Dog Sledding Tours In Alaska
You're speeding through Alaskan forest, sitting on a sled that's being pulled by some of Alaska's most powerful creatures. This is dog sledding—and it's not only an Alaskan tradition, but also a state obsession, one that's celebrated every March with the running of the 1,150-mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race from Anchorage to Nome. Taking a dogsledding excursion is a chance to see what the fuss is all about. You'll meet Iditarod racers and their dogs and hear what it's like to run this brutal race. And often, you'll experience the thrill of dogsledding first-hand.
This is an outing you can do from Anchorage, Denali, Fairbanks, Girdwood, and Juneau. Options vary, but usually include touring the kennels of these champion dogs, seeing how they're trained, and cuddling their puppies. Many Iditarod racers and champions have tours, so you'll hear a first-person account of what it's like to travel through some of Alaska's harshest terrain. Most of these tours are great for kids, but they're geared for all ages.
Three Different Kinds of Tours
- Party on wheels (summer). You'll visit a kennel and be surrounded by the cacophony of dogs, meet team members and cuddle some of the puppies. You typically get to ride on one of the wheeled carts (on the ground, not snow) that the dogs use for training
- Flying to, and riding on the snow (summer). You'll combine about 20 minutes of dog sledding on a glacier with either a fixed-wing plane or helicopter flightseeing trip. These trips are pricier: $250 and up.
- Dog Mushing (winter). These trips are typically November - March, depending on snow conditions. You'll be given the option to ride in the sled or take your turn behind the sled and mush through the winter wonderland.
Price Range
$70+ summer kennel tours, $140+ winter dog mushing, $499+ summer glacier dog sledding
Where to Go
Here are the most common spots and a popular tours:
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Dog Sledding Tours
Fairbanks View All
Year-round tours in Fairbanks and near the North Pole; in winter take an exclusive aurora dog sledding trip
Chena Outdoor Collective, located in Two Rivers, offers interactive experiences with sled dogs and reindeer. Enjoy reindeer tours year-round, from quick introductions to immersive VIP and backpacking trips. Dog lovers can meet sled dogs, experience summer and fall training runs, or go on thrilling winter dog sledding tours and multi-day expeditions.
Take part in the thrill of winter and fall dog sledding out of Fairbanks. You’ll experience the sport with one of Alaska’s longest-running dog tour companies. Go for a ride, attend mushing school, or go on a multi-day adventure to the historic Tolovana Roadhouse.
Plenty of people come to Fairbanks to look at the sky — for northern lights, or to bask in the midnight sun. But this dog-mushing experience outside of Fairbanks is proof that there’s plenty more of Fairbanks to be seen at eye — or even paw — level. May through October, take a a trail ride with 16 dogs hitched up to an ATV. November through April, take a mushing tour through the snow!
Visit the world’s oldest Siberian Husky kennel any time of the year with tour options ranging from a couple of hours in the summer to multi-day winter adventures exploring Fairbanks.
This family-owned, fly-in luxury wilderness lodge is 200 miles north of Fairbanks and 60 miles above the Arctic Circle. Stays are all-inclusive and exclusive — they only accept one group at a time. Go dogsledding, snowshoeing, or scan the skies for the northern lights. The lodge’s huge picture windows make it easy to keep a lookout for the aurora from a warm, comfortable interior.
Glide over the snow on a sled that’s being pulled by a team of dogs — many of whom have run the Iditarod, Yukon Quest, or other races. Go with Rod’s Alaskan Guide Service and experience the thrill of dog sledding with dogs that love to run and passionate mushers who will offer a deeper understanding of this unique sport.
Anchorage (Tours depart from nearby Girdwood and Willow) View All
Tours depart from nearby Girdwood (45 min drive) or Willow (1.5 hr drive). Several companies provide a shuttle from Anchorage.
Everybody loves sled dogs, and Salmon Berry Tours offers you the chance to get behind the sled year-round. In summer and winter, you’ll head to the kennel of Iditarod Champion Dallas Seavey, where you’ll see a gear demonstration, meet the dogs, and ride on the sled behind them. They also have a multi-day adventure for Iditarod enthusiasts.
Experience the excitement of racing champion sled dogs at the Alaska Mushing School, just 75 minutes from Anchorage. Get a professional’s insight into the mushing lifestyle as you ride behind a team of energetic sled dogs on trails connected to the famous Iditarod route. Bundle up and ride in comfort, or brave the cold and drive the team yourself!
Stunning scenery, a thrilling ride and happy puppies: this tour out of the Anchorage area offers an unbeatable combination of classic Alaska experiences that will delight families or — really, anybody. Taking a total of about 90 minutes, and running from mid-May to early September, this tour includes a Flightseeing round trip, a small friendly group environment, and plenty of one-on-one time with the dogs and their mushers.
Summer or winter, visit a family-run champion kennel, meet friendly dogs and an experienced musher for a ride along private trails with views of Denali. Opt to ride in the sled or mush your own. Or, for a truly authentic adventure, go on a training run for the Iditarod! Large groups and special events welcome when organized in advance.
Ratchet up the adventure factor and try your hand at dogsledding. Alpine Air Alaska flies to a dog camp run by the oldest established dog-sled tour business in Alaska. With a shuttle option available from Anchorage, you’ll travel by helicopter from Girdwood’s green forests up over a small saddle to land on a glacier and be introduced to the dog team. “Drive” the dogs yourself, or sit in the sled and enjoy hanging glaciers that surround you. ...more
Find out what this iconic Alaskan sport is all about when you meet the dogs and learn about racing them with Susitna Sled Dog Adventures out of Talkeetna. Come in winter and you can also hop on a sled to really feel what dog mushing is like!
Get an insider’s look at the iconic Alaskan sport of dog mushing when you visit Happy Trails Kennel in Big Lake, operated by four-time Iditarod champion (and member of the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame) Martin Buser. You can visit year-round; come in winter and you can experience the thrill of dog mushing yourself on a dog sled ride!
Embark on a thrilling dog sledding adventure with Snowhook’s team of Alaskan Huskies and experience the excitement of running sled dogs on the scenic Iditarod trail. Owned by seasoned racers, Snowhook offers personalized tours for all ages and activity levels, with the option to combine dog sledding and snowmobiling for a full-day Alaskan adventure.
Big Lake View All
Located just an hour and half north of Anchorage
Get an insider’s look at the iconic Alaskan sport of dog mushing when you visit Happy Trails Kennel in Big Lake, operated by four-time Iditarod champion (and member of the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame) Martin Buser. You can visit year-round; come in winter and you can experience the thrill of dog mushing yourself on a dog sled ride!
Experience the excitement of racing champion sled dogs at the Alaska Mushing School, just 75 minutes from Anchorage. Get a professional’s insight into the mushing lifestyle as you ride behind a team of energetic sled dogs on trails connected to the famous Iditarod route. Bundle up and ride in comfort, or brave the cold and drive the team yourself!
Juneau View All
Take a glacier dog sled across a glacier
Get great views with some hands-on fun — combine a scenic flightseeing helicopter tour with the exhilaration of dog mushing on a glacier with a team of Alaskan Sled dogs!
A tour aboard a TEMSCO helicopter offers beautiful views of Alaska’s Capital City, and up-close exploration of Mendenhall, one of the state’s most accessible glaciers. Look out on alpine lakes, moraines, and crevasses before you land and check out the Juneau Icefield for yourself.
Hop on a TEMSCO helicopter for an Alaskan adventure combining aviation, sled dogs and massive glaciers. Get an amazing view of the gorgeous landscape surrounding Juneau, and then ride along as an energetic team of huskies tours you around the ancient, snow-packed Mendenhall glacier.
Skagway View All
Glacier dog sledding in summer
Board a TEMSCO flight that whisks you thousands of feet above sea level to the Denver glacier and a dog mushing camp hidden away on a snow field. Listen to their chorus of energetic barking before taking off with their musher across the glacier. After the demonstration, you will make your way over to cuddle the future Iditarod champions, puppies!
Seward View All
Meet with sled dogs in their kennel and take a wheeled cart ride through forested Resurrection River Valley or take a fly-in glacier tour
Visit Iditarod champion Mitch Seavey’s homestead, home to three generations of Iditarod mushers. Experience an exciting two-mile dog sled ride, tour the racing kennel, meet the dogs, cuddle adorable husky puppies, and listen to stories from the Iditarod trail. Then climb aboard a custom-designed sled; an Iditarod race finisher drives you through rainforest to a river-cut canyon surrounded by mountains.
Gates of the Arctic National Park View All
This family-owned, fly-in luxury wilderness lodge is 200 miles north of Fairbanks and 60 miles above the Arctic Circle. Stays are all-inclusive and exclusive — they only accept one group at a time. Go dogsledding, snowshoeing, or scan the skies for the northern lights. The lodge’s huge picture windows make it easy to keep a lookout for the aurora from a warm, comfortable interior.
Talkeetna View All
Ride snowmachines on private trails through forests while keeping an eye out for wildlife on your way to visit sled dogs and mushers and learn what it’s really like to run the Iditarod while mushing your own team.
Find out what this iconic Alaskan sport is all about when you meet the dogs and learn about racing them with Susitna Sled Dog Adventures out of Talkeetna. Come in winter and you can also hop on a sled to really feel what dog mushing is like!
Denali National Park
Tours just 30-minutes south of Denali National Park
Experience the thrill of the iconic Alaskan sport of dogsledding from veterans of the Iditarod and Yukon Quest races! Operating in summer and winter from Cantwell, about a 30-minute drive south of Denali National Park, the private tours will be just you and your group, led by expert guides. Winter tours can involve learning to drive your own dog team or riding out to see the northern lights. In summer, the excited dogs pull a side-by-side on ...more
Get the insider’s perspective on the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race from veteran musher and Alaskan celebrity Jeff King, who has claimed first place four times. He will regale you with tales from the trail and introduce you to his dogs during a tour of his sled-dog training center, the Husky Homestead. Here, for more than three decades, Jeff has offered visitors a look at what goes into creating a championship team and carving a life in the Alaska ...more