The days between Christmas and New Year are a strange, lovely pocket of the Lapland calendar. The presents have been opened, the big family dinner is over, and everyone is looking for something to do that does not involve sitting on a sofa. In Rovaniemi, that week is also one of the busiest of the whole winter, because half of Europe has the same idea.

We live here, and Joona has worked in Lapland tourism, so we know that week from both sides: as the people who see the town fill up and as the people who get asked, again and again, "is it too late to book a husky ride?" This guide is our honest answer for the days between 26 and 31 December 2026, built around the Nulkki Husky Adventure.

Why this week is different

Between Christmas and New Year, Rovaniemi has three things working against you: lots of visitors, short daylight and a lot of family groups looking for the same morning activities. Husky tours are among the first to fill, because they are the classic Lapland experience and they happen in daylight.

The daylight is the part people forget. In late December the sun barely rises above the horizon in Rovaniemi, and the light is a long, soft blue rather than bright day. That is wonderful for photographs, but it means a tour that starts at an odd hour may be partly in the dark. Always read the start time in your confirmation.

See live availability for the week here, and enter HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout for 5% off.

Check Nulkki Husky Adventure dates →

What the Nulkki Husky Adventure includes

The Nulkki Husky Adventure5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 is listed at about four hours, with a 5 km husky ride where you drive the sled yourself. The listing says you get detailed instructions on how to mush the huskies safely, information about the dogs, an English-speaking guide, winter clothing in adult and child sizes including overalls, boots and gloves, and cookies and juice.

Photos are taken with your own device, so charge your phone and consider a wrist strap. The listed difficulty is easy, and the tour is not suitable for children under 3 years old.

A word on what "self-driving" means. You stand on the back of the sled, a guide explains how to brake and steer, and the dogs do the pulling. It is much easier than it sounds, and the dogs are keen to run. Most of the work is staying calm and keeping your feet in the right place.

Weather and the shortened version

The listing says that in bad weather, for safety, the tour can be arranged as a shortened guide-driven experience. This is worth knowing in the Christmas week, when very cold days, strong winds or poor conditions can sometimes occur. A guide-driven ride is still a real husky ride, but you are a passenger instead of a driver.

It is the kind of thing that can disappoint a teenager who has been told they will drive, so mention it before you go. Read the full terms in the booking window, including what happens if conditions change.

Cold itself is rarely a reason to cancel: huskies love it. If the forecast says minus 25, you will be dressed for it in the provided overalls, and the dogs will be even more excited than usual.

Booking tips for 26 to 31 December

First, book now. The cut-off in the listing is 12 hours before the start time, but that is a technical minimum, not a sensible plan. For the week between the holidays, we would book as soon as the flights are confirmed.

Second, be flexible about the day. If 27 December is full, 29 December might not be, and the experience is the same. Look at the whole week rather than a single day.

Third, read the cancellation policy. The listing offers free cancellation until 24 hours before the activity, with a 100% fee if the booking is cancelled less than 24 hours before. You can therefore book early and adjust, as long as you decide before the cut-off.

We covered the pre-Christmas version of this question in our week before Christmas husky guide, and the logic is the same, only busier.

Here is the simple booking routine we give friends. Open the live calendar, pick the morning you want, add everyone in your party and go to checkout. Type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 into the discount field, check that the total changes by 5%, and only then pay. If the code does not seem to apply, stop and look at the booking window again before entering card details.

Fitting it around a full week

If you are in Rovaniemi for the whole Christmas to New Year stretch, spread the big activities across several days. A husky morning, a rest afternoon, an aurora evening on a different night and a calm day in between is the rhythm that works. We explain how to schedule a night and a morning together in our post on aurora night then husky day.

New Year's Eve itself needs special attention. If you want to be out under the sky near midnight, read our New Year's Eve aurora guide and do not plan a big husky day on 31 December unless the evening is free.

Restaurants and saunas in town are also busy that week, so book dinners early, too.

With children, and with grandparents

For families with children aged 3 and over, the Nulkki ride works well. The sled has space for a driver and a passenger, which means one parent drives while a child rides, then you swap. For very young children, read our husky ride guide for toddlers, because the Nulkki tour is not suitable for under-3s.

Small children can join the Nulkki Husky Adventure5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 too (from €189, 4 hours, with child-size winter clothing and pickup within 10 km of the city centre included), but with a self-driven 5 km husky ride and four hours out in the cold it works best for children who are comfortable outdoors for a few hours; check the booking window for age limits. Compare husky options in our guide to husky tours for families.

Grandparents often enjoy the dogs as much as the children do. If someone has trouble with cold or with stairs, tell the operator after booking.

Think carefully about what you wear under the provided overalls. The operator supplies the outer layer, boots and gloves, but warmth really comes from what is beneath. Wool or thermal base layers, a fleece, thick socks and a hat that covers your ears will make the difference between a day you enjoy and a day you endure. Avoid jeans, which hold the cold, and avoid anything tight around the ankles, since boots need room for a second pair of socks. Bring a neck warmer, too, because the dogs are fast and the wind chill on a moving sled is larger than the air temperature suggests.

Photographs deserve a plan as well. Because the tour says photos are taken on your own device, decide before the ride who films and who drives. A phone in a warm pocket with a lanyard is safer than one held loosely in a gloved hand. Many families take turns, so each adult gets both the driving and the filming. Remember too that the dogs will be loud and excited before the start, and quiet and focused once they run. That change, from barking chaos to the soft sound of paws on snow, is the part people tell us they remember most.

A few last words on timing within the day. Husky tours are tiring in the pleasant way, and children often fall asleep on the way back. Do not plan a demanding afternoon after the ride. A long lunch, a sauna or an hour in the hotel is perfect, and an aurora evening is better saved for another night.

Upgrades: longer days and combinations

If you want more than a single ride, the Kuoksa Husky & Reindeer Adventure5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €349, 5 hours) combines a 5 km husky ride with a reindeer sleigh ride and open-fire salmon soup, and the Kuoksa Husky & Snowmobile Adventure5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €299, 5 hours) adds about an hour of snowmobile driving. The biggest option is the Lapland Bucketlist Adventure5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €449, 6 hours), which brings all three together with lunch and a photographer.

These are longer and more expensive, and in the Christmas to New Year week they fill even earlier. If your group is large, book first and plan the rest of the trip around the confirmed day.

See the Kuoksa Husky & Reindeer Adventure (from €349) →

Frequently asked questions

Is it too late to book a husky ride for the week after Christmas?
Check the live calendar. Dates between Christmas and New Year sell early, so book as soon as you can.

How long is the Nulkki Husky Adventure?
About four hours, including a 5 km self-driven husky ride.

How much does it cost?
Listed from €189 per adult. Use our 5% reader discount at checkout.

Can children join?
The tour is not suitable for children under 3. Check the booking window for the child age rules.

What if the weather is bad?
For safety the tour can become a shortened guide-driven experience. Read the full terms before booking.

What is the cancellation policy?
Free cancellation until 24 hours before the activity, with a fee after that.

Our pick for the holiday week

Book the Nulkki Husky Adventure early, keep the date flexible within the week, and read the weather terms so nobody is surprised. It is one of the best ways to spend a morning between the holidays, and the dogs will not mind if it is minus twenty.

Choose your date, and enter HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout for 5% off.

Book the Nulkki Husky Adventure →

Planning the rest of your stay? Our hub of activities in Rovaniemi has the full list.