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Huskies in Ivalo: walks, cuddles and family sledding

A dog on a long lead trotting towards the camera along a snowy forest path, with a walker further back among the trees

Illustration photo: a dog walk on a snowy path, not from one of the outings compared here.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

Book one of these for time with the dogs, not for a sled run. The Taimyr dog hike is the longest and the unusual one, with a rare breed. The Ilonka walk is the shortest and cheapest, from age eight. For a family with children between four and seventeen, the private farm visit lets them drive short runs with one or two dogs. If a real sled safari is what you want, two farms near the village sell them on their own websites.

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.

Primitif Aventure: Taimyr dog hikeIlonka: husky walkIlonka: private farm visit
Price €114 €99 – the lowest price per person €235
What you do Walk with the dogs Walk one dog each Family sledding or a walk
Duration 2–3 h 1–2 h 2.5 h
Group Shared Shared Private
Age Not stated From 8 Sledding for 4–17; younger ride in the sled
Cancelling Free up to 24 h before Free up to 24 h before Free up to 24 h before

Highlighted figures are the best in that row: the lowest price per person. All three price per person; the private visit is priced per person for your group alone. Only the price is marked: the outings are different in kind.

Where these figures come from
  • Primitif Aventure: Taimyr dog hike: The longest outing, two to three hours walking through the snow with dogs the operator calls Taimyr dogs, and time for photos after. The listing gives no age limit.
  • Ilonka: husky walk: The cheapest and shortest, one or two hours: harness your own dog at the farm and walk it on a belt, with a drink and a treat after. From age eight.
  • Ilonka: private farm visit: A private visit for your group with a choice of family sledding or a walk, plus the farm's other animals and seasonal crafts. The one to book for children who want to drive a sled.

Ivalo has husky farms, but the outings they sell on the booking platforms are gentler than a sled safari. Two are walks with the dogs, and one is a private family visit.

Walking with the dogs

Primitif Aventure’s outing starts from its car park on the road to Lake Inari and spends two to three hours walking through the snow with dogs it calls Taimyr dogs. The listing’s address still says dog sledding, but the title and the included equipment describe dog hiking, with cuddles and photos at the end.

Ilonka’s walk is shorter, one or two hours, and cheaper at 99 euros. Each guest harnesses a dog at the farm and walks it on a belt through the forest, with a drink and a treat after. It is not for children under eight.

For a family that wants a sled

Ilonka’s private farm visit is the one with sledding, and it is built for children. Those from four to seventeen drive short runs with one or two dogs on the farm’s private forest tracks, adults may try too, and younger children sit in the sleds. The visit also includes the farm’s other animals and seasonal crafts, and costs 235 euros per person for your group alone.

If you want a sled safari

For kilometres behind a team, two farms near the village sell sled safaris on their own websites rather than on the platforms, compared in the best husky tour in Ivalo. What makes a husky safari worth its price anywhere is in the Rovaniemi husky safari guide, and the rest of the village is on the Ivalo destination page.

Tours you can book

Questions people ask

What is a Taimyr dog?

The operator describes its dogs as Taimyr dogs and calls the kennel the only one of its kind in Europe; it also sells a 45-minute kennel visit for 24 euros. We have not verified the breed claim independently. What matters for booking is the format: a walk with the dogs through the snow, with time for cuddles and photos, not a sled ride.

Can adults try the sled at the Ilonka farm?

A little. The farm says its family sledding is mainly designed for children and teenagers from four to seventeen, and that adults may also try short runs with one or two dogs on private forest tracks. Younger children can sit in the sleds. Treat it as a taste of mushing, not a safari.

Are there more husky safaris near Ivalo?

Yes, at kennels around Saariselkä, which, like Ivalo, is served by Ivalo Airport, about 25 minutes from the airport by car against 10 minutes for Ivalo village. Several of those tours collect guests from hotels, so ask whether Ivalo is on the route. They are compared in the Saariselkä husky guide.

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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