The main points
- Self-drive husky sledding from Tromsø, 4 hours, from US$351, rated 4.91 from 4,408 reviews.[1]
- An overnight HuskyLodge stay with dog sledding in Bardu: 27 hours, limited to 4 participants, from US$440.[2]
- A snowmobile tour with an aurora crystal lavvo stay: 1 day, limited to 12 participants, from US$670.[3]
- The dog sledding season in Northern Norway typically runs from December to March, depending on snow conditions.[4]
- The average winter temperature in Tromsø is around −4°C, and the Polar Night runs from 27 November to 15 January.[5][6]
| Overnight husky lodge | Lavvo night and snowmobile | Self-drive day sledding | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From | from US$440[2] | from US$670[3] | from US$351[1] |
| Time away | 27 hours[2] | 1 day[3] | 4 hours[1] |
| Group size | Limited to 4 participants[2] | Limited to 12 participants[3] | Not stated in the listing |
| Guide languages | Norwegian, English, German[2] | English[3] | Instructor: English[1] |
| Rating | 5.00 from 1 review[2] | 4.79 from 71 reviews[3] | 4.91 from 4,408 reviews[1] |
| Cancellation | Cancel up to 24 hours in advance[2] | Cancel up to 24 hours in advance[3] | Cancel up to 24 hours in advance[1] |
We are a Sámi reindeer-herding family in Tromsø and have lived and worked with reindeer for many generations.
Is an overnight husky camp worth it from Tromsø?
Know before you leave
On the day and night
What an overnight husky camp in Tromsø involves
Most people meet sled dogs in daylight and hand them back a few hours later. An overnight stay flips that rhythm. You travel out of the city in the afternoon, watch the kennel wake up at feeding time, take a run with your team as the light fades, then eat something hot while the dogs settle into their straw. In the morning you hear them before you see them, and the day usually starts with feeding, watering and harnessing before your own breakfast. It is cold, dark and often very quiet, with a lot of noise coming from the yard.
Overnight husky trips work differently from day tours. One listing is an overnight HuskyLodge stay with dog sledding in Bardu, which lasts 27 hours, is limited to 4 participants and starts from US$440.[2] Another is a snowmobile tour with an aurora crystal lavvo stay, which runs 1 day, is limited to 12 participants and starts from US$670.[3] Both put you in a small group a long way from the city lights. If you want the dogs without the night, the self-drive husky dog sledding adventure booked from this site takes 4 hours and starts from US$351.[1] That is the simplest way to find out whether a whole night with a kennel appeals.
Sledding season, polar night and the aurora in Tromsø
The dog sledding season in Northern Norway typically runs from December to March, depending on snow conditions, so those are the months to aim for if the plan is built around an overnight camp.[4] Midwinter here is not as brutal as people expect. The average winter temperature in Tromsø is around −4°C.[5] The Polar Night season begins on 27 November and lasts until 15 January each year, which means much of the sledding season happens in long twilight rather than full daylight.[6]
The Northern Lights season in Tromsø runs from late August to early April, so a midwinter night at a kennel sits comfortably inside it.[8] At the other end of the year, the midnight sun in Tromsø usually lasts from around 20 May to 22 July, when the sky never goes fully dark.[9] In short, the months with snow and long nights are the months to plan for, and an overnight camp gives you far more dark hours than a day trip ever will.
Inside the Polar Night, which begins on 27 November and lasts until 15 January each year, the sun stays below the horizon and the day is a long blue dusk.[6] That is magical on a trail and slightly disorienting in a city, so keep your first day light and let your body adjust. Later in the season the light comes back for longer stretches, and a run with the dogs in brighter hours looks completely different from a dark polar night outing.
Sled dogs resting in the snow between runs on a Tromsø winter day.
The self-drive day tour that fits around a camp night
The tour booked from this site is Tromsø: Self-Drive Husky Dog Sledding Adventure, rated 4.91 from 4,408 reviews and starting from US$351.[1] It takes 4 hours, and the instructor language listed is English.[1] The stops on the listing are Bus/coach, Kvaløya and Bus/coach.[1] In practice that means a transfer out of the city, time with the dogs on the island, and a transfer back in the evening.
Starting times vary by date, so check availability to see them.[1] You can reserve now and pay later, and you can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[1] Kvaløya starts less than 5 km from central Tromsø at the Sandnessund Bridge, so the journey out is short.[10] If you would rather keep it gentle, a 2 hour husky meet and greet with homemade chocolate cake starts from US$105.[11]
The coach transfer means you do not need a car in Tromsø, and you can book the tour for the morning after you arrive without planning a winter drive yourself. Bring a small camera you can use with gloves on, and a spare battery, because cold air drains them quickly. Most people shoot a few frames and then simply watch the team work.
Overnight, multi day and longer husky trips from Tromsø
If you are weighing overnight dog sledding, Tromsø has a small set of options. The overnight HuskyLodge stay in Bardu lasts 27 hours, is limited to 4 participants, has a guide listed in Norwegian, English and German, and starts from US$440.[2] The snowmobile tour with an aurora crystal lavvo stay runs 1 day, is limited to 12 participants, is rated 4.79 from 71 reviews and starts from US$670.[3] One is built purely around dogs, the other mixes a snowmobile day with a night in a lavvo.
Longer days on the trail are easier to find. A small scale wilderness dogsledding trip takes 4 hours in a group limited to 7 participants, from US$475, rated 5.00 from 21 reviews.[12] A private dog sledding tour runs 5 hours from US$440.[13] For confident drivers, an advanced self-drive experience takes 8 hours and is limited to 1 participant, from US$366.[14] A full day out in Tamokdalen takes 7 hours from US$356, rated 4.86 from 1,530 reviews.[15] The Tromsø Ice Domes are 95 km from Tromsø, deep in the heart of Tamok Valley, if you want to add something on that side of the region.[16]
If you want to spend time in a working yard without paying for a full day, the puppy training session at the husky kennel takes 4.5 hours from US$172.[17] A northern lights husky visit with a traditional dinner runs 4 hours from US$188.[18] Both are good pairings with a longer sledding day, and both keep you close to the dogs.
from US$351
The self-drive husky sledding tour from Tromsø takes 4 hours on a route with stops at Kvaløya, rated 4.91 from 4,408 reviews.[1]
The huskies, the mushers and the kennel culture
The dogs you meet are working animals, not pets. At Holmen Husky Lodge the family has raised and raced Alaskan Huskies bred for endurance, resilience and heart for over three decades and two generations.[19] Harness time is loud and frantic, with dogs lunging and howling, and then everything goes quiet the moment the team is running. Guides usually introduce the dogs by name and explain the job each one does in the team, which is often the part of the day people remember longest.
Racing is part of that culture. Finnmarksløpet is the longest dog-sled race in Europe, and the landscapes you travel through are the training ground for it.[20] Reindeer herding sits alongside the sled dogs. Near Tromsø, Sámi reindeer herding culture is represented by a Sámi reindeer-herding family that has lived and worked with reindeer for many generations.[21] If you want to combine the two, a Sami culture and reindeer feeding short tour runs 3.5 hours from US$126.[22]
Shaping a short stay around the sled dogs
Land in Tromsø and keep your first evening simple. If the sky is clear, the Fjellheisen cable car rises to Storsteinen, 421 meters above sea level, which gives you the shape of the islands before you travel through them.[23] Sleep early. Sledding days start with a transfer and involve a lot of standing around outdoors in the cold.
Your first full day can be the self-drive husky dog sledding adventure, 4 hours with stops listed as Bus/coach, Kvaløya, Bus/coach.[1] The next day can hold a second animal experience: a husky snowshoe hike takes 5 hours from US$189, and a husky hike with a puppy visit runs 4.5 hours from US$172.[24][25] If you have booked an overnight instead, the Bardu lodge stay takes 27 hours and fills the space of both days in one go.[2]
Whatever you choose, leave a spare half day at the end of the trip. Weather in the north moves quickly, and a delayed transfer feels far less stressful when the next day is empty.
What to wear and how to book an overnight husky trip
Booking is simple. Check availability to see starting times, reserve now and pay later, and remember that free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund applies to the tour booked from this site.[1] The overnight lodge stay and the snowmobile tour with a lavvo night carry the same reserve now and pay later and free cancellation terms.[2][3] That makes it realistic to hold a place while you sort out flights and the rest of your itinerary.
Dress for standing still. With an average winter temperature in Tromsø of around −4°C, the cold bites hardest on hands and face when the sled is moving and you are not.[5] Wool layers under a windproof outer layer, thick mittens rather than gloves, a hat that covers your ears and boots with room for two pairs of socks will see you through most days. One rule worth checking if you are bringing children: on the Fun and Easy Dog Sledding tour, children can join if they are at least 7 years old and accompanied by adults.[7]
From prices for husky and overnight options
From prices per person as listed on GetYourGuide:[1] for the self-drive day tour,[2] for the overnight lodge,[12] for the wilderness dogsledding trip and[3] for the snowmobile tour with a lavvo night.
From prices per person, in US dollars
From prices from GetYourGuide listings[1],[2],[12] and[3]. Each option is listed at one from price per person.
When to book an overnight husky trip
Plan your husky overnight
Pick your dates
The Northern Lights season in Tromsø runs from late August to early April, and sledding typically runs from December to March.[4][8]
Book the day tour
Start with the 4 hour self-drive adventure from US$351, rated 4.91 from 4,408 reviews.[1]
Add a night
The overnight HuskyLodge stay in Bardu lasts 27 hours and is limited to 4 participants.[2]
Pack for standing still
The average winter temperature in Tromsø is around −4°C, so bring wool layers and thick mittens.[5]
Confirm the details
Check availability to see starting times, and use free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance if plans change.[1]
Drive your own dog team on the Kvaløya trail
from US$351Reserve now & pay later
