On the Husky Sled Ride, the sled is driven by one of our experienced dog mushers. Each sled usually has 2–3 guests sitting comfortably inside, making this tour ideal for families, photographers, and anyone who simply wants to relax and enjoy the scenery while the dogs do what they love most — running through the Arctic landscape.
If you are travelling with small children, they will sit together with you in the same sled. Solo travellers may share a sled with another guest, which often becomes a great opportunity to meet new people along the way.
On the Self-Drive Dog Sledding tour, you will learn how to control your own team of huskies. Before the tour starts, one of our professional guides will give you instructions on how to steer, brake, and work together with the dogs safely.
There are two people per sled, and halfway through the tour you will switch drivers so both guests get the chance to try mushing. The trail is led by one of our guides at the front of the group.
This experience is more physical and requires balance and coordination, but no previous dog sledding experience is necessary.
Good to Know
Both tours include approximately 45 minutes of dog sledding, but they follow different trails.
Everyone is welcome to join our dog sledding tours in Tromsø, and we always do our best to make the experience safe and enjoyable for all guests. To help you choose the most suitable activity, we have a few recommendations regarding age, fitness level, and weight for our different husky tours.
The Husky Sled Ride is a comfortable and family-friendly experience where one of our professional dog mushers drives the sled. This tour is well suited for families with young children, elderly guests, people with disabilities, and is also the safest option for pregnant women.
The recommended maximum weight per sled is 180 kg, which is ideal for our usual 8–10 dog teams.
If your group exceeds the recommended weight, you are still very welcome to join the tour. We simply ask that you leave a comment when booking so we can prepare additional dogs for your team if needed.
The Self-Drive Dog Sledding tour is a more active and physical experience where guests drive their own sled team after receiving instructions from one of our guides.
This activity requires a reasonable level of fitness, including the ability to jog uphill in snow, maintain good balance, and hold onto the sled securely during the tour.
These recommendations help us ensure both guest safety and the wellbeing of our dogs throughout the tour.
If members of your family or group book different activities — some choosing the Husky Sled Ride and others the Self-Drive Dog Sledding tour — you will be divided into separate groups during the dog sledding activity and follow different trails. After the tour, everyone meets again to enjoy the meal together.
If you are two people travelling together and only one person wants to drive, you can still book the Self-Drive Dog Sledding tour. In this case, one guest will drive the sled while the other remains seated in the sled throughout the trip.
If staying together as one group during the entire experience is important to you, we recommend booking the Husky Sled Ride for everyone.
For safety reasons, children must always be accompanied by their parents or guardians during the activity.
We provide warm winter overalls (from children’s sizes up to XXXL) and winter boots (up to EU size 45) for all guests joining our dog sledding tours in Tromsø.
We recommend bringing:
We also suggest dressing in warm layers underneath the overalls, especially during the coldest winter months.
For activities operated by Tromsø Villmarkssenter, pickup takes place outside the Radisson Blu Hotel in Tromsø.
Pickup address:
Sjøgata 7, 9259 Tromsø
Please arrive at least 15 minutes before departure.
Guests are also welcome to arrive with their own transport. Our address is:
Villmarkssenter:
Straumsvegen 601, Kvaløysletta
If arriving by car, please park in the guest parking area located on the right-hand side of the road leading up to the centre.
Please note that the pickup time listed in your booking confirmation refers to the departure time from Tromsø city centre. The drive from town to Villmarkssenter usually takes around 25–35 minutes, depending on weather and road conditions, so please plan your arrival time accordingly if driving yourself.
If you plan to use your own transport, please let us know in advance.
Transport costs are included in the tour price even if you choose to drive yourself. We therefore generally recommend using our transport service, as parking availability at the kennel is limited.
For activities operated by our partners, please refer to the pickup information provided in your booking confirmation.
The Self-Drive Husky sled and Expedition tours have an age limit of 16 years. Our other tours do not have any age restrictions and we welcome children and families. If you are traveling with a newborn infant, please be aware that dogsledding carries an inherent small risk. Even with professional guides accidents can happen but are very rare. We will provide a warm sleeping bag and reindeer skins in the sled, however, we do not provide overalls and boots for small children.
If you are traveling with small children/infants and using our transport, you must bring an approved safety seat/car seat for your child.
On tours that are not with Tromsø Villmarkssenter, separate age limitations may apply.
If you lost an item during your visit, please contact us by email at mail@villmarkssenter.no or by phone at +47 77 69 60 02. We have lost and found procedures in place, and if we find your item, we will do our best to return it to you as soon as possible.
Tromsø Villmarkssenter AS and our partners reserve the right to cancel the activity at any point for safety reasons. We however will offer to you an alternative activity/rescheduling or a full refund.
The midnight sun is from 21.05 to 21.07 in Tromsø.
Polar nights from 21.11 to 21.01 in Tromsø.
Tromsø is a very special place in the world that has a very high northern lights activity, therefore the chances of seeing the northern lights from our camp which is located in the wilderness, is very high. However, the mother nature plays a big part in your evening, and if possible, that you don’t see the northern lights appear. But, don’t worry, the great thing about booking the northern light tours with us, is that our guides will make sure you have a great experience visiting our 200 Alaskan huskies and enjoying the evening by the campfire.
You will spend the night just as the Sami people have done for generations – around an open fire in our Lavvo-Tent, furnished with soft reindeer skins and high-quality camping gear. The lavvo’s accomodate 8-12 people so you will likely share the sleeping space with other guests.
We also have one private lavvo availabe on request, that can accomodate up to 4 people. Please contact mail@villmarkssenter.no if you want to book it. Note that it will cost 2500 NOK extra.
Nearly all our tours require 48 hours notice before the excursion departure time in order to cancel and receive a full refund. Any cancellation within 48 hours of departure time or failure to attend is non-refundable. Only our 5-day expeditions must be cancelled the latest 30 days prior to departure to be eligible for a full refund.
This cancellation policy does not apply for group bookings (7+ guests). For more information on our terms and conditions for group bookings, please inquire with us directly.
Any cancellation later than this, no matter if due to sickness, injury, or canceled flights, will not be refunded, but should be covered by your travel insurance. Tromsø Villmarkssenter will provide any documentation necessary for your insurance claim.
Nearly all our programs require a minimum of two participants to run. The only exception is the 5-Day expedition; it requires at least 4 participants. If you are traveling alone and wonder if there already other bookings for your preferred tour date, we are happy to check for you!
Warm overalls and boots are included on our winter tours and rubber boots on our summer/autumn tours. We provide overalls (from children to XXXL size) and boots (from children to 49 EU=14 UK). For the rest of your stay, you might want to get some warm clothes.
The Self-Drive Dog Sledding tour is not suitable at any stage of pregnancy.
In general, there is no risk on the Husky Sled Ride tour while being pregnant. During certain times of the winter, the trail can be bumpy. We do highly recommend to contact a doctor with your inquiry, just to be sure you have an approval from a professional.
No, private dogs are not permitted at the Husky Café. With nearly 200 huskies living at the kennel, introducing unfamiliar dogs can create unnecessary excitement and stress in the dog yard. We work hard to maintain a calm environment for our dogs, especially during the summer season.
Visiting a kennel with 200 sled dogs can also be an overwhelming experience for most pet dogs. For the wellbeing of both your dog and ours, we kindly ask that you leave your four-legged friend at home and save your cuddles for the huskies waiting to meet you here.