kingmik dog sled tours tours

Kingmik Dog Sled Tours

Review Highlights

“ He shared many interesting tidbits about the Alaskan Huskies and on dog sledding in general. ” in 3 reviews

“ We stopped a few times in the shade to allow our huskies to roll in snow and eat mouthfuls to cool down. ” in 4 reviews

“ ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS - Our guide John was in his second year of mushing and had a wealth of helpful info. ” in 2 reviews

Location & Hours

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16430 Highway 1A

Lake Louise, AB T0L

Amenities and More

About the business.

Kingmik Dog Sled Tours is the ONLY dog sledding operator in Banff National Park; a world UNESCO Heritage Site. We have won awards for our dog care. We are a small boutique operation and we only take out small groups of 3-5 sleds per tour departure time with a private guide on each sled. Kingmik has been offering an authentic dog sled experience in one of the most beautiful places in the world for over 40 years! …

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Overall rating

WOW That word pretty much sums up the entire experience. We came in on a nice warm and sunny Monday. The dogs had a few runs in them but nevertheless it was such a cool experience. Overall it's probably a 2 hour round trip ride. During the ride you get to visit the Alberta/BC boarder and as well travel a bit into the mountains as well. On top of that, you really get to know your dogs both through your tour guide and butt pats and belly rubs. Overall, it's an amazing experience and def crossed it off of my bucket list!

We had a such a lovely tour this morning! Pictures do not come close to the amazing scenery the dogs were so excited to run and were truly happy and well looked after. That was very important to me, making sure the dogs are being treated well. The trail is about 5 miles each way, takes roughly 2 hours. I would recommend this adventure.

Our sled ride with Kingmik Dog Sled Tours was one of the best snow experiences I've ever had in my life. It was surreal. The serenity of the snowy wilderness combined with my favorite animals was such an amazing experience. The dogs are treated well. They are such good dogs. I enjoyed this activity so much. Thanks to the great people who keep this tradition going.

See all photos from Paul G. for Kingmik Dog Sled Tours

This was an AMAZING experience!! If you love dogs and are visiting Banff, you gotta try this! I wasn't too sure what to expect but this was definitely worth doing! From the moment I arrived, I felt at ease. The Alaskan Huskies were very approachable. They were barking a lot but I felt secure enough that they would not bite. The majority of them were tethered to a main line (in the dog sled groupings). They seemed pretty used to being around people. A couple dogs even came to greet me! These unleashed dogs were super gentle and friendly. I wasn't scared at all. My boyfriend and I arrived early (we were instructed to come at least 15 minutes prior departure time) and signed our waivers. We were scheduled for 12 pm. We had a short orientation by a guide named Megan. There were three dog sleds being used during our tour. After our intro, we met our sled guide John, and our dog team. Then my boyfriend and I got into the sled bobsled style. Once inside the sled, there's a comforter blanket to provide additional warmth. The sled itself has an outer covering which fastens with Velcro. Once were secured into our sled cocoon, we were ready to go! It was chilly and snowing during my experience. I definitely recommend wearing layers of warm clothes for this activity. I wore a turtle neck, vest, scarf, ski jacket, leggings, pants, snow pants, gloves, warm socks and boots. The wind gets pretty cold against your face once you start moving. Our sled was traveling around 16 km per hour. John was controlling the speed from back of the sled. John was super friendly and very knowledgeable. He shared many interesting tidbits about the Alaskan Huskies and on dog sledding in general. I learned that these dogs are bred for their sled pulling abilities. They aren't a particular brand of dog but it's their athletic ability that sets them apart. These dogs are trained to pull sleds and they are excellent at it! During our tour, we took a few short breaks along the way. I was able to take pictures when I was riding in the sled. Our guide John was also very kind to take pictures of my boyfriend and I in the sled. We travelled on a trail through the Great Divide Arch. We actually ended up in part of BC during our trip! After we reached this point, we made a super quick U-turn and headed back to Alberta! On the way back I had a chance to co-drive the dog sled with John. I felt a bit nervous to try standing on the back of the sled. In the end, it was one of my favorite parts of this experience! I balanced on one of the back skis (one foot in front of the other) and John balanced on the other. I felt safe. It was so much fun! I helped "drive" the sled for 5 minutes or so! It was so cool! The time flew by like hotcakes! Our experience was roughly around 1.5 hours. I highly recommend this experience! Yes, it's pricey at around $200 per person but seriously, it's so worth it! Unless you have access to sled dogs (which the average person doesn't), when else would you get to do this? Give it a try!

From the moment the sled took off, I was in awe of these beautiful, athletic dogs. I enjoyed hearing all the info about them. They live great lives on a huge property and you can tell by seeing them in person as well as all the photos on their Facebook page. Once it is noted the dog shows no more interest or is in need of retiremement, Kingmik works to find them good homes. You get to pet the dogs and talk to them except the shy ones which have on special bandanas. You get a card at the end with your team's names. Owner Megan was my guide and I rode solo and she captured what turned out to be my favorite photos of the whole trip! I mean lots of good photos and I am a picture nut so that was much appreciated. Riding on the back is super cool for a different point of view. Tour is WELL worth the price even if riding solo. Bring a GoPro for capturing some awesome footage! Megan thank you and the team for an unforgettable memory.

Collage of the best day of my trip!!!!

I bet everyone claims their Alaskan husky team was best, but mine were darlings. I fell in love and spent time just loving on each husky with gentle head/chin strokes and ear rubs before our sled ride. They went bonkers when leader Chips was harnessed because they were so excited to go running along the Great Divide trail for thirty minutes. My guide Rob was friendly and easy to talk with. He knows each husky well and loves them. We stopped a few times in the shade to allow our huskies to roll in snow and eat mouthfuls to cool down. Each husky has its own personality and they were very sweet. I enjoyed feeding milk bone treats and raw beef/chicken to them. I highly recommend Kingmik as they take excellent care of their husky teams.

See all photos from L L. for Kingmik Dog Sled Tours

This is a true BUCKET LIST item and if it wasn't already on your list, it should be! Kingmik offers an amazing experience in a very unique location with experienced guides but the Alaskan Huskies are the true stars! A few tips to ensure you enjoy your experience: 1. DRESS WARMLY - Kingmik does it's best to make your ride comfortable (cushioned sled, thick sleeping bag, canvas sled cover) but you should do your part depending on your needs. I wore hiking boots, snowboarding pants, three layers on my core, gloves, and a toque. I still should have worn warmer boots and a scarf and it was only -8 celsius. I saw other customers who just wore jeans and I don't think they enjoyed their time as much. It's always better to be warmer and take off layers rather than too cold and no layers to add. 2. BOOK WELL IN ADVANCE - We booked 3-4 weeks before the date and even then there was only one spot left that worked for us. We spoke to others that weekend and the waiting list was 38 people long! 3. BRING DOG TREATS - The mushers and management allow you to give treats to the dogs but that doesn't mean that they'll actually eat it. They're used to a high protein raw diet so the processed treats aren't always appetizing to them but it's worth trying! They ate the treats I gave them! 4. BRING A GOOD CAMERA - I'd even consider a GoPro to attach to the sled to record the whole trip. The guides even stop to take pictures for you. 5. ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS - Our guide John was in his second year of mushing and had a wealth of helpful info. He actually was involved with training and caring for the dogs over the summer which I found interesting because there are about 120 dogs at the farm and he knew each one. A few interesting facts I learned about the Alaskan Huskys. The ideal temperature for them to run long distances while pulling is around -14 to -18 celsius. Any warmer and they can get quite warm because they are trotting for extended periods of time. I watched the dogs eat snow regularly while pulling to hydrate and cool themselves down. Dogs don't sweat, to cool down they pant and release heat through their mouth. Of course they can also pull when it's colder but other challenges may start to arise. Eating the snow will actually cost them energy and calories instead of cooling them down. Also the cold can be harder on their paws so the guides need to give extra attention to their dogs. These amazing dogs are bred to run long distances, up to 100km per day! Kingmik breeds and buys their dogs and each one is taken care of even after they stop pulling. They can be adopted and matched up with appropriate owners once they hang up their harness. The dogs ideal speed is a 16 km/h trot rather then a full sprint. They are valued for their endurance rather than pure power. I'm really glad we went with Kingmik and it was worth every cent!

Amazing experience, friendly staff, incredible dogs, beautiful scenery. Definitely a once in a lifetime, very special experience. Don't miss this at Lake Louise!

SO MUCH FUN! Do yourself a favor: if you're in the Lake Louise/Banff Area, JUST DO IT. My family and I came into this activity not knowing what to expect, and Kingmik truly blew all of our expectations out of the water. They did everything possible to make our rides comfortable (waterproof padded sled, insulated sleeping bag) in the freezing cold. Our guide, Lisa, was also extremely friendly, and taught us so much about the art of dogsledding. The tour itself felt like taking a surreal trip through a magical, winter wonderland, all the way from Lake Louise to the Great Divide. My favorite part: the Alaskan Huskies! They were all so friendly, energetic, enthusiastic, and completely adorable. Each Husky had his or her own quirky personality, which made the sledding experience all-the-more fun. A few tips/observations I've made: -tour are available all the way through April, weather permitting. We came mid-April, and were still able to go sledding. However, we were told that the year prior, April was already too warm. - though the sled is warm and insulated, do yourself a favor and dress warmly. I'd also highly recommend bringing a pair of sunglasses or ski goggles, as the reflection of the snow on a sunny day can be blinding -just go for the 1.5-2 hour tour. Even by the end of our 2 hours, I wanted more time -the Huskies usually retire between 6-8 years of age, at which point they will be looking for a new adopted family home. If you're looking for a friendly, adorable, companion, consider an Alaskan Husky! The only negative: the tours are a bit pricey, but... completely worth the splurge. Thank you KingMik!

This is as much of a "thank you!" to King Mik Dog Sled Tours as it is a review. How do I measure the value of an experience? By how much I think about it after, and I think about this one all the time -- even going back to look at my pictures again and again. All I can say is that its just magical. We had the pleasure to spend several hours on their tour in late December 2017 on a -23F afternoon. The first phase of the experience is being there to see the guides getting their team organized and into their harnesses. It's fascinating. And then they get us (the humans) organized and bundled into the sled. And when this is done those amazing dogs know and begin to announce to the world in every tone and octave how excited and happy they are to get going! Phase 2 starts as you take off and that mixture of canine sounds fall away replaced by the soft swish of the sled gliding through what looks like Narnia or the landscape of "Frozen". The dogs joyfully run and every so often grab a mouthful of snow. If you stop for any reason, they flop over and wriggle in the snow. They are in their element! You can ride along silently or chat with the guide, which was our choice. Her name is Kylie. We talked about the dogs, their training, the kennel, her life with them, and the beautiful place we were in. She stopped to take pictures of us in the sled and each member of our team. I'm so happy to have those pictures. She gave each of us a chance to get out of the sled and stand next to her to drive the team. Wonderful! The dogs run a respectable 5 miles out and back which gave us plenty of time to enjoy the experience. In fact it went by too quickly! Phase 3 is the return to the starting point and the chance to feed each dog, tossing chunks of frozen chicken mixture to them "alligator style". They never miss catching them! I know some folks may think this an expensive experience, but when you see the work that goes into providing it, both by the guides and the dogs, I think you will agree it is worth it. Where else are you going to find dogs who know right from left (gee and haw)?! Did that sub zero temperature detract? Not for us. We followed the guidance they give you and were dressed warmly. If I have any advice to give, it is to dress appropriately, especially footwear, hand-wear, and head-wear so you can fully enjoy the experience.

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