Rovaniemi Northern Lights Tour with Money-Back Guarantee

Chase the aurora instead of waiting at a fixed viewpoint

A northern lights tour from Rovaniemi where your guide reads live cloud cover and solar forecasts, then drives toward the clearest sky: sometimes 20 minutes away, sometimes past the Arctic Circle. You get professional photos of yourself under the aurora at no extra cost, a heated vehicle with hot drinks, and a full refund if the lights don't show. Small groups max out at 19 travelers with hotel pickup. Larger groups depart from the city center by heated coach.

Step-by-step itinerary

Northern Lights chase from Rovaniemi

• Pickup from accommodation or city centre
• Guide explains aurora forecast and plan
• Drive to clearest sky for aurora viewing
• Stop at dark spots away from city lights
• Enjoy hot drinks during the chase
• Guide photographs guests under northern lights
• Return to pickup location

The experience

You arrive in Rovaniemi with an evening free and no guarantee the aurora will cooperate. This tour solves that by treating the night as an active search, not a waiting game. Before departure, your guide walks through the cloud cover and solar activity forecast for that specific night, then decides where to drive based on where the sky is clearest. Some nights that means a 20-minute drive. Other nights the chase stretches three hours past the Arctic Circle. The route changes every night because the weather does. You stop at dark viewing spots away from city lights, where your guide serves hot drinks and photographs you under the northern lights using professional camera gear. Those images go to you free after the tour: no watermark, no upsell.

The tour runs 5 to 8 hours depending on how far the clear sky sits that night. Small Group travelers get picked up from their Rovaniemi hotel. Group Bus Tour travelers meet in the city center. Both options travel in a heated vehicle, and both come with the same guarantee: if the aurora doesn't appear, you get your money back. Your guide speaks English and knows these roads year-round, which is why they can read the conditions and chase the gaps in the clouds instead of driving to a standard viewpoint and hoping.

Dress warmly in winter clothing: thermal overalls, snow boots and mittens are not included but available to rent in town. The tour includes hot drinks. No meal is provided. Public transportation options are nearby if you prefer not to book a pickup.

What’s included

• Local English-speaking guide who reads live aurora forecasts and cloud cover to plan the route.
• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Rovaniemi (Small Group option only).
• 100% money-back guarantee if the northern lights do not appear.
• Professional photographs of you under the aurora, delivered free with no watermark.
• Heated minibus or coach depending on which option you choose.
• Hot coffee and tea.

Options for this experience

2 options

Group bus tour (up to 47 people)Guide in English or Finnish · 19:00Bus or coach: a comfortable coach for up to 47 people, leaving from the Rovaniemi city centre; pickup is included

Small group tour (up to 19 people)Guide in English or Finnish · 19:00Minibus: a comfortable minibus for up to 19 people, with pickup from your accommodation included

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 19:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (6 and older) · Under 6: can't be booked

GroupUp to 47

Live guideEnglish and Finnish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 16 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Experience Tours Lapland

Is this one for you?Book the Small Group option if you need hotel pickup. Choose the Group Bus Tour if you're already downtown and prefer not to arrange transportation.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Finnish.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What happens if the northern lights don't appear on the night I book?

The tour comes with a 100% money-back guarantee if the aurora doesn't show. Your guide reads the forecast and cloud cover before you leave and drives toward the clearest sky, but the lights depend on solar activity and weather conditions neither of you can control, so if they don't appear, you get a full refund.

How far from Rovaniemi does the guide drive to find clear skies?

The distance changes every night based on the cloud cover and solar forecast. Some nights the clearest sky is 20 minutes away. Other nights your guide drives three hours or more, sometimes past the Arctic Circle, to find a gap in the clouds where the aurora is visible.

Do I get the photos taken under the northern lights?

Yes. Your guide photographs you under the aurora using professional camera gear and sends the images to you free after the tour, with no watermark or additional charge. This is included in both the Small Group and Group Bus Tour options.

What's the difference between the Small Group and Group Bus Tour options?

Small Group tours carry a maximum of 19 travelers in a minibus and include hotel pickup and drop-off in Rovaniemi. Group Bus Tour travels by heated coach with up to 47 passengers and departs from the city center. Both follow the same aurora-chasing strategy and include the same guarantee and free photos.

How long does the tour actually take?

Tours run 5 to 8 hours depending on how far your guide needs to drive to find clear skies. The length is not fixed because the route changes based on that night's cloud cover and solar forecast.