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Husky safari in Rovaniemi or Levi: which to book

Rovaniemi and Levi are 170 km apart and both have plenty of kennels. The choice comes down to where you sleep, how far you want to drive the dogs, and what the price includes.

Check availabilityfrom $230 · cancellation is free

Editorial team, levihuskysafari.comUpdated October 22, 2026read in 6 minutes15 sources

The tour this guide is about Levi 7 km self-drive husky safari 4.7 (502 reviews) 3 hoursYou drive, 2 people per sledWinter clothing and a warm drink included from$230per person Check availabilityCancellation free up to 24 hrs in advance

The quick comparison

01Distance apart: 170 km, around 2.5 hours by bus from Rovaniemi's station.¹
02Rovaniemi's busiest ride: A 2.5 km ride at Santa Claus Village, 1,584 reviews.
03Rovaniemi self-drive: Apukka's 6 km ride: 4.64 from 1,568 reviews.
04Levi self-drive: This site's 7 km ride: 4.68 from 502 reviews.
05Longest of these: A 10 km ride from Rovaniemi, 3.5 hours.

Two Lapland bases with their own kennels

A husky safari in Rovaniemi and one in Levi look alike on paper: snow, a team of dogs, a sled and a warm drink afterwards. The real difference is geography. Levi lies about 170 km north of the Arctic Circle, at Sirkka village in Kittilä municipality, while Rovaniemi lies 170 km to the south by road.² ³

Both places have a deep bench of kennels. Visit Levi counts about 500 dogs at the farms and kennels near Levi, with rides every day from about 2 km up to full-day trips.⁴ ⁵ Visit Rovaniemi says you can meet huskies and try dog sledding there all year round.⁶ Neither place is short of choice.

That makes the question of Levi or Rovaniemi mostly one of logistics. A husky ride is a morning or an afternoon, and travelling 170 km for one makes little sense if a good kennel is a short transfer from your hotel.¹ The sections below compare what the bookable rides in each place actually include, so you can choose with your accommodation already in mind.

Splitting the week

Rovaniemi first, then Levi

Arrive

Rovaniemi

Finnair flies to Rovaniemi, 170 km south of Levi.⁷
Day 1

A first ride

The 2.5 km Santa Claus Village ride.
Travel day

Bus north

Around 2.5 hours from the railway station to Levi.¹
Levi

The longer drive

The 7 km self-drive safari with pickup in Levi.
Home

Fly from Kittilä

15 km from Levi, with an airport bus.⁸

What Rovaniemi's husky rides look like

Rovaniemi's most reviewed husky ride is a short one at Santa Claus Village: a 2.5 km ride of 8-12 minutes, with information about huskies and juice and cookies, in a 30-minute visit. It is rated 4.66 from 1,584 reviews and starts from $73. Transfers and Arctic outer clothing are not included.

For driving your own team, Apukka's 6 km self-driven ride is the big name, rated 4.64 from 1,568 reviews, from $253. It includes winter clothing, from thermal overall to woollen socks, and transfers from Rovaniemi city centre or Santa Claus Village to Apukka Resort if needed; the bus takes 35 minutes out and 30 back. The guides do not drive the sleighs, and guests need enough fitness to be mushers.

Safartica runs a daytime 5 km self-drive ride of about 20-30 minutes on the sled, with 2 adults per team and children in the sleigh. And for the longest distance, NordicUnique Travels offers a ride of about 10 km with a husky farm visit in 3.5 hours. Note its small print: at least 2 people are needed on weekdays and Saturdays, at least 4 on Sundays and public holidays.

Trail distance in km

How far each ride goes, Rovaniemi and Levi

Trail distance as stated by each listing; the 10 km figure is given as approximate.

Rovaniemi and Levi side by side

Husky rides in both places

Ride	Place	Distance	Total time	Rating
Santa Claus Village ride	Rovaniemi	2.5 km	30 min	4.66 (1,584)
Daytime safari	Rovaniemi	5 km	1.5 hrs	4.65 (1,036)
Apukka self-drive	Rovaniemi	6 km	3.5 hrs	4.64 (1,568)
Snowy trail safari	Rovaniemi	About 10 km	3.5 hrs	4.65 (496)
Rautusjärvi ride	Levi	5 km	2 hrs	4.78 (594)
7 km self-drive	Levi	7 km	3 hrs	4.68 (502)

Distances, durations and ratings as the listings state them; Safartica's duration excludes transfers.

Three rides compared

Santa's village, Apukka or Levi

Clothing and pickup

7 km self-drive

Levi

Distance: 7 km
Total: 3 hrs
Reviews: 502

See the ride

Rovaniemi: Apukka Husky Adventure 6km, self-driven

Most reviewed drive

Apukka self-drive

Rovaniemi

Distance: 6 km
Total: 3.5 hrs
Reviews: 1,568

See the ride

Rovaniemi: Santa Claus Village Husky Ride

Shortest

Santa Claus Village ride

Rovaniemi

Distance: 2.5 km
Ride: 8-12 min
Clothing: Not included

See the ride

Decision helper

Where should your husky day be?

Start from where you sleep and what you want

Book in Levi

Kennels are a short transfer away; the 7 km ride picks up in Levi.

Book in Rovaniemi

Apukka includes transfers from the city centre.

Santa Claus Village

A 2.5 km ride of 8-12 minutes.

Rovaniemi's 10 km ride

About 10 km with a farm visit.

Rautusjärvi, Levi

4.78 from 594 reviews.

Duration of a wintry dog sleigh ride varies from a few minutes to several hours, depending on your wishes and schedule

Visit RovaniemiSource 9

What Levi's husky rides look like

Levi's offer centres on short and middle distances. This site's 7 km self-drive safari is run by Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park Levi, with pickup from set locations in Levi, winter clothing, an introduction to the huskies and warm drinks, 3 hours in all. It starts from $230 and is rated 4.68 from 502 reviews.

The most reviewed Levi ride is Keo Wilderness's 5 km self-drive at Rautusjärvi, rated 4.78 from 594 reviews, from $173. It leaves by minivan from Burger King Levi and spends 1.5 hours at the lake, but it does not lend winter clothing. For a short taste, Levisafari's 2 km self-drive is the cheapest of Levi's rides, from $110.

Levi has no Santa Claus Village ride, but it has variety of its own: a musher-driven 2 km ride for passengers, a 15 km self-drive safari, and two-day trips in the long spring days.¹⁰ If you are staying in Levi, everything you need is on the doorstep.

Checklist

Comparing a ride in each place

Look for

Where the transfer starts and how long it takes
Time on the sled, not just the total
Whether outer clothing is included

Watch out for

Minimum group sizes on some rides
Rules for children travelling with you
The cancellation deadline

Cost calculator

Price a ride in Levi or Rovaniemi

Pick a ride and the size of your group.

7 km self-driveLevifrom $230 Apukka self-driveRovaniemifrom $253 Snowy trail safariRovaniemifrom $276 Santa Claus VillageRovaniemifrom $73

People 2

Total from$459

per person from $230

Check availabilityfree cancellation

We take the lowest price GetYourGuide shows for each option, multiply it by your head count and convert it with the ECB rate; checkout gives the exact figure.

Video

The cheapest and easiest way from Rovaniemi to Levi

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Time on the sled versus time in transit

Compare the time you spend with the dogs, not only the length of the outing. Apukka's 3.5-hour ride lists 2 hours at Apukka and a bus of 35 minutes out and 30 back. Safartica's 5 km ride states 1.5 hours but adds that transfer time is not counted in that duration.

In Levi the transfers are shorter. Keo Wilderness drives 10 minutes to Rautusjärvi and 15 back. Lovimainas's 5 km ride is 10 minutes by van each way from the Levi Tourist Office. The kennels around Levi are close to the resort, which is one advantage of booking where you stay.

Distance on the trail is the other measure. The rides here range from 2.5 km at Santa Claus Village to about 10 km from Rovaniemi, with Levi's 7 km safari in between. A ride of a few minutes is a first impression; a longer self-drive lets you settle into driving.

Clothing, group rules and cancellation

Clothing is included on most of the longer rides in both places. Apukka lends a thermal overall, thermal boots, woollen socks and mittens, NordicUnique lends overalls, boots and gloves, and this site's 7 km safari includes winter clothing. The short Santa Claus Village ride does not include outer clothing, and neither does Keo Wilderness's Levi ride.

Group rules differ more in Rovaniemi. NordicUnique's 10 km ride needs a minimum group size, children under 12 must be with adults paying the full price, and infants under 2 ride free. Safartica warns that a missed meeting time or place means a missed safari without a refund. Read these lines before booking a ride for a family.

Cancellation is generous in both places. Every main ride on this page refunds you in full if you cancel at least 24 hours ahead, and most let you pay later. That lets you book early in either place and still adjust if your plans change.

Outside the deep-snow months

Husky days are not only a midwinter affair in either place. Visit Rovaniemi says you can meet husky dogs and try dog sledding in Rovaniemi all year round.⁶ Visit Levi notes that the Levi dogs can be met in summer too, and that you can even go for a hike with a husky.¹¹ A summer kennel visit is quieter, and the dogs have more time for guests.

Autumn brings the in-between format. Visit Levi describes husky safaris on wheels, run when the weather turns colder, which help the owners train their dogs for the winter.¹² One Kittilä kennel, All Huskies, runs training tours on an ATV pulled by 16 huskies from the beginning of September to November.¹³ It is a different ride from a sled, rougher and louder, but it is real work for the team.

For the classic sled, wait for the snow. Levi's first snow usually comes in the middle of October, the tourist board says, during its second or third week.¹⁴ All Huskies lists its 15 km sled safari as suitable from November to April.¹⁵ Inside that window, either base gives you the full experience, and the decision returns to where you would rather stay.

Choosing your base

If you are staying in Rovaniemi, book there. Apukka's ride includes transfers from the city centre or Santa Claus Village, and a 170 km trip to Levi for one husky ride takes much of a day.¹ The same holds the other way round: from Levi, the kennels are minutes from your hotel.

If you have not chosen your base yet, think about the rest of the trip. Levi is a fell resort with Kittilä Airport 15 km away; Rovaniemi is a city with its own flights and the Santa Claus Village rides.⁸ Visit Levi notes that Finnair flies to Rovaniemi too, about 170 km south of Levi.⁷

Some travellers split the week, and the bus makes that simple: around 2.5 hours from Rovaniemi's railway station to Levi.¹ In that case, take the short Santa Claus Village ride as a first meeting with the dogs and keep the longer self-drive for Levi, or the reverse; there is no wrong order.

Pick your date