A Guide to Dog-Carting in Svalbard (with Svalbard Husky)

I recently visited Svalbard at the end of October and to be honest, it was not an easy trip to plan. The sun set for the last time of the year on the day I arrived and tour options were extremely limited.

The reason I visited was to experience Svalbard in its low season. I have been several times but never after September, and never when there wasn’t an abundance of tours. I had to get creative.

One tour that did run when I was visiting was dog-carting in Svalbard with Svalbard Husky. I immediately knew this was going to end up on my itinerary. My partner was visiting with me, and it was his first time in Svalbard, so I knew this was an epic opportunity for him to escape Longyearbyen and see some of the scenery Svalbard is renowned for.

In this guide, I will discuss my time dog-carting with Svalbard Husky. I’ll share my thoughts, including who this tour is (and isn’t) for. If you have any questions, please pop them into the comments or send me a message. Thanks!

Dog-Carting with Svalbard Husky Overview

Dog-carting is an alternative to dog-sledding, where a team of dogs is attached to the front of a cart with wheels on it. This is typically used in autumn when temperatures allow for safe dog-sledding but the snow isn’t quite there yet.

This is done on most husky farms in the Arctic as it helps train dogs for the upcoming sledding season. Fortunately, on Svalbard, the cold temperatures allow for dog-carting a lot longer than other destinations, so you can book trips doing it even during the summer months.

While most people think of only dog-sledding when they think of husky tours, there is training year-round for the dogs and it requires A LOT of work. Dog-carting is a great way to enjoy an adventurous husky tour still earlier in the season while helping the dogs get their exercise. It also helps the husky farm earn revenue in an extremely seasonal industry.

Svalbard Husky is a family business owned by Mia and Audun, who have been living on Spitsbergen since 2014. There are around 100 dogs there and they specialize in both long and short expedition trips. You can learn more on their website.

How to Book a Dog-Cart Tour with Svalbard Husky

The best way to book a dog-carting excursion with Svalbard Husky is directly on their website. My group could have had up to 9 people in it, but we had 7. There was my partner and I, and a family of 5 from Sweden.

Two tours run daily; a tour at 9am and a tour at 3pm. I took the 9am one when I went at the end of October.

It was such a personal experience and nothing like husky safaris I have done anywhere else in the Arctic.

On The Day of Your Tour (My Experience)

On the day of your tour, you will be picked up from a predetermined location in Longyearbyen. They pick up from most hotels in the town, so just make sure you give them the details of where you’re staying at the time of booking.

Svalbard Husky is around a 10-minute drive out of Longyearbyen in Adventdalen in an area where polar bear protection is required, so be sure to listen to your guide at all times and stay within the husky farm unless otherwise instructed by the guide.

Upon arrival, you will be briefed about what to expect throughout your day and you will also be fitted for the clothing and gear needed for your adventure.

They have suits in all sizes and boots to fit all feet. They also have gloves (essential if you don’t want the dogs to gnaw at yours!), hats, and more.

I always go up a few sizes in a suit because I am claustrophobic. I think my crotch was at my knees in it, but I felt good. I always go up a size in boots as well (better for warmth). Be sure to come with thick, wool socks and size up a bit in the boots.

The suit is very warm but I would recommend wearing a wool mid-layer and base layer underneath. If you are very sensitive to the cold, perhaps wear a sweater underneath. The one thing I would definitely recommend bringing is a neck gaiter! You can purchase these at most of the shops in Svalbard (and it doubles as a souvenir).

After you’re dressed and ready, you will go outside for a safety briefing and instructions on how to handle the dogs. Yep, you read that right. You will be in charge of handling the dogs and getting your team attached to the sled.

I opted out of this and allowed my partner to do it all. I, for one, was dealing with a bad back on the day of this tour (not an injury, just soreness from something else). And secondly, I am mildly allergic to dogs. If I had handled dogs at that moment, I would have paid the price throughout the rest of the day.

Nevertheless, the staff was ready to assist everyone with getting their dogs to the sleds and attaching them safely.

After the dogs were sorted (this took at least 20 minutes), we were off and running on and near the tundra!

After around an hour of dog-carting around Adventdalen, we headed back to the yard to detach the dogs from their carts and place them back into their home. We also got to meet the new puppies! The next generation of dogs at Svalbard Husky were CUTE and had huge personalities!

Then we went inside, undressed, and shared some warm drinks and cookies before loading into the van to go back to our accommodation.

Things to Know Before Dog-Carting in Svalbard

You will take turns steering the dog-cart. Or you can opt to just have one person do it the entire time. My partner did it all for us so I could chill out and take pictures.

The dog-carting takes around an hour, give or take. Only one hour of that is actual carting and the rest is being picked up, briefed, hanging out with the dogs, and attaching/detaching them from the carts. One hour felt like long enough for the tour, so don’t worry about that!

The tundra in Svalbard is protected and you can not drive on it unless there is frost or snow there. If you’re not able to go on the tundra, you will be on the roads outside of Longyearbyen. You will still see the scenery, just like those who go in late autumn and can do a little tundra driving.

Steering the cart can be hard. My partner did it and said I would have possibly struggled to steer it. It takes some upper-body strength. The average active person will manage just fine, but just a heads up.

Who Can (and Can’t) Go Dog-Carting

First and foremost, children must be older than 8 years to join a trip. They will likely not have the strength to do any of the steering, so this will be something for teens and adults.

Other factors that may impact a trip dog-carting are if you have issues with your back or are pregnant. I had some back pain the day I went, but it was not an injury. I opted not to do any of the steering of the cart because my partner was there (poor guy). He loves doing the active part and I kind of like doing the lazy part, so it was a win/win for us.

This excursion is more interactive and demanding than other dog-sledding and carting tours I have been on. Having to attach the dogs to the carts was not easy and is not for everyone. I would let them know pretty quickly that this is something you’re not comfortable doing if you think that is the case. I am sure they will accommodate and prepare your team for the trip.

I loved this trip with Svalbard Husky and am so glad I was able to do it when I recently visited! Do you have any questions about dog-carting in Svalbard? Let me know… thanks!

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