Discover Husky Sledding in the Wilderness (Finland)

Located just to the south of Finnish Lapland, Discover Husky Sledding in the Wilderness also gives you good chances to experience a display of the Northern Lights during your tour. You will be travelling far away from light pollution and the dark skies offer a wonderful palette for the Aurora to paint its colours.

Learn to handle your own husky team

Over three days, you will be driving your own dogsled team of Siberian and Alaskan Huskies through the Finnish wilderness, learning how to work with your husky team and caring for them during the tour.

All participants drive own sled, typically with 3-6 dogs per team depending on factors such as participant weight and strength as well as weather and trail conditions.

Minimum age is normally 15, but families with younger children who are of suitable size and strength to handle their own sled are also possible by arrangement.

As with all our dogsled tours, all specialist winter clothing (thermal outer suit, warm boots and gloves) is provided for you.

Overnight expedition to wilderness cabin

You begin your tour with a training trip from the kennels. After an introduction to the equipment and some guidance on handling the sled, you set off for a tour of around 10km, an ideal way to gain your confidence and prepare for the longer sledding days ahead.

After night at the kennels and a chance to relax in the sauna, it's time to pack for a two-day husky adventure into the wilderness. You head out to a remote cabin in the forest, covering around 25-35km depending on conditions, where you will spend the night.

There is very little habitation in this area and you may well have the silence of the Finnish winter wilderness to yourselves during your expedition. The wilderness cabin has no electricity or running water - that's all part of the experience! - but is cosy and welcoming.

Here there is also a cosy "kåta" (traditional wooden tipi) where you will prepare dinner together, and a wonderful wood-fired sauna that will be lit to relax in at the end of your day on the trail.

Your final day of sledding brings you back to the kennels, also with distance around 20-35km and of course stopping to enjoy lunch over open fire along the way. Back at the kennels, you take care of the dogs and equipment and can celebrate the completion of your adventure with another sauna if you wish!

With two full days of sledding and one shorter sledding day with time to relax and enjoy the winter world around you, this itinerary combines all the adventure of a point-to-point dogsled tour with a relaxed pace.

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.

Day 1 - Arrival

Transfers will meet flights as follows:

• Tours 27.01-31.01.25 and 23.02-27.02.25: Finnair flight AY487 from Helsinki arriving Kuusamo 21.45 (departs Helsinki 20.00).
• Tour 16.03-20.03.25: TBC.
• Other tour dates: Will normally be as for Standard tour dates above but additional flexibility may be possible by arrangement. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Transfer (approx. 75 mins) to the kennels.

Guests arriving by public transport from Helsinki to Kuusamo or overnighting locally in Kuusamo must travel to Kuusamo airport for pick-up in connection with times as above. Pick-up from the bus station or accommodation in Kuusamo is unfortunately not possible.

You can also arrive by night train from Helsinki to Oulu (9-10 hours) + bus from Oulu to Taivalkoski (2 hours 15 mins), from where transfer to the kennels (around 30 mins) is included. NB: Please contact us to discuss possible timings if arriving by bus, as transfers must be coordinated with guests arriving by flight.

Dinner and introduction briefing for the days ahead, but retiring to your cabin accommodation for the night.

Day 2 - Dog sledding day tour from the kennels

After breakfast, you will meet the dogs and have some instruction in how to with your teams and how to drive the dogsled. You take your first dogsled tour, a relatively easy-going training trip covering around 10km, allowing to you ease into the experience of handling your own team and gain your confidence.

After the tour, there will be time to relax and enjoy the surroundings. If you wish, you're welcome to spend time in the afternoon with the dogs and assist with their feeding and care.

Dinner and sauna in the evening and accommodation at the kennels.

Day 3 - Overnight dogsled tour to wilderness cabin

Today you head off on safari! You load your equipment onto the sleds and head off into the wilderness. You will take just a small bag with you (40 litres) containing what you need for the trip, leaving your other luggage at the kennels.

You'll normally cover around 25km-35km sledding today depending on weather and trail conditions.

The route takes you through old-growth forest and frozen wetlands. You will stop for lunch halfway and enjoy a break around the open fire. In the afternoon, you will arrive at your wilderness cabin accommodation, located next to the river.

The cabin is simple, with no electricity or running water, but welcoming and cosy and heated with wood-burning stove. You'll prepare dinner together in a "kåta" (wooden tipi), and a traditional wood-fired sauna will be prepared for you. The perfect way to end a day on the trail!

Day 4 - Sledding to the kennels

After breakfast and taking care of the dogs, you head out for another full day of sledding as you make your way back towards the kennels. Distance this day will normally be around 20-30km, stopping for lunch over open fire along the way.

Once back at the kennels, you unpack the sleds and take care of the dogs and equipment before your final sauna dinner together.

Day 5 - Departure

Breakfast and check-out, and it is time to say goodbye to the dogs (at least until next time!).

Transfer to Kuusamo (approx. 75 mins) for onward travel.

Transfers will meet flights as follows:

• Tour 27.01-31.01.25: Finnair flight AY486 from Kuusamo arriving Helsinki 13.05 (departs Kuusamo 11.20).
• Tour 23.02-27.02.25: Finnair flight AY482 from Kuusamo arriving Helsinki 12.35 (departs Kuusamo 10.15).
• Tour 16.03-20.03.25: TBC.
• Other tour dates: Transfers will normally be as for Standard tour dates above but additional flexibility may be possible by arrangement. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Guests overnighting locally in Kuusamo after the tour can have transfer to one of the following hotels on departure (must be advised well in advance): Holiday Spa Hotel Kuusamon Tropiikki, Hotel Kuusanka, Hotel Goiglo.

For guests departing by bus to Oulu for night train to Helsinki, transfer is included to Taivalkoski (around 30 mins) after breakfast. NB: Please contact us to discuss possible timings if departing by bus, as transfers must be coordinated with guests departing by flight.

Included

Accommodation:

• Three nights' basecamp accommodation at the kennels (Days 1, 2 and 4). Standard is simple but comfortable, with electricity and running water. The lodge is total area 200m2 with kitchen, fireplace, eating/social area, TV, sauna (available for Day 2 and Day 4) and 4 twin/single bedrooms with total 10 beds*. Bed linen and towel are provided.
• One night in simple wilderness cabin (Day 3). The cabin is simple and comfortable, with no electricity or running water and dry, outside toilet. Shared sleeping accommodation for all persons. Wood-fired sauna is available. There are no showers, but the sauna offers an opportunity to wash. Sleeping bag and liner are provided.
• Everyone assists with general tasks around the accommodation such as preparing food, tidying up, perhaps chopping wood, etc.

*Solo travellers and couples: For the 3 nights at the kennels, there are 4 rooms in total and max. group size is 6 persons. Couples will have private room for these nights. Depending on the number of guests and the composition of the group, solo travellers may have own room or share with another same-gender participant. All sleeping accommodation for night at wilderness cabin is shared.

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 dog sled and team of huskies. The kennel has around 40 Alaskan and Siberian Huskies. All participants will drive own dogsled with typically 3-6 dogs per team.
• Warm winter outer clothing: thermal snowmobile suit, winter boots, warm mitten gloves and balaclava (please bring own hat).

Guide:

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

Transfers:

• Local transfers between Kuusamo 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.

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 15 years. Younger children (min. age 12) with suitable height, weight and strength to drive own sled (typically weight min. 50kg, height 140cm) may also be possible by arrangement. Please contact us to discuss suitability for children.

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 "Easy-Medium"?

The tour features simple but comfortable accommodation on all nights. On Days 1, 2 and 4, accommodation has electricity and running water.

The tour takes place in a very remote area, but the terrain is relatively flat or undulating with some uphill/downhill sections.

The first day of dog sledding is training tour from basecamp with the opportunity to gain confidence and covering a shorter distance, followed by overnight expedition to wilderness camp with longer daily distances. This itinerary will typically have a more accessible level of physical challenge compared to tours moving location each day.

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:

Standard tour dates require total minimum 2 persons required for tours to be confirmed to run. You are welcome to book as a solo traveller.

Additional public tour dates can also be added on request from minimum 2 persons. These additional dates will then require total minimum 3 persons to be confirmed to run.

Private tours for small groups are also possible on other dates by arrangement, at standard prices based on min. 3 persons. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Groups

Max. group size 6 participants. This experience is ideal for small private groups. Please contact us to discuss your requirements for private tours.

Eco Info

This provider has a written environmental policy.