Minibus & Jeep
44 departures, and the place where the money-back guarantee became normal
Rovaniemi straddles the Arctic Circle at 66°33′N, and the Finnish Meteorological Institute puts the aurora in the Lapland sky on roughly 200 nights a year. That number gets quoted at you constantly here. It is also close to useless on its own, because it counts nights when the aurora was present, not nights when anyone could see it through the cloud.
Which is the whole subject of this page. Forty-four departures leave Rovaniemi by road, and what separates them is not the sky. It is how far the driver is prepared to go to get out from under the weather, and what happens to your money if they fail.
One operator on this list carries 2,574 reviews on a single departure, more than any other tour in this catalogue anywhere in the world. Another puts a Porsche Cayenne on the booking page. A third will drive you into Sweden without asking. This is the most competitive aurora market on the planet, and competition here has taken an unusual form: instead of cutting prices, operators started taking on the risk themselves.
Private Unlimited Range Northern Lights Hunt from Rovaniemi by VIP Van
If cloud sits over Rovaniemi this drives out from under it, 300 km if that is what it takes. Paid forecast data, photos in 24 hours, refund if all is closed.
Pro Aurora Hunt from Rovaniemi: Max 8 Guests, No Mileage Limit, Up to 12 Hours
One aim: a DSLR photograph of you with the lights behind you. No time or mileage limit, groups of eight, and full money back if they are not found.
Ranua Aurora Activity Park After Dark with Sauna and Reindeer
Sleigh rides, skating, kicksledding and reindeer to feed fill the waiting, then a campfire and a traditional Finnish sauna to end on. Good with children.
Real Northern Lights Hunt from Rovaniemi in a Small Group, Max 8
Most tours here are a coach and a fixed stop. Eight guests in a van is what makes reacting to the weather possible, north or over the Swedish border.
Rovaniemi Aurora BBQ at Two Viewing Spots with a Traditional Kota
Two observation spots, past Santa Claus Village and the Arctic Circle line: first an Arctic lake, then a barbecue in a kota with the door open to the sky.
Rovaniemi Aurora Hunt with Campfire, Finnish Pie and Berry Juice
Several spots in a night, because one location is a bet and three are a strategy. Sausages, Finnish pie and hot berry juice, beyond the Arctic Circle.
Rovaniemi Aurora Hunt with Lappish BBQ and Glögi at Three Stops
Three viewing spots chosen from the forecast and adjusted for cloud, with sausages over the fire and glögi, the mulled wine made for standing outdoors.
Rovaniemi Aurora Pass: 3 or 5 Days of Unlimited Northern Lights Chasing
Seeing the lights often takes more than one attempt. This is a pass for three or five evenings, with a different destination each night. And cookies.
Rovaniemi Northern Lights Chase with 100% Money Back Guarantee
No northern lights, no charge, and no distance limit, Sweden included. If the odds look poor they tell you beforehand, so you can move it or cancel.
Rovaniemi Northern Lights Coach Hunt with Thermal Overalls, 4 to 6 Hours
Structured as a hunt rather than a transfer: the route changes all night, up to two hours out, sometimes towards the Swedish border. Four to six hours.
Rovaniemi Northern Lights Group Tour with Money Back Guarantee
The group version of a proper hunt: four to six hours, no fixed route, and a full refund if no lights are seen. A photographer travels with the group.
Small Group Arctic Ice Floating under the Aurora in Rovaniemi
The floating suit is light, waterproof and warm enough that the cold stops being the story. What is left is the position: on your back, no horizon in the way.
Small Group Aurora Hunt from Rovaniemi with Money Back Guarantee
Destination, start time and length all come from the day's forecast, and there is no kilometre limit. Eight guests is what makes that flexibility possible.
Small Group Guaranteed Aurora Tour from Rovaniemi, Max 8 Guests
The departure itself is conditional, confirmed by 4pm: this operator would rather cancel than drive a full van into cloud. Photos within 24 to 48 hours.
Small Group Northern Lights Hunt from Rovaniemi with Pro Photos and Video
Unlimited photographs and video on astrophotography gear, eight guests at most, and a start time that moves between 16:00 and midnight with the solar wind.
Small Group Northern Lights Tour from Rovaniemi with Local Guides
Capped at eight guests and no fixed route: the night's data decides where you stop, as far as the Swedish border. Hotel pickup, and photos taken for you.
The Arctic Conservatory: Private Lakeside Dinner and Snowmobile Safari
A heated glass conservatory on a frozen lake with one table in it, three Lapland courses cooked over open fire, then a private snowmobile safari on the ice.
The Ultimate Aurora Hunt from Rovaniemi, 8 to 12 Hours, No Distance Limit
Rovaniemi can sit under cloud for days, so this answers with brute force: no kilometre limit, no time limit, and a guarantee of finding clear sky.
Three Hour Northern Lights Tour from Rovaniemi with Campfire BBQ
The lights are visible in Lapland on as many as 200 nights a year; the city glow is the problem. Three hours out of it, with sausages over a waiting fire.
Two Hour Guided Northern Lights Tour from Rovaniemi
The short version: out past the city lights into wilderness beyond the Arctic Circle without committing the whole night. The guide picks the spot and drives.
Ratings collected by Viator and Tripadvisor