Husky safari in Finland
representative.
Min age: 18+ with good physical fitness.
Description of Husky safari in Finland
Driving your own team of huskies through the Finnish wilderness for five days, staying in remote cabins, is an arctic holiday experience that will stay with you forever. The stunning Pallas-Ylläs National Park in North West Lapland is said to have the cleanest air in Europe. You will get to fill your lungs and refresh your senses speeding through the snowy forests and across frozen lakes in this wilderness.
Your journey begins at the Arctic Sled Dog Centre at the renowned and respected Harriniva Wilderness Hotel.
Your team of four to six dogs comes from the 400 huskies looked after here by expert mushers. These guides will teach you how best to act and react with your dogs when out on the trail. Soon you'll be working with your team as a motivational musher of your own dog sled - it's a valuable lesson in teamwork. These amazing animals very quickly understand what you want them to do and deliver it with an enthusiasm and energy reserved for this particular breed of beautiful, hard-working dog.
Depending on the group's ability and the weather conditions, you can cover daily distances of between 25 to 40 kilometres. Over this distance and five unforgettable days, you will really get to know your dogs who all live and love to run in this Arctic playground.
At the end of your holiday, you can enjoy a unique night in either a snow room at Torassieppi Winter Village or in an Aurora Dome.
Accommodation
Harriniva Wilderness Hotel (nights 1, 6 and 7)
This family-run hotel, high above the Arctic Circle and a great place from which to observe the Northern Lights, is where you will begin and end your Lapland adventure. The hotel is known for its welcoming atmosphere and wide selection of activities.
Wilderness cabins (nights 2-5)
In these isolated cabins, out in the Lapland wilderness, you’ll completely forget about the stresses of daily life back home – far removed from your job, your laptop and the sound of mobile phones. The night skies out here are ideal for stargazing – or looking out for the Northern Lights.
What's included
- Flights: return flights from London to Kittila, either direct or via Helsinki depending on the departure date. Flight routes are subject to change
- Return airport transfers
- 3 nights in a safari house or hotel accommodation and 4 nights in wilderness cabins
- 5-day husky safari with your own team of huskies
- 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches*, 7 dinners
- Cold weather clothing throughout your holiday
- Qualified and experienced wilderness guides and instructors
- Dedicated company representative at Harriniva
*If you're travelling between 8th January and 12th February on direct flights, you will receive 7 lunches.
Image credits: Harriniva Hotels and Safaris, Emmi Kahkonen
Price information
representative.
Min age: 18+ with good physical fitness.
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Reviews
8 Reviews of Husky safari in Finland
Reviewed on 31 Mar 2023 by Louise Popplewell
A lovely and unusual experience; better than I expected. Read full reviewReviewed on 19 Feb 2023 by Elisabeth Harcourt
It was all wonderful - our great guide, Meku, splendid dogs, lots of exercise, a perfect mix of weather. Read full reviewReviewed on 29 Jan 2023 by JoAnn Lynne
The best .. I want to come back with my daughters Read full reviewReviewed on 23 Jan 2023 by Ines de Lestapis
10/10. Great organisation (we had no blips or mishaps at any moment in terms of logistics)... Dogs are super friendly. It was a very active holiday (which we loved). The connection to Nature is incredible and will be forever remembered. Read full reviewReviewed on 27 Feb 2022 by Amanda Miles
Food is great. Guides are fantastic if a little scary, in an impressive way. Great to work with the dogs and learn to love your team. Read full reviewReviewed on 23 Feb 2020 by Martin Carby
The most memorable part of the holiday was the husky sledding. Read full reviewReviewed on 27 Dec 2015 by Melanie Lazenby
The most memorable part of the holiday was the dogs, it'll always be those amazing dogs. And also our guide. She was just incredible. We also saw the northern lights, and cuddled baby huskies, while it was snowing on Christmas Day. Read full reviewReviewed on 01 Mar 2015 by Ian Curley
If you love dogs and don't mind roughing it then this is the holiday for you. The income provided to the local economy is the main income for the year. The footprint on the environment is minimal. Read full reviewResponsible Travel
Planet
The guides here are some of the most conscientious we have come across when it comes to environmental responsibility. Operating in the National Parks of this wild region is seen as a real privilege and they have enormous respect for the environment.All guides operate a strict leave no trace policy and they ensure that this is followed by all participants during this five day safari.
At the wilderness cabins the facilities are basic and in many cases there are composting toilets provided for guests to use, the impact of which is minimal on the environment. All litter is disposed of responsibly and recycled where possible. As ever local ingredients will be utilized throughout and in this region menus tend to include reindeer and salmon, both of which have been sustainable herded and caught for centuries by the local people. Food miles are therefore at a minimum.
Wood for stove and camp fires is sustainably sourced and typically set campfire areas will be utilized throughout as they are provided in many regions visited.
Dog sledding itself is a relatively low impact activity and obviously requires no fossil fuels in order to operate. Routes are typically set trails and well maintained and due to the low temperatures and perma frost there is little trace of any of these routes come the summer months.
The only noise pollution caused could be the howl of the huskies, eager for the trail in the mornings.
Group sizes on this tour are typically set to maximum 8 pax including guide in order to minimize impact and maintain the experience for guests.
The welfare of the working dogs here is excellent and of paramount importance. The dogs are looked after as the number one priority by guests. The sled dog centre has an exceptional reputation and complies with all Finnish veterinary regulations and standards for the care of the animals and the dogs’ relationship with their mushers is an amazing sight to see.
People
Tourism in Finnish Lapland has become the main income source of employment and income replacing traditional industries such as forestry. Development from a period of extractive industry to an industrial society has come about quickly. In 1950 the largest part of Lapland’s inhabitants lived in rural areas and more than half the workforce worked in forestry and agriculture. Today 65 % of the workforce are in the service industry, 22 % in processing and 10 % in primary production.This huge growth in tourism and service provision has been developed in conjunction with a long-term sustainable tourism plan with one of the primary objectives being to maintain nature in its natural state while guaranteeing the traditional way of life. Much of this has been achieved along with membership of EU development programmes, aimed at diversifying sources of livelihood, effective usage of resources and to increase export.
Approximately a quarter of Lapland’s 100 000 strong workforce was unemployed in 1997. Promoting entrepreneurship, ongoing re-education of the workforce and development of the educational system to suit the needs of enterprises is continuing. The target is to diversify the sources of livelihood, increase the value of refinement production and develop new enterprises particularly in the area of tourism. National measures as well as EU-programme measures support this objective.
We embrace this philosophy on our husky safari in Finland, employing local activity providers and using only locally owned hotels. In this manner we help to maintain jobs in an area where unemployment was, until recently, very high. Additionally, the use of local suppliers ensures that the tourism spend filters through to local economies via the tourism multiplier effect.
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