(Self-driving) Dog Sledding

Hands-on dog sledding experience – feel like a real musher

Together with Hannah and Eirik — a local couple living in the Pasvik Valley — you step into their everyday life as dog mushers and become an active part of the experience.

Your day begins at their kennel, located about 40 minutes by car from Kirkenes, in the Pasvik Valley. The Pasvik Valley itself is truly unique: extending from Finland through Norway and into Russia, it forms the northwestern edge of the Siberian taiga — the largest forest in the world.

After a thorough introduction to safety, equipment, and the dogs, you’ll help prepare the sleds and harness the dog teams. The dogs are well-trained racing athletes, actively preparing for long-distance races such as Finnmarksløpet — the longest dog-sled race in Europe — while also being beloved family members.

The tour usually starts with tandem sleds, where two sleds are connected. This allows you to get familiar with the dogs and terrain together with a guide or partner. During the journey, you travel through endless pine forests, frozen lakes, and untouched Arctic wilderness on quiet dog trails — not busy snowmobile routes. If conditions allow, the sleds can be separated during the break, giving you the opportunity to drive your own dog team independently on the return leg.

Midway through the tour, you stop in nature for a warm break around a campfire. Hot drinks and simple food are prepared over the fire while the dogs rest in the snow. Distances and duration vary depending on weather, daylight, and temperature — life in the Arctic sets the pace, not the clock.

This tour is ideal for animal lovers and adventurous travelers who want a genuine, hands-on Arctic experience — guided by professionals who live this life every day.

Tour highlights

  • Drive your own dog sled through endless pine forests and frozen lakes
  • Hands-on involvement: help harness, prepare, and handle the dogs
  • Guided by a local couple with racing and long-distance mushing experience
  • Small, personal groups starting directly from the kennel in the Pasvik Valley
  • Wilderness lunch by the fire with hot drinks and snacks in nature

Good to know

  • Distance: approx. 15–20 km (distances and duration depend on tour type, weather, temperature, and daylight)
  • Animal welfare is a top priority — dogs’ needs always come first
  • We don’t follow busy snowmobile routes, but have our own dog trails where there is no one else but us and the dogs. Parts of the trails are also used in Finnmarksløpet 1200km, a long-distance dogsled race.
  • Minimum age: 12 years

 

  • Make this tour a sit back and relax edition: This option is designed for guests who want to fully enjoy the magic of dog sledding without the physical demands of driving a sled themselves. With our Sit Back & Relax edition, your guide drives the sled while you sit comfortably and warmly wrapped in cozy blankets and traditional reindeer skins. By letting the guide handle the dogs and the sled, this experience offers a higher level of safety, stability, and peace of mind—especially appreciated by guests who are less physically active, older travelers, or anyone who prefers a more relaxed and secure way to experience dog sledding.

 

Season

Mid December - Mid April

Duration

5 hours

Starting time

On request

Languages

English & Norwegian

Group size

2 - 4 people

Meeting point

Storgata 5, 9900 Kirkenes (our office, lower floor)

Practical information

Included

  • Transport
  • Professional local guide
  • Warm snowsuit, balaclava and headlamp
  • Dog sledding equipment and safety briefing
  • Hands-on introduction to dog handling
  • Campfire break with hot drinks and snacks

What to bring

  • Winter boots, gloves, hat

Difficulty: Moderate

This tour requires moderate physical fitness, good balance, and comfort being outdoors in winter conditions. You should be confident handling animals and following instructions. For safety reasons, we cannot accommodate guests who are pregnant, have significant mobility limitations, or require physical assistance to sit securely in the sled. No previous dog sledding experience is required.

A “Sit Back & Relax” option is available on request, where the guide drives the sled and you ride as a passenger — ideal for guests with limited physical fitness or those who prefer a calmer experience.

Book your adventure now

Interested in this tour? Just fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. We’re excited to help you plan your Arctic adventure!

I have read the privacy policy.

Other tours that you might like

Northern Lights Dog Sledding (Self-driving)