Northern Lights snowmobile hunt Kiruna with tipi dinner

You share one snowmobile with another traveler, so the guide rides separately and can photograph you against the lights.

Hunt the Northern Lights on a snowmobile across off-the-map trails in the Kiruna backcountry, then return to a tipi at Mattarahkka Northern Lights Lodge for a two-course dinner cooked over a crackling fire. The lodge sits beyond light pollution, so aurora may appear during the meal itself. A local guide drives a separate snowmobile and photographs you throughout the evening. Hotel transfer, Arctic clothing, hot beverages and all meals are included. The experience runs about five hours.

Step-by-step itinerary

Aurora snowmobile tour and tipi dinner

• Transfer from hotel in Kiruna
• Receive two-piece down set
• Drive snowmobile on unique trails
• Visit reindeer
• Enjoy 2-course dinner in tipi
• Watch Northern Lights from mountain
• Guide takes photos of experience
• Transfer back to hotel

The experience

What makes this different from a standard aurora tour is the setup: you're not watching from a lodge window or standing still on a mountainside. You ride your own easy-to-maneuver snowmobile across unique trails that cut through the Arctic night, and the guide follows on a separate machine so they can frame you against the sky if the lights appear. The snowmobile is shared with one other traveler, so you're never alone but you're not in a large group either. Before or after the ride (depending on where the aurora shows up that night), you eat a two-course dinner in the tipi next to Mattarahkka Lodge, where the fire keeps you warm and the darkness keeps the light pollution away.

The evening starts with a hotel transfer from Kiruna. You'll wear a full Arctic clothing set (down jacket, pants and boots) that the lodge provides, so the cold stays outside your clothes. Hot coffee or tea waits for you on the mountain while you watch the sky. The guide carries a camera and tripod, and they'll shoot photographs of you during the ride and at the dinner fire. You bring your own SD card to take the images with you. Dinner uses local ingredients and is cooked right there over the flames, which means the meal itself becomes part of the experience rather than something rushed before or after.

You'll need a valid driving license to ride the snowmobile, and the minimum age is 18. The experience suits anyone who can sit on a snowmobile for a few hours. It's suitable for all fitness levels. If you have dietary requirements, let the lodge know when you book so they can adjust the dinner menu.

What’s included

• Hotel transfer from Kiruna to the lodge and back.
• a full Arctic clothing set including down jacket, pants and boots.
• one snowmobile shared with another traveler.
• a two-course dinner cooked over the fire in the tipi.
• hot coffee and tea.
• photographs taken by the guide during the evening.

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday, Thursday, Saturday and SundayDeparts at 17:30

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish and Swedish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 8 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 21 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Adventure Lapland

Is this one for you?You're booking this if you want to actively hunt the aurora rather than wait for it from a lodge, and you're comfortable sharing a snowmobile with another guest so the guide can ride separately and capture you against the lights. The five-hour evening suits travelers who want the full Arctic experience (the ride, the fire, the meal) without a full overnight commitment.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Swedish.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. No refund if you cancel.

Can I really see the Northern Lights during dinner at the tipi?

The tipi at Mattarahkka Lodge sits beyond light pollution, so yes. The aurora sometimes appears while you're eating around the fire. Dinner is timed before or after the snowmobile ride depending on where the lights are active that night, so the lodge maximizes your chances of seeing them.

Do I ride the snowmobile alone or with someone else?

One snowmobile is shared between two travelers, so you ride with another guest. The guide operates a separate snowmobile, which lets them photograph you and stay mobile to chase the lights if they appear in different parts of the sky.

What's included in the two-course dinner?

Dinner is cooked over the fire in the tipi using local ingredients. The lodge prepares a two-course meal, and hot coffee or tea is also served. If you have dietary requirements, tell the lodge at booking so they can adjust the menu.

How cold does it get, and will I stay warm enough?

The lodge provides a full Arctic clothing set (down jacket, pants and boots), so you're insulated from the Arctic night. The tipi dinner also keeps you warm with the crackling fire and hot beverages, so you won't be standing in the cold for hours.

Does the price include getting to and from my hotel?

Yes, hotel transfer from Kiruna is included both ways. The lodge picks you up and drops you back at your hotel, so you don't need to arrange separate transport.

What happens if the Northern Lights don't appear?

The snowmobile ride and tipi dinner happen regardless of aurora activity. The guide will still photograph you during the evening, and you'll experience the Arctic landscape and the fire-cooked meal. The lights are never guaranteed, but the lodge positions you in the best location to see them if they do appear.