Husky sledding in Levi with children
Huskies and small children get on well, but long rides in the cold do not suit every child. The five tours we compare set different age and weight limits, and only one has a musher doing the driving. This guide sorts out which ride suits which family, and what to ask the operator before you book.
Which tours take young children
Two of the self-drive rides set a firm lower age. Keo Wilderness's 5 km ride and Polar Lights Tours' 15 km safari are not for children under 4, according to their listings.
On Keo's 2 km ride a musher drives while you sit in the sled, and its list of who it does not suit gives no minimum age. That makes it the natural first try with a toddler, but ask the operator before you book with a very young child.
The listings for Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park's 7 km ride and Easy Travel's reindeer and husky safari do not state a minimum age in the details we checked. Ask the operator, and ask about a child price too, since the prices below are per adult.
| Tour | Who drives | Lower age limit in the listing | Time | From, per adult |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keo Wilderness, 5 km | You, two per sled | Not under 4 | 2 hours | ~$167 |
| Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park, 7 km | You, swapping on the way | Not stated | 3 hours | ~$221 |
| Polar Lights Tours, 15–18 km | You, swapping at halfway | Not under 4 | 3 hours | ~$409 |
| Keo Wilderness, 2 km | A professional musher | Not stated | 1 hour | ~$117 |
| Easy Travel, reindeer and huskies | Not stated | Not stated | 3 hours | ~$278 |
Who steers when a parent rides with a child
On a self-drive sled one person stands on the runners and one sits in the sled. With a young child the obvious setup is the adult driving and the child sitting, but the listings do not spell out the rules for children.
Ask the operator whether a child may sit with a parent and whether an older child may take a turn driving. Families with an odd number of people should also ask how the sleds are shared before the day.
The weight and age limits apply to the adults as well. Keo's 5 km ride does not take anyone over 70 or over 95 kg (209 lb), and its 2 km ride has a 100 kg (220 lb) limit.
A short ride where the musher steers
Keo Wilderness's 2 km ride takes 1 hour from the meeting point, from ~$117. A professional musher drives while you sit in the sled with your child, so nobody has to learn the brake. It scores 4.5 from 20+ reviews on GetYourGuide, lower than the longer rides.
Puppies, the part children remember
The Keo Wilderness 5 km ride, from ~$167, ends with 4-month-old husky puppies to play with, and the Viator page for the 2 km ride lists the puppies too. For many children the puppies matter more than the sled.
A reindeer spot nearby gives a second stop for photos. Feeding the animals is not allowed, so keep snacks in the bag around the dogs, and ask a guide before a child runs up to a husky in harness.
Both Keo rides rule out guests with animal allergies. If someone in the family reacts to dogs, the close contact at the base is as much of a problem as the ride. How the Levi sled dogs live has more on the kennels and the puppies.
Keeping small children warm
Children lose heat faster than adults and rarely say so until they are already unhappy. A child sitting in the sled does not move at all, so dress them a layer warmer than you dress yourself.
Mittens on a string or clipped to the sleeve stay with the child when they come off for a puppy. A buff over the nose and cheeks with ski goggles keeps the wind off the face, and at every stop check under the face cover for pale patches of skin.
What to wear on a husky sled goes through the layers in order. Levi's rental shops for winter clothing can spare you buying a suit that a child will outgrow by next winter.
Start with a short ride
A first ride of 2 or 5 km suits most families better than a long safari. Small children get cold and restless, and the 15–18 km safari at ~$409 is a lot to spend on a child who wants to go back after twenty minutes.
The booked time is longer than the ride itself. Keo's 5 km tour takes 2 hours in all, with a 15-minute drive each way between the meeting point and the base. Plan a snack and a toilet stop before you leave the village.
Teenagers who want to drive are a different case. The 7 km ride or the 15 km safari gives them real time on the runners, and how far your husky ride should be compares what each length feels like.
Reindeer first, huskies second
Easy Travel's reindeer and husky safari, from ~$278, is the one to look at for a family with a child who is nervous of dogs, since it mixes the two. It starts with hotel pickup in Levi and a reindeer sledge ride, then hot berry juice in a kota before the huskies.
A reindeer sledge is a quieter start than a team of barking huskies, so the morning builds up toward the dogs. Its listing gives no distance for the husky part, and the tour is not for pregnant travelers or anyone with limited mobility.
Reviewers give it 4.5 from 220+ on GetYourGuide and 4.6 from 50+ on Viator. Our guide to huskies and reindeer in one trip covers it in more detail.
When someone should stay at the hotel
Keo's listings exclude guests with heart problems or high blood pressure, along with wheelchair users. Grandparents over 70 cannot join the 5 km ride, though the 2 km musher ride sets no upper age in its listing.
If a child or a grandparent cannot drive, the sitting seat is the answer on most tours. Our guide to driving the team or riding along explains who suits each role, and anything still unclear is best asked before booking.