Husky Safari in Rovaniemi & Lapland

A husky safari in Lapland usually begins with a lot of noise. While the mushers get the sleds ready, dogs that were leaning in for a scratch a minute earlier start howling and jumping, because they want to run. Once the team pulls onto the trail the yard falls quiet, and for the rest of the ride you mostly hear panting dogs and the sled sliding over snow.

Husky rides are one of the most popular things to do around Rovaniemi, and the ways to do one differ more than people expect. You can ride as a passenger at a small family kennel while our photographer takes the pictures. You can drive your own team through the forest for 90 minutes, or book a whole husky farm for your family with pancakes afterwards. The right choice depends on how long you want to be outdoors, who is travelling with you and whether you want to steer.

Husky Safari Experience

A husky safari is a ride through the winter forest on a sled pulled by a team of dogs, led by a musher who knows each of them well. The kennels we work with follow much the same rhythm. You meet the dogs and hear how they live and train, then take the ride, and afterwards you warm up with a hot drink while the team rests.

The time in the yard is where you learn the most. The mushers explain how a team is built from dogs with different jobs: some are leaders, some are extra strong with great endurance, and others happily follow the leader of the pack. Their personalities vary just as much, from calm, watchful dogs to young ones full of puppy energy, so it pays to take your time before anyone climbs into a sled.

On our own Local Husky Experience with Sled Ride and Photographer, you visit a small kennel run by a local musher family whose dogs live as part of the household. You ride three kilometres as a passenger while a professional musher drives, so you can hold on and watch the forest go by. Afterwards everyone gathers by the fire for a warm drink and cookies, with time to sit with the dogs while they rest. The visit lasts about two hours in a small group, children have their own price, and the youngest, up to age three, join free of charge.

Our photographer joins this tour and takes pictures during the introductions, on the sled and around the fire, which means your phone can stay in your pocket and your fingers stay warm. A collection of 5–15 edited photos is ready to download from gallery.beyondarctic.com usually two or three days after the tour. Your guide gives you the password.

Our husky tours around Rovaniemi, Levi and Pyhä differ mainly in distance and in who holds the handlebar:

Drive Your Own Sled

Driving your own team sounds harder than it is, because the guide’s sled leads the way and you get safety and driving instructions before you set off. On the family and wilderness rides, the distance is adjusted to the snow, the weather and how the group is getting on.

The Family Husky Adventure with 6–10 km Sled Ride is the gentlest way to try. Two adults and up to two children share one sled, and the adults can swap drivers halfway, so each of you gets a turn at steering and a turn at simply looking around. Solo travellers who want a sled to themselves can book a single supplement.

For a longer day in the forest, the Wilderness Husky Adventure with 12–18 km Husky Ride keeps you on the sled for about 90 minutes, with up to eight sleds on the trail. Younger teenagers sit in the guide’s sled on both this tour and the family ride, and each tour page gives the exact age limits.

The Private Family Husky Farm Visit with 10 km Sled Ride gives the whole farm to your family or group. You learn to drive on easy terrain while the children sit in the sled wrapped in a winter sleeping bag, and the farm’s 20 huskies are there to meet before and after. Homemade pancakes and hot drinks are served indoors after the ride, and pick-up from your accommodation in Rovaniemi is included.

The family and wilderness safaris, the Levi ride and the Pyhä farm visit are run by trusted partner kennels, so their own mushers guide you and the photos are yours to take. Our photographer comes along on the tours we run ourselves, which are marked Beyond Originals on our site. If you would like professional pictures of a partner safari too, our photoshoot service can send a photographer with you.

Where to Go: Rovaniemi, Levi or Pyhä

Rovaniemi has the widest choice, and every husky tour there includes transport to the kennel. On our own tours, free pick-up covers accommodation within 10 km of the city centre, while guests staying in the centre can walk to our office at Valtakatu 21. You hear the exact pick-up place and time 24–48 hours before the tour.

In Levi, the farm is a short 2 km drive away, so the Husky Adventure with 5 km Sled Ride fits easily into a morning or an afternoon. You drive your own sled behind the guide and warm up afterwards with a hot drink in a wooden log cabin. The kennel counts guests from age 14 as adults and sets a weight limit of 95 kg per participant.

Near Pyhä, a privately owned farm runs the Husky Experience with 5 km Sledge Ride and Farm Visit. It is a guided ride of about 30 minutes behind six huskies, followed by hot berry juice in a wilderness hut. Children aged 0–3 are welcome on the farm visit and the ride itself is open from age 4, while transport and winter clothing are extras you choose when booking.

Combining husky with other days

If you have room for only one animal day, the Reindeer and Husky Adventure with Photographer in Rovaniemi fits both into three hours, with our photographer along the whole time. In Levi, the 3-in-1 Combo Adventure links a 0.6 km reindeer sleigh ride and a 1.5 km husky ride with a heated sleigh pulled by a snowmobile, for groups of up to eight. Husky tours run in daylight, with most starting between 9:00 and 14:30, so an evening aurora hunt is easy to plan around them.

Best Time

The sled season runs from mid-November to early April, and each tour page lists its own dates. This winter, for example, the Local Husky Experience runs from 17 November to 31 March, the family and wilderness rides from 30 November to 3 April, and in Levi the 5 km self-driven ride starts on 31 December. In 2025 winter arrived properly in November, and on 20 November we could tell our guests that the Rovaniemi husky tours were running on snow after a cold snap down to -20 °C.

Before the snow comes, the same family kennel runs the Autumn Husky Experience with Cart Ride and Photographer from 1 October to 15 November. You ride 3 km as a passenger in a specially designed husky cart, and once the snow sets in, the cart is swapped for a traditional sled.

Light changes the day more than the date does. According to Visit Rovaniemi, the city averages about 2.5 hours of daylight in December and 4 hours in January, rising to 8 in February and 12 in March. A midday ride in December therefore happens in the low light of a very short day. March brings long days and, as the Finnish Meteorological Institute notes, snow that in Lapland is often at its deepest as late as early April.

For photographs, the low winter sun, soft colours and snow-covered trees around the kennel give some of the best conditions of the year. January is also the coldest month, with averages between -30 and -15 °C, so dress for sitting still in the cold.

Animal Welfare

Before you book any husky safari, ask how the dogs live when they are off the trail. The family kennel behind our own husky tours is small on purpose. Its dogs live as part of the household, and their training, work schedules and rest days are planned with care for each animal.

The mushers are glad to talk about all of it, and that unhurried conversation by the fire is often one of the most memorable parts of the day. We choose local husky owners whose values match ours, which for us means care, respect and sustainability. A kennel that is proud of its dogs will happily explain how often the team runs, when the dogs get their days off and how the mushers decide which dog runs where.

Cold and snow shape the day as well. The Levi kennel reschedules the ride or refunds it in full when the temperature falls to -30 °C or below, for the comfort and safety of everyone on the trail. On the longer partner safaris, the distance is set on the day according to the snow and weather. When a musher makes a call like that, it is made with the team and the guests in mind, so it is the right one to follow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need experience to drive a husky sled?

Everyone gets a briefing from the guide before setting off, and on the self-driven tours you follow the guide’s sled along the trail. On the family and wilderness rides, the distance is adjusted to the snow, the weather and the group’s skills. If you prefer to sit, choose a passenger tour or share a family sled with someone who wants to drive.

Are husky safaris suitable for children?

Several of them are made for families. The Local Husky Experience and the autumn cart ride both welcome children, and on the private farm visit the little ones ride wrapped in a winter sleeping bag. Age rules differ between tours, from age 4 for the Pyhä ride to the early teens for the wilderness run, so check the tour page before you book.

How cold is it on the sled?

Winter temperatures in Lapland can drop below -30 °C, and on a sled you move very little yourself. Wear thermal underwear, woollen socks and a fleece layer under your outer clothes. On our own tours we provide warm overalls, winter boots, a hat and gloves when you need them, and each partner tour lists its clothing on the tour page.

What happens before the snow arrives?

From 1 October to 15 November, the family kennel near Rovaniemi runs the autumn tour with a 3 km ride in a husky cart. As soon as there is enough snow, the cart is swapped for a sled and the winter tours begin.

Can I take my own photos?

Yes, and the time with the dogs before and after the ride is the best moment for it, because the team is close and your hands are free. On the self-driven tours you will be busy steering, so the time with the dogs before and after the ride is the easiest moment for pictures. On our own tours the photographer covers the ride itself, so you can enjoy it and collect the edited pictures a few days later.

Do you operate husky tours from Levi as well as Rovaniemi?

Yes. Levi has the 5 km self-driven ride and the 3-in-1 combo with reindeer, and near Pyhä there is a guided ride at a private husky farm. Rovaniemi has the widest choice, including the tours where our photographer comes along.

Will I see the northern lights on a husky safari?

Husky tours run during the day, while our aurora hunts go out in the evening when the sky is fully dark. The northern lights are never guaranteed, so we plan them as a separate evening with a flexible route and a photography guide. Book the husky ride for daytime and keep an evening free for the sky.

Our Rovaniemi husky and reindeer days are on the Arctic animals page, and our blog post Local Husky Experience with Pro Photographer in Rovaniemi tells the story of the kennel visit in more detail. For clothing, pick-up and photos, see our FAQ, call or WhatsApp us on +358 50 323 1090, or email contact@beyondarctic.com. In Levi you can reach us on +358 40 128 0766.

Sources

• Visit Rovaniemi: Seasons
• Finnish Meteorological Institute: Snow statistics