Quiet, Cold, Love: Dog Sledding in the Arctic Circle

December 9, 2017
dog sledding in tromso

When @FareWhispers and I grabbed cheap airfare to Norway, I automatically knew that dog sledding in Tromsø had to be on the itinerary.  Just a no-brainer.  So as we planned everything, I was looking for a company that got great reviews (particularly around treatment of the dogs and how happy they seemed) and offered something special.

So after a lot of back and forth, we went with Lyngsfjord Adventure, and booked not only dog sledding, but an overnight stay in a traditional Sami tent as well.  So we had about 20 hours out at Camp Tamok outside of Tromsø to experience the thrill of dog sledding and fall in love with these adorable pups.

I mean, look at that face!

Beautiful sled dogs

Other Norwegian winter adventures you may love:

A Night Chasing the Northern Lights

How to Spend 3 Days in Tromsø

Sleeping in a Norwegian Sami Tent & Other Arctic Adventures

Blown Away by the Fjords: Norway in a Nutshell Tour in Winter

What to do With 3 Days in Bergen

Where to Eat & Drink in Bergen

A Detailed Packing List for Bergen in Winter

Because we were doing an overnight stay, we met the tour bus at Ishavshotel at a bit before 5:00pm, and it’s a 75-minute drive to Camp Tamok.  That night we (unsuccessfully) chased the Northern Lights, had a delicious lamb stew meal, and slept in a traditional lavvo—a Sami tent.

Dog sledding at Camp Tamok in Tromso, Norway | Why it's a must and how to plan your trip, what to do in Tromso, what to do in Norway | Tromso is 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle & perfect to visit for the Northern Lights and more! #dogsledding #tromso #norway

Lyngsfjord provided very nice snowsuits, heavy boots, hats, and mittens for the duration of our stay, so after breakfast we bundled up and headed out to the dog houses.

Dog sledding at Camp Tamok in Norway's Arctic Circle outside Tromso

You might also like:  The Only Carry-On Suitcase You’ll Ever Need

Our guide got us paired off and assigned to different sleds, then we met our dogs and got them harnessed properly. This guy’s derpy face is just the best.

dog sledding in tromso

You might also like:  The Ultimate Arctic Winter Packing List

And then we were off into the quiet, cold morning. I drove first, getting a feel for the dogs and staring at how the tiny bit of “sunrise” (at 11am) was painting the tips of the mountains hot pink.

Dog sledding at Camp Tamok in Tromso, Norway

dog sledding in tromso

dog sledding in tromso

You might also like:  How to Choose the Right Hotel or Rental Every Time

I had to ride the brake more than I wanted, but was following the guide and he kept having to slow down because folks in the back weren’t keeping up. The dogs definitely wanted to go faster (as did I!), they were having a blast. We whizzed along pretty well though.

At the halfway point we stopped and rested, and swapped roles, so I was riding and @FareWhispers was driving. The dogs were having a ball rolling around in the snow and chasing each other…they kept getting their lines tangled and then we had to grab them and undo the mess.

Dog sledding in Tromso, Norway | Why it's a must and how to plan your trip

You might also like:  How to Make Every Itinerary a Bit Epic

This guy wanted some love…and it escalated pretty quickly!

You might also like:  10 Places I’m Dying to Visit in 2018

The ride back to camp was just as beautiful. I mean seriously, like freaking Narnia. For the most part you couldn’t hear anything but the crunch of snow, frosty breathing, and occasional barking.  It was such a still morning…absolutely peaceful.

dog sledding in tromso

dog sledding in tromso

dog sledding in tromso

You might also like:  A Travel Bucket List for Your 30s

It seemed over too soon, though we were gone somewhere between 1.5 and 2 hours.  We grabbed some lunch (delicious fish soup!) and as we came out of the lavvo to grab the bus back to Tromso, the “sunset” (at 2pm) was breathtaking—perfect farewell from Camp Tamok!

Gorgeous Polar Night "sunrise" at Camp Tamok

sunrise at 1pm during Polar Night

You might also like:  My Travel Planning Process: Inspiration>Research>Reality

While the whole trip was definitely a splurge, we had an amazing time and would recommend it!  Since this trip I’ve also been dog sledding in Finnish Lapland (in the Arctic Circle as well), so you can compare the experiences.

How to plan your dog sledding in Tromsø

  • There are a couple of companies that offer dog sledding in Tromsø, but we booked with Lyngsfjord Adventures and were super happy with the overall experience at Camp Tamok.  Villmarkssenter and Active Tromso are two others that offer it.
  • The sledding is available roughly mid-October til the end of March.
  • The route is about 10-12 km, and you’ll ride for half and drive for half.  It takes around 1.5-2 hours.
  • If you just did the dog sledding, it would be about $220 per person.
    • We did an overnight package that included an evening activity (we did Northern Lights tour), overnight stay, dog sledding, and three meals (dinner, breakfast, & lunch), and it was around $465 per person.

What questions do you have about dog sledding in Tromso?  Have you mushed before?  I’d love to hear all about your experience!

Other bucket list adventures:

Pin this image!

How to go dog sledding in Tromso, and why it's a must! How to plan your trip, what to do in Tromso, what to do in Norway | Tromso is 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle & perfect to visit for the Northern Lights and more! Dog sledding Tromso in an epic trip #dogsledding #tromso #norway

Comments (5)

  • Charlotte

    July 29, 2019 at 4:57 am

    I am off to Tromso in Jan 2020 and really want to do husky sledding but am concerned about missing the amazing scenery because of the Polar Night. Your pictures look amazing and show that there is some light but did you think the experience was in any way lessened by the lack of light or the opposite and it made the experience better?

    1. Jessica

      July 29, 2019 at 12:44 pm

      Hi Charlotte! Absolutely not, I think doing it during Polar Night was amazing! We did the morning dog sledding, so I think it was around 10 or 11am. The sky was a beautiful pearly pink, like you can see from my pictures. The only thing that I suppose could be a complication is if it were super overcast and gloomy…maybe that could make it feel darker? But we could see just fine and I loved the dawn feeling of our photos!

  • Chasing the Lights With A Northern Lights Tour | One Girl, Whole World

    February 4, 2018 at 9:39 am

    […] You might also like:  Quiet, Cold, Love: Dog Sledding in the Arctic Circle […]

  • Different Frame of Mind

    December 16, 2017 at 11:14 am

    This looks so amazing! I’ve always wanted to do this, I’m definitely going to have to check this out if I ever go to Norway. Your pictures are amazing!

  • Kim

    December 16, 2017 at 10:06 am

    That looks simply amazing. This is definitely a bucket list dream of mine. Thanks for the inspiring read!

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Prev Post

dog sledding in tromso

10 Places I'm Dying to Visit in 2018

December 2, 2017

Next Post

dog sledding in tromso

Planning the Ultimate 7-Day Argentina Itinerary

December 17, 2017