Dog-sledding has been a pastime and way of life in parts of Sweden for centuries, particularly within the Sámi culture of Swedish Lapland. If you’re visiting between December and March, you can seize the opportunity to try this exhilarating activity for yourself as a team of huskies leads you through the region’s untouched wilderness.
You’ll first get the chance to meet the dogs and their experienced musher, who’ll demonstrate the skills needed to navigate the sled and its team of four huskies. You’ll then have the opportunity to take the reins yourself as you glide through forest along a designated track.
Choose to head out for a morning or spend a whole day out with the dogs, including a wilderness lunch cooked over a fire.
After being picked up from your hotel, along with a small group of others, you’ll take an hour’s drive deep into Lapland’s remote, wild landscape. Between December and March, this region is blanketed in snow, creating ideal conditions for dog-sledding.
On arrival, you’ll meet your experienced musher-guide, who’ll introduce you to each of the huskies, briefly describing their varied personalities and what makes them so well-suited to pulling sleds. They’ll tell you more about the heritage surrounding dog-sledding in this region of Sweden. You’ll also learn the techniques required to mush a dog-sled, each of which is pulled by a team of four dogs.
Those aged 12 and over who feel confident enough can then take the reins of their own dog-sled. Or, if you’d prefer, you can ride as a passenger with your guide. As you glide along a set track through snow-covered forest, the cold air awakens your senses and trees pass by in a blur of green. You can also marvel at how the dogs instantly change their movements according to your commands, their excited barks echoing back to you.
If you’re spending a whole day dog-sledding, you’ll pause for lunch in the wilderness, cooked over an open fire. Otherwise, you’ll return to base ready for the drive back to your hotel.
Start planning your tailor-made trip by contacting one of our Sweden specialists
These activities are designed to give you the most authentic experiences around where you're staying. We work with local guides, who use their knowledge and often a resident's eye to show you the main sights and more out-of-the-way attractions. Our specialists can suggest tours and activities that will introduce you to the local ways of life.
Ice dining under the northern lights
You can explore a different side of the Lapland wilderness with a private meal on a frozen lake. Sit on reindeer hides under a traditional Sámi tent and enjoy a three-course meal as you watch the dark skies for the aurora borealis.
Kayaking on the Lule River
Soak up the natural beauty of Swedish Lapland from the water on this six-hour kayaking tour. Suitable for both beginners and experienced kayakers, the tour includes lunch cooked over an open fire on the riverbank.
Sami culture and reindeer experience
This guided tour gives you a chance to visit a remote Sámi village in Swedish Lapland for an insight into the local indigenous culture. You’ll meet and learn skills from reindeer herders and have the chance to dine on local foods inside a traditional tent.
You can enjoy this activity as part of the suggested tours below, or we can weave it into a trip shaped entirely around you.
