Best husky tour in Ylitornio, by who is coming
Illustration photo: sled dogs in Alaska, not at the kennels named here.
The short answer
For the dogs without a ride, book the one-hour kennel visit at Meltosjärvi. For a first ride, the two-hour lake trail. For a real journey, the four-hour ride towards the old dairy village or the full day to the wilderness church. With a child who hopes to drive, ask Aavasaksa Adventures about its half day with your own team from age eight, because at Meltosjärvi everyone sixteen and under rides as a passenger.
Two kennels work near Ylitornio, and between them they cover almost every kind of party. Pick by who is coming.
Someone who wants the dogs, not the sled
The one-hour visit at the Meltosjärvi kennel is the gentlest thing on offer: you meet the dogs and hear how they live, and nobody gets on a sled.1
A first ride
The two-hour lake trail follows forest paths and the frozen shore of Vähä Meltosjärvi and ends at a fire. It is long enough to feel like a journey and short enough to leave the day free.
The long ride
For a half day, the ride towards the old dairy village of Kallijärvi; for the whole day, the ride to the wilderness church with lunch in a kota. These are the ones for a party that came to Lapland for the dogs.
A child who wants to drive
At Meltosjärvi, guests sixteen and under ride as passengers. Aavasaksa Adventures sells a half day advertised with your own dog team for ages eight and up, and a shorter family taster from four; ask whether a child may drive.2 Its prices appear only once you choose a date. The kennel visit and the platform listings are compared on husky safari in Ylitornio.
Tours you can book
Priced per person
Two hours on the Meltosjärvi lake trail, booked with the kennel direct
Run by Matara Creek
From €160per person
Length2 h
See it on the operator’s site(opens in a new tab)A half-day husky journey towards the old dairy village of Kallijärvi
Run by Matara Creek
From €230per person
Length4 h
See it on the operator’s site(opens in a new tab)A full husky day into the wilderness, with lunch by the fire in a kota
Run by Matara Creek
From €370per person
Length6–7 h
See it on the operator’s site(opens in a new tab)
Price not stated
A half-day husky ride at Aavasaksa, driving your own team, ages 8 and up
Run by Aavasaksa Adventures
Price not stated
Length2.5 h
See it on the operator’s site(opens in a new tab)
Questions people ask
Can an adult drive the team at Meltosjärvi?
The kennel's own programme page says only that guests sixteen and under ride as passengers, without saying in so many words that older guests drive, while the booking platform's listings for the lake and logging camp trails offer the choice of driving yourself or sitting while a musher drives. Confirm when you book if driving is the point for you, since the programme page does not spell it out.
Which is best in the evening?
Neither kennel's priced programmes are sold as evening rides, but the Meltosjärvi kennel's membership listing with the regional tourist association mentions northern lights husky rides, and Aavasaksa Adventures lists a late-night husky ride without a description. Ask either about an evening date and its price before planning around one, since neither publishes a figure for it.
Do the rides go ahead in very cold weather?
The Meltosjärvi kennel says it operates in most weather and may shorten tours in extreme cold, which matters most on the long programmes: a four-hour or full-day ride cut short loses more than a two-hour one. It also asks every guest to arrive dressed for being outside in the cold, so check your clothing against the forecast the evening before.