A husky safari in Levi begins with noise. The moment the dogs realise the sleds are coming out, the whole yard sings, a wall of sound you feel in your chest. Then the anchor lifts, the team leans into the harness, and the world goes suddenly quiet except for the runners hissing over snow and your own held breath. A reindeer safari is the opposite pole of the same winter. Walking pace. Creaking harness. A forest in no hurry at all. And snow dropping softly from the branches as you pass.
Most guests wonder which to choose, or whether to do both. This guide answers exactly that: how each visit feels, how long they take, which suits whom, what to wear and how to think honestly about animal welfare. We are Polar Star Travel, Levi's family-run local Arctic Experience Company since 2007. For the full winter menu, start with things to do in Levi.
Husky safari experience
Levi's husky safaris run from kennels in and around the resort, each the working home of a local musher and their dogs. Our part is the hosting: we book you in, get you there, and make sure you know what to expect. The mushers run their own yards, and we say so plainly. That is how this village works.
A visit follows a reliable shape: you arrive to that chorus, meet the dogs and get a proper safety briefing. The brake is the driver's job, and no convoy sets off until every driver has understood it. Sleds usually carry two guests, one driving and one riding, swapping on most tours.
The surprise is the silence. The barking stops the instant the dogs are allowed to run, and what is left is paws, runners and your own breath. The speed reads faster than the numbers, because you stand so low to the snow. You lean into the bends. The team's rhythm pulls up through the sled and into your arms. Formats vary from a short husky ride to half-day tours. Tell us your group and we will match the kennel and the length honestly.
Reindeer farm visit
The reindeer sleigh is the most traditional way to travel in Lapland, and the visit is built around a working farm rather than a ride alone. We host two formats with our partner farms. The Reindeer Farm Visit and Sleigh Ride is a 2-hour visit with a gentle 1 km sleigh loop. The Reindeer Safari keeps the same 2-hour frame and adds a longer 3 km ride through the forest. Our guide travels with you, and the farm is a traditional family farm of local herders. We present it as theirs, because it is.
Expect the opposite of the husky yard: walking pace, warm blankets over your knees, and the loudest sounds are hooves, harness and snow slipping from the branches. At the farm you meet the animals properly and hear how the herding year works, season by season, from the calves of spring to the round-ups of autumn. Reindeer husbandry here is livelihood first and hospitality second, which is exactly why it feels real.
Our reindeer farm in Levi guide takes a closer look at the farms and the reindeer year.
Which suits whom (comparison)
Put side by side, the choice usually makes itself:
| Husky safari | Reindeer farm visit | |
|---|---|---|
| Pace | Fast: a working dog team at a run | Slow: walking pace behind a single reindeer |
| Duration | Formats vary, from short rides to half-day tours | 2-hour visits, with a 1 km sleigh ride or a 3 km safari |
| Sound | Loud at the yard, silent on the trail | Quiet throughout: snow, harness, breath |
| Who it suits | Guests who want to drive and feel speed | Families with small children, photographers, anyone after calm |
| Season | Snow season, roughly December to early April | The same sled season; the farms' reindeer year continues around it |
Sled season needs snow, in Levi usually roughly December to early April. Resort-wide dates are on Levi Ski Resort. Three rules of thumb from our office desk:
Travelling with small children? Start at the reindeer farm. The pace suits every age, and the farm visit gives little legs room to move.
Want your hands on the sled? Choose the husky safari and drive. It is the more physical of the two, in the best way.
Photographing? The reindeer's pace lets you compose calmly. Huskies demand a fast shutter and a firm grip on the camera.
From the field: A family with small children asked us to fit a husky safari and a reindeer visit into the same first day. We talked them out of it: reindeer farm first, huskies two days later. At the farm the children learned to sit in a sleigh; at the kennel they felt like old hands; and the parents got both without a single meltdown. Order matters more than speed.
What to wear
Husky and reindeer days are mostly sitting days, and sitting is colder than moving. Deep-winter Levi commonly runs between −10 °C and −25 °C. So dress a layer warmer than you think. Merino base. Warm mid-layer. Windproof insulated outer. Real winter boots. A hat that covers the ears. Mittens rather than gloves. Children need one layer more than the adults, plus dry spares.
We advise every booking honestly: if your own gear is light, say so and we will tell you where to rent warm overalls in the village. The full checklist is in our guide to what to wear in Lapland.
Ethics and animal welfare
Both experiences run on working animals, and the right way to visit is to take that seriously. Reindeer herding is a centuries-old Lapland livelihood, organised through Finland's herding cooperatives. The visit is a window into real work, not a show staged for visitors. Sled dogs are bred and trained to run, and a well-kept kennel's dogs make that obvious the moment the harness comes out. The hard part is making them wait.
What should you look for? Calm handlers and calm animals, rested teams, small visit groups and clear rules for guests. Ask what happens when a dog retires, or how the farm's reindeer year turns. We name no welfare certificates here, because we will not invent any. Ask your questions at the yard instead. Good farms and kennels answer gladly, and the ones we work with do.
Your part is simple: follow the musher's and the herder's guidance, ask before touching or feeding, keep voices low around the reindeer and let the animals set the pace. These are not anonymous suppliers to us. This is a small village economy, and we work with people we know by name.
One village, one booking
The farm morning, the kennel afternoon and the apartment key can come from the same house. We arrange the experiences. We host you in our own apartments and cottages in Sirkka. And we help with transfers from Kittilä Airport, about 15 minutes away. If engines call instead, see our guide to snowmobile safaris in Levi.
Email sales@polarstartravel.fi or call +358 10 325 4040, tell us your dates and your group, and we will build the winter day around you. See you in the village.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a husky safari in Levi last?
Formats vary by kennel and season, from short taster rides to half-day tours, and most visits wrap a briefing and yard time around the ride itself. Tell us your group and we will recommend the right length honestly.
Do you drive the husky sled yourself?
On most tours, yes. Sleds usually carry two guests, one driving and one riding, swapping along the way, while the musher leads the convoy. You get a safety briefing first, and braking is a real job, so come ready to take part.
Can small children join husky and reindeer safaris?
Reindeer farm visits suit practically all ages: the pace is walking pace and the visit lasts about 2 hours. Husky tours have kennel-specific guidance for young children, so tell us the ages when you book and we will recommend honestly, and in the right order.
What is the difference between the 1 km sleigh ride and the 3 km reindeer safari?
Both are roughly 2-hour visits to a traditional family farm, and both include meeting the reindeer. The difference is the ride itself: 1 km is a gentle taster loop, while the 3 km safari spends noticeably longer behind the reindeer in the forest.
What should I wear for a husky or reindeer safari?
Sitting in a sled is colder than walking, so dress a layer warmer than you think: thermal base, insulating mid-layer, windproof outer, real winter boots and mittens. Deep-winter days in Levi often run between −10 °C and −25 °C, and we advise every booking on gear.
How do I know the animals are treated well?
Keep your eyes open and ask: calm handlers, rested and eager animals, small groups and clear guest rules are the good signs. Working farms and kennels that do things properly enjoy the questions, and the local families we partner with answer them gladly.
Can you see the northern lights on an evening safari?
Sometimes. Winter evenings are dark and the aurora season runs from late August to mid-April, so clear skies give a fair chance. No one can promise a sighting. The aurora is a natural phenomenon and nature decides. Our northern lights in Levi guide explains the honest odds.
Written by Heidi Jokela, CEO, Polar Star Travel, an aurora seeker and Levi local since the 2000s.
About Polar Star Travel
Polar Star Travel is a family-owned, truly local Arctic Experience Company based in Levi, Finnish Lapland. We don't just want to show our guests Lapland. We want them to truly feel it. We bring together accommodation, Arctic nature, local people and culture, adventure, and wellbeing to create meaningful Lapland experiences. We know this land, its stories and its special places, and we want to share them with our guests in an authentic, warm and personal way. Polar Star: Find Your True North.
From our home village of Sirkka, about 15 minutes from Kittilä Airport, we have hosted guests since 2007 in our own apartments and cottages, each with its own sauna. We guide around 30 of our own experiences year-round, from aurora canoeing and snowshoe walks to e-fatbike, gravel and mountain-bike tours. Our work is certified by Green Key (Polar Star and Origo Apartments), Green Activities and Travelife for Tour Operators.
Sources:
Levi Ski Resort, official Levi resort information and season dates
Finavia: Kittilä Airport, official airport information
Book your winter day with us. We answer ourselves, from the village.
Polar Star Travel · Torikuja 10 A, 99130 Levi · +358 10 325 4040 · sales@polarstartravel.fi
