Drive the husky team in Levi, or ride along?
On most husky tours around Levi you stand on the runners and steer the dogs yourself. On one you sit in the sled while a professional musher drives. The two feel very different, and the right choice depends on your balance and on what you want from your time on the snow.
Two ways to ride
A self-drive tour puts you on the runners at the back of the sled, where you hold the handlebar and work the brake while the dogs pull. The second person, if there is one, sits in the sled basket in front of you.
On a musher-driven ride the guide stands on the runners and you sit. You still feel the speed and hear the dogs, but there is nothing to steer and both your hands are free.
Which tours let you drive
- Keo Wilderness, 5 km (3 miles) from ~$167, where the trail you drive crosses a frozen lake and runs through pine forest
- Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park, 7 km from ~$221, two per sled with a chance to switch drivers along the way
- Polar Lights Tours, 15–18 km from ~$409, two per team, swapping drivers at the halfway point
- Keo Wilderness, 2 km from ~$117, where a professional musher drives and you sit
Easy Travel's reindeer and husky safari is the odd one out. Its listing describes a husky-pulled sled ride after a safety briefing but does not say who drives or how far, so ask the operator before booking if driving matters to you.
On Keo's 5 km ride the listing says you drive your own sled but does not describe any swapping. If you travel as a pair, ask Keo how the sleds are shared before the day.
What driving asks of you
Driving a team on a groomed trail is not hard, but it is physical. You stand for the whole run and shift your weight in bends. On downhill stretches, and whenever the sled ahead slows, you press the brake with one foot.
The rule every guide repeats is to keep hold of the handlebar. If you fall and let go, the dogs usually run on without you, which is why the briefing spends time on the brake and the snow hook.
Our first-ride guide walks through the briefing step by step. Teams tend to settle into a steady pace after the excited start, and the run gets calmer from there.
Why some riders should sit
Sitting in the sled suits anyone who would struggle to stand on a moving sled for half an hour. That includes riders with back trouble or limited balance, and anyone nervous about handling a team of dogs.
Photographers often prefer it too. With both hands free you can film the team from low down, which is close to impossible while you are braking on the runners.
For families with small children, Keo's 2 km ride lets a parent sit with a child while the musher handles the team. On the self-drive tours, ask the operator who may drive when an adult shares a sled with a child; our family guide covers ages and cold.
The limits on Keo's listings
Keo's 5 km self-drive does not take children under 4 or guests over 70, and its weight limit is 95 kg (209 lb). The 2 km musher ride sets its weight limit at 100 kg (220 lb).
Both Keo listings also print health limits, which we repeat here as the listings state them. Polar Lights Tours does not take children under 4 on its 15 km safari either.
- Heart problems
- High blood pressure
- Animal allergies
- Wheelchair users
Sharing a sled with a partner
The 7 km tour from ~$221 is the clearest example of sharing. One of you drives while the other sits, you can switch along the way, and there is a photo stop on the trail.
It scores 4.7 from 500+ reviews on GetYourGuide, and the three hours include pickup and warm drinks after the ride. Groups can reach 20, larger than on either Keo tour.
Seven kilometers, two drivers, one sled
Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park's three-hour tour with pickup, an introduction to dog sledding and a chance to swap drivers on the way. Warm drinks follow the ride.
Swapping gives each of you roughly 3.5 km at the handlebar, with the rest spent as a passenger. That suits pairs who want to film as well as drive, though the sitting half of the ride is the colder one.
On Polar Lights' 15 km safari the swap comes at the halfway point, so each driver gets a long stretch. Our guide to ride lengths compares how far each tour goes, and the clothing guide deals with the cold seat.
How we would choose
If you are fit and inside the age and weight limits, drive. Keo's 5 km ride is our pick because you steer your own sled, it has the most reviews here (4.8 from 590+ on GetYourGuide), and the puppies come afterwards.
The price comparison shows how it sets against the rest. If you would rather drive farther and share the work, the 7 km tour is the next step up.
If driving would worry you or your back, sit. Keo's 2 km ride takes about an hour in all and has the lowest scores of the five, 4.5 from 20+ on GetYourGuide, but it gets you onto the snow behind a team without any steering.