Tromsø Villmarkssenter · Kvaløya
Tromsø's oldest big kennel, 25 minutes from town, puts two adults on each sled for about 45 minutes and then feeds you bidos, a Sami reindeer stew, by an open fire. It's the self-drive pick if you want a proper hot lunch and the shortest transfer.
Tromsø Villmarkssenter (the Tromsø Wilderness Centre) is the kennel that musher Tove Sørensen started around 1989. She ran the Iditarod in 2006, and according to the centre's own site she has finished Norway's Finnmarksløpet race 19 times. About 200 Alaskan huskies live at the yard on Kvaløya, 25 minutes by bus from the Radisson Blu.
The self-drive run is about 45 minutes in a shared sled. One guest timed it as two stints of 25 minutes, one each. You stand on the runners, shout the commands, and push now and then on the climbs. Back at camp you eat bidos (reindeer meat, broth and vegetables) around a fire, then chocolate cake and a hot drink in a turf hut. Vegetarians can ask ahead.
The rules are the strictest of any self-drive trip here: 16 or older, no back, knee, arm or heart problems, under 118 kg, and able to balance on one leg. In poor weather or thin snow, guests report being switched to a musher-driven ride, which is the same trip as the guided sled ride. Families with younger kids should book that one from the start.
A check-in agent waits outside the main entrance. The bus leaves on time, and missed tours aren't refunded.
A short ride across the bridge to the kennel.
Snowsuit and boots on, then how to brake, steer and talk to the dogs.
Two to a sled, swapping at the halfway mark. Expect to push on the uphill parts.
Bidos by the fire, cake and coffee, a walk through the kennel, then the bus back.
★★★★★In pairs we went husky riding, if you both wanted to do the steering then you switched halfway (2x 25 mins). After that we had a tour through the dog kennel and they told us the story behind it, also it was possible to pet the dogs.
★★★★★The landscapes are unique, and learning about the characteristics of the area and the dog breed was really interesting. We would do it again without hesitation.
★★★★★The duration was perfect. Unfortunately, due to the snow, we couldn't drive ourselves, but that was perfectly fine. [...] After the tour, we had plenty of time with the dogs and then we were given a traditional stew.
★★★★★We had so much fun during this activity! The best part was the time spent with the dogs, they are a delight!
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16. The maximum recommended age is 70, and the weight limit is 118 kg. Younger children can ride on the guided sled ride from the same kennel, which has no minimum age.
About 45 minutes in a shared sled. You swap with your partner at the halfway mark, and one guest described it as 2 x 25 minutes.
A traditional Sami stew of reindeer meat, broth and vegetables, served by the fire after the ride. Vegetarian options are available if you request them in advance.
The kennel may switch you to a ride where a musher drives, as several guests report. If conditions are dangerous the trip can be cancelled, and you get a refund or a new date.
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About 45 minutes of self-drive sledding on Kvaløya and a bowl of reindeer stew by the fire.
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