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Dogsledding in Haliburton, Ontario’s spectacular winter wilderness, offers a glimpse into a time gone by, when life was slower and people were as one with the natural world around them. Winterdance offers various dogsledding packages with our beautiful Purebred Siberian Huskies to allow people to step back in time. Your dog team will come completely outfitted with all food & beverages provided on 1/2 & full day trips and moonlite tours. Please note it is your responsibility to bring warm clothing. We have included a basic list below to serve as a guideline. All the sleds are 5 foot wooden basket style, with cushions on the bottom and back making for a very comfortable ride and warm, snuggly fleece blankets are provided for extra warmth. Simply choose a dogsledding tour and let us introduce you to an amazing adventure! Our dog sledding trips book up quickly, especially on weekends so advance reservations are highly recommended.
Get a taste of the wonderful sport of dogsledding! We will instruct you in the basics of driving a dog team, and then introduce you to your team of 5 affectionate Siberian Huskies. Tours have 2 people per sled with clients taking turns riding and driving (if they wish). A guide is always in the lead with their dogsled team. After instructions you’re off exploring our picturesque Barnhardt Lake and sugar shack trails. You will be out on the trail with the dogs for approximately 60 minutes with time at the end of the tour for helping care for your team of huskies, some love, cuddling and photos. 2 hour tours start at 10 am or 2:30 pm. Best enjoyed by people in at least average physical shape and on a tight time line or with younger children. Reservations are required.
Weekday Price: $299/person + HST
Weekend Price: $299/person + HST
Holiday Price: (December 26-January 1st & February 15-16th): $375/person + HST
Gratuity not included
By far our most popular dogsled tour with first time dogsledders and return clients alike, as you really get an opportunity to know your huskies and get a true feel for handling a dog sled! These dogsledding trips offer a variety of trail conditions, including challenging rugged, forested terrain, and a multiple lake system. Novices are welcome as you will be given complete instructions on dogsledding skills. You should be in at least average physical shape to best enjoy a 1/2 day tour. This dogsled trip includes a midway break for a snack and hot chocolate (provided) and is a great opportunity for those “Kodak moments” of the beautiful Haliburton scenery and of course your new 4-legged friends! We offer 2 of these dog sledding tours every day with the instruction sessions starting at 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. After instructions you will be out on one of several 1/2 day trails for approximately 2 – 2.5 hours, with additional time at the end for photos & rewarding your huskies! Reservations required
Winter 2023/24 Rates in effect for 2025 until September 1st, 2024
Weekday Price: $399/person + HST
Weekend Price: $399/person + HST
Holiday Price: (December 26-January 1st & February 15-16th): $450/person + HST
Gratuity not included
The full day dogsledding tour starts around 9:00 a.m. with an instruction period of approximately 20 minutes to learn the required skills! We will then head out on the trail for the day with your team of 6 beautiful sled dogs, exploring around 30 km’s of unspoiled wilderness. Travel through Bear & Beaver Valleys, to get to various remote lakes, or experience the challenge of the mountain trail. We have several full day trails and your guide will pick the trail that best suits the group. You will stop for morning and afternoon snacks (for people and dogs) and hot chocolate.
At lunch time your guide will find a perfect spot to secure the dogteams and start a roaring campfire to personally cook you a hot, hearty lunch (all food is provided and we guarantee you won’t leave hungry). This is a great time to hear stories of our dogsledding adventures and visit & play with your huskies, as they enjoy a midday break too! Please let us know if anyone in your group has special dietary needs. The trip will be back at trailhead between 3:30-4:00 p.m. allowing you time to help care for your new best 4-legged friends and wish then a fond farewell! This is a popular tour with return clients and winter lovers & adventurers in good physical shape! Reservations required
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Weekday Price: $800/person + HST
Gratuity not included
Dogsledding at night is truly an incredibly moving experience and one that is impossible to put into words. With a crisp, clear night, the stars and moon radiating off the snow can be so bright you may not even need your head lamp or the provided flashlights. There is also such silence, all you hear is the dogsled runners on the snow and the breath of your huskies – a truly magical experience. The trips will start around 7:30 p.m. with brief instructions. We will then hit the trail with your 4-5 dog team for about 1 hour until we reach a clearing with a roaring fire. There we will spend about 20-30 minutes savouring steaming mugs of hot chocolate and freshly baked pastries. Be entertained by stories of wilderness adventures from the back of a dogsled from Haliburton to the Yukon & Alaska and if we are lucky hear the distant howl of the resident wolf pack. By the time we sled out again, the trip will end around 9:30 pm. Enjoyed by adults in at least average physical shape. Reservations required
These tours are personally run by Iditarod, Yukon Quest musher & Winterdance owner Hank DeBruin so only limited dates are available.
Moonlit tours require a minimum of 4 guests to run.
Winter 2024/25 Dates: January 9th & February 10th (Scheduled around full moons)
Price: $490/person + HST
Gratuity not included
These trips can include any combination of 1/2, full day and moonlite runs with overnight accommodation at our own cabin or local resorts & inns. We have over 60 km of dogsled trails, so that mulit-day clients get to explore different trails with each tour (except for the first several km’s which is the main trail that all other trials branch off of). These trips require advance reservations and prices will be determined based on the client’s individual requests and desires. Please call or e-mail us for more information.
Price: Custom Package Pricing
This is a truly unique experience and in the spring of 2012 inducted into Canada Tourism’s Signature Experiences Collection. How many people do you know that are dropped off by helicopter to enjoy a day of dog sledding? From Executive Corporate clients to families or impressing that special someone in your life, this trip will guarantee lifelong adventure memories!!
From Toronto, board your private helicopter around 9am and take flight for Haliburton. On route you will enjoy a spectacular panoramic view, don’t forget your camera, you will not want to miss recording the flight or landscapes. Your destination will be the rugged wilderness of the Haliburton Highlands, bordering on Algonquin Park 30 minutes north of the Village of Haliburton. The entire flight will take less than an hour.
Upon your arrival you’ll have time to gear up before receiving a complete introduction and instruction on how to handle and drive your team of dogs from your personal senior guide for the day. We will then introduce you to your 6 friendly husky team mates for the day before heading off for a remarkable day of fun and fresh air. We can stop as often as you like to capture the scenery and nature on film and we will break at noon for your guide to secure the dogteams and start a roaring fire to cook you a hearty trailside lunch and entertain you with stories of wilderness life & adventures from the back of a dogsled. After their lunch nap your huskies will be anxious to get moving and we will continue exploring the trails for the rest of the afternoon, from untouched wilderness lakes, to the top of the Highlands and valleys below.
By 4 pm your pilot who has been waiting for you will be ready to take flight back to Toronto and it’s time for hugs and good-byes to your new found 4-legged friends and board the helicopter for your return trip home to the city lights in time to catch a show or fine dinner that evening. Or do a quick flight to the Pinestone Resort and have your helicopter & pilot wait for you while you enjoy an evening in one of their villa’s complete with fireplace. Enjoy a soak in their hot tub, a swim in their salt water pool, a delicious dinner, a massage or even a moonlite skate! Your helicopter and pilot will be ready to take you back to Toronto the next morning after breakfast. Call us for adventure dates and let us take care of the details.
This package is best suited for those who desire the ultimate experiences away from the crowd. We can guarantee your complete 100% privacy on this tour (with the possible exception of the wildlife…)!
Price: $1425 + HST per person for the flight and day of dogsledding based on a group of 3 or more
Gratuity not included
For those who want a more personal experience we offer limited private tours. These tours are the same as our normal tours as far as distance covered except that your group (minimum of 4 people) will have your own private guide to head out on the trails with. Only one private tour will be available each day.
If you need to cancel a month or more in advance of your trip date, you will receive a full refund. With shorter notice (less than a month) before your trip, getting a refund is contingent on our being able to rebook your spots. Rescheduling will be offered in the event of operator cancellation due to weather. Should that not be possible a full refund will be given.
It is important to show up before your tours begins, showing up late will result in missing your tour as we can’t expect other guests to wait for ones running late. Guests arriving late and missing their tour or no-shows are charged full price.
Have a group that you’d like to take dogsledding? We enjoy working with various groups, including corporate, school & scout/guide groups, and tour operators. Packages can include dogsledding for various lengths of time, snowshoeing, outdoor cooked lunches, sleigh rides, and various other local activities. We can handle groups of up to 60 people for same day programs.
Call: 705 457-5281
Email: info@winterdance.com
Children (aged 2 – 16) are welcome on our trips but must be accompanied by an adult. As a guideline we recommend children be at least 2 years old for our 2 hour trips, 5 years old for 1/2 days and 7 years old for full days. Our dogs are all very friendly, but an excited dog can easily accidentally knock down a small child. Parents keep a close eye on the little ones! Children must ride in the basket of the sled at all times. It is solely up to the discretion of the guide whether a child is big enough, strong enough or mature enough to try driving a team of dogs. Children’s rates are based on “sled load”, usually children 8 and under can be put together in the basket of a sled in which case the tour for each child is 1/2 price.
If you have a special occasion (birthday, anniversary, proposal, etc.) and want some special extra’s (a rose laying on the sled, birthday cake, fine dining, etc.) please feel free to contact us, we will be happy to help make arrangements for a memorable celebration!
** Don’t forget your camera as there will be opportunities for memorable pictures of you with your team as well as possible wildlife sightings.
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