Dog sledding and husky hikes from Abisko

5 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

Abisko has huskies, but the sled ride you can book from here takes place somewhere else. Lights Over Lapland collects guests from their accommodation in Abisko and Björkliden and drives them by bus to a sled dog camp near Kiruna, 93 kilometres away by road. In Abisko itself, the dogs of the Abisko.net kennel go out walking with guests instead of pulling sleds. That split decides which tour suits you: a full day for the sled ride, or a few hours on foot next to the dogs.

The national park has its own rules for dogs. Dog sledding with more than four dogs inside the park needs a permit from the County Administrative Board of Norrbotten, and visitors' dogs are allowed on a lead only from 1 January to 30 April, except on roads and marked trails.

The sled day near Kiruna

The trip lasts about seven hours from pickup to drop-off. At the camp a professional musher drives the sled, and up to four guests sit in it on a circuit of 10 to 12 kilometres. Halfway round there is a wilderness camp with a fire, a warm drink and a cinnamon bun. Overalls, winter boots, hats and gloves are lent for the day. Children under 5 cannot join, and the tour does not pick up in Kiruna.

The dogs and the guides get good marks in the reviews. The point that comes up most often is the balance of the day: a long bus ride for a fairly short time on the sled. One reviewer counted about an hour of sledding in a seven-hour day, and another found two short rides of about ten kilometres in total too little for the journey. Lunch is neither included nor available at the camp, so pack food. One guest also reports that the trip went ahead in bad weather and that not travelling counted as a no-show.

In December, keep the light in mind. The sun does not rise in Abisko from 6 December 2026 to 6 January 2027, and on 21 December twilight lasts only from about 09:09 to 14:16. From February the days lengthen quickly.

If you also stay in Kiruna, kirunatourism.com compares the husky kennels around the town, including tours where you drive the team yourself.

The evening husky walk

Abisko.net Hostel & Huskies runs a three-hour evening walk with its Alaskan huskies. You meet at the Abisko.net reception, or ask for a transfer from STF Abisko Turiststation. The route covers about four kilometres there and back to a lávvu, a Sámi-style tent, where a fire is lit and cinnamon buns are warmed while you watch the sky for the aurora. Snowshoes are handed out when needed. Overalls, warm boots, mittens and head torches are lent for the evening, but your base layers are your own.

The reviews are almost all top marks and talk mostly about the dogs. Several guests describe them as puppies, while the tour page speaks of retired huskies, so expect a mix. Reviews come from October to March, which makes this the husky tour for the dark season. It is a slow, quiet way to wait for the aurora; our page on northern lights tours lists the faster formats by van and snowmobile.

Walking with a husky in summer

The same kennel takes the dogs out in the light half of the year. The shorter walk lasts an hour and a half, from 10:30 to 12:00, and climbs through birch forest to a hilltop with a view over the whole Abisko valley. If you want, you walk with a husky of your own on the lead. It starts at the reception on Lapportsvägen 32, without pickup or food, and is not suitable for children under 5.

The longer walk takes three hours through the Abisko valley, with each guest clipped to a husky by a harness and belt system. The tour page warns that these are working sled dogs and may pull. One reviewer called it demanding and advised being sure-footed. Bring hiking shoes, warm clothing, water and snacks. Reviews of both summer walks come only from July and August, and one mentions picking berries on the way.

Which dog tour fits

If the ride on the sled is what you came for, the day near Kiruna is the option, and it works best when you accept the bus as part of the day. Wear your own wool layers under the lent overall and carry snacks, since lunch is not part of the day. Families with children under 5 cannot join it.

If you mainly want time with the dogs, the walks in Abisko give you more of it and cost far less of the day. The evening walk is the only one with reviews from the winter months and includes the loan of winter clothing. The summer walks are guided in English and Swedish, start at the kennel without pickup, and the three-hour version is not recommended for people with limited mobility.

Combining dogs with other days

The sled day to Kiruna fills most of a day, so pair it with a quiet evening or an aurora tour that starts late. If you are in the area at the end of January, Kiruna holds its free Snow Festival from 27 to 30 January 2027, with snow sculptures in the town centre and dog sledding as part of the programme. Our page on day trips from Abisko covers Kiruna and the Norwegian fjords, and the page on snowshoeing and hiking lists other walks in the park.