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Best husky tour in Ruka: which ride to book

A dark sled dog with a red collar sitting in the snow in front of snowy trees and a fence

Illustration photo: a sled dog photographed in Alaska, not at Ruka.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

With small children, book the winter village's short family ride. For a first ride with nothing to arrange, book a 5 km ride from a safari company that collects you and lends the outfit. For the most driving, book Ruka Husky's two hours on the sled with lunch. For a quieter trail, book a small-group morning ride.

How the operators compare

Prices are the operators' own published starting prices as of the date this guide was updated, and they change through the season.

Small children: Lammintupa family rideFirst ride: Ruka Adventures 5 kmMost driving: Ruka Husky 25 kmQuiet trail: Lammintupa morning 10 km
On the sled 10 to 15 min 5 km 2 h 45 min to 1 h
Adult From €40 €194 €275 €184
Group From 2 Not stated Not stated 4 to 12
Winter clothing Your own Lent Your own Your own
Getting there Meet at the village café Car from the resort centre Own transport Meet at the village café

No cell is marked: each column answers a different need, and a longer ride or a higher price is not a better one for the wrong party.

Where these figures come from
  • Small children: Lammintupa family ride: Ten to fifteen minutes on a 2.5 km loop from the winter village, with the guide driving if you prefer.
  • First ride: Ruka Adventures 5 km: Collected from the resort centre and dressed in a safari outfit, with two people to a sled and a hot drink after.
  • Most driving: Ruka Husky 25 km: Two hours on the sled and a three-course lunch at the kennel; you arrive by your own means in your own clothing.
  • Quiet trail: Lammintupa morning 10 km: A group of twelve at most, 45 minutes to an hour on a challenging trail at dawn, then breakfast in the cabin.

Around Ruka the right husky ride depends on who is coming. These are the picks, one for each kind of party.

With small children

The winter village’s family ride is short enough for a toddler and flexible enough for a nervous parent: the guide will drive if you ask.1 Longer rides seat children too, but ten minutes is often all a small child wants.

For a first ride with nothing to arrange

Ruka Adventures’ 5 km ride collects you from the resort centre and lends the outfit, so all you bring is the booking. Two of you share a sled and take turns.1

For the most driving

Ruka Husky’s 25 km ride puts you on the sled for two hours, with a three-course lunch at the kennel afterwards. It is recommended for fit adults and children over twelve, and you need your own clothing and transport.2 For more still, the same kennel’s two-day trip gives each person a team of their own.3

For a quieter trail

Lammintupa’s morning ride caps the group at twelve and runs 10 km at dawn, on a trail it rates challenging.1

What each costs, per kilometre and for a family, is on husky safari prices in Ruka, and the private rides are on private husky tours in Ruka.

Tours you can book

Questions people ask

Which ride is best if we are only in Ruka for a weekend?

One that does not depend on other bookings. Lammintupa's rides and Ruka Safaris' departures are cancelled the day before if four people have not booked, and you only find out that afternoon. Ruka Adventures prints no minimum, and Railakka's private rides need no one else, so either is the safer pick when you have a single day to use.

Do we both get to drive?

On most shared rides, yes: two people share a sled, one drives and the other sits, and you can swap halfway at Lammintupa and at Ruka Husky. On the winter village's lunch ride the driver must be at least fifteen. If each of you wants your own team for the whole ride, that is Ruka Husky's two-day trip along the border, where every person drives.

Can we combine huskies with reindeer or a snowmobile?

Yes, and several companies sell the two in one outing, which saves a second transfer and a second meeting time. The combinations with reindeer are compared on [husky and reindeer tours in Ruka](/guides/husky-and-reindeer-ruka/), and those with a snowmobile on [husky and snowmobile tours in Ruka](/guides/husky-and-snowmobile-ruka/), with how much of each you actually get.

Written by

Lapland Handbook Staff

Lapland Handbook is written by its editorial staff in Rovaniemi. Every price, age limit and group size in a comparison is read from the operator's own page and marked "Not stated" when the operator does not publish it. Each guide names who should not book, and names the operator that suits each kind of group, whichever it is.

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