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A real working team
Eight to twelve dogs in a traditional fan hitch, not paired tandem — the authentic Greenlandic method.
Sisimiut · West Greenland, north of the Arctic Circle
Dog Sledding
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The experience
Three hours behind a real Greenlandic dog team
Greenlandic sled dogs are a working breed found only in the official dog-line districts — the region north of the Arctic Circle in West Greenland, including Sisimiut, and separately in East Greenland. Nowhere else in the country are you legally allowed to keep or run them, which is exactly what keeps the bloodline and the tradition intact. From Sisimiut, you'll head out with a local musher for a half-day on a working sled, pulled by a team of eight to twelve dogs running in the traditional fan hitch — each dog on its own line, fanned out ahead of the sled rather than paired in tandem.
You'll ride in or alongside the sled as your musher reads the dogs, the wind and the terrain, threading a route across frozen fjord ice and open snowfields with the low Arctic winter sun skimming the horizon. This is not a theme-park ride — it's the same method Greenlandic hunters have used for centuries to travel and hunt across the ice, and your musher will talk you through how the team is trained, fed and rested.
Sledding here runs strictly January through April, when the ice and snow cover is reliable enough to run teams safely. Outside that window the dogs rest off-season, so a winter visit is the only way to experience it.
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Frozen Arctic scenery
Fjord ice and open snowfields around Sisimiut, with the winter light low on the horizon.
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Born-and-raised musher
A local musher who has run dogs in this district since childhood, translated where needed.
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Low winter light
January–April's soft, golden Arctic daylight — a different Greenland to the summer season.
Gallery
See the trail
Shots from recent tours — swipe through, click any image to view it full size.
What you get
What's included
Included
- English- and Danish-speaking local musher
- Full cold-weather outer layer on loan
- Traditional fan-hitch sled team
- Hot drinks before and after the tour
- Safety briefing and dog-handling introduction
Not included
- Transfer to the dog yard in Sisimiut
- Food and snacks
- Gratuities (optional, appreciated)
Step by step
Your 3 hours on the trail
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Meet at the dog yard & safety briefing
Meet your musher at the edge of town, get fitted with cold-weather outer layers and meet the team before harnessing begins.
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Harnessing the fan-hitch team
Watch — and help, if you'd like — as the dogs are harnessed into their fan formation, each on its own line, buzzing to run.
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Out onto the fjord ice
The team settles into rhythm as you leave Sisimiut behind, gliding across frozen fjord ice and open snowfields under the low winter sun.
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A pause on the trail
Stop for hot a drink and a breather while the dogs rest — a chance to ask your musher about training, feeding and the dog-line tradition.
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Back at the dog yard
Return to unharness the team together, say goodbye to the dogs and warm up before heading back into Sisimiut.
Practical
Know before you go
What to bring
- Thermal base layers — it's genuinely cold
- Warm hat, neck gaiter & thick gloves
- Sturdy winter boots
- Sunglasses or goggles — glare off snow is strong
- Camera with spare battery (cold drains them fast)
Meeting point
- Sisimiut dog yard, edge of town
- Arrive 15 minutes early for outer-layer fitting
- 10-minute taxi from most hotels in town
- Look for the adventures.gl operator sign
Good to know
- Duration
- 3 hours on the trail
- Group
- Small — max 8 guests
- Languages
- English / Danish
- Ages
- All ages · under-12 half price
- Difficulty
- Moderate — cold, some bracing
- Season
- January – April
Is it warm enough? Is it hard?
Honestly: it's genuinely cold out on the ice, even with full winter layers on loan — this is Arctic winter, not a scenic stroll. Bring your own thermal base layers and expect the tour to move at the weather's pace: in severe cold, wind or poor visibility, your musher may shorten, delay or reroute the trip for everyone's safety.
The dogs are working animals, not pets kept for show. They're bred, trained and cared for under strict local welfare standards set for the dog-line districts, and mushers who don't meet them lose their license. You'll see well-muscled, well-fed dogs that are clearly eager to run — this is the life they're built for.
Where we start
Meeting point
Sisimiut dog yard, edge of town
Dog-line district, edge of town, 3911 Sisimiut, Greenland
Please arrive 15 minutes before departure for outer-layer fitting and the safety briefing.
66.94°N 53.67°W
Look for the crew holding the adventures.gl operator sign at the dog yard gate. A taxi from the town centre takes about 10 minutes.
Who runs this
Your operator
Vetted local operator · Sisimiut
Run by mushers who grew up with this team
Licensed & insured
12+ years mushing
Certified dog welfare
This tour is operated by Aputsiaq Voyages, a family-run outfit that works with vetted local mushers in the Sisimiut dog-line district, onboarded by adventures.gl. Their teams are raised and trained to strict Greenlandic welfare standards, run the traditional fan hitch, and cap every departure at 8 guests so everyone gets real time with the dogs.
Book with confidence. adventures.gl handles secure booking and payment — your money is protected until the tour runs, and support answers within a day.
From the trip
Reviews
4.9/ 5
Based on 74 verified reviews
Questions
Frequently asked
Only in the official dog-line districts — West Greenland north of the Arctic Circle (including Sisimiut and Kangerlussuaq) and separately East Greenland. Greenlandic sled dogs cannot legally be kept south of the line, which is exactly what protects the breed and the tradition. This tour runs from Sisimiut, right in the heart of the western district.
A fan hitch is the traditional Greenlandic method of harnessing dogs — each dog on its own individual line, fanned out ahead of the sled, rather than paired in tandem rows like you may have seen elsewhere. It suits open sea ice and snowfields, gives each dog more independence, and is the method Greenlandic mushers have used for centuries.
Strictly January through April, when ice and snow cover around Sisimiut is reliable enough to run teams safely. Late February and March tend to give the most stable conditions and the best light. Outside this window the dogs rest, so a winter visit is the only way to experience the tour.
Expect genuine Arctic winter cold, especially once the sled is moving. We provide a full cold-weather outer layer, but you should still bring your own thermal base layers, a warm hat, thick gloves and sturdy winter boots. Layering properly makes the difference between a merely cold tour and a miserable one.
Yes. Greenlandic sled dogs are working animals raised and cared for under strict local welfare standards specific to the dog-line districts, and licensed mushers who fail to meet them lose their license. You'll see well-fed, well-muscled dogs that are clearly eager to run — mushing is the life they're bred and trained for.
Yes — all ages are welcome and children under 12 ride at half price (725 DKK). Children ride with an adult on the musher's sled and are kept warm in the loaned outer layers, though the cold and the moderate bracing involved mean it's not suitable for very young babies.
January – April · Sisimiut
Ready to run with a real Greenlandic team?
Fan-hitch dogs, frozen fjord ice, a musher who's done this since childhood. Winter departures fill early — February and March most of all.
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