Where to go dog-sledding in Rovaniemi? I’ll tell you all about it!

Well, let’s face it, when we decide to go to Lapland in the middle of winter, it’s mainly to make the most of the snow and get the most out of the related activities. And just in time, dog sledding is one of the best activities in Finnish Lapland!

I’ve done it several times, my first time being in the Rovaniemi area during my Erasmus in Finland (I promise I’ll stop telling you my life story) a long, long time ago, and it’s still a great experience, especially as I’ve been able to do it again, mainly in Norway.

So, all that to say that if you’re vacationing in Rovaniemi, it’s a must! We’ll see why, and where. Here we go!

Why Finnish Lapland, and in particular Rovaniemi, is a good place for dog sledding

Well, I explain it quite well in the article on dog sledding in Finnish Lapland, but to have good conditions for this activity, you need :

• dogs (great, thanks Vincent!)
• snow – that’s fine, Lapland is well endowed with snow for most of the year
• large expanses of flat land, and that’s fine too, there’s a lot of it in Lapland! maybe a little too much 😀 Because Lapland in winter is mostly frozen lakes, forests, then lakes, then forests.

It really is the ideal playground for dogs who love to run!

Which agencies to use for dog sledding in Rovaniemi

Now we’re getting to the heart of the matter, and I’d say it’s not easy because there are so many of them! Rovaniemi is THE city for all activities in Lapland, the capital of the north, which attracts a lot of people. So a lot of service providers. Some good, some not so good (which I won’t go into), some small kennels, some larger ones.

Be careful: some require a car, others provide transport from Rovaniemi or Santa Claus Village. I’ll tell you all about it later.

There are also some great combinations with reindeer and snowmobile, for an all-in-one discovery experience!

Ah, as not all of them have the same regulations on children, I’ll tell you the minimum age too.

First, so as not to overwhelm you with information, I’ll give you a small selection of 5 and tell you why. Then, I’ll give you all the agencies with a comparative table so that you can see (I hope!) more clearly and make your choice!

5 recommended dog sledding companies in Rovaniemi

• Husky & Yoga Nature Lapland – €220, rated 5/5, this is a small kennel with a great reputation. Transport is included from Rovaniemi. As the name suggests, they also offer yoga, a meditation room, a sauna, that sort of thing.
• Bearhill Husky, 195€, rated 4.9/5, small kennel located about ten kilometers north of Rovaniemi. Transport also included
• Apukka Husky, 200€, rated 4.6/5. A larger kennel but a reference in Rovaniemi! Transport included.
• Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park, to see sled dogs, reindeer and go snowmobiling all at once, 195€, rated 4.6/5, great organization
• Nordic Odyssey, 240€, rated 5/5, another reference in Rovaniemi, and what’s more, the team is French!

All the good dog sledding agencies in Rovaniemi

Dog sledding with children

Many providers set an age limit for children. Sometimes it’s 7, sometimes less, I’ve even seen 16. So it depends. But fortunately, some providers are also flexible, or even don’t set an age limit! On the other hand, we can all agree that a 7-year-old will stay in the sleigh and not drive.

• Husky & Yoga Nature Lapland: no minimum age
• Bearhill Husky: no minimum age and it’s even free for children under 3!
• Apukka: exactly the same!
• Arctic Circle Snowmobile park: all the same, free for under-3s!
• Safartica: also the same!
• Nordic Unique Travels: free for children under 2!
• Arctic GM: accepts all ages, but charges for children
• Parpalandia: also free for under-3s
• Nordic Odyssey: children aged 4 and over

So that’s very positive! It proves that Rovaniemi is a family destination 🙂

How are the dogs treated?

I hear a lot of people say no, they don’t want to do it because it’s mistreatment, the dogs are forced, they’re not made for it and a sled is heavy.

Well… this is all false (and fortunately!).

Dogs are really made for it, for running in the snow, for exercising. The best way to realize this is when you arrive in front of them with the harness on. They know they’re going for a run, and they go crazy! They’re athletes and they love it!

Then there’s the idea that pulling a sled with people in it is heavy. Because you’re on snow, the snow slides along and offers no resistance, it’s not like pulling on dirt. It’s practically nil for dogs. So if you put 4 or even 6 of them on top of that, they don’t feel a thing! To convince you of this, I suggest you watch this video by Jamy Gourmaud in which he demonstrates that, on snow, pulling a 150kg sled would only be equivalent to pulling 8kg. Hence the importance of having plenty of flat.

Finally, I visited quite a few kennels between Norway, Sweden and Finland. Some for dog sledding, some just to see the dogs, some for bed and breakfast. I’ve never seen a dog unhappy or mistreated. So no, I can’t say it doesn’t exist. But mushers love their dogs; you can’t do this job if you don’t love them. And anyway, I check everything out a bit before talking about this or that company, so if I ever hear of mistreatment, you’ll never see it in the recommendations.

Oh yes, I also hear that it’s sad to let dogs sleep outside in the middle of winter. Look at their coats, they’re made to withstand -30, they’re Alaskan, Greenlandic, Siberian dogs. The girl I went to in Lofoten (which has since closed) explained that in summer, when it was 15°, it was far too hot for the dogs, and that summer was complicated.

So tell yourself that by dog sledding, you’re not only pleasing yourself, but also the dogs, who are only too happy to run!

4 recommended accommodations in Rovaniemi

A few tips for sled dogs

Well, quite honestly, it’s not super complicated. You’ve got a brake pedal, you’ve got to bend a little when you’re going around corners, you’ve got to push a little when you’re going up, and it’s going to work your abs, your thighs and your forearms. All right!

It’s not particularly physical, it’s not difficult. Smaller kennels can adapt the course to suit individual needs, which is handy.

As we’ve seen, each kennel has its own age limit. There is also a weight limit. Finally, it’s mostly a matter of knowing when to add a dog, for example.

But if you’re out of shape, don’t let that stop you from going, because we won’t make you do antics, the mushers’ aim is for you to enjoy it safely 🙂

When is the best time to go sledding?

Well, that’s a very simple question: you need snow. So it depends on the year, but let’s say that in Rovaniemi, snow arrives around mid-to-late November, at least snow that’s stable enough for the dogs to have a good time. It may arrive earlier, but it can also melt. In 2024 and 2025 the snow arrived quite late, but in previous years it was more likely to be around October. So book now and in the worst case, with free cancellation you can get your money back if there’s no snow.

Alternatively, some kennels replace sleds with go-karts. This allows the dogs to run all year round!

Map of Finnish Lapland

I’ve created a map of Finnish Lapland that includes everything you’ll need to plan your trip:

• accommodation, including ice igloos under the Northern Lights
• all the best activities, in every town…
• but above all ALL the dog-sledding agencies throughout the country, including Rovaniemi!

In conclusion

That’s it! Now you know everything! As it’s a big city, there are a lot of service providers. I removed quite a few of them, the ones that had a lot of bad reviews, the ones that did too short tours compared to what was agreed, for example.

So before you book, my advice is to check out the ones with good reviews. And see why there are bad reviews too. Whether it’s real bad service or just a lack of friendliness.

But anyway! there are lots of great kennels, big and small, so you’re bound to find something to suit you in Rovaniemi!

If you’d like to find out more about Lapland and activities, I recommend the following articles:

• Discovering Finnish Lapland – all the info you need to finalize your stay up there
• Lapland’s best activities – what to do in this beautiful region? Discover the must-do activities!
• Sleeping in an ice igloo – how about waking up under the Northern Lights?
• Dog sledding in Finnish Lapland – town by town, discover the right kennels.
• What’s the best place in Finnish Lapland – Levi or Ylläs, Rovaniemi or Saariselkä? I’ll compare it all!
• Where to stay in Rovaniemi – I tell you everything about the good hotels and cottages lost in nature
• A one week itinerary to discover Rovaniemi – 7 days full of adventure, snow, activities to enjoy Lapland!
• Which bus goes from Airport to Rovaniemi – discover all the possibilities and timetables!

⭐️ You can find ALL articles about Finnish Lapland

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