Best Northern Lights Tours in Rovaniemi (Finland)

If you are going to do a winter trip to Lapland en Finlandsure see northern lights It is one of your goals.

But at the outset you should know that it is not always possible.

This is something that you must be clear about from the beginning, and we had it that way when we started our recent trip to Rovaniemi, in said region of northern Finland.

The city of Rovaniemi, with about 50.000 inhabitants, is located next to the line that delimits the Arctic Circle,

Precisely the visit of this imaginary line is one of the attractions of the trip, especially when currently said geographic enclave is located within the peculiar theme park that is Santa Claus Village where you see Santa Claus.

When and how to see the northern lights in Finnish Lapland

Therefore, one of the first maxims that you need to see northern lights, which is to find yourself as far north as possible on the globe.

Furthermore, the city of Rovaniemi announces that it offers you up to 200 days a year with the possibility of enjoying this great spectacle of nature.

La Best time to see the Northern Lights in Finland extends from the end of August to the beginning of April.

You should know that the aurora boreal It is the result of the collision of the solar wind with the earth, after which said wind moves through the sphere created by the magnetic force that arises from the core of the planet and exits through the two poles.

Artikum Museum Rovaniemi

In the very interesting Arktikum museum in Rovaniemi you have a graphic scientific explanation of How are northern lights formed, in addition to being able to see a spectacular multimedia presentation of this natural phenomenon in its auditorium.

Therefore, the further north you are, the easier it will be for you to see auroras, which has also been facilitated in recent years by great solar activity.

Now, there is another maxim which is may the sky be starry; If it is covered by clouds, it will be impossible for you see the northern lights.

For this reason, when you travel to an ideal place to see them, what is the Finnish Lapland, you will be at the expense of the weather conditions.

Northern Lights Tours in Rovaniemi: Reviews, Prices

Therefore, this winter trip you have to do it to places with enough attractions of visits o activities, as is the case of the aforementioned finnish city, so if you finally see the northern lights, it will be the cherry on top that will complete a good experience.

In any case, on our recent trip we have been able to see how there are tourists who in search of the northern lights, every night sign up for an excursion different with that objective.

Well, actually, when you get to Rovaniemi, or other corners of the finnish lapland, like the city of Kemi where we were also, the offer you have is very wide and diverse. excursions, called safaris for “hunt” the northern lights.

In our case we participate in a couple of safaris which also had that purpose.

Of course, you have to keep in mind that all these excursions are carried out with guides in English, but I assure you due to their characteristics, the language will not be a problem to enjoy this natural phenomenon.

Northern Lights Photography Tour in Rovaniemi

A good example of this type of activity is the northern lights photography tour in which we participated, which became a true “hunting for the northern lights” aboard a van.

This photography tour which lasts between 4 and 5 hours, departs every night around 20 hours from the hostel Café Coti, where precisely we were staying.

During it we visited various locations around the surroundings of Rovaniemi.

The tour is for a maximum of 7 people, and in it you go guided by an expert photographer.

Previously, they provide you with the appropriate clothing to withstand the cold at night (the usual temperature is -7/-15 degrees).

That is, you will have a thick winter jumpsuit, snow boots, gloves and a hat, as well as headlamps that will provide you with the necessary light to move in the dark through the forest.

As I said at the beginning, Weather is a primary factor when it comes to whether or not you see the Northern Lights..

If the forecasts are negative, with completely cloudy skies or snowing, the excursion is done anyway, as the photographer guide will advise you on how to take night photographs of winter landscapes.

Now with the necessary equipment, including a camera and the essential tripod, which can also be provided to you, aboard the van we leave the city to look for our first scenic spot to see the northern lights, next to a frozen lake.

I will tell you that the weather was quite negative because the whole day was completely cloudy and the forecast was that it was going to snow.

But the truth is that when we arrived at said scene, now away from the city lights, and after installing the tripod, we saw how little by little the sky was opening up and the stars were appearing.

Furthermore, when taking the first photos we verified that that nebulous image that we saw in the sky was actually an aurora.

And in fact, little by little the sky was covered in a very soft green color, barely appreciated by the eye, but clearly reflected in the photos.

It was undoubtedly a great surprise and the realization that, regardless of some bad forecasts, it is worth trying "northern lights hunting", of course if you are in a feasible area for it, such as Rovaniemi or the Finnish Lapland.

When the sky became cloudy again, we raised the photography camp and in the van we went to another couple of different locations, to see if there was any luck, the last one located almost 60 kilometers away from the city.

In these cases the sky was already completely cloudy and it started to snow, which did not prevent us from doing various tests of night photography.

Finally, before returning to Rovanimi we come to a lavvu, The typical Sami circular tent, where with the heat of a fire we taste sausages and a typical hot blueberry infusion.

But in Rovaniemi and Lapland you have many other alternatives to this excursion that combine various types of activities.

Northern Lights Snowmobile Tour in Rovaniemi

The following night we also had the opportunity to do a snowmobile tour to see the northern lights, of which you have several options, and which has the attraction of ensuring that, although in the end you cannot see them, you will enjoy driving the aforementioned snowmobile.

In our case, after dressing in the appropriate clothing, we left Rovaniemi with a long line of hikers aboard the snowmobiles driving over a frozen river.

On this occasion we were not lucky because the sky was completely covered and a light snow was falling.

That did not prevent, as we have said, from enjoying the snowmobile driving, especially when we left the river and went along narrow forest paths until we reached a place where there was a camp of sami shops.

We again lived the ritual of lighting the bonfire and drinking sausages and hot drinks, as well as other snacks, which undoubtedly helped withstand the cold, before returning to Rovaniemi in the snowmobile to complete this excursion.

In summary, the northern lights tour must be a essential activity trust your winter trip to Rovaniemi.