Northern Lights Tours in Lapland, Finland: How to Choose
Minibus chases, snowmobile safaris, husky and reindeer combos, and what a "money-back guarantee" tour actually promises.
The lamp was a nice prop from our tour guide! Here near Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi alone has well over a hundred northern lights tours listed across Viator and GetYourGuide, and a lot of them read like the same three sentences reshuffled: local guide, real-time forecasts, "guaranteed" somewhere in the title. Levi and SaariselkƤ add their own smaller rosters on top of that. The listings aren't lying exactly, they're just marketing, and it's worth knowing what actually separates them before you hand over your evening.
This is the type-by-type breakdown: which tour gets you what, what "guaranteed" really means in Finnish Lapland specifically, and how to pick between a minibus, a snowmobile, and a husky sled when you've only got one or two free nights.
Jump to: Does "guaranteed" mean anything? Ā· Tour types Ā· Rovaniemi vs. Levi vs. SaariselkƤ Ā· How to choose Ā· FAQ
Find a northern lights tour and a place to stay in Finnish Lapland:
Northern lights tours in Lapland: quick answer
Best aurora tour overall: a small-group minibus or van chase tour with a local guide who explicitly says they'll drive to wherever the sky is clearest, not a fixed loop.
Best if you want your money back on a bad night: a "money-back guarantee" tour, read the fine print first, see below.
Best for something to do even under clouds: a husky sled or reindeer farm combo, the animals are the main event either way.
Best for photos without fighting your camera: a photography-focused tour with a guide who shoots for you and sends files after.
Best for a different kind of cold: a snowmobile safari, moving through the dark forest is half the experience even before the sky does anything.
Do northern lights tours in Lapland actually guarantee a sighting?
We took this shot in Rovaniemi after three very cloudy nights!
Short answer: no, and read the terms before you believe the headline.
In Finnish Lapland specifically, "guaranteed" almost always means one of two things, and it's worth knowing which one you're booking:
A money-back guarantee. Several Rovaniemi operators run tours (Lapin Taivas and Arctic GM among them) built around "no aurora, no payment," refunding you if the guide's camera doesn't capture the lights that night. This is a real, honest structure, but check the exact condition. Some require the guide to fail to photograph anything at all, which is a stricter bar than "you personally didn't see much." A faint, quiet display that shows up in a long-exposure photo may still count as a successful night under the terms, even if it didn't look like much to your eyes standing there.
Unlimited range or "no fixed spot" guarantees. Other listings promise to drive as far as it takes, sometimes explicitly toward the Swedish border, rather than a money-back clause. We even heard of operators driving overnight to Abisko! That's a genuine advantage (a guide willing to drive waaaay beyond the city is doing real work for you), but it's still not a promise of lights, just a promise of effort.
What no operator controls, ever, is the weather and solar activity. Be skeptical of any tour quoting a precise success percentage from last season. Past performance in a natural, weather-dependent phenomenon isn't a guarantee for your specific night. For the full picture on how aurora forecasting actually works, read our Northern Lights for Dummies guide.
What a good tour does reliably deliver: a guide who tracks cloud cover and drives toward clear sky instead of parking at the same three pull-offs every night. That's the real value, guarantee or no guarantee. We found such a tour in Rovaniemi, and you can read our experience here.
Types of northern lights tours in Lapland
A minibus is a good option if you get too cold! Here near Rovaniemi
Small-group and private minibus chase tours
The default option, and usually the best value. A guide checks the evening's cloud forecast, picks a direction, and drives until conditions look promising, often with hot berry juice (yuuuum) or coffee along the way. Private versions exist too: you book the vehicle rather than a seat, at a real premium, in exchange for setting your own pace and stops.ā ā
Money-back guarantee tours ā
Covered in detail above. Worth booking specifically if a no-show would genuinely ruin your trip, less necessary if you're staying multiple nights and can simply try again.
Snowmobile aurora safaris
You ride out through dark forest on a snowmobile, usually shared between two people with a driver switch partway through, stopping in a clearing to watch the sky. Several Rovaniemi and Levi operators run these as evening safaris with a campfire stop built in. It's a good pick if you want the ride itself to be worth it independent of what the sky does.
Husky sled and reindeer farm combos
Personally, we would always choose sleds over snowmobiles for the magical silence. Pairs the aurora wait with an animal encounter, feeding and sledding with huskies, or a visit to a reindeer farm, sometimes with a SĆ”mi host talking through reindeer herding traditions. These combos are common precisely because they hedge your bet: the animals are guaranteed, the aurora isn't. ā
Sleigh ride tours
A quieter variant, a snowmobile-pulled sleigh takes you out to a teepee or kota, where you wait by a campfire rather than standing in the open. Good for anyone who wants the aurora chase without the driving element themselves.
Snowshoe and wilderness walking tours
Less common than the vehicle-based options but worth looking for, especially around PyhƤ-Luosto National Park (you can read about it in our Finnish Lapland in fall guide), where a guide leads a walking route through pine forest with the aurora as the backdrop rather than the sole focus. These tend to be smaller groups and slower-paced than a minibus chase.
Campfire, BBQ and dinner tours
Most chase tours build in food regardless, grilled sausages, Finnish pie, hot drinks by a fire, but some lean into it as the main pitch, framing the evening as a Lappish cookout with an aurora chance on top. Worth it if you want the wait itself to feel like an event rather than downtime, and if youāre looking for something a bit more cozy (and warm).
Photography-focused tours
Built around getting you a usable shot rather than just a memory: a guide who doubles as your photographer, professional camera gear, and edited files sent afterward, usually within a day or two. Many general chase tours now bundle this in as standard, so check the inclusions on any listing before assuming you need a dedicated "photography tour." Itās a really nice perk, so you can focus on the sky instead of trying to adjust the settings on your camera with frozen fingers (if you do want to try, read our aurora photography guide).
Sauna and hot tub combos
Less common as a dedicated aurora tour, more common as a hotel amenity, several of the properties in our Finland aurora hotels guide pair an outdoor sauna or hot tub with a direct view north, which does the same job as a tour without the bus (and with a lovely added warmth). Obviously, in that situation, youāre not mobile, so you canāt escape the clouds.
Aurora plus Santa combos
A Rovaniemi-specific novelty: a private evening with Santa on Arctic land outside the city, bonfire and hot drinks included, with the aurora appearing (or not) as a bonus rather than the point. Worth knowing this exists if you're traveling with kids who care more about Santa than the sky. You can read more about Christmas in Rovaniemi here, or explore magical alternatives to Rovaniemi here.
š§ Compare northern lights tours with reviews on Viator
š§ Compare northern lights tours with reviews on GetYourGuide
How to choose the right tour
One of my friends had never seen the northern lights and we had limited time, so we went on a tour from Rovaniemi with photos included!
A short checklist, in priority order:
Check the group size first, it tells you more about flexibility than almost anything else on the listing.
If "guaranteed" appears in the title, find the actual terms before you book, money-back and unlimited-range are different promises. Remember that the only one who really calls the shotsā¦ is Lady Aurora, the sun, the sky, the weather, the universe, the Valkyries, Freya, or whatever you believe inā¦ but not the tour operator!
Read the most recent reviews, not just the overall rating, and see if the guide is mentioned by name.
Confirm what's included: thermal suits, hot drinks, and photography are common but not universal.
If you're staying outside central Rovaniemi, Levi, or SaariselkƤ, check the pickup point before booking.
Whatever you book, dress properly underneath whatever they hand you: read our what to wear for a northern lights trip guide so you're not relying on a rental snowsuit alone. And if you want to stack the odds further, pick your base with the sky in mind too, our Northern Lights in Lapland guide covers where across Finnish and Swedish Lapland tends to have the clearest weather.shotsā¦
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aurora science, best times and places, our go-to apps, and photography tips, head to our Northern Lights Hub.
Northern lights tours in Lapland, Finland
Are northern lights tours in Lapland worth it? For most first-time visitors, yes, especially without a rental car. A guide tracking cloud cover in real time and driving toward clear sky is hard to replicate on your own, particularly on a short stay.
Do "guaranteed" northern lights tours in Lapland actually guarantee a sighting? No. "Guaranteed" usually means a money-back refund if the guide's camera doesn't capture anything that night, or a promise to drive an unlimited distance chasing clear sky. Neither is a promise you'll personally see the aurora, since no operator controls weather or solar activity.ā ā
What's the difference between a minibus tour and a snowmobile tour? A minibus or van chase tour is about mobility, covering distance to find clear sky. A snowmobile safari makes the ride itself part of the experience, moving through dark forest, usually with a campfire stop, with the aurora as a bonus rather than the sole focus.
Can you combine a northern lights tour with husky sledding or a reindeer farm? Yes, these combos are common specifically because they work even if the sky doesn't. You get a guaranteed activity with the aurora as a possible extra.
Is a snowmobile aurora tour safe for beginners? Reputable operators run a safety briefing before you set off and pair inexperienced riders with an experienced driver on shared snowmobiles. It's generally beginner-friendly, but check the minimum age and any driving license requirements before booking if you plan to drive rather than ride as a passenger.
Should I book a tour in Rovaniemi, Levi, or SaariselkƤ? Rovaniemi has the most operators and the easiest flight access. Levi has a smaller but capable roster of local, small-group operators. SaariselkƤ and Inari have fewer tours but generally darker surrounding skies. Pick based on where the rest of your trip is based rather than tour density alone.ā ā
Do I need to bring my own camera on a photography tour? No, most photography-focused tours provide a guide who shoots for you on professional equipment and sends files afterward. Bring your own gear only if you specifically want to practice shooting the aurora yourself, our photography tips guide covers the settings either way.
Here is my favorite travel playlist to call the northern lights:
Whatever type you book, minibus, snowmobile, husky sled, or a private chase with a photographer in tow, the tour changes your odds more than almost any other decision on the trip. Pick for flexibility and honest terms over a headline that promises more than any tour actually can.
And may the aurora force be with you!
Finally, explore all of our Lapland Travel Guides here.
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Planning a Lapland trip? Explore our detailed guides:
ā Northern Lights in Lapland ā Best destinations, when to go, what to wear and tips in Sweden and Finland
šØBest Hotels for the Northern Lights in Finlandā Glass igloos, snow hotels, aurora resorts, and lodges.
šØ Best Hotels in Rovaniemi ā Igloos, cabins, and Arctic charm under the Northern Lights.
š² Winter activities in Rovaniemiā How to experience the true Arctic beyond Santa
š Christmas in Rovanemi ā Where the real magic is beyond Santa
šļø Best Time to Visit Rovaniemi ā Northern lights, Santa, huskies, ruska and everything in between
š«š® Finnish Lapland ā Reindeer, saunas, and winter magic with a side of forest silence.
š¦ One Lapland trip, three countries ā How to combine Sweden, Finland & Norway
š§ Kiruna vs. Rovaniemi: Swedish Lapland vs. Finnish Lapland ā Two Arctic capitals, one epic showdown.
š
Magical Alternatives to Rovaniemi ā Christmas magic without the crowds.
āØ Northern Lights for Dummies ā How to actually see the aurora (without freezing your butt off or waiting 12 nights in vain).
āļø Our Ultimate Arctic Travel Guide ā How to explore, survive, and avoid becoming a polar bearās lunch.
