The 15 Lapland Northern Lights Tours That Earn Their Price

1.Sauna & Ice Swimming Tour with Dinner and Aurora

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 150 reviews · 4 hours · from $184Our pick

Spend four hours outside Rovaniemi with an English-speaking guide such as Pedro, Mattia, or Victor. Heat up in a wood-fired sauna, plunge into an Arctic lake, eat smoked salmon by a fire, and watch for Northern Lights on evening departures from late October to mid-March.

“Worth it! Totally recommend it. It’s a unique experience to try plus everyone was lovely and food at the end was delicious.”

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2.Northern lights tour to Lake Inari from Ivalo, Reindeers & Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 63 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $191

From Ivalo, your small group travels by minibus to Koppelo, then rides a covered snowmobile-pulled sleigh to a family island on frozen Lake Inari. Warm clothing, reindeer, berry juice, an open-fire dinner, and guides such as Maksim or Tina make this a personal Arctic evening, though auroras are never guaranteed.

“The Northern Lights tour to Lake Inari from Ivalo with Viator was a fantastic experience! Although the weather didn’t cooperate, the guides went above and beyond to make the trip memorable by taking us to visit reindeer and enjoying a delicious dinner by the lake. Highly recommended for a well-organized and enjoyable adventure!”

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3.Northern Lights Auroras from Kemi-Tornio with Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 44 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $118

Join Marko Vapa’s three-hour Aurora hunt from Kemi, Haparanda, or Tornio. Your guide checks conditions, drives 15 to 30 minutes to promising viewing spots, teaches night photography, and may adjust timing or location to improve your chances.

“Pick up arrangement messy, as well as send back to hotel after the event. Better try other operator, very unpleasant experience.”

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4.Northern Lights Reindeer Sledge Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 21 reviews · 3 hours · from $128

Travel from Rovaniemi to a reindeer farm for a peaceful 20-minute sleigh ride, feeding time, hot juice, biscuits, and a talk on herding and Sami life. Guides include Sunny and a Barcelona-born guide. Northern lights are possible but never guaranteed.

“Organizator odwołał wydarzenie, nie zwrócił wpłaconych pieniędzy. UWAGA OSZUST.”

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5.Northern Lights Trip to a Magical Place in Lapland

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $119Top rated

Meet at 7:00 pm for a 3 to 4 hour Northern Lights outing in dark, high country outside city lights. Lapland Salmon Lodge provides pickup, warm drinks, snacks, shelter in a cabin or kota, and optional on-site photography with Northern Lights photos emailed to you.

“Transfer experience initially it was wonderful. We did not expect however to be in a bus with over 40 people out to the viewing site however it worked really well. Great building with fantastic fire, small bar and despite a Kp of 3 which was due to peak at 11 pm. What was really wonderful was we were not rushed, we saw the tricky lady so a wonderful night”

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6.Aurora Hunting by Minivan in Ivalo, Inari or Saariselkä

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 19 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $180

Join Johanna and Niilo of Ivalo Experiences for a three-hour aurora hunt from Ivalo, Inari, or Saariselkä. Travel by minivan between dark viewing spots, then warm up by a fire with sausages, hot berry juice, and stories of Lapland.

“Amazing activity organised by lovely people. Great opportunity to watch Aurora lights. Highly recommend!”

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7.97.3% Success Rate Aurora Group Tour with Photos

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 10 reviews · 5 hours · from $107

Join Dennis, Matias, and other English-speaking guides for a 4 to 8 hour aurora chase from Rovaniemi. The team follows weather data, changes locations when needed, and takes edited DSLR photos of you, delivered within 72 hours. Warm drinks may be served during outdoor waits.

“A pesar de que estaba todo nublado, la chica consiguió llevarnos a un sitio para poder verlas.”

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8.Aurora Hunting with Reindeer

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $144

At 8 p.m., Johanna and Niilo of Ivalo Experiences welcome you to a reindeer fence near Ivalo. Meet young reindeer, learn about herding, try suopunki lasso throwing, roast reindeer sausages, and warm up with hot berry juice while watching for the aurora.

“Expérienbce authentique a IVALO , très bien, sympathique, bon contact avec les rennes notamment des jeunes rennes. Très bonne soupe. Bonnes explications.”

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9.Northern Lights Holiday in Finland

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 6 days (approx.)

Spend six days based in Ivalo with Xwander Nordic, meeting guides such as Lasse, Anne, Elisa, Joonas, and Juhani. Expect aurora hunts, reindeer, Sámi culture at Siida, ice fishing, skiing, sauna, open-fire meals, winter gear, and groups capped at seven.

“It was an amazing and magical trip for my family and me. The Xwander team were so professional and took care of everything - the ice fishing, husky sled ride, reindeer visits, open fire dinners, and of course the Aurora borealis hunts in the cold winter nights. Everything was so well-planned, and the accommodation was fantastic too. Thank you, Elisa, Joonas, Juhani and so many others!!”

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10.Chasing Aurora with Photographer – Small Group

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 5 reviews · 3h 30m · from $210

You’ll spend about three and a half hours chasing the aurora from two or three dark locations near Rovaniemi. An English or Spanish-speaking guide, including guide Luigi on some departures, handles the driving and photography, while you warm up with sausages, hot drinks, and a fire.

“The guide was good-Luigi, but we did not spot the aurora. The tour was with small refreshment. It could have been better if a warm drink was available sooner not in the end.”

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11.Private Northern Lights Tour With Skis Or Snowshoes in Pyhä

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $169

Join a private three-hour night outing in Pyhä with skis or snowshoes. Your guide teaches the basics, leads you through Pyhätunturi wilderness, and serves hot drinks, snacks, and a light campfire meal at a traditional hut. Mikko has guided families with children and beginners.

“Our guide Mikko was excellent friendly and knowledgeable. Our family of 4 never tried cross country skiing. Mikko clearly explained how to use the skis and even had kid size skis for our 8 year old. The whole family had a great time. Mikko guided us through a beautiful forest and explained a bit about the nature around us. We saw hints of northern lights with the camera…the auroras are hard to predict. We skied to a hut and enjoyed a nice fire, snack, and warm beverage. On our drive back to the hotel close to midnight we saw the most amazing northern lights. Would recommend this for the unique…”

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12.Arctic Darkness & Starlight Adventure with Snowshoes

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $107

Meet guide Eveliina at Sodankylä bus station for an easy private snowshoe walk through the dark. Headlights guide the way, then a campfire, hot drinks, snacks, and a chance to see the Northern Lights make this a warm winter outing.

“It was a fantastic experience. It was cloudy at the beginning, but fortunately we could see northern lights. Our guide was very kind and friendly. It was a private tour so she responded flexibly to our requests. We recommend this tour if you stay Sodankylä!”

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13.Northern Lights Walk to Old Kemi with BBQ and Arctic Views

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $72Best value

Meet Saku or Saana at Kemi SnowCastle at 8 pm for a three-hour walk across the frozen sea to Laitakari. Explore Old Kemi’s ruins, warm up by a campfire, enjoy BBQ, berry juice, cookies, and watch the northern sky.

“It was an unforgettable experience. We walked over the frozen sea to an island, and although the weather conditions were not suitable for northern lights, we had wonderful time by the campfire, eating marshmallows, sausages, and corns. Saku and Saana are extremely nice and friendly people. They were extremely helpful and did everything to make our night perfect.”

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14.Capturing Auroras in Pyhä

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3 reviews · from $105

Meet your Bliss Adventure guide at Hotel Pyhätunturi at 8:00 pm, then walk 10 minutes to Tajukangas for a practical Northern Lights photography lesson. You will set up manual camera settings, receive a pocket guide, and try star photography or light painting if the aurora stays hidden.

“The guide is good and experienced and knows how to give you many tips on both spotting and photographing the Northern Lights. We were taken to the lake where we had an unobstructed view. And even though the chances of seeing Read moreAuto-translated”

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15.Northern Lights Snowmobile Driving Safari in Kemi

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 3 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $264

From Kemi, your guide takes you into the wilderness for a 4 to 5 hour snowmobile safari and Northern Lights search. Winter gear, transport, lunch, snacks, coffee, and tea are included. Children may ride as passengers, while solo driving costs extra.

“At first, they forgot about us... for the second time. (The first time, the same agency for another activity was completely cancelled but we had already paid and make the trip from Oulu to Kemi. We are still waiting for our money back) This time, after 15 minutes waiting in Kemi, (and they confirmed the pick up place to us) we called the central. They said that we had to wait first until 20:50, then 20:30 before a taxi driver finally took us. We were there for 20:00. Then when we arrived to the activity, the guide didn't tell us his name our didn't try to speak a bit with…”

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