Northern Lights hunt · Rovaniemi

Guaranteed Northern Lights hunt from Rovaniemi

4.9 · 1,415 reviews · Read reviews

Green aurora corona radiating across a starry sky

Guest in a blue jacket beneath green and pink aurora

Three guests standing together in the snow beneath bright green aurora

Green aurora bands above a snowy clearing and forest

Two guests with arms raised beneath aurora above a dark forest

Guest beside a lake beneath green and pink aurora

Guest in a red jacket in a snowy clearing beneath green aurora

Green aurora above a snowy road through a forest

Two guests posing on a snowy road beneath green aurora

Green and pink aurora above a frozen landscape

Guest with arms raised in the snow beneath green aurora

Guest in a white coat beneath green aurora

Two guests jumping in the snow beneath green aurora

Two guests with arms raised beneath green aurora

Guest in a pink jacket with arms raised beneath green aurora

Two guests embracing in a snowy clearing beneath green aurora

Two guests embracing beneath bright green aurora

Guest in a pale jacket beneath green aurora above a snowy forest

Guest waving beneath green and pink aurora

Family standing in the snow beneath green aurora

Guest on a wooden deck with aurora reflected in a lake

Guest in a pale coat waving beneath green aurora

Free cancellationCancel up to 24 h before for a full refund, on the Group and Small group tours
Aurora guaranteeOn coach and small-group hunts: full refund or free reschedule if the moon-phase guarantee isn't met
Duration 3–12 hoursGroup tour 3–8 h · Small group tour 5–12 h
Hotel pickup availableOn minivan tours. Coach tours meet in the city centre
Small group availableUp to 8 guests in a minivan
Photos under the auroraEdited photos delivered 2–4 days later

Choose your tour

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Small group
Small-group Northern Lights hunt
Heated minivan · up to 8 guests
Recommended
A Northern Lights hunt from Rovaniemi with up to eight guests and hotel pickup within 10 km of the city centre.
Check datesLive price
- Aurora guarantee
- 5–12 hours
- Hotel pickup & return within 10 km of Rovaniemi
- Minimum age 10
- Professional photos · edited, sent in 2–4 days
What’s included
- Experienced local guide tracking live aurora activity, weather forecasts and cloud cover
- Transport in a heated minivan for up to 8 guests; route chosen for the clearest skies
- Hotel pickup and return within 10 km of Rovaniemi city centre
- Hot drinks and cookies during the hunt
- Professional photos of you under the aurora, edited and sent in 2–4 days at no extra cost
- Aurora guarantee: full refund or free reschedule if the guarantee is not met; see the guarantee terms below
What’s not included
- Pickup beyond 10 km is not included in the standard price; a surcharge applies. Contact us before booking.
Group
Northern Lights coach tour
Heated coach · up to 55 guests
A Northern Lights tour from our Rovaniemi office, with a heated coach and a route chosen for the conditions.
Check datesLive price
- Aurora guarantee
- 3–8 hours
- City-centre meeting point; no hotel pickup
- Minimum age 4
- Professional photos · edited, sent in 2–4 days
What’s included
- Experienced local guide tracking live aurora activity, weather forecasts and cloud cover
- Transport in a heated coach for up to 55 guests; route chosen for the clearest skies
- Departure and return at Lapland Explorers Office, Rovakatu 25–27, Rovaniemi
- Hot drinks and cookies during the hunt
- Professional photos of you under the aurora, edited and sent in 2–4 days at no extra cost
- Aurora guarantee: full refund or free reschedule if the guarantee is not met; see the guarantee terms below
What’s not included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off; make your own way to the city-centre meeting point.

Want the night to yourselves?Ask our team about a private hunt for your party

About this tour

Join us for a Northern Lights hunt from Rovaniemi. We check the weather, choose the route and take photos along the way. Pick a coach tour or a small-group minivan.

Before we set off, we check cloud maps, weather forecasts and aurora activity. Your guide uses those checks to choose where to drive and keeps watching the conditions during the hunt.

Read the full descriptionShow less

The coach tour lasts 3–8 hours and the small-group hunt lasts 5–12 hours, depending on the conditions and route. Departures are usually between 17:00 and 22:00. We email you the exact pickup or meeting time before your tour.

Small-group Northern Lights hunt (max. 8 guests)

Travel with up to eight guests in a heated minivan. We pick you up within 10 km of Rovaniemi city centre and bring you back after the hunt. The minivan can use smaller roads when conditions allow.

Northern Lights coach tour

Join a larger group in a heated coach, starting at our city-centre office in Rovaniemi. We use the weather and aurora forecast to choose the route, with stops that suit the coach. Hot drinks, cookies, edited photos and our moon-phase guarantee are included.

Local guides

Your guide explains what to look for, checks the changing conditions and takes photos while you watch. You can ask questions about the aurora and the places we stop along the way.

When the aurora appears, your guide takes photos of you under it. Edited photos are included on both hunts and sent to you 2–4 days later.

Aurora guarantee: below half moon, you must see the aurora with your own eyes. At half moon or brighter, an aurora captured by our guide's camera counts. If the applicable guarantee isn't met, choose a full refund or a free reschedule to another available night. How the guarantee works

The coach tour welcomes guests aged 4 and over. The small-group hunt is for ages 10 and over.

Hunt itinerary

Coach tours leave from the city centre. Minivan tours include hotel pickup. Departure times and routes depend on the forecast. Choose a tour type to see the itinerary.

1
Departure time confirmed
The day before
The aurora forecast decides when we leave, so the time on your voucher is only a placeholder. Departures run between 17:00 and 22:00.
On the coach tour we send you the exact departure time the day before.
Departure window
17:00–22:00
Coach tour
Exact time sent the day before
Change of plans
Free cancellation up to 24 h before
2
Meet in the city centre
17:00–22:00
The bus tours have no hotel pickup. You make your own way to our meeting point in Rovaniemi city centre at Rovakatu 25–27, Lapland Explorers Office and board the heated coach there.
Come dressed for the cold: warm base and outer layers, a hat and gloves. Bring your passport or ID card.
Meeting point
Rovakatu 25–27, Lapland Explorers Office, Rovaniemi
Hotel pickup
Not included
Vehicle
Heated coach
Group size
Up to 55 guests
3
Hunt by coach
On the road
Your guide checks aurora activity, cloud cover and weather forecasts through the evening. We choose the coach route and viewing stops according to the conditions that night.
The Group tour lasts 3–8 hours, depending on how far the clear skies are.
Group tour
3–8 h
How far (Group tour)
Into Sweden if needed
4
Watching the aurora
Under the sky
At each stop your guide shows you where to look. A faint aurora can appear as a pale, hazy band. Colour and movement vary with the display and viewing conditions. The moon phase determines whether your guarantee uses an eye or guide-camera sighting.
Hot drinks and cookies are included on the Group tour.
Included
Hot drinks and cookies
Group tour
Yes: eye guarantee below half moon, camera guarantee from half moon
5
Your photos
2–4 days later
Group tour: your guide photographs you under the aurora, and professional edited photos arrive in 2–4 days.
Group tour
Included, taken by your guide
Delivery
2–4 days after the hunt

1
Departure time confirmed
Around noon
The aurora forecast decides when we leave, so the time on your voucher is only a placeholder. Departures run between 17:00 and 22:00.
On the Small group tour we confirm your exact pickup time directly with you around 12:00 (noon) on the day. For private enquiries, our team confirms the timing.
Departure window
17:00–22:00
Small group
Pickup time confirmed around 12:00
Change of plans
Free cancellation up to 24 h before
2
Hotel pickup
17:00–22:00
We pick you up at your hotel. On the Small group tour, pickup and drop-off are included within 10 km of Rovaniemi. Further out, we can arrange it for a surcharge, so contact us before booking.
Be ready in the lobby dressed for the cold: warm base and outer layers, a hat and gloves. Bring your passport or ID card.
Pickup
Your hotel, within 10 km of Rovaniemi
Further out
Surcharge, ask before booking
Vehicle
8-seat minivan
Group size
Small group up to 8
3
Hunt by minivan
On the road
Your guide checks aurora activity, cloud cover and weather forecasts through the evening. We choose the minivan route and viewing stops according to the conditions that night.
The hunt lasts 5–12 hours, depending on how far the clear skies are.
Duration
5–12 h
How far (Small group)
Up to 380 km, into Sweden or Norway
4
Watching the aurora
Under the sky
At each stop your guide shows you where to look. A faint aurora can appear as a pale, hazy band. Colour and movement vary with the display and viewing conditions. The moon phase determines whether your guarantee uses an eye or guide-camera sighting.
Hot drinks and cookies are included, and your guide photographs you under the aurora.
Included
Hot drinks, cookies and guide photos
Aurora guarantee
Yes: eye guarantee below half moon, camera guarantee from half moon
5
Back to your hotel
End of the night
When the hunt ends, we drive you back. On the Small group tour, drop-off is included within 10 km of Rovaniemi, the same as pickup.
Drop-off
Your hotel, within 10 km of Rovaniemi
Back by
Depends on the hunt, which lasts 5–12 h
6
Your photos
2–4 days later
Professional edited photos are included on the Small group tour and arrive in 2–4 days.
Photos
Included on the Small group tour
Taken by
Your guide
Delivery
2–4 days after the hunt

If the aurora guarantee isn't met, choose a full refund or a free reschedule. Free cancellation up to 24 h before, on the Group and Small group tours. How the guarantee works

Examples of viewing locations. Your route depends on the conditions.

What to expect

Aurora by eye and on camera

A faint aurora can look pale or grey-green to your eyes. A stronger display may show clearer colour and movement. What you see depends on the aurora, darkness, cloud and moonlight. Cameras can show more colour than your eyes see at the time.

A faint aurora near Tromsø: pale green bands in a dark, hazy sky — A camera photo of faint aurora near Tromsø. A faint display can be hard to distinguish from cloud by eye.

A guest by a lake near Rovaniemi under a low green aurora arc, taken with a camera — A camera photo of a low arc over a lake near Rovaniemi. Exposure and editing can make the colour look stronger.

Aurora at different strengths

By eye
Simulation
On camera
A low arc. The by-eye image is an edited illustration made from the same photo. Viewing conditions vary.
Faint aurora
Pale arcs and patches
A pale arc or patch may be hard to distinguish from cloud. A camera can help reveal colour.
By eye
Simulation
On camera
Aurora over a lake. The by-eye image is an edited illustration made from the same photo. Viewing conditions vary.
Brighter aurora
Clearer bands and shapes
Colour and shapes can become easier to see. You may notice bands, rays or movement.
By eye
Simulation
On camera
Aurora over the treeline. The by-eye image is an edited illustration made from the same photo. Viewing conditions vary.
Strong displays
Colour and movement
A stronger display can show clearer colour and faster changes across the sky. We cannot promise this kind of display on your hunt.

Why photos can look brighter

Long exposures
A long exposure gathers light over several seconds. This can reveal colour and detail that are hard to see with your eyes.
Phone processing and editing
Phone night mode can combine several frames into one image. Editing can also change brightness and colour.
Time-lapse videos
A time-lapse compresses a longer period into a short clip, making movement appear faster. Keep that in mind when comparing a video with a live display.

Aurora videos and photos

Examples of aurora displays

These clips and photos show different aurora displays. Camera settings and viewing conditions affect how they look. They are examples, and do not predict what you will see on your hunt.

Aurora videos

Video exampleUnder a full moon, over a lake

Video exampleRight overhead, between moonlit clouds

Video exampleBetween clouds

Aurora photos

Green and pink aurora rays spreading overhead above a spruce forest, taken with a camera — Right overhead

A bright green aurora swirl over a snowy treeline, taken with a camera — A swirl over the treeline

Wide green aurora bands across a starry sky above birch trees, taken with a camera — Bands across the sky

Green and pink aurora over a snowy landscape near Rovaniemi, taken with a camera — Over the snow

Below half moon, our guarantee uses an eye sighting. At half moon or brighter, it uses a guide-camera sighting.Aurora guarantee

Aurora guarantee

Our Northern Lights guarantee

Below half moon

Eye guarantee

On the coach and small-group hunts, below half moon, you must see the Northern Lights with your own eyes.

: You see the northern lights with your own eyes, even faint ones: the hunt was a success.
: You don't see them with your own eyes: choose a full refund or a free reschedule to another available night.

Simulated by-eye view: a faint, hazy aurora line low over snowy forest, the kind of sighting that counts — Illustration of a faint aurora. A sighting by eye still counts.

Faint aurora still counts

A faint aurora can look like a pale, grey-green band. The strength, colour and movement vary. If you see it with your own eyes, even faintly, it counts as a successful sighting below half moon.

Bright, moving aurora is not guaranteed.

Half moon or brighter

Camera guarantee

On the coach and small-group hunts, at half moon or brighter, an aurora captured by our guide's camera counts, even if you cannot see it with your eyes.

: Our guides capture the aurora on camera during your hunt: the hunt was a success.
: Our guides don't capture it: choose a full refund or a free reschedule to another available night.

Why the guarantee changes at half moon

Bright moonlight can make a faint aurora harder to see. From half moon onward, our policy uses the guide's camera capture as the sighting standard.

See how the aurora looks by eye and on camera · Check the moon phase for your date

Guides

Aurora guides

Meet all guides

Jesse, lead aurora guide at Lapland Explorers — **Jesse**Lead aurora guide

Janne, aurora guide at Lapland Explorers — **Janne**Aurora guide

Daniel, aurora guide at Lapland Explorers — **Daniel**Aurora guide

Jasmin, aurora guide at Lapland Explorers — **Jasmin**Aurora guide

Aarne, aurora guide at Lapland Explorers — **Aarne**Aurora guide

Witold, aurora guide at Lapland Explorers — **Witold**Aurora guide

Jani, aurora guide at Lapland Explorers — **Jani**Aurora guide

Eva, aurora guide at Lapland Explorers — **Eva**Aurora guide

4.9 · 1,415 reviews

Guest reviews

Choose your tour

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★★★★★

GetYourGuide

“Janne drove 3-4 hours to Sweden for hunting the northern light. Truly appreciate the effort and teamwork from this small company.”

★★★★★

GetYourGuide

“The company offered us another chance at no extra cost, with a promise of a refund if we did not see the aurora again.”

★★★★★

TripAdvisor

“Jesse and his team are true aurora hunters. Despite the overcast sky they took us to Swedish Lapland to admire the aurora.”

★★★★★

TripAdvisor

“Photos have become outstanding. The places you drive to are beautiful. It costs a little more, but is worth every penny.”

★★★★★

TripAdvisor

“After waiting for 20 mins, the light became so vibrant and it started dancing right above us.”

★★★★★

GetYourGuide

“The sky was giving us a magical show. Wrapped up with homemade cookies and warm drinks. I would strongly recommend this company.”

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Guests

Guaranteed Northern Lights hunt from Rovaniemi

Choose your tour

Small-group Northern Lights hunt

Northern Lights coach tour

About this tour

Small-group Northern Lights hunt (max. 8 guests)

Northern Lights coach tour

Local guides

Hunt itinerary

Departure time confirmed

Meet in the city centre

Hunt by coach

Watching the aurora

Your photos

Departure time confirmed

Hotel pickup

Hunt by minivan

Watching the aurora

Back to your hotel

Your photos

Aurora by eye and on camera

Aurora at different strengths

Pale arcs and patches

Clearer bands and shapes

Colour and movement

Why photos can look brighter

Long exposures

Phone processing and editing

Time-lapse videos

Aurora videos and photos

Our Northern Lights guarantee

Eye guarantee

Faint aurora still counts

Camera guarantee

Why the guarantee changes at half moon

Aurora guides

Guest reviews

Watch a hunt night

Need help choosing your hunt?