Aurora Observing In The Northern Wilderness

After meeitng and properly outfitting you with professional winter overalls and boots (temperatures can drop to -30C! ), your expert guide will take you north, far away from Rovaniemi, right out into the wilderness to begin searching for the Aurora. 

During the day, the weather forecasts and solar activity reports are always examined. This way, we may adjust the tour's start time to maximize our chances of seeing the Northern Lights under brighter skies. We will drive to sites that are more promising and would offer a better possibility of seeing this natural phenomena based on our analysis of the weather situation and our experience. This means that if the forecasts and aurora predictions for the Rovaniemi area aren't promising, your guide may transport you up to 100 kilometers away to see a better sky. 

They will always monitor the weather conditions during the tour, and you may decide together to get back in the minivan and go to another spot if you feel so. Because this is a 4-hour Aurora hunt, you may have the opportunity to visit up to three places, increasing your chances of seeing the Northern Lights. 

This trip will also allow you to drive large miles across the Lapland region and explore the arctic environment. You can take a short walk through a very old, white and snowy forest or to the top of some fells, cross a hanging wooden bridge over fierce rapids, relax on a lake beach, or stand in the middle of an immensity of ice and snow at the various stops... Hopefully, Auroras will be dancing above your head! 

Those encounters are nearly often carried out in complete darkness, allowing your eyes to acclimatize to the darkness. Not only do your eyes adjust (you can really see better in the dark!), but your body does as well. But then you notice the countryside in an entirely different and lovely light. You'll have the opportunity to build a fire along the journey, whether in the woods, next to a log cabin (what we call Laavu, or Kota) or in a teepee. 

Your guide will show you how to light a fire the old-fashioned way, without the use of matches or lighters, using only silver birch bark, flint, and steel. Your guide will keep an eye on the shifting sky once the fire is kindled and the kettle is boiling. They will share their knowledge and excitement about the forest, Lapland's ecosystem and fauna, and, of course, the northern lights, while you wait for the first greenish arches to rise above your head. 

We encourage you to bring your own camera (a tripod can be rented or purchased from us if needed) to record the auroras. In all situations, your guide will be equipped with a professional camera and will take as many images of you and the Northern Lights as possible (please ask him/her!). The next day, you will receive an email with a link to download all of the photos. 

In all our excursions, our groups are limited to 8 people maximum. It is very important for us to provide you with the best experience as possible, and avoid mass tourism. This way, your guide will know you better and will be able to address all your needs and answer your questions. Furthermore, when it comes to Northern Lights, chances to observe them properly are increased when groups (and light pollution emitted by torches, phones, cameras) are reduced. As we usually say : the smaller the group, the bigger the experience !