Call Of The Wild – Dog Sledding in Tromso, Norway

My sled rocks gently back and forth as it quietly glides through the frozen landscape. All I can hear are sixteen dog paws running lightly on the snow. Our surroundings are like taken out of a painting. The sun barely peaks above the horizon, painting the sky yellow and bathing the steep mountains peaks surrounding us in pink tones.

We are out dog sledding in Tromso, my hometown located above the Arctic Circle in Northern Norway. It is just a short drive from the city, but right now civilization seems very far away. For a few precious hours, I get to answer the call of the wild. Dog sledding in Tromso is the perfect way to experience the Arctic wilderness!

Dog Sledding in Tromso

Being from Tromso and having owned Siberian Huskies all my life, dog sledding has been on my bucket list for years. This year for my birthday it was finally time to cross it off my list, and I contacted our dear family friend, Tore, who owns Active Tromsø.

My family and I had a fantastic day out in this winter wonderland together with Tores cute and friendly Alaskan Huskies. The best birthday I have ever had! ♥

If you too want to experience a dog sledding adventure in the arctic nature of Tromso, the best and easiest way to get to Tromso is by plane. There are direct flights from Oslo, Helsinki, Stockholm, London, and Frankfurt, as well as several cities within Norway.

Tromso has a lot of accommodation options to choose from. If you haven’t yet decided on where to stay in Tromso, then click here to read our complete guide to our favorite Tromso areas and hotels.

A Day With Active Tromsø And Their Huskies

Tore, who owns Active Tromso, has been in and out of our house since he was about 11 years old and he is like a big brother to me. Tore got an interest in dog sledding and adventure from a very early age, and since my family was one of very few that had husky dogs in Tromso at the time, he often came around to our place to borrow our two Siberian Husky dogs Togo and Sajak.

Tore is a true man of nature and has been on many dog race adventures over the years – the worlds longest dog race Iditarod in Alaska both with dogs but also on skis with only one dog, Finnmarksløpet, Europe’s longest dog race, thirteen times, and Yukon Quest. He has done several Marathons, crossed Greenland, Svalbard, and Alaska on skis, as well as climbing some of the highest mountains in the world.

It was indeed a privilege going on a dog sledding trip with Tore as our guide! He is the perfect guide.

Active Tromsø run two dog sledding trips each day, one during the day (08:45 – 16:00) and one in the evening (16:45 – 23:00) where you will be able to see the Northern Lights if the sky is clear.

The Dog Sledding Ride (3 hours)

Active Tromsø is located just a 35-minute drive from downtown Tromsø, on the large island Kvaløya (Whale Island). Tore took us on a dog sledding trip on Kattfjordeidet, one of my favorite places on Kvaløya where you find some of Tromsøs most majestic mountains which are very popular for skiing and snowboarding.

The Kattfjordeidet area is also called “the Arctic Chamonix,” due to the wild and steeps peaks. I have been mountain hiking and telemark skiing in this area ever since I was a little girl, but going dog sledding here was an entirely new and unique experience for me.

You don’t have to worry about being cold. When we arrived at the Active Tromsø camp, we were given warm and comfortable jackets, trousers, shoes and mittens with a long strap to put around the neck so that they won’t fall off (yeah, I felt like I was three years old again 🙂 ). You must bring a hat and a scarf yourself, and have wool underwear and long johns as well as a warm sweater of wool or fleece.

Here is a complete list of what to pack for a trip to Tromso.

Before heading out into the wild, we helped out with the dogs, putting on their harness and attaching them in front of the sled. We were paired up on each sled, one standing behind it doing the steering, breaking and giving commands to the dogs, and the other sitting in the sled. The sleds have reindeer skins making it super comfortable and warm being a passenger.

After an introduction from Tore explaining the dos and don`ts of dog mushing, we were of!

Altogether we were six dog teams and twelve people, including Tore’s dog team that was in front with my dad sitting on the sled. We all followed behind Tore’s dog team in his tracks, and the dogs never went out of the path, they always knew what to do and who to follow.

Since it had been raining followed by cold weather and cold temperatures for weeks, the snow was hard and icy on the day that we went dog sledding. For added security, for both the dogs and us, the sleds were only pulled by four dogs, instead of the usual six.

But on these icy conditions, we got more than enough speed, at least downhill. Uphill we had to walk/ run and push the sled a bit, so it was a great exercise as well! We were never cold to put it that way….. 🙂

We were out dog sledding for about 3 hours in beautiful surroundings of steep snow covered mountains.

When we turned around at the end of Kattfjordeidet to go back to the camp, we all stopped for a short break before jumping on the sleds again. It is relatively easy to stop the dogs, the sled has two breaks in the back that the musher can use, and one snow anchor that the passenger sitting in the sled can throw out making the sled stop. One also uses the anchor when parking the dog team.

And then it was time to hit the road (eh…track) again and head back to camp…..

After the trip, when arriving back at the Active Tromsø camp, we participated with unharnessing the dogs and putting them back in their houses. Did you know that each of the 79 dogs has its own little dog house? And they are very aware of where they live as each dog ran straight over to its home when let loose! So cute!

Then the dogs were given well-deserved food by Sandra, Tores girlfriend, containing water, dry dog food, some meat, and fat. Mmmmm, yummy! It looked like quite a job feeding 79 dogs, and they are fed twice a day too! The dogs were so happy with the food that they all started howling like a wolf, hehe. It was super cute. Apparently, they do this every time after a meal. But Tore is the alfa leader of the pack, so after some minutes of howling, he said stop and all the dogs went into their houses. Impressive!

Before heading home, we all sat down inside the wooden gapahuk (lean-to) where Tore had made a fire. We had some tea, coffee, and biscuits and Tore told us some stories from his many adventures.

It was the perfect round-up of a fantastic day! And the best of all, we could cuddle with the friendly and happy dogs as much as we wanted! ♥

Be aware that dog sledding in Tromso is not for everyone. Since you will be handling your own dog team it is a bit physically challenging. Dog sledding is for active people in good shape. You should not book this trip if you suffer from back pain, epilepsy or heart problems or in the later stages of pregnancy. But if you are up for it, you will have a fantastic time. The time of your life!

Our dog Frost (a Siberian Husky) kept sniffing at our clothes and hands like crazy when we got home. Now we only need to buy three more Huskies, and we can have a dog team of our own and start mushing, yay! 🙂

If you are interested in finding out more about what to do in Tromso, click here to read our complete guide to What To Do In Tromso!

What To Bring On A Dog Sledding Trip

You are given warm winter trousers, jacket, boots, and mittens, but you should wear and bring:

• Warm wool underwear/ base layer (a shirt and long johns)
• Wool socks
• Wool or fleece sweater
• Warm hat/ cap
• Wool or fleece scarf/ buff
• Water bottle
• Camera

Where To Stay In Tromso

Norway, in general, is quite expensive when it comes to accommodation and dining, and Tromso is no exception. Tromso is a small city with a compact downtown, so everything is within a short walking distance. Here are our favorite hotels in Tromsø, at different price ranges.

Also, click here to read our complete guide to our favorite Tromso areas and hotels.

Mid-Range

Clarion Collection Hotel With

Hotel With, as it is known locally, has the perfect location right by Tromso Harbour with a beautiful view over the sea and over to the Arctic Cathedral, the Tromso Bridge, Tromsdalstinden mountain and Fjellheisen. You are right in the middle of everything if you choose to stay at this hotel, very close to all the city’s restaurants and shops.

An extra plus with this hotel is that you get free coffee/tea and Norwegian waffles with sour cream, jam and brown cheese (Espen`s favorite!) in the afternoon (from 15 to 18 o`clock) and a free meal in the evening (from 18 to 21 o`clock). This makes this hotel a good value for your money as eating out is expensive. A friend of mine from my class at the University used to work here during the weekends, and the staff here is well trained and provides good service and help to the guests.
Click here for the latest prices

Clarion Collection Hotel Aurora

Next door to Hotel With is its sister hotel Clarion Collection Hotel Aurora. This hotel also has free waffles in the afternoon and an evening meal included in the price. The extra plus of this hotel is the rooftop jacuzzi and sauna! Here you can relax in the evenings and watch the northern lights from the hot tub. Sounds pretty sweet if you ask me!
click here for the latest prices

The Edge Hotel

The new “star” when it comes to hotels in Tromso is, however, The Edge. It is brand new and has an excellent bar and restaurant which is also very popular among the locals in Tromso. You really should try the hamburger, it is great! The breakfast at The Edge is maybe the best in town with everything you can imagine. Located by the harbor, but further south than the hotels above, and close to the Tourist Information office.
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City Living Hotel & Apartments
This apartment hotel has a central location on the street just above Tromso’s main street Storgata. The apartments have a small kitchen, which is handy for making breakfast, lunch or even dinner inside. That way you can save some money by shopping at one of the close-by supermarkets and cook your own food.

The hotel also has a laundry room that the guests can use for free. Very handy as dry cleaning is expensive and there are no other options in town if you want to get your clothes washed. There is, however, no daily cleaning service, but you can help yourself to coffee and clean sheets and towels whenever you want from the second floor. You can easily get here by the Airport Bus (Flybuss) from the airport.
Click here for the latest prices

Budget

Amalie Hotel
This is a small budget hotel and a less expensive option than the hotels above. It has an excellent location just next to the big and more expensive Radisson Blu Hotel. An extra bonus is unlimited free coffee and tea the whole day and complimentary waffles in the afternoon. The rooms are a bit small but well equipped with kettle, tea/coffee, mini-fridge, iron, and hairdryer. You get a lot for your money. Great breakfast included in the price.
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Comfort Hotel Xpress Tromso
This is a budget hotel with a perfect location in Grønnegata, the street adjacent to the city’s main street Storgata. The hotel rooms are clean, new and fresh, but a bit small. If you are out all day on tours and sightseeing, then the small rooms will not be a problem. There is no daily housekeeping service. There is no restaurant in the hotel, but it is very close to all the restaurants and cafes that Tromso has to offer. You can get a breakfast discount of 50 % (150 KR) at their sister hotel Clarion Hotel, which is well worth the money as you can eat all you want at their excellent breakfast buffet.
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Smarthotel Tromso
Another budget option with small rooms but well equipped, fresh and modern. The hotel has an excellent location right in the middle of downtown Tromso. You get breakfast included in the price, which is fairly good. You get free coffee and tea the whole day. Great value for your money!
Click here for the latest prices

Have you been dog sledding in Tromso? Or somewhere else in the world? If not, is it something that you want to try? Please comment in the comment area below, we would love to hear from you! If you find this article helpful or interesting, please share it on social media. Thank you! 🙂 

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