FAQ

Husky Sled Ride – the sled is driven by one of our professional dog mushers. There are 2-3 people in each sled. You will sit inside the sled with 1 or 2 other people. If you have small children in your family/group, they will also sit in the same sled. This activity is perfect for enjoying the scenery, taking pictures and watching the dogs enjoy a day at work. If you are traveling alone, be aware that you may sit in the sled with another guest, which is a great opportunity to make a new friend.

Self-Drive Dogsledding – a professional dog musher will give you a quick lesson on how to drive your own team of dogs. After this, you will control your own team who will happily follow one of our guides making the trail up front. There will be two persons per sled, in the middle of the track you will switch control of the sled. This tour is physical and involves coordination to control the sled, however, no previous experience is needed.

Both activities include approx. 45-60 minutes of dog sledding, but they go on sepparate routes.

Everyone is welcome to join our dog sledding tours, and we always strive to ensure you have a great experience. However, we do have some recommendations regarding weight and age for our dog sledding programs.

Husky Sled Ride

This activity is well-suited for families with young children and the elderly. We also welcome people with disabilities, and it is the safest program for pregnant women.

• Age: Suitable for all ages.
• Weight: One sled usually accommodates two people (or three if there are small children). The recommended weight of the sled is 180 kg, as this is optimal for our usual 8-10 dog teams.
  • If you exceed the recommended weight, you can still join the tour. Please leave us a comment when booking so we can prepare with more dogs in front of the sled.

Self-Drive Dog Sledding

This activity demands a good level of fitness, including the ability to jog uphill through snow, maintain a good balance (even on one foot), and have a tight grip.

• Age: Minimum age 16, maximum recommended age 70.
• Weight: One sled accommodates two people – one sitting in the sled and one driving. The recommended weight of the sled is 170 kg.

Please note these recommendations to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone.

If you book both ride and drive within your family/group – you will be split in two groups for the activity and will go sledding on separate routes. However you will meet after the tour to enjoy the meal together.

If you are two, however, only one wants to drive the sled, you can still book the dog sledding drive. Then one of you will drive the sled, and the other will sit inside the sled the whole trip.

We suggest you all book dogsled ride if you all want to be within the same group during the whole experience. For safety reasons, kids must be accompanied by their parents at all times.

We provide overalls (from children to XXXL size) and boots (from children to 45 EU), however you should bring your own gloves, hat, warm socks, goggles, and do not forget the camera.

For activities provided by Tromsø Villmarkssenter we will pick you up outside of Radisson Blu hotel in Tromsø. The address for the pick up is: Sjøgata 7, 9259, Tromsø. Please be at the pick up at least 15 minutes before departure.

If you are traveling in your own car, our address is: Straumsvegen 601, Kvaløysletta. Please park the car in the guest parking right side on the road up to Villmarkssenter.

Please make sure that Tromsø Villmarkssenter knows that you are coming on your own transport.

Please be aware that transport costs are still included in the price if you choose to use your own transport. Therefore we also recommend using our transport because parking possibilities at the center are limited.

For activities provided by our partners please refer to the pick up information on your booking confirmation.

The Self-Drive Husky sled and Expedition tours have an age limit of 16 years. Our other tours do not have any age restrictions and we welcome children and families. If you are traveling with a newborn infant, please be aware that dogsledding carries an inherent small risk. Even with professional guides accidents can happen but are very rare. We will provide a warm sleeping bag and reindeer skins in the sled, however, we do not provide overalls and boots for small children.

If you are traveling with small children/infants and using our transport, you must bring an approved safety seat/car seat for your child.

On tours that are not with Tromsø Villmarkssenter, separate age limitations may apply.

In general, there is no risk to go on the Husky Sled Ride being pregnant. During certain times of the winter the trail can be bumpy – please make sure you inform your musher that you are pregnant. Be aware that you do it on your own risk. If you prefer to stay at the center, please contact us, and we will book you for the visit activity.

For safety reasons, we don’t allow women to join the Self-Drive program being pregnant as statistically first time drivers are more prone to errors than experienced mushers.

Tromsø Villmarkssenter AS and our partners reserve the right to cancel the activity at any point for safety reasons. We however will offer to you an alternative activity/rescheduling or a full refund.

The midnight sun is from 21.05 to 21.07 in Tromsø.
Polar nights from 21.11 to 21.01 in Tromsø.

Tromsø is a very special place in the world that has a very high northern lights activity, therefore the chances of seeing the northern lights from our camp which is located in the wilderness, is very high. However, the mother nature plays a big part in your evening, and if possible, that you don’t see the northern lights appear. But, don’t worry, the great thing about booking the northern light tours with us, is that our guides will make sure you have a great experience visiting our 200 Alaskan huskies and enjoying the evening by the campfire.

You will spend the night just as the Sami people have done for generations – around an open fire in our Lavvo-Tent, furnished with soft reindeer skins and high-quality camping gear. The lavvo’s accomodate 8-12 people so you will likely share the sleeping space with other guests.

We also have one private lavvo availabe on request, that can accomodate up to 4 people. Please contact mail@villmarkssenter.no if you want to book it. Note that it will cost 2000 NOK extra.

Nearly all our tours require 48 hours notice before the excursion departure time in order to cancel and receive a full refund. Any cancellation within 48 hours of departure time or failure to attend is non-refundable. Only our 5-day expeditions must be cancelled the latest 30 days prior to departure to be eligible for a full refund.

This cancellation policy does not apply for group bookings (7+ guests). For more information on our terms and conditions for group bookings, please inquire with us directly.

Any cancellation later than this, no matter if due to sickness, injury, or canceled flights, will not be refunded, but should be covered by your travel insurance. Tromsø Villmarkssenter will provide any documentation necessary for your insurance claim.

Nearly all our programs require a minimum of two participants to run. The only exception is the 5-Day expedition; it requires at least 4 participants. If you are traveling alone and wonder if there already other bookings for your preferred tour date, we are happy to check for you!

Warm overalls and boots are included on our winter tours and rubber boots on our summer/autumn tours. We provide overalls (from children to XXXL size) and boots (from children to 48 EU=14 UK). For the rest of your stay, you might want to get some warm clothes. 

The Self-Drive Dog Sledding tour is not suitable at any stage of pregnancy.

In general, there is no risk on the Husky Sled Ride tour while being pregnant. During certain times of the winter, the trail can be bumpy. We do highly recommend to contact a doctor with your inquiry, just to be sure you have an approval from a professional.