Guide to Spotting the Aurora Borealis in Rovaniemi, Finland
This site contains affiliate links and is a member of the Amazon Associates Program. At no additional cost to you, I may receive a commission from these links. I only make recommendations based on my experience. See my Disclosure Policy for more info.
Have you always dreamed of seeing the Aurora Borealis?
Well, heading to Finland is a great place to start, as you’re very likely to see the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi, which is located just inside the Arctic Circle.
But now you need to know what the best time to go is, whether expensive tours are worth it, and most importantly—what if you spend thousands of dollars and terrible weather ruins your only chance to see them?
The fear of traveling all the way to the Arctic Circle only to stare at cloudy skies for a week is real, especially when you’re unsure if those Instagrammable Northern Lights photos actually represent what you’ll see with your naked eye.
After spending 12 nights in Rovaniemi and successfully spotting the Northern Lights four times (through both tours and independent hunting), I’ve learned exactly what works and what doesn’t when it comes to chasing the Aurora Borealis in Finnish Lapland.
This comprehensive guide is perfect for first-time Aurora hunters who want realistic expectations, budget-conscious travelers wondering if expensive tours are necessary, and anyone who needs practical advice on timing, locations, and photography techniques from someone who’s actually been there and done the research.
I’m sharing every lesson learned so you can maximize your chances and know exactly what to expect when you finally witness this incredible natural phenomenon.
🇫🇮 If you’re trying to decide if Lapland is worth visiting at all, review my 19 reasons Rovaniemi is worth the trip!
A Note on the Northern Lights
Before I begin, I will make one MASSIVE note about the Auroras. They are not always as bright as they look in photos.
The first time we saw them on the Ice Floating tour (which I discuss below), I honestly thought it was the Milky Way until I was told it wasn’t. It wasn’t until I did a long exposure on my phone camera that I saw the colors truly come through.
The photo above without long exposure is probably the best representation I can give you of what they look like in real life without the assistance of a camera. This is not always the case; sometimes, they are brighter, but this is what I saw. I also didn’t edit these photos (and most of the following ones) to give you the most accurate representation.
I say all this because I was unaware before going. It was probably foolish of me to assume it’d look like the photos, but as I know people who’ve seen them clearly in Alaska, I guess I thought it’d be the same. However, what you see depends on many factors.
This is not to diswade you from going to see the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi. It’s just to prepare you.
Beginners Guide to Aurora Borealis Hunting in Rovaniemi
Can You See the Northern Lights in Finland
Yes, you can see the Northern Lights in Finland. But heading north, to a city such as Rovanimei which sits inside the Arctic Circle, will improve your chances. And, other than seeing the home of Santa Claus, I’d say seeing the Aurora Borealis while in Rovaniemi is one of the main reasons to visit.
Best Time to See the Northern Lights in Lapland
From the end of August to April, the Northern Lights are most visible in northern Finland. This is because the Auroras are caused by solar winds, which occur year-round, but the nights need to be dark enough for them to be visible.
I saw the Northern Lights in winter, and most people associate them with that time of year, but they are actually most active during autumn and spring.
This is when the earth’s orientation towards the sun maximizes the probability of solar flares interacting with the planet’s magnetic field, which creates this mesmerizing phenomenon. – VisitFinland
Statistically, this means that the lights are visible every second night. However, I visited Finland for 12 days and saw them a total of four times, so use this math lightly. I’ll explain why later.
📅 How long should you spend in Lapland? Check my day-by-day guide to Rovaniemi!
Factors That Affect Northern Lights in Lapland
Aside from the Earth’s orientation, the intensity and frequency of the Northern Lights also depends on the Sun’s activity. This means that you’ll get “the more dramatic displays occur when the number of electrically charged particles and the speed of the solar wind are enhanced by some form of eruption on the Sun.” – Dr. Mason
If you’ve heard it’s best to see the Aurors in 2024 and 2025, this is why. Based on the solar cycle, the next Solar Maximum, which increases the chances of seeing the aurora and an impressive display of them, will occur in 2024/2025. After that, the next Solar Maximum won’t be for another 11 to 15 years.
While knowing this is good, some basic factors you can watch out for are clear skies. If it’s cloudy, you have a lesser chance of seeing the Northern Lights.
Your chances of catching them also get better the further North you go, which is why you increase your chances of seeing the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi.
Seeing the Northern Lights With a Tour
Ice Floating in Lapland with Northern Lights
If you checked out my Rovaniemi itinerary, you’ll know all about my experience with ice floating. In this guide, I’ll just focus on the Northern Lights part of this Ice Floating in Lapland With Northern Lights experience.
Aside from being one of the highlights of my trip, even while wearing weird red suits that made us look like lobsters, this was our first experience seeing the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi.
The night we went, the forecast on our Aurora app (which I’ll dive more into later) didn’t look great, so we truly weren’t expecting to see anything. However, my travel buddy somehow has a sixth sense for them and spotted them, and our guide confirmed. After we finished ice floating and changed into our regular clothes, we took a bunch of photos (which I’ll also explain how to do later on).
🎟️ Tickets: If you’re looking for an affordable (for Rovaniemi) experience that may increase your chances of seeing the Northern Lights, I highly suggest this tour, as at least if you don’t, you’ll still have a grand time.
Also, the reason it’ll up your chances is that this experience is located outside of central Rovaniemi, which means it was far darker in this area than in the main city.
Aurora Borealis Hunting with Photography & Videography
Now, if you’re really determined to see the Northern Lights, I recommend the Aurora Borealis Hunting activity we went on. Kun, the host, is a heck of a guy who’ll drive around just about anywhere to almost guarantee you see them. We legit were in his van for hours, going spot to spot while he hunted them out.
You may be wondering why I say ‘hunt.’ Remember when I said to use the math lightly? Well, this is because you truly have to go around searching for them. They show up more brilliantly in some areas over others.
As we’ve already mentioned, light pollution makes them difficult to see, which is why we never saw them in central Rovaniemi. However, many tours will bring you outside the city to desolate areas where you have a far better chance of spotting them.
When we went, it was super freezing, and I highly recommend bringing a heat pack or a heated vest to keep you warm. But the photos he took are worth it, in my opinion, as they are far better than what I would have been able to capture myself. You can see more of his photos on his Instagram.
We didn’t get any videos of the Auroras as they weren’t bright that night, but my travel buddy, who went again after I left for Stockholm, got some footage filmed by Kun.
One of the big pluses of taking a tour like this is that our guide had a fancy camera that took photos far better than my iPhone. He also gave us some tips on how to photograph the Northern Lights, which I go into more detail about below.
🎟️ Tickets: If you’re on a budget, there are other tours you can do. I just can’t vouch for their gumption or photography skills as much as I can Kun’s.
Other Northern Lights Activities
Ice Floating and Aurora Hunting aren’t the only activities that can help you see the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi. You can find several options on a site such as Get Your Guide, which is where we primarily booked the excursions we did while in Lapland.
Note: Some tours may be more expensive because they “guarantee” you’ll see the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi. Usually, this just means they’ll give you a refund or rebook you for another day when there’s a better forecast. Do make sure to check the fine print to understand what they are offering.
Some other options are…
Seeing the Northern Lights Without a Tour
Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos
Staying at the Arctic SnowHotel and Glass Igloos has many benefits; however, I would not include the Auroras among them.
The Glass Igloos are a bit cheaper than the SnowHotel rooms, but as the top of the Igloo regularly got wet from the weather (see above), the view from inside the Igloo wasn’t always clear. Had we gone in a dryer month, I may have thought differently about this. However, January was snowy.
They touted that they had an Aurora Alarm to ensure you awoke even in the middle of the night if they appeared. We made sure to set it, but the alarm never went off, even the evening that my travel buddy spotted them just outside our Igloo.
If you’re dying to stay at the Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos, I’d say go for it. But if you’re going solely to see the Aurora through a Glass Igloo, I’d recommend staying elsewhere, as there are many Northern Lights hotels near Rovaniemi.
Is It Safe to Go Aurora Hunting in Rovaniemi by Yourself?
Yes, it is safe to go Aurora hunting alone. Honestly, I’d be far more worried about you catching frostbite or getting lost than about anything else nefarious happening in Lapland, Finland.
On one of the last nights we were there, my travel buddy wanted to try driving around to spot them. At the time, we were staying at the Ski-Inn PyhäLinna, which is 2 hours outside of Rovaniemi. Because it’s further away from lights, it did help our viewing of the Northern Lights.
My tips for going alone are…
- Have your phone charged for photos but also so you don’t get lost
- Download an app like Maps.me to ensure you have a map even without Wi-Fi
- Be sure to bundle up, as you’ll likely be standing around in the cold for a while
- Bring a tripod if you want some photos of yourself
- Find a desolate area, such as a frozen lake, where there won’t be much light pollution
- Be prepared to drive around a bit, they don’t always appear where you think they will
The most helpful tip I can give you, aside from the above, is to use an Aurora app. The one we used was the My Aurora Forecast & Alerts (Google Play Store) (Apple App Store). There are several available, but this is the one we relied on the most.
It’ll give you alerts as to when it is best to view the Northern Lights, live Aurora webcam footage, and where a good location may be for viewing.
How to Photograph the Northern Lights
Are you wondering how to photograph the Auroras? I’ll give you my best tips, which start with having a camera that can do long exposures. What is long exposure? The really basic explanation is that rather than having your camera flash and take an image in an instant, the camera takes a few seconds to capture the image, producing a higher-quality image, especially in low light.
Don’t worry; you don’t need to be a tech guru to do this. In fact, my iPhone 15 Pro did this all by itself. However, if you are using an older model phone or camera, you may want to look up its settings to ensure you can do this.
The other tip I’ll share is the flash trick, as I’m calling it. I learned it on the photography tour I previously mentioned. Basically, while taking a long exposure image, flash a separate light (we used my travel buddy’s iPhone flashlight) to illuminate your subject briefly toward the end of the 3-second exposure time. This will make all the difference between the image above of me without this trick and the one with the trick.
I won’t lie. This took some fine-tuning to get right. Also, having the fancy camera, like our guide on the tour had did provide better results than my iPhone. But this is an affordable way to try out some photography of yourself and the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi.
Tips on How to See the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi
Where in Lapland is best for the Northern Lights?
The further North you go, the better chance you have. Also, the further away from light pollution you can get, the more you can see them. We found that the best spots for seeing the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi were frozen lakes as they provided a wide area of no light interference.
How likely is it to see the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi?
Statistically, the lights are visible every second night. However, I was in Finland for 12 days and saw them four times, so I recommend using this math lightly, as factors such as clouds, light pollution, the time of year, location, and others may influence this.
How long do the Northern Lights last?
We tended to see them for 20 to 30-minute bursts before they disappeared. This means you have to work fast if you’re taking photos of people. You also shouldn’t expect to set up shop and stay in one location all night if you’re Aurora Hunting, as you’ll have to move from location to location. We also often saw them from 11 pm onwards, so be prepared for a late night.
How much does a Rovaniemi Northern Light tour cost?
This depends, but on average, I’ve seen Rovaniemi Northern Light tours cost between $65 to $250. We went on the more expensive tour as that’s what my travel buddy had requested. It was her birthday, and she was dead set on seeing them. However, if you’re not as die hard, then choosing one of the less expensive options may be a better choice.
What to wear to see the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi?
If you are Aurora Hunting in January, or any cold month, as we did, I highly recommend bundling up well as I was freezing at night. Even though I was properly attired for daytime, nighttime is even chillier. I wish I had brought along a heated vest and hand warmers. Check out my full guide on staying warm in Lapland.
Related Finnish Lapland Travel Guides
- How to Build a Rovaniemi Itinerary: Finnish Lapland Winter Guide
- Is the Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos Worth Staying at?
- How to See the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi, Finland
- Arctic Cuisine Dining Guide: Best Lapland Finland Restaurants
- Is Rovaniemi Worth Visiting? 19 of the Best Reasons to Visit in Winter
- My Epic Experience Ice Floating in Rovaniemi: An Honest Review
- How Many Days in Rovaniemi? A Simple Guide for First-Timers
- Where to Stay in Rovaniemi: In a Glass Igloo or the City Center?
- 29 of the Best Things to Do in Rovaniemi Finland this Winter
- The Ultimate Finnish Lapland Winter Guide for First-Time Visitors to the Arctic Circle
- What to Pack for Lapland, Finland: How I Stayed Warm in -20°F
Want to remember this? Pin this How to See the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi, Finland article to your favorite Pinterest board!
