Book Your Winter Activities 2026–2027 – Save 10% with code WINTER10 01.11.2026–31.03.2027 (Excludes husky & reindeer tours)

Nov 14, 2026

StayLapland photography tours 2026–2027: aurora hunting with a camera

Every autumn the same question lands in our inbox: which of our tours is the one for people who care about the pictures? The honest answer is that we run a small family of tours where photography is built into the plan rather than added as an afterthought, and this post walks through each of them for the 2026–2027 winter season.

Most of them happen after dark and follow the Northern Lights. Your guide is also your photographer, so you can stand in the snow and look up while someone who knows the settings takes the shots of you under the sky. Two more run in daylight and are about Lapland’s winter landscapes. All of them are listed together on our photography tours page.

In short: our main photography tour is the Professional Small Group Northern Lights Hunting Tour from Rovaniemi – Guaranteed, from 199 €, usually 4–10 hours, in a group of 2–8 guests with a guide-photographer and professional DSLR photos included. If we do not capture the Northern Lights, you get 100% of your money back. The same hunt also runs by bus from 109 € (usually 4–5 hours) and as a private tour from 1990 €.

At a glance

• From: 199 €
• Experience type: Northern Lights tour
• Duration: Total duration of tour is usually 4-10 hours depends on conditions of the day
• Difficulty: Easy
• Book in Advance: Cut off: 1 hours before start time
• Included: Small group 2-8 persons; Professional Northern Lights guide & photographer 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; Information about the Northern Lights; Pick-ups and drop-offs are included in the price in 10 km radius from Rovaniemi city center; Professional DSLR photos (delivered securely online); Air conditioned car; Northern Lights guarantee, if we don’t capture Northern Lights you get 100% your money back!; Hot drinks & light snacks; Unlimited mileage & time (typically 4–10 hours)
• 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

What we mean by a photography tour

On our Northern Lights hunts the guide leads the evening and is also the photographer. The product pages describe it plainly: a “Professional Northern Lights guide & photographer in English”, with other languages available on request (Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, German and Finnish on the small-group tour; availability for other languages is limited, so email or WhatsApp us after booking if you need one).

These are not fixed-location campfire evenings. Before each tour our guides study cloud forecasts, weather conditions and aurora activity and choose the direction for the night. The aim is to escape city lights and find clearer skies. Some nights the best sky is close to Rovaniemi; other nights the hunt means a longer drive. There is no fixed viewpoint, and we do not wait in one place if the conditions are not right.

When the auroras appear, we focus on capturing the moment properly, including photos of you under the Northern Lights. You still get to watch with your own eyes, which is the part people remember.

The small-group tour: our flagship

The Professional Small Group Northern Lights Hunting Tour from Rovaniemi – Guaranteed is the one we built for guests who take their Northern Lights plans seriously. It runs in a small group of 2–8 people, in an air-conditioned car, with unlimited mileage and time.

• Price: from 199 €
• Duration: usually 4–10 hours, depending on the conditions of the day. The product page also notes that on some nights it can run from 4 up to 12 hours.
• Start time: between 17:00 and 21:00, confirmed by email by 14:00 on the day
• Pick-up and drop-off: included within a 10 km radius of Rovaniemi city centre; the meeting point is Postikatu 1, 96100 Rovaniemi
• Included: winter clothing (adult and child sizes: overalls, boots, gloves, socks), information about the Northern Lights, hot drinks and light snacks, and professional DSLR photos delivered securely online
• Guarantee: 100% refund if no Northern Lights photos are captured during the tour

Photos are delivered within 2–3 business days, so remember to give us your email address.

The same hunt by bus, and a private version

If you would rather keep the budget lower, the Professional Guaranteed Northern Lights Hunting Tour from Rovaniemi by Bus runs on the same principles: the guides plan the route each night from the forecasts, the guide-photographer takes professional DSLR photos, hot drinks and light snacks are served, and the same guarantee applies. It is from 109 € and usually lasts 4–5 hours. Pick-up points listed on the product page are Postmaster Hotel, Aurora Hill Resort, Santa Claus Village and Rovaniemi city centre (Korkalonkatu 26). Winter clothing is not listed in what is included on this tour, so dress warmly or ask us when booking.

At the other end, the Professional Northern Lights Hunting Tour from Rovaniemi – Guaranteed (PRIVATE) puts only your group in the vehicle, a premium minivan such as a Ford Tourneo or similar with space for up to eight guests. It is from 1990 € and has no fixed time or distance limits. When conditions allow, the evening includes a campfire stop with warm drinks and sausages, though the page is clear that the focus stays on finding clear skies. Its cancellation terms differ: free cancellation up to 7 days before the activity.

Daytime photography: skis and fells

Two of our photography tours run in daylight and are about the landscape rather than the sky at night.

The Backcountry skiing adventure (from 115 €, 3 hours, very easy) teaches the basics of cross-country skiing on wide backcountry skis that let us leave the tracks and move into deep snow. A professional photography guide shares tips on landscape and nature photography, and we stop at a kota shelter to grill sausages over an open fire. Hotel pick-up and drop-off, skis and poles, warm clothing and a few photos sent afterwards are included. Because it is photography-based and more demanding, the minimum age is 10; if you travel with younger children, contact us and we can arrange a private tour.

The Riisitunturi wilderness adventure (from 175 €, 8–9 hours, moderate) is a full-day snowshoeing expedition to Riisitunturi National Park, which we describe as our best photography location in Lapland. We climb the fells among snow-crowned trees, with several photography stops and a light lunch cooked in nature. It is not recommended for children under 10.

Who each tour suits

• Choose the small-group tour if you want the most time and flexibility for the hunt, winter clothing included, and a guide who has attention for every guest.
• Choose the bus tour if you want the same planning, photos and guarantee in a shorter, lower-priced evening.
• Choose the private tour if you are a family or a group of friends who want the vehicle and the guide to yourselves.
• Choose a daytime tour if landscapes are your subject, or if you want to fill the hours before an evening hunt.

None of our Northern Lights hunts are wheelchair or stroller accessible. On the bus tour, infants must not sit on laps and infant seats are unavailable.

The small print, as it stands on the product pages

• Please bring your passport on the Northern Lights tours.
• The Northern Lights look stronger on camera than to the naked eye.
• Aurora hunting involves a lot of driving and waiting, so patience is required.
• Free cancellation 24 hours before the activity on the small-group and bus tours; after that the fee is 100%. The private tour has a 7-day window.
• The small-group tour may be cancelled or rescheduled if the group is smaller than 4 people (6 on public holidays).
• Booking cut-off for both the small-group and bus tours is 1 hour before the start time.

Why the sky decides the route

The Finnish Meteorological Institute describes the conditions in a sentence: you need a dark, cloudless night and a dark, open place preferably far from town lights, with an unrestricted view towards the northern horizon. In Lapland, auroras can be seen on roughly half of dark, cloudless nights, according to the institute, and the typical time for displays is around midnight and a couple of hours either side. That is exactly why our tours drive towards clear skies instead of waiting at one spot, and why they can run late.

The institute also notes that auroras occur year round but are seen slightly more often in spring and autumn than in winter and summer, and names March and early April as the best time in Northern Finland. You can read more about the sky in our guide to where to see the Northern Lights and our earlier look at photography tours in Rovaniemi.

Combining a photo tour with your stay

Pick-up from Postmaster Hotel and Aurora Hill Resort is listed on all three Northern Lights hunts, so it is easy to pair an evening hunt with a stay at either. A simple plan is a daytime tour such as the backcountry skiing adventure, a rest, and then the hunt in the evening. For the winter 2026–2027 activities, the site currently offers 10% off with the code EARLY27 for 01.11.2026–31.03.2027 (husky and reindeer tours excluded). All our Northern Lights options are listed on the Northern Lights activities page.

Frequently asked questions

Are the photos included in the price?

Yes. Professional DSLR photos, delivered securely online, are included on the small-group, bus and private Northern Lights hunts. They are delivered within 2–3 business days.

What happens if we do not see the Northern Lights?

All three hunts carry our Northern Lights guarantee: if we do not capture the Northern Lights on camera during the tour, you get a 100% refund.

What time does the tour start?

The start time varies between 17:00 and 21:00 and is confirmed by email by 14:00 on the day of the tour.

Is winter clothing included?

On the small-group and private tours, yes: overalls, boots, gloves and socks in adult and child sizes. Winter clothing is not listed on the bus tour, so please ask us when booking.

Do you offer tours in languages other than English?

The guide-photographer speaks English, and other languages are available on request with limited availability. Send us an email or WhatsApp after booking if you need another language.

Can children join the daytime photography tours?

The backcountry skiing adventure has a minimum age of 10, and the Riisitunturi wilderness adventure is not recommended for children under 10. For younger children we can arrange a private tour.

Ready to book?

You may also like

• Professional Guaranteed Northern Lights Hunting Tour from Rovaniemi by Bus — from 109 €, Total duration of tour is usually 4-5 hours depends on conditions of the day
• Professional Northern Lights Hunting Tour from Rovaniemi – Guaranteed (PRIVATE) — from 1990 €, Total duration of tour is usually 4-10 hours depends on conditions of the day
• Backcountry skiing adventure — from 115 €, 3 hours

Sources

• Finnish Meteorological Institute — Auroras in Finland