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A glass-roofed Lapland cabin in deep snow under green northern lights.

Northern Lights in Finland

The most common question in our group, answered honestly: when to go, where to go, what your odds really are — and the Finnish guides, cabins and operators who can get you under them.

What your odds actually are

~200

nights a year with aurora in northern Lapland — roughly every other clear night

10–20

nights a year in southern Finland — a Helsinki-only trip will almost certainly miss them

9pm–2am

the window on any given night, between late August and early April

Go north, and give it more than one night. The single biggest mistake is booking two nights in Rovaniemi and treating the aurora as a certainty. Weather decides everything: one clouded-over night costs you nothing if you have four, and everything if you have two. Plan at least three nights above the Arctic Circle — four or five if the lights are the whole reason for the trip.

About the solar cycle. The sun passed the maximum of its current 11-year cycle in October 2024, so the headlines about record aurora years have quietened down. It matters less than you would think: the strongest individual solar storms have historically come during the years after the peak, and Lapland sits under the aurora oval regardless. 2026 and 2027 remain good years to go.

And a word about the photos. A camera on a tripod with a ten-second exposure collects far more light than your eye does. A strong display really does look like the pictures. A weak one looks like a pale grey-green haze that you might mistake for cloud until it starts to move. Both are worth standing outside for — but knowing the difference in advance is the difference between a good night and a disappointing one.

When to go

The season runs from late August to early April. Outside it there is simply not enough darkness. December is the most booked month and it is not the best one — here is the honest trade-off for each part of the season.

September–October

Statistically among the most active weeks of the year, thanks to the autumn equinox. Mild — often around freezing rather than −20°. The lakes have not frozen yet, so you get reflections. No snow, no huskies, no Santa. The best choice if the aurora itself is the point and you do not need the winter postcard.

November–December

Snow arrives, and so does everyone else. The full Lapland experience — huskies, reindeer, Santa Village, polar twilight — at the highest prices and lowest availability of the year. Also the cloudiest stretch of the season. Book months ahead, and treat the aurora as a bonus rather than the plan.

January–February

The coldest weeks and the longest nights — a very long viewing window and deep, reliable snow. February in particular gets clearer skies than midwinter. This is the serious winter option: −20° to −30° is normal, and standing still outside for two hours at that temperature needs proper gear.

March–early April

Our pick for most families. The spring equinox brings another activity peak, the snow is still deep enough for every winter activity, the cold has eased, daylight has returned for daytime plans, and prices have dropped from the December peak. By mid-April the nights are too short.

Where to go

Further north means better odds — but only slightly, and clear sky beats latitude every time. Getting away from town lights matters as much as how far north you are.

  • Rovaniemi and the Arctic Circle. Easiest to reach, most flights, most operators, most things to do in the daytime. Also the most light pollution — you will want to get out of town, which is exactly what a guided hunt does for you.
  • Levi and Ylläs. Ski-resort infrastructure with darker surroundings than Rovaniemi. Good middle ground for a family that wants activities in the day and a short drive to dark sky at night.
  • Saariselkä, Ivalo and Inari. Meaningfully further north, much darker, and where a lot of the glass igloo and wilderness accommodation sits. Fly into Ivalo. Fewer daytime distractions, better nights.
  • Utsjoki and Kilpisjärvi. The far north — the best odds in Finland and the hardest to reach, with long drives and limited accommodation. For a second Lapland trip rather than a first.

Three ways to see them

1. Go with a guide

The best odds, by a wide margin. A guide watches the cloud forecast during the day and drives to wherever the sky is clear — sometimes two hours away. Most provide thermal suits, a fire and hot drinks, and many photograph the group and send the images afterwards.

Aurora tours and hunts ↓

2. Sleep under them

Glass igloos, aurora cabins and wilderness hotels let you watch from bed — which sounds like a gimmick until you have stood outside at −25° for three hours. The question that matters when booking: does the hotel run a wake-up call when the lights appear?

Places to sleep under the lights ↓

3. Chase them yourself

The cheapest and most flexible option, and the one that needs the most nerve. Winter tyres are compulsory and included in Finnish rentals, but driving an unlit forest road on ice at midnight is not for everyone. Watch a live aurora alert service and be ready to leave at short notice.

Cars and campervans ↓

Before you book an aurora night

  • Nobody can guarantee the aurora. Any operator who implies otherwise is telling you something about themselves. A good one says so plainly on their own website.
  • Ask whether they chase or park. An operator who drives to clear sky gives you materially better odds than one who takes everyone to the same spot every night. This is the single most useful question you can ask.
  • Ask the clouded-out policy. Free re-try the following night, partial refund, or nothing at all — all three exist. Find out before you pay, not after.
  • Ask about the wake-up call. If you are paying for a glass igloo, a hotel that rings the room when the lights appear is worth more than one that does not. Not all of them do it.
  • Ask what you will be wearing. Most aurora operators lend thermal overalls and boots. If yours does not, you need to rent them separately — standing still in the cold is much harder than moving in it.
  • Ask about photos. Many guides shoot the group and send the images afterwards. This solves the problem of your phone capturing almost nothing.
  • Check the minimum age. Some aurora tours run until 1am in deep cold and are genuinely unsuitable for small children. Others are built around families. Ask which one you are booking.

Who can get you under the lights

Every provider below is listed elsewhere on this site under their own category. They appear here because they are relevant to seeing the aurora specifically. Contact them directly — no booking engine, no markup, no commission.

Aurora tours and hunts

Sleep under the lights

Hebrew-speaking aurora guides

No aurora guides listed yet. Hebrew-speaking guides who run aurora nights will appear here as they are confirmed.

Chase it yourself — cars and campervans

No rental firms listed here yet. See all car and campervan rental in the meantime.

Staying warm out there

No gear providers listed here yet. See all winter gear rental and shops in the meantime.

Run an aurora business in Finland? Listing is free while we build, and there is no commission on your bookings. Apply for a listing.

A few things specific to us

  • Aurora tours run on Friday nights. They have to — that is when the sky is dark. If you keep Shabbat, this is worth planning around before you book flights, not after. Some operators and hotels can arrange alternatives; ask us and we will point you to the ones who have done it before. See also kosher and Shabbat providers.
  • Getting there. Fly to Helsinki, then connect to Rovaniemi, Kittilä (for Levi and Ylläs) or Ivalo (for Saariselkä and Inari). The domestic leg is about 90 minutes. There is also an overnight train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi, which many families enjoy more than the flight.
  • −25° is not like anything at home. It is survivable and even pleasant while you are moving, and genuinely hard when you are standing still watching the sky for two hours. Layers, and something on your face. See winter gear for what to rent in Finland rather than buy in Israel.
  • Your phone can do this. A recent iPhone or Samsung in night mode, braced against something solid for three to ten seconds, will capture a decent aurora. Handheld will not. Bring a small tripod, turn the flash off, and switch to manual focus at infinity if your camera app allows it.
  • Watch the forecast yourself. The Finnish Meteorological Institute runs a free aurora alert service, and the cloud forecast matters more than the solar forecast. Your guide will be watching both — but if you are driving yourself, this is your job.