Northern Lights Photography Hunting Experience in Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi, Finland
Northern Lights Photography Hunting Experience in Rovaniemi
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Rovaniemi, Finland
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Increase your chances of seeing the Northern Lights with this experience. Although not guaranteed, your experienced guide will take you to different locations where the lights are most likely to be seen, away from the light pollution of nearby towns. Keep warm with included teas and coffees, as well as the option to rent winter overalls and boots (additional cost).
- Enjoy a personalized experience in a small-group setting
- Don't worry about capturing blurry pictures; professional photos will also be taken
- Learn about the night's sky and how to orient yourself from your guide
- Relax with pick-up and dropoff from select hotels
What's Included
Meeting and Pickup
What To Expect
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 336 reviews
LIXIN_T, Jan 2024
If there is zero star option, I will give this zero star! Don’t waste your money and time for this your. This is more like ice cold freezing car tour. We paid extra for additional equipments for extra warm. But their boots are suck, not waterproof and not able to keep the feet warm. Stepping in the snow, the whole feet is wet and freeze. I don’t want to wear their boots but they insist to ask us to wear. My own winter boots is super warm and comfortable. The tour guy is not experienced enough. We paid so much for black sky ? Or cold freezing car tour? They said will provide us the blanket but nothing is given. The car also no heater at all. The whole tour journey was suffering and my feet is so hurt because of their lousy boots. There are other better tour out there.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Dear guests, when showing up on this tour you were absolutely not prepared for the harsh Winter conditions (-25C) which created a safety hazard for you and for the rest of the group. We changed your lovely fancy boots for a more appropriate equipment that we use on our tours and have proven to be good for the conditions here. We always highlight that our Arctic boots and overalls cannot make miracles but protect you from hard conditions. They will help your body keep warm, but you also need to move and be active so your own body creates its own warmth, that the equipment will preserve.
During the tour, your guide managed to find small auroras (but you did not mention it in your review) and made a fire. However, you spent most of the time of the tour in the minivan (running with heating all the time for you), not only because you were cold but because.... you sneakily bring with you your small dog in your backpack (!!!) without informing us. Bringing animals on the tour is absolutely not allowed as it creates a serious hazard for the rest of the group who may suffer from allergy or unexpected reactions from the animals. In addition, bringing a small dog on an arctic tour with -25C is absolutely senseless and could result in serious injury or the death of the animal!
Unfortunately we were not aware of this and your guide did not notice it at first because... you hid your pet in your bag when meeting up at our office (!!!) and only revealed it later when the group was one hour away from Rovaniemi!
I must mention that your partner - who also had our boots and equipment - was outside with the rest of the group to enjoy the northern lights and the tour.
The next morning you requested a full refund because "you could not enjoy the tour due to the cold weather", which we obviously refused.
The tour guide was Adrien, and you may read 100+ positive reviews about him, his experience as a Northern Lights hunter and determination to find auroras.
I think I do not have anything to add as a reply ; review readers will appreciate the situation and make their own opinion.
Kleio_Z, Jan 2024
It was a nice experience but we were unlucky since the northern lights were not very visible. Sophie, our tour guide, was amazing.
Adeeth_K, Dec 2023
The guide was extremely knowledgeable, patient and helpful. She drove us all the way to Sweden to find an amazing spot on a frozen lake. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see the lights because the solar activity which wasn't in their control, but she did the best she could. Will definitely recommend this tour.
Praveen_S, Dec 2023
Message exchanges before the travel was easy.
The pick-up and drop was smooth. The staff and the tour guide Camille were simply great.
Special mention to the tour guide Camille. She was too good!
Right from the introductions to her casual chats, she was the right person to take in search of the Northern Lights. Despite the heavy snowing, she was relentless, drove us far away from Rovaniemi and ensured we stopped at a good spot. Made us comfortable on a frequent basis, lit a fire and captured photos, all while enduring the cold weather.
Thanks Camille!
Esther_B, Dec 2023
Initially, I was excited for this Northern Lights Tour; however, it turned out to be the most disappointing part of my first trip to Finland. I spent several days researching various tours & finally decided on this company after the overwhelming amount of positive reviews. While our group didn't see Northern Lights, that was not the reason for my negative review. The company makes it clear that seeing Northern Lights is not guaranteed, which is completely understandable. Herve, our tour guide, was unfriendly & unapproachable -- 2 essential characteristics for a tour guide. He was a safe driver, but had road rage. He was extremely condescending, which made our entire group uncomfortable & silent a majority of the excursion. Herve tried his absolute best to hunt for a glimpse of the Northern Lights. We stopped on the side of the road multiple times when there were pockets of sky without clouds. Instead of waiting outside & admiring the surrounding scenery, every person in our group opted to wait inside the van because of how uncomfortable we all were around Herve. He's an enthusiastic Northern Lights hunter, but a terrible tour guide. I would recommend this company's tour, but do not, under any circumstances, book with Herve. I highly suggest scheduling with any other guide so your experience isn't ruined like ours was. To reiterate, my negative review isn't because we didn't see the Northern Lights.
Paul_M, Dec 2023
I was worried after someone told me northern lights aren't usually visible in finland in December. Nonetheless, we were able to find many great spots to photograph them from without driving too far away from the city. Jeremie was also a great guide. He helped me find the right settings on my camera, and helped keep me warm when I was cold.
Andela_B, Dec 2023
Our guide Adrian went above and beyond to find the best place for us to see Northern Lights. It was a great experience. We had nice sausage grilled over the fire.
We got a photos next day, however photos are not so clear and sharp - I think it could’ve been better.
kiramileham, Sep 2023
Incredible evening! Herv is a terrific and knowledgeable guide who put in a huge effort to ensure we had a spectacular experience with the northern lights, and great pics as an added bonus!
Yarazel_M, Apr 2023
Without a doubt the best activity we chose in Finland. We got to see the lights, but even if we hadn’t, we had such a great time with our guide. We drank hot chocolate and roasted marshmallows and sausages under the stars. There were so many northern lights tour providers we could choose from, so I’m so happy we listened to all the great reviews and went with Adrien.
HoLun_C, Mar 2023
our tour guide gabriel is so nice and professional.
so happy to see very incredible northern light
also, the photos from gabriel is very good
Melissa_B, Mar 2023
This tour was amazing!! The tour guide took exceptional pictures of us under the magnificent Northern Lights! He waited patiently for them to show up and allowed us to determine when to leave. So grateful to have seen the rare phenomenon and mark it off my bucket list!!
Betty_N, Feb 2023
Amazing time ,we had the fun hunting aurora borelias,the quide did everything to make us comfortable,took care of fire and delicacies,,he told interesting story and provide us with amazing pictures
Ruth_T, Feb 2023
I saw the northern lights for the first time and it was amazing. Thank you , Leo our guide for not giving up despite the low chance of seeing it at first.
Syaedi_S, Jan 2023
We were just too unfortunate as the the day we went for hunting had a bad weather, the sky was cloudy all over Finland. The tour operator allowed us to make a choice of continue going on tour or request for cancellation with 50% refund but we still went to find the aurora anyway as its already too late to cancel and we were already leaving Finland soon in the next couple of days. Our guide tried his best to find a place that has an open sky, even drove us all the way to Sweden but there were no lights seen. I recommend doing research about the weather a bit beforehand and cancel 24 hours before if the weather looks bad, it was pretty clear that we had no chance of seeing the northern lights but we still went for it. However, it was not the guide fault at all, it was overall a pleasant hunting experience.
Melikasadat_M, Jan 2023
Although the weather was not clear at all and it was predicted that we are not gonna be able to see the northern lights, Jeremy and his colleagues managed to find the best location to catch the clear sky. My friend and I had the opportunity to see the massive northern lights which was fantastic. Thank you very much for making the effort and drive further so we could have the best experience. Furthermore, the gathering in the forest and the snacks on fire was amazing.
Martina_K, Jan 2023
This activity was well organised and Nordic Odyssey made every possible effort for the group to see the northern lights. This included driving us all the way to Sweden to find a gap in the clouds where some activity could be observed. Unfortunately, the clouds had covered the sky again before we could see activity with the naked eye, but the camera reveled some beutiful lights. Many thanks to Herve for his patience and professionalism. I enjoyed the tour and would book with Nordic Odyssey again without hesitation (directly, not via Viator/Tripadvisor next time).
Natasa_J, Dec 2022
Everything was nice on this activity. Taken photoes were perfect, seeing in real time Aurora Borealis is great experience.
Greg_H, Oct 2022
A spectacular night seeing the Northern Lights. Everything was perfect about the tour! Excellent guide and beautiful location.
JiyongLee, Apr 2022
Northern Lights are special for many reasons but it is not always there when or where you want to see it. Our guide (Jérémie) was very thorough from the beginning in this aspect, carefully planning a trip based on the night’s predictions.
He was perfect for our family, providing a comfort journey for our little one too. His excellent photography skills are also worth mentioning! We were very lucky to witness wonderful Northern Lights last night but it wouldn’t have been possible without Jérémie for sure.
Amy_M, Mar 2022
Wonderful trip with a great guide, Adrian. We gathered at the office then headed off to a lake about twenty minutes away to view the lights. It was promising, but the moon and clouds were obstructing the view a bit. But, we prevailed and Adrian got some great photos of us. He taught us to make a fire and we had some delicious sausages and hot chocolate. Highly recommend the excursion!
Andreas_M, Mar 2022
Man! What a night! Timo is an amazing guide, he took us to the best place to see the lights and we were lucky enough to get a great spectacle. In this experience you get all the information about the lights and make your decision about where to go! Great guide, great photos, great snack and hot chocolate! Overall amazing night!
Claudia_W, Feb 2022
We had a great evening with Timo. He took us to several places to give us the chance to see the Northern Lights. His enthusiasm kept us going and in the end we had the best view of the Northern Lights. It was after 1am that we have returned to hotel, but was absolutely worth :)
Gautam_S, Dec 2021
I would strongly strongly recommend going for a Northern Lights hunt with Timo or anyone from Nordic Odessey. They are passionate and are ready to take an extra amount of step to make us see the Northern Lights. We went with timo, he is the friendliest guide whom I have met in my life, made it so comfortable to talk to everyone and to be as a team with other folks on our tour. Loved the whole experience!
We saw the lights within the first 15 minutes of our ride, timo took us to unique spots and took our photographs with so much patience. He also captured the Milky Way for us. The photos came amazing!
Added to this, even after hours gazing at the Northern Lights - timo didn’t gave up and re-checked other places to ensure that we aren’t missing the best and the brightest of the Aurora Borealis.
The trip starts at your hotel, where they pick up mostly in a van followed by a river edge spot for us and then center of a frozen lake. The veg sausages were the best one which I had ever and the bonfire experience was amazing! Please note the temperature drops down under 25 , so you would need to be well covered! Overalls can be requested to the team as well.
I would recommend Nordic Odessy, Chris , Temo and everyone to all who wish to not just see northern lights but to experience it.
Also, I did had the expedition with couple other guides, they were there to pass the time and call of the hunting within 3/4 hours of travel. Timo and Chris Team is fabulous! God bless, hope to see them again when I return to Finland.
mirnaalfy, Dec 2021
It was the best experience that we booked in Rovaniemi. Hands down.
They arranged pickup from our location, arranged suits and boots for us upon request and decide on best route to take based on weather forecast to give you the best chance of seeing the aurora. We were explained what to expect which was also appreciated.
The group was small which allowed allocated time for more individual photos.
Jeremie was amazing; he was very patient and experienced photographer, he helped me set up my camera to get a photo myself as well but honestly his photos where amazing and captured the once in a life time experience.
Really really amazing experience. And so much fun.
larisa_d, Nov 2021
Great tour. The time of tour was pushed back to have a better chance of seeing the northern lights. We went into Sweden and stayed in a wooden hut where we had sausages and hot drinks while we waited for the sky to get clear enough to see the northern lights. If you don’t have a professional camera I would highly recommend this tour to get great pictures. Because the time can change I wouldn’t recommend booking a morning tour after this one.
Lance_K, Oct 2021
Amazing northern lights experience in Rovaniemi, Finland! Tour guide Chris Dernoncourt was excellent, he provided the aurora forecast before the tour via email. The chances of seeing auroras were not good and we were told the same, on our first night out we went to a special viewing place and while the auroras started soft and slow, the auroras became stronger and changed shape as the night went on. We enjoyed a beautiful aurora light show into the night and took plenty of pictures - 10 out of 10.
Brandon_Cook, Mar 2021
Chris was awesome. Due to COVID we requested to drive separately, and he offered to meet us close to where we were staying outside of Rovaniemi instead of asking us to drive all the way into town. He was prompt and courteous and when we met he took time to explain where we were going and why he had chosen that location. Upon arrival to the location he explained how the Moon that night could affect our ability to see the lights, but would be great for some other photography. He helped up setup our personal cameras for the best settings to be able to capture the Aurora. Once setup, he showed us how to find North based on the stars and provided a lesson on the importance of the stars in the arctic region.
Throughout the evening, Chris took any opportunity to teach, including building the fire using flint and steel, how the Aurora appeared, different constellations, and interesting facts about some religious views about the Aurora.
I highly recommend this tour, Chris was amazing and took some wonderful photographs of the Aurora and of us and was quick to send those images.
nicola_s, Nov 2023
Bellissima esperienza di caccia all'aurora e nonostante le basse probabilità la nostra guida Adrian è stato molto bravo a trovare un punto perfetto.
Siamo arrivati su un lago ghiacciato e nell'attesa che arrivasse l'aurora abbiamo fatto un barbecue e ci ha raccontato tanto riguardo l'aurora boreale, poi è arrivata la magia.
sylvain_i, Mar 2023
Bien aiguillé par notre guide, nous sommes très vite tombés sur des aurores.
A faire en début de séjour absolument pour comprendre et apprendre par vous même à trouver des aurores. Car c'est simple une fois qu'on a appris, mais avant pas du tout !
Je recommande, et en plus c'est en français!!
Giuseppina_G, Jan 2023
Jeremie notre guide a été parfait. Nous le recommandons vivement 🙌
Alors que la météo et les conditions ne s'y prêtaient pas. Il a réussi à nous faire découvrir l'un de nos plus beaux souvenirs grâce à sa détermination et sa motivation.
Un réel passionné. Merci !
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