Wilderness Week on a Dog Sled

This eight-day wilderness week takes you to Swedish Lapland and combines dog sledding with authentic days spent outdoors. Build a bond with your own husky team, travel together through snow-covered forests and across frozen lakes, and spend three nights in simple but cozy wilderness cabins. There is no running water or electricity there; daily life consists of spending time and working with the dogs and the group. The week is rounded out by snowshoeing or cross-country skiing in the Puolva Nature Reserve, as well as ice fishing. This tour requires good physical fitness and a willingness to actively pitch in.

Wilderness Week on a Dog Sled: The Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at the Husky Farm and Weekly Schedule
Welcome to northern Sweden! You’ll be picked up at the airport in Kiruna and driven just over an hour to the husky farm. There, you’ll check into your accommodations and settle in at your own pace, enjoying the tranquility of the Lapland winter landscape that surrounds you. During your first dinner together, the upcoming week will be discussed in detail, and you’ll have the chance to ask any questions you may have. Catering begins with dinner.

Day 2: Introduction to Dog Sledding
After getting to know the dogs, you’ll receive a theoretical session on how to handle a dog sled before moving on to the practical part, where you’ll help harness your husky team. Then you’ll set off on your first tour, about 10 km long, through the wintry landscape. Back at the husky farm, everyone will work together to unharness the huskies and tidy up the sleds. Afterward, you can relax and prepare for the adventures of the coming days.

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Day 3: Into the Wilderness by Sled
After breakfast, you’ll pack your luggage for the coming days onto the sleds. Together, you’ll get your dog team ready and head out into the wilderness. After about 25 kilometers, you’ll reach the wilderness cabin. There is no running water, no electricity, no Wi-Fi. Now teamwork is key: fetch water from the lake, start a fire, cook, and tend to the dogs. After dinner, you can wind down the day in the sauna.

Day 4: Snowshoeing or Cross-Country Skiing in the Puolva Nature Reserve
First, you’ll tend to the dogs, then head out into the surrounding area on skis or snowshoes. You’ll explore the nature reserve’s pristine wilderness and follow the tracks of wildlife such as capercaillies, foxes, and reindeer. Back at the cabin, you’ll all pitch in with tasks related to the dogs, the fire, and the kitchen before the sauna provides warmth and relaxation in the evening.

Day 5: Onward journey to the next wilderness cabin
In the morning, the sleds are packed and the dogs are harnessed, then you continue your journey through the Swedish wilderness. The route takes you across frozen lakes and through snow-covered forests to the Onkijärvi wilderness cabin. There too is no running water or electricity, and daily cabin life including fetching water, heating the cabin, cooking, and caring for the dogs is an integral part of the experience.

Day 6: Return to the Husky Farm
The wilderness adventure enters its final stage: on the way back to the husky farm, you’ll once again follow the rhythm of your husky team as the wintry landscape passes by. Back at the farm, you’ll work together to care for the dogs.

Day 7: Ice Fishing on the Frozen Lake
Today’s itinerary features a typical Nordic activity: ice fishing. Armed with an ice drill, fishing rod, and bait, you’ll head out onto the frozen lake to try your luck. Your guide will show you all the tips and tricks for catching a fish. Dress warmly and keep moving if you get cold. Depending on the weather, it can be especially windy and cold on the lake.
Back at the husky farm, you can enjoy one last local dinner and relax in the sauna before packing your bags and departing the next day.

Day 8: Departure
After breakfast, the tour ends. You’ll be taken back to the airport or train station in Kiruna or Gällivare.

Accommodation:
You’ll spend four nights at the husky farm. There, you’ll stay in simple, cozy cabins with electricity but no running water. Drinking-quality water is provided in canisters, and you can shower in the sauna. Each cabin features a bedroom, a small kitchen, and an outdoor toilet.
During the wilderness tour, you’ll spend three nights in wilderness cabins. There is no running water or electricity there. To stay warm, you’ll need to build a fire, which will heat the cabin to a cozy temperature in one to two hours, depending on the outside temperature. For drinking water, you’ll melt snow or drill a hole in the ice on the lake to fetch water. A winter sleeping bag is provided. Please bring your own sleeping bag liner.
Meals consist of outdoor lunches; in the wilderness cabins, you’ll cook dinner together with your guide. With moose meat, fish caught locally, berries and mushrooms gathered in the forest, and homemade bread, you’ll enjoy simple yet authentic Swedish cuisine at the husky farm.

Note:
This trip requires your active participation. You’ll be out on the trail with the huskies for several days, working together as a team. You should be fit enough to stand on the sled for several hours, even in inclement weather and cold temperatures, and hold on to it firmly - even when the dogs are eager to take off. When there is fresh snow, you may have to walk a few meters through deep snow, and when going uphill, you should jump off the sled and push to help the dogs. Upon arrival at the wilderness cabin, the dogs will be tended to first and everything tidied up before you begin preparing dinner. An experienced tour guide who speaks German, English, and Swedish will accompany you throughout the week. The itinerary is subject to weather and snow conditions and will be adjusted accordingly. Your hosts will inform you in case there have to be any changes.
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