Between the end of summer and the first proper snow, one question reaches us more than any other: can you meet huskies in Rovaniemi before the sledding season? You can. In autumn our dogs are already running – they just pull a cart on forest tracks instead of a sled on snow. The husky cart tour is how we share that part of the year with our guests.

This page is our own tour, explained the way we would explain it if you phoned us: where we pick you up, what happens at the kennel, how long the ride is, what is included and what is not, and the few rules the weather and the dogs set for us. Every price and condition below is taken from the tour page itself.

Our husky cart tour is Running with the Pack, 3km Husky Tour & Kennel Visit. It costs from 133 €, lasts 2 hours and is rated very easy. You sit in the cart while a musher drives a team of huskies for 3 km through the forest, then visit a modern husky kennel, hear how the dogs live and train, and warm up with hot juice and cookies. Transfers from our pick-up points are included. Once there is enough snow, the ride switches to a sled.

At a glance

• From: 133 €
• Experience type: Early winter Husky tour
• Duration: 2 hours
• Difficulty: Very easy
• Book in Advance: Cut off: 4 hours before start time
• Included: Guided husky ride of 5 km (on carts only 3Km); Modern husky kennel visit; Transfers from/to Santa Claus Village, Hostel Cafe Koti in the city center, Arctic SnowHotel or with own transfer at the K-Market Sinettä.; Hot juice and cookies; Informative talk about huskies.
• Cancellation: We will charge a cancellation fee of 100% if booking is cancelled 7 days or less before the event. We will charge a cancellation fee of 10% if booking is cancelled 365 days or less before the event.
• Accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible; Not stroller accessible

Why our huskies pull carts in autumn

Sled dogs do not switch on when the snow arrives. Running is what they love, and a team that is going to pull sleds all winter needs to be moving long before then. So in the snowless weeks the mushers hitch the dogs to a wheeled cart and run them on forest tracks – and we bring guests along for the ride.

The tour page puts the rule plainly: we can only switch to sleds once there is sufficient snow cover, and during the early winter period the experience may still take place on carts. As long as we are on carts, the ride is 3 km. When the snow is deep enough and the team goes onto sleds, the same experience becomes a 5 km sled ride – that is why the included list reads “guided husky ride of 5 km (on carts only 3 km)”.

If you are curious what else we run in these colourful in-between weeks, our ruska season overview covers the whole autumn line-up.

Pick-up and meeting points

Transfers are part of the tour. The product page lists these pick-up and drop-off points:

• Bearhill Husky at the Santa Claus Village – Santa’s Husky Rides
• Hostel Cafe Koti – Valtakatu 21, in the city centre
• K-Market Sinettä – Sinetänsalmentie 8, if you come with your own transport

The included-items list also mentions the Arctic SnowHotel as a transfer point. Pick-up times are always before the tour start, anywhere from 90 to 15 minutes before, depending on the point. When you book, tell us where you would like to be picked up; if anything is unclear, email booking@staylapland.com or send us a WhatsApp message on +358 40 128 7846 and we will confirm it with you.

What happens on the tour, step by step

The tour lasts 2 hours in total, including the kennel visit. These are the parts of the experience (the order can vary on the day):

1. Meeting the pack. You arrive at a modern husky kennel, where the dogs live.
2. The cart ride. You sit in the cart and a musher drives the team for 3 km through Lapland’s forest. You do not need to steer or do anything physical; the difficulty rating is very easy.
3. The kennel visit and talk. At the kennel you hear how the dogs live and train – an informative talk about huskies is part of the tour.
4. Warming up. Hot juice and cookies are included.

We do not publish a minute-by-minute schedule, because the dogs, the weather and the size of the group set the pace on the day. The overall duration is 2 hours.

Who this tour suits – and who should choose another of our tours

Running with the Pack is one of our family-friendly tours. The tour page answers the question directly: it is suitable even for very small children. It is a gentle, low-threshold way to experience working sled dogs.

A few things to know before you book:

• The tour is not wheelchair accessible and not stroller accessible.
• Single travellers share the cart with people outside their party.
• You are a passenger, not a driver. If you are dreaming of driving your own team, that is a winter experience – see our husky activities once the snow season opens.

If you are visiting a little later, from 16 November, the Running with the Pack, 5km Husky Tour & Kennel Visit is the next step: the same idea, with a 5 km ride on the sled once the snow allows (it too runs on carts, and then only 3 km, until there is enough snow).

Exactly what is included, and what is not

Included, word for word from the tour page:

• Guided husky ride of 5 km (on carts only 3 km)
• Modern husky kennel visit
• Transfers from/to Santa Claus Village, Hostel Cafe Koti in the city centre, Arctic SnowHotel, or with own transfer at the K-Market Sinettä
• Hot juice and cookies
• Informative talk about huskies

Not included: clothing. We do not provide outdoor clothing on the Running with the Pack tour, so please dress for the weather. Autumn temperatures vary a lot – some days are already chilly, others are relatively mild – and the trails can be muddy. Our advice from the tour page:

• Wear wool or synthetic fibres next to the skin – no cotton, especially not cotton socks.
• Layer up, but not too tightly: tight thermals, then wool or fleece on top.
• Thin finger gloves and wool socks are worth having for any trip to Lapland.
• Bring a hat, mittens and a scarf if needed.
• Wear clothes that can get dirty.

Travelling light? We also rent premium winter clothing in Rovaniemi, from 45 € for a set.

Timing, season and the 10 °C rule

This is an autumn and early-winter tour, run in the weeks before the full sledding season. Exact dates change from year to year, so the live booking calendar on this page is always the reliable place to check which days are open.

The most important rule is about the dogs, not the guests. For animal welfare reasons the tour runs only weather permitting, at 10 °C or colder – above that it is too warm for huskies to pull. In a mild autumn that can mean a ride does not go ahead on a given day. If you have questions about what happens to your booking in that case, ask us when booking and we will explain.

Bookings close 4 hours before the start time.

The small print

Please read these before you book – they are quoted from the tour page:

• Cancellation: we charge a cancellation fee of 100% if the booking is cancelled 7 days or less before the event, and a fee of 10% if it is cancelled 365 days or less before the event.
• Weather: offered only at 10 °C or colder, for the dogs’ welfare.
• Shared carts: single travellers share with other guests.
• Accessibility: not wheelchair or stroller accessible.

One more practical point: the site-wide EARLY27 book-early code excludes husky and reindeer tours, so it does not apply to this tour.

Combining the husky tour with a stay

Many of our guests stay at the Postmaster Hotel in the centre of Rovaniemi, next to the railway and bus station; for this tour, the city-centre pick-up point is Hostel Cafe Koti on Valtakatu. If you are staying at Aurora Hill Resort, tell us when booking and we will help you choose the most convenient pick-up.

For a wider view of how our husky experiences change through the year, read our husky tours in Rovaniemi guide, and meet the mushers behind our winter sled-dog tours in the Kuoksa Husky Park story.

Book this if you are in Rovaniemi in autumn, want to meet working huskies and feel them run, and would like something the whole family, including small children, can do. Choose another of our tours if you need step-free access, want to drive a team yourself, or are visiting in deep winter, when our snow-season husky tours take over.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the husky cart ride?

While we run on carts, the ride is 3 km. Once there is enough snow and we switch to sleds, it is 5 km. The whole tour, including the kennel visit, lasts 2 hours.

Do you provide warm clothing on this tour?

No, we do not provide clothing on the Running with the Pack tour. Please dress for the weather in wool or synthetic layers, avoid cotton, and wear clothes that can get muddy.

Can small children join?

Yes. Running with the Pack is one of our family-friendly tours and is suitable even for very small children – please dress them warmly. Note that the tour is not stroller accessible.

What happens if it is warmer than 10 °C?

For animal welfare reasons the tour is offered only at 10 °C or colder, because otherwise it is too hot for the huskies to pull. Ask us when booking how a weather cancellation is handled.

Where do you pick us up?

From Bearhill Husky at the Santa Claus Village, Hostel Cafe Koti at Valtakatu 21, or K-Market Sinettä at Sinetänsalmentie 8 if you come on your own. Pick-up is 90 to 15 minutes before the start, depending on the point.

Can I cancel?

A cancellation fee of 100% applies if you cancel 7 days or less before the event, and 10% if you cancel 365 days or less before the event.

Ready to book?

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• Running with the Pack, 5km Husky Tour & Kennel Visit AVAILABLE 16.11–22.11 — from 164 €, 2 hours 15 minutes