Every autumn the same question starts arriving in our inbox and on WhatsApp: when does the Northern Lights season begin in Rovaniemi, and which of our tours should I book? With the 2026–2027 winter now on sale, we have put the answers in one place.

This is not a list of every aurora tour in town. It is how we at StayLapland run our own Northern Lights evenings — where we take you, what is included, what the small print says, and how to choose the evening that fits your group.

The short answer: in Lapland the Northern Lights can be seen for more than eight months of the year, from early August until late April. Our most booked evening is the Northern Lights Tour At The Campfire — from 99 €, 3 hours, with pick-up in Rovaniemi, warm winter clothing and a campfire in a teepee at Kuoksa Wilderness Park. Dates and availability for the 2026–2027 season are in the booking calendar below.

At a glance

• From: 99 €
• Experience type: Northern Lights tour / activity
• Duration: 3 hours
• Difficulty: Very easy
• Book in Advance: Cut off: 3 hours before start time
• Included: A Tour Guide in English (other languages available on request: (Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, German & Finnish. PLEASE NOTE LIMITED AVAILABILITY FOR OTHER LANGUAGES) If another language is required. Please send us an email or WhatsApp after booking.); Winter clothing (Adult & Child size), overalls, boots, gloves, socks; Local Snack & Drinks by the campfire; Information about the Northern Lights; Pick-ups and drop-offs are included in the price in 10 km radius from Rovaniemi city center; Photos taken with your own device; Air conditioned car
• Cancellation: Free cancellation 24 hours before the activity. We will charge a cancellation fee of 100% if booking is cancelled less than 24 hours before the activity.
• Accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible; Not stroller accessible

When the aurora season starts in Rovaniemi

The aurora itself does not follow a calendar. On our tour pages we say it plainly: the Northern Lights are visible in Lapland for a period of over eight months, from early August until late April. What changes through the season is the darkness, the snow and the kind of evening we can offer you.

Early in the season the nights are dark enough for the lights, but the snow has not arrived yet. Later the landscape turns white, the lakes freeze and our snowmobile-based aurora tours become possible. We open departures in the booking calendar when an evening can run properly, so the calendar on each tour page is always the most accurate answer to “is this running on my dates?”.

One thing never changes: the Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon. We cannot guarantee a sighting on our campfire, cottage, sleigh or snowmobile evenings, because it depends on weather and solar activity. What we can promise is a good spot away from city lights, warm clothing and a guide who knows what to look for. If a guarantee matters to you, read the section on our hunting tours further down.

Our campfire evening at Kuoksa, step by step

The Northern Lights Tour At The Campfire is the evening most of our guests start with. It works like this:

• Pick-up. We collect you from your accommodation. Pick-ups and drop-offs are included within a 10 km radius of Rovaniemi city centre; please be ready in your hotel lobby 10 minutes before your pick-up time.
• Warm clothing. We provide winter clothing in adult and child sizes — overalls, boots, gloves and socks.
• The drive. The trip to Kuoksa Wilderness Park, on our own private land away from the city lights, takes about 30 minutes.
• The evening. While we watch the sky, you sit by the campfire inside our teepee with a local snack and a hot drink. Your guide tells you about the Northern Lights, and photos are taken with your own device.
• Timing. The activity starts at 20:00 and lasts 3 hours, so you are back in Rovaniemi city centre at 23:00. Transfers to and from your pick-up point are outside that time, so allow 15–30 minutes before and after.

It is rated very easy, and the booking cut-off is 3 hours before the start time, which makes it the evening people often book when the forecast looks good on the day.

The other ways we watch the sky

Not everyone wants the same evening, so we run several formats from Rovaniemi:

• Northern Lights Tour in Atmospheric Cottage — from 109 €, 3 hours. A traditional Finnish cottage more than 100 years old, by a lake and about 20 minutes from the city, with a laavu (lean-to shelter) outside. You can wait for the lights in the warmth indoors. There is a surprise gift for the children.
• Northern Lights Tour Sleigh Ride — from 109 €, 4 hours. You ride in a sleigh pulled by a snowmobile into a quiet winter forest, where a teepee campfire, snacks and hot drinks are waiting.
• Northern Lights Tour Snowmobile Driving — from 149 €, 4 hours. You drive the snowmobile yourself, about 1 hour of driving in total, with a campfire meal in a teepee. A driving licence is required and you must be 18 or older to drive.
• Professional Small Group Northern Lights Hunting Tour from Rovaniemi – Guaranteed — from 199 €. A real hunt in a small group of 2–8, with a professional guide and photographer and a money-back guarantee.
• Professional Guaranteed Northern Lights Hunting Tour from Rovaniemi by Bus — from 109 €, usually 4–5 hours depending on the conditions of the night.

You can see all of them side by side on our Northern Lights activities page.

Who each evening suits

Here is how we usually advise guests who write to us:

• A first evening, a relaxed pace: the campfire tour. It is short, very easy and you are back in town by 23:00.
• Travelling with small children: the cottage tour. Our recommended minimum age for our activities is 3 years, because winter conditions can be too harsh for infants, and for Northern Lights evenings we recommend the atmospheric cottage because it gives children a warm indoor space.
• You want some adventure on the way: the sleigh ride, or snowmobile driving if you hold a driving licence.
• Seeing the aurora is the whole point of your trip: the guaranteed hunting tours, which follow the clearest skies instead of going to one fixed spot.

There is no maximum age on our tours — everyone is welcome — but these evenings are not wheelchair or stroller accessible. If you have any specific concerns, ask us before booking and we will tell you honestly what will work.

What is included, and what is not

On the campfire tour the price includes:

• A tour guide in English (Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, German and Finnish on request, with limited availability — send us an email or WhatsApp after booking)
• Winter clothing in adult and child sizes: overalls, boots, gloves and socks
• A local snack and drinks by the campfire
• Information about the Northern Lights
• Pick-up and drop-off within 10 km of Rovaniemi city centre, in an air-conditioned car
• Photos taken with your own device

What is not included: pick-ups from further than 10 km (custom pick-up is possible on request, just ask), a camera, and — on this tour — a guaranteed sighting. If you would like professional photos taken for you, that is part of our guaranteed small-group hunt, where DSLR photos are delivered online after the tour.

The small print, straight from our tour page

• At least 2 people are required for the tour to run on weekdays and Saturdays, and at least 4 on Sundays and public holidays.
• Children under 13 must be accompanied by adults paying the full price. Infants must not sit on laps.
• The tour may be cancelled or rescheduled if the group is smaller than 2, or in extreme weather. On our sleigh and snowmobile evenings the temperature limit is −35 °C, and −25 °C for small children.
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the activity. Cancelling less than 24 hours before costs 100% of the booking.

If a departure is already closed or sold out, or you are booking for a larger group, contact us on WhatsApp +358 40 128 7846 or at booking@staylapland.com and we will do our best to arrange a departure for you.

Booking for 2026–2027

Every tour has its own booking calendar, and the cut-off differs: 3 hours before the start for the campfire and cottage evenings, 4 hours for the sleigh and snowmobile evenings, and 1 hour for the hunting tours. If your travel dates are fixed, booking ahead is the safest way to get the evening you want.

For this season we also have an early-booking offer on the site: the notice on our site reads “Save 10% with code EARLY27 01.11.2026–31.03.2027”, and husky and reindeer tours are excluded. The same notice appears in the booking box below, and if you are unsure whether it applies to your booking, ask us when booking.

Our tours are also available as gift cards, which is a popular choice when you are planning a surprise trip.

Combining an aurora evening with your stay

We run our own places in Rovaniemi, and both Postmaster Hotel and Aurora Hill Resort are on the pick-up list for our Northern Lights tours. Because the campfire evening starts at 20:00, it fits easily after a day activity and dinner in town.

Many guests book two different evenings — for example a relaxed campfire night early in the trip and a hunting tour later — so there is a second chance if the first night is cloudy. If you want to understand what you are looking at before you go, read our guide to how auroras are formed and our notes on where to see the Northern Lights.

Book the campfire tour if you want an easy, cosy first evening with a set start time and pick-up from your hotel. Choose the cottage instead if you have small children who need somewhere warm indoors, and a guaranteed hunting tour if seeing the aurora is the one thing your trip depends on.

Frequently asked questions

When is Northern Lights season in Rovaniemi?

The Northern Lights are visible in Lapland for a period of over eight months, from early August until late April. Check the booking calendar on each tour page for the departures open on your dates.

Do you guarantee that we will see the Northern Lights?

Not on the campfire tour. The aurora is a natural phenomenon and depends on weather and solar activity. Our guaranteed hunting tours offer a 100% refund if we do not capture the Northern Lights.

What time does the campfire tour start and finish?

The activity starts at 20:00 and lasts 3 hours, so you are back in Rovaniemi city centre at 23:00. Allow 15–30 minutes before and after for the transfer.

Where do you take us?

To Kuoksa Wilderness Park, on our private land away from city lights. The drive takes about 30 minutes.

Is pick-up included?

Yes. Pick-up and drop-off are included within 10 km of Rovaniemi city centre. Please be ready in your hotel lobby 10 minutes before your pick-up time.

Do we need our own winter clothes?

No. We provide winter clothing in adult and child sizes, including overalls, boots, gloves and socks.

What is the cancellation policy?

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the activity. Cancellations less than 24 hours before are charged at 100%.

Ready to book?

You may also like

• Northern Lights Tour in Atmospheric Cottage — from 109 €, 3 hours
• Northern Lights Tour Sleigh Ride — from 109 €, 4 hours
• Northern Lights Tour Snowmobile Driving — from 149 €, 4 hours