Real Lapland Husky Dog-Sledding Adventure In Saariselkä

I’ve always had a particular image of myself in the Arctic. Windswept tundras, snow as far as the eye can see, and me, ice crusted on my beard (non-existent in real-life), bundled up in reindeer pelts, Call of the Wild-style, gliding silently across a frozen landscape behind my pack of huskies.

For years, dog-sledding has been high on my winter bucket list. But I didn’t want to just sit on a sled as passenger being pulled a few hundred meters around a flat track while someone else did all the driving.

I wanted to stand on the sled, steer the dogs, feel and feed their energy, and maybe, just for a second, pretend I was on an expedition to the South Pole.

There’s no immediate polar crossing on my radar, but my week in Finnish Lapland finally gave me the chance to live out my husky sledding dream.

Visiting The Husky Farm

For my seven-day trip around Saariselkä and Rovaniemi, I leaned on local tour operators for all the classic Lapland winter activities. I was specifically looking for a husky dog-sledding experience where I could drive myself and found a longer 10km one on Manawa, the platform I use to look for outdoor adventures.

This looked better than some of the other husky experiences that seemed to focus more on the kennel visit and doing a short ride with the guide. The tracks were also shorter 2-5km loops.

We were still on a high that morning from the previous night’s incredible northern lights show. I was able to get the shot I had dreamed about for months – the lights framed by the glass-roof in my aurora cabin.

From Saariselka, we drove about 20 minutes north toward Inari to a husky farm. This was supposed to be a shared tour, but no one else had booked that morning. Some companies would have canceled or rescheduled, but instead we just ended up with a private experience.

Meeting The ‘Team’

At the farm, we were greeted by Hamish, our husky trainer. As we walked over to the kennels, the dogs began howling in excitement. “They are ready for their exercise,” he said with a grin.

Two full teams were already hitched up to go. We go through a short introduction. The basics of driving, braking, and controlling the speed during uphills and downhills. Hamish would also give us some hand signals for when to slow down or brake to ensure we don’t go too fast downhill or into a turn. Overall, the instructions were quite minimal, but apparently, these dogs knew what to do. We just had to keep the sled stable and under control.

Learning How To Drive A Sled

Each sled is simple and has two parts. The design and construction is not different today than how it was a hundred years ago. A seat in front, insulated with reindeer pelts, and two thin rails in the back for the driver to stand on – no more than an inch and a half wide. Between the rails was a simple mechanical brake. You step on it to dig the metal teeth into the snow and slow the sled. For a harder stop, you jump on it with both feet.

It looked like something out of a scouts field manual.

Hamish would be up front with his own sled, and my friend Naomi and I would follow behind on our own, taking turns as driver and rider.

And just like that, no countdown or ceremony, we were ready to go.

Off We Go Through The Forest

The moment I lifted my leg off the brake, the dogs surged forward with a jolt that nearly caught me off guard despite being ready for it. We were flying. The narrow trail cut straight and curved through the snow-covered forest, and we were already hitting 15 to 20 km/h.

While I was focused on staying balanced and upright, I almost missed Hamish’s first signal to slow down. One foot on the brake wasn’t enough, so I dug in with both feet and  felt the dogs slow. I was learning but it felt natural.

On the first curve, I let the sled do its thing and it bumped a bit into the snowbank again catching me off guard. On the next curve, I instinctively leaned into the turn, putting counterweight on the rail away from the turn. This time, the sled adjusted and we took the turn smoothly.

The trees glowed in the morning sun as we continued through the trail. On the uphill climbs, the dogs slowed slightly, so I jumped off as Hamish had instructed and ran behind to lighten the load. Teamwork and a bit of exercise for me too.

After about 25 minutes, we stopped for a short break. Some dogs lay down to rest, others turned and looked for attention. We obliged and rewarded them with scratches for not killing us so far.

Here, we swapped places. It was Naomi’s turn to drive. She was nervous but got the hang of it pretty quickly as well. From the passenger seat, bundled up under the pelt, I was surprised how smooth the ride felt. It was warm too with the fur barrier.

In total, we were out for around 45 minutes, covering what felt like 12 km.

Hamish insisted it was more. I could have happily gone on for another 45 minutes.

Kennel Visit

Back at the farm, it was time to feet the dogs. Their fuel was a mix of protein and carbs to power their next run. While they ate, Hamish took us to visit the kennels where the younger dogs were kept.

Each group was separated by gender, with older surrogate “parent” dogs acting as mentors to the pups. Teaching and keep them out of trouble. As if on cue, one mischievous pup darted out the door when we entered. For a couple of Benny Hill style minutes, Hamish chased him down, before the pup was finally corralled.

We got to play out with the dogs, ask questions, and just enjoy the rest of the morning.

Final Thoughts

As far as activities on my Lapland adventure, this ranked up there alongside chasing the northern lights by snowmobile. A bit of adrenaline, and a bit of controlled chaos through a gorgeous winter backdrop. Getting to drive the husky sled myself means I can check it off my bucket list.

And the fact that we had the whole place to ourselves was a cherry on top.

We returned to our cabin to see the layer of morning snow had clear. We turned on the fireplace and settled in for a lazy afternoon nap. Part of me was already dreaming about the next time I can hop back on the rails and yell ‘mush! mush!’ (is that a thing?), and fly through the snow.

You can find the same self-drive adventure we booked here.

Updated on June 6, 2025