Sleigh Rides

Making a White Mountains winter escape even more wonderful? That would be a horse-drawn sleigh ride! Guests at the Franconia Inn receive discounts on the 30-minute rides, which depart directly across the street from the inn starting in mid-December. The antique sleigh, pulled by a handsome Belgian draft horse, can accommodate four people, but you can also arrange a romantic ride for two. (It’s a beautiful backdrop for a marriage proposal!) You’ll be nice and cozy with warm blankets as the sleigh glides over newly fallen snow through the fields looking out at the White Mountains. For an even more special experience, you can arrange for a special champagne toast ride. Whether it’s for your family or just the two of you, a sleigh ride makes memories for a lifetime.

What’s even better than walking through ice castles? Taking a horse-drawn sleigh ride through the icy winter wonderland, of course! At Ice Castles, you can walk or sleigh-ride along an enchanted forest path, marveling at the ice sculptures that, with their embedded lights, seem to be glowing from within. This award-winning return attraction, safe for all ages and set to open in early January, includes breathtaking thrones, ice-carved tunnels, slides and fountains – all sculpted by artisans from over 20 million pounds of ice. Music and twinkling lights (and fire shows on Friday and Saturday nights) make the atmosphere even more magical. Sleigh rides can take groups of up to 12 people, and kids 3 and under are free.