Lapland with Kids: Day 2 - Huskies and Kotas
- Dec 15, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Today was the thing I’d been looking forward to most about this adventure, and I’m happy to report it absolutely delivered!
Husky experiences in Lapland typically cost £150–£200 per person, and I very nearly bailed altogether due to this! But by heading further north and steering clear of the worst of the tourist traps, we managed to find one for around half the price. Today, I also discovered that very generously one of my closest friends and my mother-in-law had both contributed towards the cost, making it all the more special (what do I love more than a good deal? A good deal in another country involving animals and stunning scenery that I didn’t pay full whack for!)
Our visit took us further north than any of us had ever been before (just 10–15 minutes from our Levi base, but still!). Before the main event, Levi Husky Park introduced us to an array of Arctic animals: raccoon dogs, Arctic foxes, red foxes, husky-wolves (yes, really), and of course hundreds of baying, barking, howling huskies. There were also retired or particularly friendly animals that visitors could stroke (strictly without gloves, to avoid confusing them, which was bloody freezing but worth it!).
We arrived at 11:30 for a two-hour visit with a group of around 20–25 people. Sadly, a few (British) younger members of our group ignored instructions entirely - shouting, poking animals, throwing snow, and evening playing shooting games on phones (why?!) which clearly tested the patience of the guides. It dampened the atmosphere slightly, but thankfully ours kids were enthralled (our eldest favourite animal has always been the Arctic fox).
While waiting for our turn on the sleds, we met the “kissing reindeer”. Armed with ginger biscuits and carrots, we were encouraged to feed them mouth-to-mouth for photos. I mostly succeeded in feeding myself snow and reindeer slobber, but the photos were worth it.
Then it was time...!
We opted for a 2km husky ride, not actually due to cost, but caution. With temperatures hovering around –20°C and severe wind chill at speed to match, I decided freezing a child three hours inside the Arctic Circle wasn’t the birthday memory I was aiming for. Even so, the ride was extraordinary. Gliding through frozen forests and across lakes, pulled by an eager, joyful team of dogs, was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It lasted around 5-7 minutes.
One highlight was our middle child chanting the mushing commands at the dogs, copying our Sami (native nomadic Finnish people) driver, whooping and ordering them about like she owned the pack. We laughed the entire way through, teeth chattering.
Afterwards, we warmed up in one of the on-site log cabins with a free fat sausage and hot mixed-berry juice, surrounded by faux skins, glowing fires, dim fairy lights, and dogs casually snoozing nearby. Absolute perfection. And because we are who we are, we’d brought our own mustard, crispy onions, ketchup, and BBQ sauce – elevating the experience just that little bit further (and guarding against total failure of luxury sausage if we didn’t find a Kota!).
Back home for lunch and a snowy play session, we then braced ourselves for round two of “Find a Free Kota”, returning to yesterday’s (second) padlocked hut with little hope.
And this time – success!
A fire was already blazing and the place was deserted! We skewered marshmallows, sandwiched them between two chocolate digestives each, and lived out the dream at last while a blizzard raged outside.
Driving later became borderline impossible, and when given the choice of returning to the sledging hill, the kids declined – much to the adults’ relief. Home we went (stopping for a bottle of wine on the way home...).
The final highlight: a proper Finnish dinner. We picked up fresh-aisle meatballs, all-spice and stock to make homemade brown sauce and a jar of lingonberry jam at the supermarket the previous day, served with veg and mashed potatoes – simple, quick, hearty, and exactly what was needed. We finished with ice cream (obviously) and Arthur Christmas on the TV (another of the kids favourite Christmas films).
What a day.
What a place.
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