Where to go on a husky safari

2 min summary Map & highlights Finland Yukon Ethical husky safaris

Where to go on a husky safari

Lapland, a region of almost mythical quality that covers parts of Sweden, Finland and Norway too, is a brilliant shout for a husky safari vacation and, serviced by six airports, is actually very easy to reach – fly into far northern Ivalo and you’ll be plonked straight into the wilderness. You’re not restricted to Northern Europe if you want to learn to mush, though. Alaska – a huge US state obsessed with dog sledding brings whopping glaciers and masses of sub-Arctic tundra to the table and Canada’s another husky safari hotspot that springs to life during its very snowy winter months.

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1. Alaska
2. Canada
3. Finland
4. Finnish Lapland
5. Norway
6. Sweden

Alaska

1. Alaska

Alaskans are obsessed with dog sledding. If you want to see what all the fuss is about, you can book husky experiences that combine safaris with kennel tours, so you can learn what it takes to breed a champion.

Alaska

Canada

2. Canada

‘Mushing’ is an exhilarating way to reach Canada’s most untamed nooks and crannies. While the cities remain lively during winter, just a few hours out of town at Algonquin protected park you’ll find a wild wonderland ripe for one or two-day safaris. The Yukon region is way up north and an enormous wilderness – once you’re there, you stay there for expeditions from 4-15 days long.

Finland

3. Finland

Straddling the Arctic Circle, Finland is all about lakes, forest and raw nature as far as the eye can see. Winter is a clear, bright and beautiful time to explore the country and gliding through its Christmas card scenery with only the excitable padding of paws and the continuous swish of your sled runners to break the perfect peace is nothing short of magical.

Finland

Finnish Lapland

4. Finnish Lapland

Thanks to an overwhelming association with Father Christmas, Finnish Lapland gets overlooked as a destination in its own right, but if you genuinely want to get away from it all, there is nowhere more vast and pristine. During the height of winter it’s a paradise for winter sports - one giant sweep of heavenly wilderness where space is plentiful and people are not.

Norway

5. Norway

Norway’s natural pull is so much more than fjords. Jagged peaks and enormous glaciers create eerie blue ice mountain kingdoms and the long Arctic night casts a mysterious light over the entire landscape which, to lead a team of huskies across, is nothing short of dreamlike. Be a passenger on a one-day dog sledding tour, or steer your pack for several days led only by the bright stars above your head.

Norway

Sweden

6. Sweden

The Swedes themselves are not a dramatic people, but their landscape – a heady mix of forested wilderness and sweeping shoreline – is untamed and wonderfully surreal. Winter coats this natural playground in thick ice and dense snow, a husky’s paradise and one that you can whip through to the quick pace of your pack following nothing but the tracks of Arctic wolves.

Our Husky safari Vacations

Husky safari travel advice

Animal welfare

Suvi Tauriainen, husky guide and wildlife expert with our supplier, Routa Travel:

"Guests need to understand that we love our dogs very much. They are not chained up or in kennels to be cruel. If we didn’t do this, they would run away, as they love to do just that. Run. And if they did run, they would kill local wildlife, something that we do not want either. Our aim is also to protect wild animals, and keep them wild."

Hold on!

Ali McLean, from our supplier, The Aurora Zone, shares his husky safari experiences:

“The very first time I went dog sledding, my team took off like hounds from hell and it was all I could do to hold on to the sled. I remember wondering how the hell I was going to control this lot for the next few hours. I wouldn't say I was frightened, but it certainly got the adrenaline flowing. Fortunately, they very quickly slowed down and the experience was indescribably wonderful. Another absolutely unforgettable experience for me was driving my own team of six willing trail companions on a long dog sled safari into the snowy forest. We made lunch over an open fire and returned to the kennels just as darkness was descending, it was one of the very best days of my life.”

Hold on!

Packing tips

Mikael Kangas, from our supplier, Aurora Retreat, shares his packing advice:

“The temperatures in and around Lapland can drop to -30°C and though most companies will provide a very warm set of overalls and some suitable shoes for the snow, it’s important that you pack synthetic or wool layers to keep you warm. Your clothes don’t need to be waterproof though because at those temperatures you won’t get wet, which is a real advantage – you can jump into deep snow and you won’t feel wet at all, plus the snow just brushes off.”

Travel Team

If you'd like to chat about Husky safari or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.

Toll free 1-866-821-6866

Calling us from outside the US?

rosy@responsibletravel.com

Toll free 1-866-821-6866

Calling us from outside the US?

rosy@responsibletravel.com

Tips from our travelers

At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travelers are often... other travelers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.

We have selected some of the most useful husky safari travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation - and the space inside your suitcase.

Get involved and take the opportunity to have a sauna at your log cabin, it's a real experience and nothing like the leisure center saunas in the UK.

– Katharine Stuart

“The most memorable part of our vacation was sitting on a frozen lake, watching our daughters disappearing off into the distance each driving a small team of huskies - and seeing their excited faces when they returned!” – Liz Booth, Wild Taiga, Finland

“Husky sledding across a frozen lake just before sunset was an unforgettable experience.” - James Hamand, Wild Taiga, Finland

"Get involved and take the opportunity to have a sauna at your log cabin, it's a real experience and nothing like the leisure center saunas in the UK.”– Katharine Stuart

"Working with the dogs was my favourite part of the trip. I loved meeting all the different dogs and getting to know their different personalities. They are such great workers and I miss them now I am back home." – Ali Barned, sledding in Yukon

Working with the dogs was my favourite part of the trip. I loved meeting all the different dogs and getting to know their different personalities. They are such great workers and I miss them now I am back home.

– Ali Barned, sledding in Yukon

“The dogs are just incredible... athletic, fascinating to watch, and beautiful. Our guide was fantastic as were all the other people at the ranch. This was a 'working' adventure and we did work.” – Helen Weir, sledding in Yukon

“The most memorable part of the vacation was how beautiful and peaceful Finland was where we were staying and how peaceful and quiet the sled dogs were once they were working.”– Tina Donavan

“Expect a bit of hard work if you want to do the higher trails, but you will reap the rewards! If you are new to dog sledding try to anticipate the hills to help the dogs a little before they grind to a halt - you will keep them moving rather than leaving it until they have pulled as far as they can.” – Lee Unsworth, sledding in Yukon

“If you go in early February or before then take lots of layers - it went down to -47 at night and can be quite chilly on any outhouse visits too. If it's too cold then the dogs can only run for a few hours or they literally freeze so you may experience some shorter days at these temps, but even so just a few hours with these amazing dogs is enough.”– John Baker, sledding in Yukon

More about Husky safari

Husky safari vacations guide

Read about the best time to go dog sledding in our dog sledding travel guide and you’ll quickly discover that it's debatable who enjoys sledding more - the driver or the dogs.

Husky safaris in Finland

There’s no more exhilarating and rewarding way to discover the snowy Finnish wilderness than on a husky safari, with a team of dogs pulling you through pure white landscapes and across frozen lakes.

Husky safaris in Yukon

An exhilarating way to discover the Canadian wilderness, husky safaris in Yukon belong to a long tradition of using dog sleds in this remote region during the winter.

Ethical husky safaris and husky welfare

A trip to Lapland wouldn’t be complete without a joyous ride through the snow pulled by a happy team of huskies, right? And yet the welfare of the animals working hard up front might not be as crystal clear as the air around you. Here’s what you should be looking for in order to pick out a responsible husky sledding safari.

More relevant guides

Written by Polly Humphris

ABTA member P7085 so you are fully protected

Photo credits: [Page banner: Visit Greenland] [Map topbox: The TerraMar Project] [Alaska: Bureau of Land Management] [Canada: Susan Drury] [Finland: Flightlog] [Finish lapland: edweerdt] [Norway: Frode Bjorshol] [Sweden: Tauralbus] [Animal welfare: Bad Kleinkirchheim] [Hold on!: Bad Kleinkirchheim] [Packing: edweerdt] [Tip intro: Bad Kleinkirchheim] [Tip1: Gary Bembridge] [Tip2: Roderick Eime]

Where to go on a husky safari