Northern Lights Tours in Rovaniemi: 9 Tours Compared by Type, Length and Price

Updated 5 November 2026 · Published 2 November 2026

Northern lights tours from Rovaniemi run from late August to mid-April and cost €69–238 per adult for the group tours in this guide, while private photography tours start at €700. The choice comes down to how you travel (minibus chase, snowmobile, reindeer sleigh, snow train or a photographer-led small group) and how long you stay out: 3 hours, or up to 8.

In short:

• Minibus, van and bus chases cost €69–145, and they drive to wherever the sky is clear.
• Some tours include a thermal outfit (Lapland Safaris does). Nordic Adventures and Experience Tours ask you to bring your own winter clothing.
• According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, auroras peak around midnight, plus or minus a couple of hours. A 3-hour tour that leaves at 18:00 is back before that window.
• A “guarantee” means a free repeat tour or a refund, not a promised sighting.
• To drive a snowmobile you must be 18 or older and hold a driving license valid in Finland.

Prices and details checked on 2 November 2026 on the operators’ own websites and their Visit Rovaniemi listings. Prices are per adult unless stated.

Which type of northern lights tour should you choose?

The tour types in Rovaniemi differ in two ways: whether the tour moves with the weather, and what you do while you wait. A chase follows the gaps in the cloud. A camp, sleigh or snowmobile tour goes to one fixed spot and gives you a campfire, reindeer or a ride either way.

• Choose a minibus chase if seeing the aurora matters more than the activity. The guides drive away from cloud, and the longest tours run for 5–8 hours.
• Choose a photography tour if you want sharp images. Groups are small (a maximum of 8 at Beyond Arctic) and edited photos are included.
• Choose a campfire, sleigh or snow train tour if you are traveling with children or want a good evening even under cloud.
• Choose a snowmobile safari if you want to drive yourself, at €179 for 3 hours.

Minibus and van aurora chases

Experience Tours: Northern Lights Tour

• Best for: long nights out under a photo-based reschedule or refund guarantee
• Price: €69 on the November 2026 special rate (regular price higher), with free professional photos
• Official website: experiencetours.fi

The Northern Lights Tour lasts 5–8 hours with unlimited mileage, so it covers the midnight peak. The guarantee is specific: if the guide’s photos show no aurora, you choose a free reschedule (as many times as needed) or a full refund. Note that a camera picks up faint aurora that can look gray to the eye.

Nordic Adventures: Small-Group Minibus Aurora Hunt

• Best for: a short evening with a campfire and hotel pickup
• Price: from €105
• Season and start time: September to April, with pickup at around 19:30. The tour lasts about 3 hours.
• Getting there: hotel pickup and drop-off in Rovaniemi
• Official website: nordicadventures.fi

The price covers a guide who speaks English, the minivan, and a campfire stop with hot sausages, hot drinks and cookies. You bring your own winter clothing, camera and tripod. There is no refund if the aurora stays away. Cancel more than 3 days ahead and you get 90% back.

Photography tours

Beyond Arctic: Northern Lights Experience with Pro Photographer

• Best for: small groups and professionally edited photos
• Price: from €145
• Official website: beyondarctic.com

Beyond Arctic caps groups at 8 guests, keeps the route flexible and sends edited photos afterward. The company also offers a private version with a photographer and runs the same tour in Levi. It states that sightings are unpredictable and cannot be guaranteed.

Safartica: Aurora Hunting Photo Tour

• Best for: a longer bus-based hunt at a mid-range price
• Price: €129 on the autumn listing. Check the winter price when you book.
• Official website: safartica.com

The Aurora Hunting Photo Tour lasts 4 hours and travels by bus around the Rovaniemi area to look for the lights. Safartica runs the same format in Ylläs, Levi and Saariselkä. Its other autumn options include Aurora Floating at €136, where you float in a rescue suit, and a 6-hour Guaranteed Aurora Tour for small groups at €199.

Campfire and snowmobile tours

Safartica: Aurora Borealis Picnic

• Best for: a campfire evening at a fixed spot near the Arctic Circle
• Price: see the Safartica listing

The Aurora Borealis Picnic is a 3-hour evening at a fixed spot near the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi. You book it on the same Safartica website linked above. This is a waiting tour rather than a chase, so a cloudy night means a campfire without the lights.

Lapland Safaris: Mystery of Aurora Borealis

• Best for: families. The operator says the tour suits all ages.
• Price: from €114, including a thermal outfit
• Season and start time: winter, on Fridays and Mondays at 21:00. The tour lasts 3 hours.
• Getting there: pickup from a meeting point you choose when booking, then about 20 minutes’ drive each way
• Official website: laplandsafaris.com

The price includes a thermal outfit, a guide who speaks English, a talk about the northern lights, and a campfire with sausages, Finnish pastries and a hot drink. Thanks to the 21:00 start, this tour runs closer to the midnight peak than most 3-hour tours. If you cancel 72 hours or more ahead, you pay a €25 fee.

Lapland Safaris: Aurora Borealis Safari by Snowmobiles

• Best for: adults who want to drive through the forest at night
• Price: from €179, with two people per snowmobile.
• Season and start time: during the Christmas season, on Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays and Mondays at 18:00 or 19:00. The safari lasts 3 hours.
• Getting there: departs from central Rovaniemi

The safari includes a thermal outfit, fuel, traffic insurance and a campfire break with snacks and hot drinks. You book it on the Lapland Safaris website linked above. Drivers must be 18 or older and hold a driving license valid in Finland. Children over 2 who are shorter than 140 cm (4 ft 7 in) ride in a towed sled.

Reindeer sleigh and snow train tours

Porovaara Reindeer Hill: Arctic Night Reindeer Ride

• Best for: a reindeer sleigh ride in the dark, with the aurora as a bonus
• Address and area: Porovaara Hill, about 20 minutes by car from Rovaniemi center
• Price: from €169, with a minimum of 2 paying adults
• Season and start time: November to April. The tour lasts 3 hours including transfers.
• Getting there: pickup from listed hotels, including Scandic Rovaniemi City, Santa Claus Holiday Village and Lapland Hotels Sky Ounasvaara
• Official website: porovaara.fi

The sleigh ride lasts about 35 minutes. You also meet and feed the reindeer, then sit by a campfire with grilled sausages and hot berry juice. Porovaara refunds the full price if the ride is canceled for lack of snow, and it does not guarantee the northern lights.

Apukka Resort: Aurora Train to Wilderness Camp

• Best for: small children and anyone who would rather stay seated
• Price: from €238
• Season: check current dates with Apukka. The tour lasts 3 hours.
• Getting there: pickup at Korkalonkatu 23 in the center or at the Napapiiri I bus stop at Santa Claus Village
• Official website: apukkaresort.fi

The Aurora Train carriage takes you over the snow to Apukka’s wilderness camp, where you get warm drinks, snacks and a briefing on the aurora. The pickup point moved from Korkalonkatu 32 to Korkalonkatu 23 on 7 April 2026, so guides written before then may still show the old address.

What should you wear on a northern lights tour?

For any tour without a thermal outfit, wear three layers: thermal base layers, a fleece or wool mid layer, and an insulated, windproof outer layer. You also need a warm hat, mittens over thin gloves, wool socks and insulated winter boots. Clear nights are the coldest because there is no cloud to hold in the heat, and you will spend most of the time standing still.

Before you book, check whether the outfit is included. Lapland Safaris includes a thermal outfit on both of its tours in this guide. Nordic Adventures and Experience Tours list warm clothing as your responsibility, and Porovaara recommends dressing warmly. A spare phone battery in an inside pocket also helps, because cold drains batteries quickly.

How can you improve your chances of seeing the northern lights?

Book your aurora tour for your first evening in Rovaniemi, so a cloudy night still leaves time for another try. The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) publishes live geomagnetic activity and says auroras are most often seen around midnight, plus or minus a couple of hours. A longer chase covers that window, while an early 3-hour tour may not.

• Check the cloud forecast first. Clouds hide even a strong aurora.
• Follow the FMI aurora guide and activity data on the day.
• Spread two or three tours over a 4–5 night stay rather than packing them into one night.
• Match the month to the odds using our month-by-month guide to the best time to visit Lapland.

Rovaniemi is the easiest base for a short trip, with an airport and the Helsinki to Rovaniemi night train. If you continue north, Safartica and Beyond Arctic run the same kind of tours in Levi. Our guide to getting from Rovaniemi to Levi covers the bus and transfer options. Skiers in Levi in November for the Levi World Cup slalom races can book an evening tour there after racing. Saariselkä, further north, is covered in Rovaniemi to Saariselkä by bus, car or plane.

FAQ

What is the best month to see the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi?

March and early April are the best months, according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Aurora activity is slightly higher in spring and autumn, and the nights are still dark. September and October are the other peak period. In summer the midnight sun keeps Lapland’s skies too bright to see the aurora.

Is Rovaniemi a good place to see the Northern Lights?

Yes, but the odds are a little lower than further north. The FMI puts the chance of auroras on a dark, clear night at about 50% in the resorts of Levi, Ylläs and Saariselkä, and 75% at Kilpisjärvi. Rovaniemi is not named in the FMI figures, and tours head out of town to escape the city lights.

Is 2026 a good year to see aurora?

Yes. NASA and NOAA announced in October 2024 that the Sun had reached the solar maximum period of Solar Cycle 25, and strong storms can still happen as activity declines. The FMI notes that in Lapland auroras are common even at solar minimum, so clear skies and darkness matter far more there than the solar cycle.

How much does a private Northern Lights tour in Rovaniemi cost?

A private tour costs several times more than a group seat. On Visit Rovaniemi’s listings, private photography tours start at €700, and premium private hunts start at €1,500. Shared group tours start at €69. Check whether a private price covers the whole group or is charged per person.

Planning the rest of the trip? Our guide to Christmas in Lapland, with Santa, dates and prices and the month-by-month guide cover the season, and the transfer guides above help if you add a second base further north.