity to drive competition-trained husky teams through a stunning landscape of rolling mountains in north-west Sweden, this is the most challenging of our dogsled tours in Sweden and is a real "bucket list" adventure.
Accommodation during the tour is in wilderness cabins along the route, with the option to camp on some nights. The itinerary for this tour can be varied to take account of weather and trail conditions and to a certain extent the abilities/experience of the guests. First and last nights are in comfortable cabin near the kennels.
At Nature Travels we specialise in longer, multi-day dogsled tours, but these shorter options will be ideal for you if:
- You are an adult solo traveller, group or family with children (min. age 6).
- You are travelling to the Kiruna area in the far north of Sweden for other activities and wanting to do a short dogsled tour as one of your activities rather than a longer tour, but would still like the option to drive your own sled and work closely with the dogs.
Working closely with the huskies is a feature of even our shorter tours. Photo: Jenny Simpson.
These options are shortened variations of Discover Dog Sledding described above. Choose between a day tour with no overnight accommodation, or the Overnight tour, which starts with pick-up at 13.00 on Day 1. You sled to wilderness cabin where you enjoy the experience of simple cabin life (with sauna!) for the night, before short sled back to kennels the following morning.
This is a very good choice if you have not been sledding before and are unsure whether you or your children would enjoy a more extended trip (you can always return for one next winter!), or if you are short of time.
Why is Finland good for dog sledding?
In Finland, we offer a range of options of varying level of challenge, including a week-long, point-to-point tour, Hut to Hut Aurora Husky Safari in Lapland, when you will sled between different wilderness cabins each day during the tour, and possibilities for tours with a combination of fixed base and point-to-point component.
Polar Lights Husky Sledding in Finnish Lapland features three nights in wilderness cabin with lakeside sauna and two nights in modern cabin at the kennels. Photo: PH.
Dog Sledding Holidays in Finland:
Our Finland dogsled tours take place in the far north of Finnish Lapland, in the beautiful forest landscapes around Kittilä and close to the Pallas-Ylläs National Park, and in the Taivalkoski region a little to the south of the border with Lapland.
Who should choose this tour?
- You are an adult solo traveller or group looking for a reasonable-length dogsled adventure (4 days' sledding with optional extra sledding on departure day) in the far north sledding in a very remote area.
- You would enjoy the some small luxuries such as two nights in modern house at the kennels and, for the three nights in wilderness cabin, LED lighting and lakeside sauna.
- You would like the chance to see the Northern Lights during your tour - being located in the far north, this experience gives very good chances to see the Northern Lights throughout the period in which tours are offered (December to late March, including Christmas and New Year).
The Pallas-Ylläs National Park offers remote sledding in a winter wonderland landscape. Photo: PH.
Accommodation is in a simple but cosy and comfortable cabin on the edge of Pallas-Ylläs National Park, a beautiful wilderness area of forest and fjells perfect for exploring by dogsled. Sauna by the lake is available each night at the cabin and although there is no mains electricity, simple LED lighting and also camera/mobile charging is available.
The advantages of having a fixed base for your dogsled tour are:
- You do not need to pack/unpack your gear, clear the cabins/break camp, etc, each day. This can be both energy- and time-consuming, so sledding from a fixed location means you can really focus on the sledding and also allows you to really settle in to your accommodation for the tour and make yourself at home!
- Since there is no fixed minimum sledding distance to cover each day (as there would be on a point-to-point cabin tour, for example), tours can be very flexible to take account of factors such as weather, temperature and trail conditions as well as to a certain extent to adapt the level of challenge of the dogsled tour and distance covered to particular participants.
- The tours still offer a variety of trails to explore each day, which can be easily extended/shortened as necessary, meaning that sledding from a fixed base is by no means necessarily less varied than a point-to-point tour.
Who should choose this tour?
- Adults (min. age 18) with good level of fitness and experience of the outdoors looking for a fairly challenging point-to-point dogsled tour in a remote area with good possibilities for Northern Lights.
- Those who enjoy adventure and simple wilderness living but also appreciate a few "creature comforts" offered by this tour. Accommodation at the start/end is shared in comfortable hotel rooms or cabins, while the wilderness cabins along the route each have sauna available.
A view of the Northern Lights is always a magical end to a day on the trail. Photo: HHS.
You will be driving your own dogsled, typically with four huskies in your team, and covering around 30-45km daily as you sled through a landscape of frozen lakes and ancient forest between the cabins.
Who should choose this tour?
- Adults (min. age 15) who wish to drive own sled, or families with children under 15 who have suitable height/weight/strength to handle their own sled (please contact us to discuss suitability).
- Those who are looking for a personal winter adventure in a remote landscape, but who would like a more easy-going experience compared to some of our other multi-day dogsled tours.
All participants drive own sled team of 3-6 huskies for this tour. Photo: UT.
The tour begins with a training day from the kennels (around 10km) followed by a two-day expedition to wilderness cabin (20-35km/day). Sauna is available each night, including wood-fired sauna for night at the wilderness cabin.
Why is Norway good for dog sledding?
Norway is world-famous for its breathtaking mountain landscapes, and choosing Norway for your dog sledding holiday can be a wonderful way to combine the adventure of a husky tour with the splendour of the Norwegian landscape.
But with a length of more than 2500km north to south), the country offers huge variation, which is reflected in the range of dogsled tours we offer in the country:
- The majestic mountain peaks of central Norway and the rolling fjells of Trøndelag are easily accessible from Oslo or Trondheim, meaning travelling to stunning dog sledding locations can be easier and lower cost than tours further north.
- In the far north of Norway, the tundra region of Finnmark offers a very different landscape - wide, open spaces of wilderness with a magical atmosphere.
Norway offers world-class landscapes for a dogsled adventure. Photo: Nature Travels.
Dog Sledding Holidays in Norway:
Our Norway dogsled tours offer a variety and landscapes, from the beautiful mountains of Trøndelag to the wild beauty of the Finnmark tundra.
Who should choose this tour?
- You are an adult solo traveller, group or family with older children (min. age 13) looking for a moderately challenging and unique dogsled experience. Three tour options are available: a 5-day tour with 3 days' sledding, an 8-day itinerary with 3 days' sledding and additional activities at the kennels, and an 8-day itinerary with 6 days' sledding.
- You appreciate a strong focus on tradition and sustainable living. The cabins at the kennels, where you stay for the first and last nights of the tour (and also additional nights for one of the 8-day itineraries) have not only been hand-built but are also completely furnished and decorated with hand-crafted items from local materials. Even the clothes you will be wearing when sledding are hand-made!
The handcrafted cabins at the kennels are a unique attraction for this tour. Photo: EH.
Located in the far north of mainland Norway, these tours offer the possibility to sled on the Finnmark plateau and are a perfect choice for dog sledding in a remote and beautiful wilderness area but with a level of challenge accessible to most guests with general good level of fitness. There is the flexibility to use tandem sleds where both persons drive at the same time, progressing to driving own sled as you gain confidence and experience.
When out "on tour", accommodation is in simple wilderness cabins as for other dogsled experiences.
For the 8-day itineraries, there is also a Sámi cultural element where you have the opportunity to visit a local family and learn something of the life of a reindeer herder. Nearby Karasjok if the home of the Sámi parliament and a centre for indigenous political administration.
Who should choose this tour?
- Solo adults, small groups of families with older children (min. age 15) who would like a relatively short tour easily accessible from Trondheim, but which offers a real flavour of mountain dog sledding.
- Female travellers who would like a ladies-only tour (there are mixed and female-only tour dates available).
The night in wilderness cabin in the mountains is a great introduction to longer cabin tours. Photo: NHA.
Just an hour from Trondheim, this tour combines accommodation in comfortable chalet with (for the Open and 5-day tour itineraries) a night in wilderness cabin in the mountains.
Who should choose this tour?
- Adults or adventurous families would like to experience winter camping in addition to some wonderful dog sledding in a personal and flexible tour environment.
- The unique nature of this tour means that the trip can be adapted to suit the needs and wishes of the participants, with the accommodation used (heated tents and/or standard tents), daily distances covered and area explored all flexible to offer the best possible experience.
The use of spacious, heated "Gamme" tents makes this tour both uniquely flexible in terms of itinerary and allows you to experience all the adventure winter camping but with a little extra comfort. Photo: PIR.
This tour used shared sleds one per two persons, with participants changing driver/passenger role as appropriate, and offers the oppportunity to experience driving large teams of up to eight dogs in remote and challenging terrain, where two persons are required to handle the sled and teams effectively.
Combining an evening training tour on Day 1 with three days of dog sledding and winter camping in the wilderness, this tour is ideal both for individual travellers on public tour dates and for private groups and families wishing to have their own experience.
Dog sledding is a unique and wonderfully addictive experience, and there are no better places for it than the Nordic countries! If you haven't tried
it, you really should. And if you already have, then what are you waiting for? It's time to get back on the trail!
