If you ever find yourself in the Scandinavian region during the winter, do yourself a favor and find the nearest husky sledding establishment and get ready for a unique life experience. Our husky sledding took place in Rovaniemi, Finland – a small city an hour flight north from Helsinki.

We booked our “Husky Favorite – Husky Safari” with Huskypoint, which was an easy booking process (TA Review). The cost was a hefty US$200 per person, which includes transport to/from your hotel, winter gear (snow goggles not included), and some snacks/coffee.

After getting picked up, we were given a short briefing on safety, what to expect, and got to walk around the compound while our sleds were getting prepared.

All sleds are 2-person sleds, with one person sitting down and the other standing and “driving” the sled. You do get a chance to switch mid-way, although the first person driving will get a bit longer time ~30 min vs. ~20 min (so just keep that in mind in case you are given a choice). After getting assigned our husky pack and sled, we were given a short refresher on how to “GO” and “STOP” and it was off to the races!

The huskies were much faster than I thought, and when going downhill I had to brake intermittently to ensure the sled momentum didn’t outpace the dogs. Alternatively, when going uphill, I tried to help the dogs out a bit by running and pushing the sled alongside my pack. After about 30 minutes of trekking, we came to a break stop and needless to say, we were all ready for some rest.

After feeding the huskies and thawing ourselves by the fire in an authentic yurt, we were back on the trail, blazing through the snowy terrain.

After another 20 minutes or so, we were back at the Huskypoint compound. Before leaving, we met a curious husky named “Dolly” who apparently is a princess who does not ever pull a sled, but demands the attention of all visitors. We also fell victim to her unusual charms and were giving her belly rubs before we knew what hit us.

After some warm coffee, we were driven back to our hotel, where we turned up the heat, curled up in a blanket, and watched the snow fall from the comfort of our bed.