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Family husky safari in Ranua: where the children sit

A tan and black husky lying calmly on open snow with its front paws stretched out

Illustration photo: a husky resting on snow, not at a Ranua kennel.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

With children under five, book an Arctic Borealis ride: children travel in the parents' sled, the fare starts at three, and on the one-hour ride a child under four can sit on an adult's lap. For children who would rather be driven by a professional, Trott Husky's seated ride works from five on the platform. Teenagers pay a middle fare at Arctic Borealis, and must be sixteen to drive their own team at Trott Husky.

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.

Arctic Borealis: 30 minArctic Borealis: 1 hArctic Borealis: 2 hTrott Husky: seated
Child fare €56 €77 €98 €100
Child fare ages 3 to 11 3 to 11 3 to 11 3 to 10
Youngest All ages Under 4 on a lap Not advised under 3 5 on the platform
Where a child rides Parents' sled Parents' sled Parents' sled Sled behind a musher

Child fares from each kennel's own site. Nothing is marked: the right ride depends on the youngest child, not on the price.

Where these figures come from
  • Arctic Borealis: 30 min: The shortest ride, around the forest by the Wildlife Park, with children in the parents' sled. The page calls it suitable for all ages.
  • Arctic Borealis: 1 h: Children in the parents' sled, and a child under four can ride on an adult's lap. A break halfway to change drivers.
  • Arctic Borealis: 2 h: The longest ride sold for families, not recommended under three. Roughly fourteen to twenty kilometres on the sled.
  • Trott Husky: seated: The whole family sits and a musher drives, up to five people. The platform and the kennel differ on the youngest age.

A family in Ranua has two kinds of husky ride to choose from, and they treat children in opposite ways.

In the parents’ sled

At Arctic Borealis one adult drives, another sits, and the children travel with them in the same sled. The half-hour ride is described as suitable for all ages, the one-hour ride lets a child under four sit on an adult’s lap, and the two-hour ride is not recommended under three.1 The kennel’s own price list runs the child fare from three to eleven and adds a teenager’s fare above it.2

Behind a musher

Trott Husky’s seated ride has a musher drive the whole family, up to five people, with a child fare from three to ten on the kennel’s own site.3 Its platform listing turns away children under five, so a family with a three- or four-year-old should book directly and confirm. Driving a team of their own starts at sixteen.

What a family pays for Trott Husky’s two platform listings is worked out on husky safari prices in Ranua, and the kennels compared for other kinds of party on the best husky tour in Ranua.

Tours you can book

Questions people ask

Where exactly does a teenager's fare end?

Arctic Borealis' programme page prints a teenager fare for twelve to sixteen, while its terms say children up to fifteen pay a child price and everyone from sixteen pays the adult price, and Ranua Resort's resale page runs the child fare to twelve. With a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old, quote the age when booking and ask which fare applies.

Can a parent with one child manage the sled alone?

The kennel describes one adult driving while another sits, with children riding in that sled, so a single parent should ask before booking. Ranua Resort sells a single supplement for a sled of your own on the longer rides, and the guide may decide that a guest rides as a passenger rather than driving, which the kennel's terms state is always the guide's call.

What should small children wear?

Arctic Borealis says it can provide thermal overalls and winter boots when required, and Ranua Resort includes winter clothing for families staying there. Neither page prints children's sizes. Bring warm layers, a hat, mittens and a neck warmer for the youngest in any case, because a child sitting still in a sled gets cold faster than the adult driving.

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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