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Photo: PH

Polar Lights Husky Sledding in Finnish Lapland (Finland)

Dog sledding in the Pallas-Ylläs National Park from base at wilderness lodge

  • Guided
  • Medium
  • From £/person
  • Dec-Apr, 6 days/5 nights
  • Adults (min. age 16)

Highlights:

  • Drive your own dogsled team
  • Very good chances for Northern Lights
  • Sled in one of Finland's largest National Parks
  • Stay in modern cabin at kennels and in wilderness cabin
  • Lakeside sauna
  • Just 30 mins' transfer time from Kittilä

Description »

A dog sledding holiday with varied trails in a remote wilderness area

Bookings now open for winter 2024/25! Bookings are now open for 2024/25 and we strongly advise booking immediately if you wish to travel next winter. The majority of tour dates for this experience are typically fully booked far in advance.

The landscapes of Pallas-Ylläs National Park in the far north of Finland are considered some of Finland's finest - the park covers over 1000 sq.km. of wilderness fell chain, ancient forest and wetland areas.

Polar Lights Husky Sledding in Finnish Lapland is a dogsled adventure with five nights based at wilderness lodge on the edge of the park by Lake Madejärvi, with arrival/departure + 4 days' sledding. Each day you will head out to explore the National Park region, driving your own team of Alaskan Huskies.

Cabin base for your dogsled tour

The wilderness cabin offers comfortable simplicity, with wood-fired sauna by the lake. Photo: PH.

Accommodation for all nights of tour is at the wilderness lodge near the kennels. The cabins are simple but cosy and comfortable - there is no mains electricity or running water (drinking water is provided from the kennels), but the cabins are lit by LED battery-powered lighting, heated with wood-burning stove supplemented by oil-fired heating, and there is the opportunity for a traditional Finnish sauna by the lake to round off each day on the trail!

This Arctic region is also a wonderful location to see the Northern Lights, which may be seen throughout the dog sledding season - you are far away from light pollution and the wild nature of the park provides a wonderful backdrop.

Harness your husky team to explore the winter wilderness of Finnish Lapland driving your own dogsled

The wilderness lodge camp is located some distance from the kennels, offering a real sense of remoteness. From here, there are a choice of trails for the coming days and you will harness your team each to make daily tours exploring the National Park.

During sledding days, you will prepare the dogs and sleds in the morning and typically be ready to take to the trail around 11.00, stopping for lunch outside during the day and returning to the cabins around 15.00-16.00. Typical distance covered for a days' sledding is around 35-40km depending on weather and trail conditions (except first sledding day, when distance is typically shorter).

Drive your own dogsled

You will be driving your own dogsled team and caring for your dogs during the trip. Photo: PH.

Polar Lights Husky Sledding in Finnish Lapland is a wonderful choice for a moderately challenging dogsled tour offering the opportunity to sled in a very remote landscape, but with the convenience of one overnight location during the week to provide a "home" during your tour, and accommodation with a little more in the way of facilities (such as basic lighting and nightly sauna) than would be typical for a multi-day dogsled adventure. With regular tour dates from December until April, whether a solo traveller, couple, group of friends or family with older children, this should be a husky holiday to remember!

The Northern Lights

Northern Lights, Polar Lights, Aurora Borealis - all terms to describe the magical shifting colours that appear in the skies of the far north and can be seen whenever the skies are dark enough (from around September to early April).

This experience is located in an area giving very good chances to see a display during your tour - you are staying far away from light pollution and well inside the Arctic Circle. As with any natural phenomenon, a display can of course never be guaranteed - the skies must be clear, there must be Aurora activity, and you must be awake to see them!

Getting Involved

As with all our dogsled tours, you will be involved in all aspects of the trip, and this is very much part of the experience. You will assist with caring for your dog team, including harnessing, feeding (and, yes, picking up poo!), as well as tasks around camp such as fetching water, chopping wood, preparing food, washing up, etc.

 ...

Itinerary »

Day 1 - Arrival

Transfer (approx. 30 mins) is included from Kittilä airport. Guests normally arrive with the early afternoon flight, but arrival later in the afternoon/early evening is also possible. Guests can also choose to arrive with night train to Roveneimi + bus to Levi for collection from there.

At the kennels you will be outfitted with your winter clothing for the tour before transfer to the wilderness cabin, which will be your base for the tour.

Following Days

Day 2

After breakfast, it's time for your first day of dog sledding! A 5-minute transfer brings you from the cabin to the kennels, where meet the dogs and be instructed in how to harness your team of Alaskan Huskies and how to handle the sled.

Once ready, you head off to explore the stunning landscapes of the Pallas-Ylläs area. As for your other days of sledding, you will make a stop for lunch over open fire. Once back at the cabin, Here you unharness your dogs, see to their needs and make ready for the evening.

Dinner is taken together in the "kåta", the wooden tipi, and there is the opportunity for sauna by the lake. If you're feeling brave, you can try a roll in the snow!

Days 3-4

Each morning you take care of the dogs and harness your teams to take to the trails once more for a new day's sledding. The Pallas-Ylläs region has beautiful landscapes of forest, rolling fjells, frozen lakes and plains to explore.

At night you return to the warmth and welcoming cosiness of the cabins and perhaps a sauna to ease those tired muscles after your day's sledding!

Day 5

After the last day's sledding, you unharness your team and take care of the equipment for the last time at the kennels before 5 minute transfer back to the wilderness cabin for your last night. You will have been working closely with your team during the last days and are likely to have become very attached!

Final night at the cabin, with dinner exchanging stories and memories from the trip.

Day 6 - Departure

After breakfast*, it's time to bid a (perhaps tear-filled!) farewell to your new four-footed friends. You will be transferred to Kittilä airport for departure. Transfer meets flights departing Kittilä around 09.30 or later. Guests departing by bus + train to Helsinki can be transferred to Levi.

*If you have chosen to add an extra sledding day tour this day, the tour will end in time for the evening flight from Kittilä to Helsinki.

Dates & Prices»

Dates 2023/24

Tours normally run Monday-Saturday, with the exception of dates around Christmas and New Year.

  • December: 15.12-20.12.23, 21.12-26.12.23 (Christmas tour), 27.12.23-01.01.24 (New Year tour)
  • January: 02.01-07.01.24, 08.01-13.01.24, 15.01-20.01.24, 22.01-27.01.24, 29.01-03.02.24
  • February: 05.02-10.02.24, 12.02-17.02.24, 19.02-24.02.24, 26.02-02.03.24
  • March: 04.03-09.03.24, 11.03-16.03.24, 18.03-23.03.24, 25.03-30.03.24
  • April: 01.04-06.04.24

Dates 2024/25

Tours normally run Sunday-Friday, with the exception of dates around Christmas and New Year.

  • December: 15.12-20.12.24, 22.12-27.12.24 (Christmas tour), 29.12.24-03.01.25 (New Year tour)
  • January: 05.01-10.01.25, 12.01-17.01.25, 19.01-24.01.25, 26.01-31.01.25
  • February: 02.02-07.02.25, 09.02-14.02.25, 16.02-21.02.25, 23.02-28.02.25
  • March: 02.03-07.03.25, 09.03-14.03.25, 16.03-21.03.25, 23.03-28.03.25, 30.03-04.04.25
  • April: 06.04-11.04.25

Prices 2023/24

Standard Prices 
Standard dates/personGBP
Christmas and New Year tours/personGBP

Prices 2024/25

Standard Prices 
Standard dates/personGBP
Christmas and New Year tours/personGBP
Optional Extras (see description below) 
Extra dogsled day tour on departure day (per person)On request
  • Extra dogsled day tour on departure day: For tours starting from mid-January onwards, subject to availability it may be possible to extend your trip with an extra day's dog sledding on Day 6 (no overnight accommodation included). This will then end in time for transfer to the early evening flight from Kittilä to Helsinki.

What's Included »

Included

Accommodation:

Five nights' accommodation in wilderness lodge, from where you will take day tours by dogsled to explore the surrounding area. The lodge camp is staffed and your local hosts will be with you during your stay there. Everyone assists with general tasks around the camp such as preparing food, tidying up, perhaps chopping wood for the sauna, etc.

  • The camp has two guest cabins with shared sleeping arrangements in bunk beds (sleeping bags are provided), offering simple but comfortable and spacious accommodation.
  • The cabins are heated with wood-burning stove and there is also an oil heater to provide heating through the night.
  • Sauna by the lake is available each night.
  • Lighting in the cabins is provided by an LED system powered by battery, which has USB connection to charge small electrical items such as cameras and mobile phones.
Wilderness Lodge

Wilderness cabin accommodation - bottom right shows "kåta" (wooden tipi) for meals. Photos: PH

Meals:

All meals from dinner on arrival day to breakfast on departure day (breakfast, lunch, dinner + coffee/snacks, etc). Please let us know if you have any special dietary requirements.

Equipment and Clothing:

  • All equipment necessary for dogsled tour including sled and team of huskies. The kennel has around 55 Alaskan Huskies. Adult participants will drive own dogsled with typically 4-5 dogs per team.
  • Warm winter outer clothing: thermal jacket and trousers, winter boots, warm hat, warm mitten gloves and inner gloves, winter sleeping bag (please bring own liner, pillowcase is provided). Please provide shoe sizes and clothing sizes in advance (smallest available sizes for winter boots is European 36 and for clothing XXS).
  • Thermos.
Clothing for dog sledding

Example winter clothing provided as standard

Guide:

  • Instruction in harnessing and sled handling.
  • Services of local guide during the tour.

Transfers:

  • Local transfers between Kittilä airport or town in connection with fixed flight times as per itinerary.

Not Included

  • Travel: We do not arrange flights or domestic travel, but are happy to advise on suitable connections and assist you with any aspect of planning your journey. See under "Getting There" for general travel information.
  • Alcoholic drinks.

Good To Know »

Required

Health requirements/experience:

You should have a general good level of fitness and enjoy the outdoors. You should also be comfortable living in close proximity with others.

Recommended minimum age 16 years.

Families with children aged 12 and over may also occasionally be possible on request (as sledding can take place during the day separately from other adult participants with own guide to be able to accommodate the requirements of a family). Please contact us to discuss your requirements and sledding arrangements for under 16s (participants under 16 will normally ride on guide's sled, but may on occasion be given own sled locally at the discretion of the guide if judged to be suitable).

No previous dog sledding experience is required. Dog sledding can be physically demanding. You must be able to brake the sled when going downhill and also assist the dogs during uphill sections by stepping off and running behind the sled for short distances.

If weight >95kg, please contact us to discuss suitability.

What makes this "Medium"?

As a 6-day/5-night experience with 4 days' sledding, this experience will typicaly have a higher level of physical challenge than a shorter tour. The Pallas-Ylläs National Park area is a remote region and the level of challenge can vary significantly depending on weather and wind conditions.

However, as the itinerary is based on day tours from a fixed location, the level of challenge will typically be more accessible than tours requiring moving location, allowing you to run with light sleds during the day.

Accommodation is of simple standard but is cosy and comfortable with oil-fired heating to complement wood-burning stove and simple provision of electricity.

NB: Perception of difficulty is very subjective. What is hard to one person may be easy for another and vice versa, depending on factors including level of fitness, age and previous experience. Weather conditions/temperatures can also dramatically affect the actual level of challenge encountered.

Equipment/clothes needed:

For information on any equipment and/or clothing included as standard for this experience, please see under "What's Included".

A detailed recommended packing list for personal items to bring will be sent with your booking documentation.

NB: We advise you not to buy equipment or clothes for your trip or to incur other non-refundable expenses such as flights until you have received confirmation of your booking from us in writing. Note of course that the most appropriate clothing to use as well as the level of challenge experienced during any outdoor activity may vary significantly depending on factors such as the time of year and the particular weather/temperature conditions during your trip.

Preparing for your trip:

For further reading, we also have a number of general information articles to get you ready for your trip, covering a wide variety of topics from what to do on a city break before/after your tour, advice on packing, eyewear for winter and considerations for female travellers.

Minimum number:

Total minimum 2 persons required for tours to be confirmed to run. You are welcome to book as a solo traveller.

Groups

Max. group size 6 participants for public tours. For private tours, up to 8 participants may be possible by arrangement (with 8 persons, the group will be divided into two to sled separately with own guide during the day). Please contact us to discuss your requirements for private groups.

Eco Info

This provider has a written environmental policy.

The Pallas-Ylläs National Park

The Pallas-Ylläs National Park is Finland's third largest national park, covering an area of 1,020 sq.km. The park contains a range of important landscapes and habitats, with ancient forest and a chain of almost 100km of fells, the highest of which is Taivaskero at 807m.

Getting There »

Getting There

See below for a summary of travel options. To learn more about how to travel to this experience, please get in touch!

Detailed information on travel will be provided in response to your enquiry. We are happy to advise on suitable connections and assist you with any aspect of planning your journey.

NB: Please ensure that you make a booking with us first and wait for confirmation that your spaces are reserved before making any travel arrangements.

Travel Summary:

By Air:

Fly to Helsinki for domestic flight to Kittilä (1.5 hours) or travel by night train to Roveniemi and bus to Levi (total approx. 15 hours).

From Kittilä airport or Levi town, transfers to the kennels (approx. 30 mins) are included.

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