Levi husky safari, your team, your sled

The trail is 7 km long, and you drive it yourself. Each sled is driven by a team of 2 people: one stands on the runners, the other rides in the basket, and the driver can switch halfway. The listing mentions a stop for photos along the way, the passenger's best chance for pictures of the team.

After the ride come warm drinks and cookies, time to thank the dogs, and the transfer back to your pickup point. The whole outing takes 3 hours, with an English-speaking guide. It is run by Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park Levi.

Some of these dogs are serious athletes. Visit Levi notes that a few of the area's sled dogs compete in international races, the longest about 500 kilometres. A 7 km trail is a short outing for a team like that, and you feel it in the pull at the start.

The resort's tourist board names the husky safari among the Big Five of Levi, alongside the northern lights, the reindeer ride, snowshoe hiking and the snowmobile safari. It is the one that puts you most directly in charge: on the runners, the dogs answer to you.

The guides come next. Reviewers describe friendly guides who explain the driving clearly, give good advice on clothing, and answer questions about the dogs and the area. Several mention the time after the ride, petting the huskies and taking photos with them, as a highlight of the day.

The extra warm clothing gets its own praise, as does the warm drink with cookies by the fire at the end. One reviewer noted that the trip is expensive, as most things in Lapland are; another felt it was worth every bit of it. The reviews below give a fuller picture, in the guests' own experience.

Midwinter is the time of biting frost and deep snowdrifts, especially in January and February, Visit Levi says. From December into early January the sun does not clear the horizon, and the trail runs through a long, blue twilight. By mid-March there are 11.5 hours of daylight at the Kittilä Airport weather station.

In March and April, Visit Levi points to spring crust snow, hardened by the large daily temperature swings. It is the brightest part of the season, and the gentlest for cold hands. Whatever month you choose, book early: Visit Levi calls husky safaris possibly the most booked activities.

This safari includes winter clothing, which takes care of the outer layer. Underneath, Visit Levi recommends merino wool against the skin, which keeps warmth even when it gets moist, wool socks rather than cotton, and loose mittens with thin gloves inside.

Cover your ears and your face. Ears tucked under a warm hat and a tube scarf pulled up over the nose do more for you than a second jacket. Keep a spare pair of mittens in an inside pocket, and your phone close to your body between photos.

The ride goes ahead rain or shine. The listing says it is cancelled only in extreme weather such as storms, and that a full refund is made if that happens. Pack for the forecast rather than hoping it will change.

Bring an ID card; a copy is accepted. Alcohol and drugs are not allowed, and neither are alcoholic drinks in the vehicle. The listing states no time of day and no age or weight limits, so check the start time in your booking and ask the provider about small children before you pay.

Driving is mostly braking and balance. Keep both hands on the handlebar and both feet on the runners, brake before descents and before the sled in front, and lean gently into bends. Never let go of the sled; a team without a driver keeps running. The briefing at the start covers all of this.

If one of you would rather not drive at all, that is fine: the swap is offered, not required. For a group where nobody wants to steer, Levi also has a 2 km ride on which a professional musher drives every sled.

Finnish law sets the baseline for how dogs are kept: water, appropriate food, premises suited to the species, and a welfare check at least once a day. Every dog keeper in Finland must register their dogs in the official registry.

Follow the guide's lead with the dogs. Ask before you pet, keep hands away from harnesses and lines, and let resting dogs rest. After the run, the team that pulled you is usually glad of a word and a scratch behind the ears.

For a short taste, there are 2 km rides. On one of them a professional musher drives, with a heated shelter and hot drinks afterwards; on another, at the Levisafari farm, you drive yourself but arrange your own transport.

At the long end, Polar Lights Tours runs a 15 km self-drive safari of 3 hours, from $424. And if you want the dogs without a sled at all, a 1-hour farm visit introduces huskies, Finnish horses and reindeer. Our comparison page sets them all side by side.

By rail, the nearest station is Kolari, about 80 km away, and a connecting bus meets each arriving train. VR puts that bus ride at around 1 hour 15 minutes; from Rovaniemi's station the bus takes around 2.5 hours.

Once you are in Levi, the safari's pickup from set locations in Levi means you can leave the car behind. In winter, Ski Buses run between Levi fell and the main accommodation areas every half hour from 9:00 to 19:00.

It is not the cheapest husky ride in Levi; the 2 km and 5 km rides start lower, though several of them do not include clothing or transport. If the dogs matter more to you than the trail, a farm visit or a shorter ride with kennel time may suit better.

Check two things before you book: the start time on your booking, since the listing gives none, and, with small children, the provider's answer on age. Then dress warmly, arrive early at the pickup point, and enjoy the quiet of the forest once the dogs settle into their pace.