Husky Sledding in Tromso is an absolute must do experience. It’s so much fun and the huskies love it too! If it’s your bucket list there is no better place to do it than in Tromso, and there’s nothing to be nervous about it’s great fun for everyone and really safe.
One thing to note is that husky sledding is a very popular activity. Tours get booked up really quickly, without booking ahead you may not be able to get a spot. We booked ours a month in advance and found there was only one tour left! We booked our spots immediately. Make sure you book far ahead in advance if you want a lot of choice. I have to say the tour I went on was amazing and I’d really recommend it!
There are different types of husky sledding tours you can book, they typically fall into two categories, a guided tour and a self-drive tour. I went on this husky sledding tour and opted for a self-drive tour, this means that you and your partner take it in turns to drive the sled. Don’t worry though you’re taught what to do so no need to stress. It is such a great experience and should definitely be on your list!
Keep reading below to find out more about the husky sledding tour I went on.
What does a husky sledding tour involve?
Learning how to drive the husky sled
Booking your husky tour from Tromso, means that you’ll most likely make your way to a meeting point in central Tromso. Here you’ll board a coach which will take you to the husky sledding. The drive can take between 30 minutes – 1 hour depending on where you’re going. When we travelled the weather was quite bad. It was snowing heavily which meant that our journey took longer as the roads were icier than normal. Whilst on the bus, make sure you take your layers off so that when you’re out in the cold and you have them back on you feel warmer.
When you arrive, you’ll be greeted and taken into a room where you’ll be shown a demonstration of how to mush (drive the sled). It’s really simple. One person sits on the sled and holds the emergency stop whilst the other stands up at the back. The one at the back has one foot on the brake to slow down when necessary. The person at the back also lends a helping hand (or leg) to the huskies on the uphill sections. The huskies know when you’re not helping and they’ll look back at you to make sure you’re doing your part. Believe me they do! I’ll never forget the husky turning its head, staring back at me. Safe to say I pushed as hard as I could after the glare I received.
Then they’ll split you into groups, where each group has about 3 or 4 sleds each with 2 people. There is a guide for each group as well. Next it’s time to put the thermal overalls on, along with boots and mittens. Trust me these keep your hands so much warmer as your fingers can share heat between them.
It’s time to go go go
Now that you’re all wrapped up ready to go, head torch on it’s time to meet the huskies. I’ve never heard so much howling in my life, the noise the huskies make is unbelievable. You can just feel their excitement and enthusiasm. Once you’re on your sled, you choose who will drive the sled first you or your partner. Then lift off the brake and watch your huskies run. Each sled is run by roughly six huskies, each one with a unique personality.
You’ll follow the track and of course remember helping the huskies on the uphill sections. The track was about 10km and had a good variety of ups and downs, making the journey really exciting and exhilarating. It was heavily snowing and our fingers froze whenever we tried to take pictures on our phones. It was also Polar Night so despite it being 2pm it was very dark!
We made two stops along the track, here the guides come round to check on you and the huskies. The actual sledding time lasted for about an hour which was much more than I was expecting. For us, it was definitely the right amount of time to experience driving the sled and get really into it. Towards the end we were feeling quite cold and were ready to warm up.
After arriving back, we said goodbye to the beautiful huskies. Undressed out of our overalls, these were a god send in the heavy snow! Then we gathered in the tent for some hot chocolate and Norwegian delicacies. These were like wraps filled with sweet sugary cheese paste, but they tasted much nicer than I’ve described. This was the end of our tour and it was time to head back to Tromso. Some tours include lunch so if this is something you’d like be sure to book a tour that includes it.
Good things to know
You might be wondering whether this is a humane, ethical activity. After all, I wouldn’t want to have an animal encounter/experience that actually harmed the animals for my amusement. Each operator is different but I found that with this centre they really looked after the huskies well. You could immediately tell that the huskies love running and interacting with the people.
Husky sledding is very expensive, there aren’t cheap options so if it’s something you want to experience then I’m afraid it will mean spending more than you probably expected to. It’s similar to other activities in Tromso so if you are visiting then this experience should definitely be on your list! After all it’s not something you do on every holiday.
This experience can even be suitable for those who aren’t fans of dogs (it’s all down to the person really). My mum is petrified of dogs, she’ll grab onto my arm if she sees a dog coming. However she still took part, had a go driving and really enjoyed the experience! There are no requirements for you to stroke the huskies or get very close to them, it’s completely up to you.
Top Tips
- Book your tour in advance to secure your spot on the tour you want. These get booked up very quickly so booking ahead is a must do!
- You’ll be out in the cold wilderness for about an hour so make sure you dress warmly. You are provided with thermal overalls but you still need to wear lots of layers underneath.
- Book a self-drive tour if you want to have a go driving the sled. It’s so much fun and you’ll get the full experience!
To find out more about Tromso and what to do have a read of my suggested itinerary and how to chase the Northern Lights post.
