Seeking the northern lights in Lapland
The magic of Christmas meets the magic of the aurora borealis in Finland’s Arctic Circle
In Finland, they call the northern lights revontulet, or “fox fires.” The story of the Indigenous Sami people goes that a magical fox sped through the snow, casting sparks into the sky in its wake. The nomadic Sami must have seen plenty of fox fires as they traveled across the white-blanketed landscape of Lapland—which today encompasses a far-northern swath of Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia.
Lapland is still one of the top spots for watching the sky aflame as the aurora puts on its nightly razzle dazzle. In Swedish Lapland, the mountain-wrapped Abisko National Park boasts a special microclimate, which means it gets less precipitation, and hence less lights-blocking cloud cover than other spots in the aurora zone. But it’s also more remote to access, about an hour’s drive from the nearest airport in Kiruna, itself a connecting flight from Stockholm.
Meanwhile, Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland has its own airport well-served by direct flights, as well as husky-sledding trips, sauna boat cruises, and ice-floating (in an insulated suit) in a frozen lake while gazing up at the aurora. For kids, this winter wonderland has added appeal: It’s the “official” hometown of St. Nicholas. This means there’s a ludicrously jolly Santa Claus Village just northeast of the city, where you can send letters from the post office with a special Arctic Circle postmark, meet the main man himself, and take a reindeer sleigh ride—Rovaniemi has a population of around 12,450 reindeer (to its 63,000 people).
Your need-to-know
What are the northern lights?
Otherwise known as the aurora borealis, the dancing ribbons of green, red, and pink light are the result of electrically charged gas particles from the sun, blown towards Earth as solar winds, colliding with our atmosphere. These charged electrons and protons are attracted to North and South Poles, and are most likely to appear in bands around each pole, called the auroral oval.
The geomagnetic activity is measured by the Kp index; the higher the number equals a higher chance of seeing the lights. Anything above three is ideal.
Northern lights season in Lapland
The best months to see the northern lights in Finnish Lapland are from late August to early April. Displays are at their peak around the fall and spring equinoxes in September and March.
To maximize the chance of seeing even the faintest aurora, look at the lunar cycle and aim for around a new moon for the inkiest nights.
How to see them
Download the Aurora Alert app to get pinged as soon as the lights make an appearance.
In town, head for the Arctic Garden behind the Arktikum or hike 45 minutes to the Ounasvaara fell and then look north.
What to pack
Layer, layers, and more layers: Start with a thermal base (wool is best) and finish with a parka and snow pants. Wear a couple of pairs of wool socks with waterproof winter boots and don’t forget a hat, gloves, and scarf. Many tour companies will rent out winter gear. A headlamp is also handy for walking in the dark and adjusting camera settings.
To get the best photographs, use a tripod and manual camera (set to the highest ISO setting, lowest aperture, and a longer shutter speed). If you’ve only got a smartphone, apps such as NightCap Camera (coupled with a tripod) can help your phone capture the aurora. Read our expert guide here.
You don’t have to walk far from the city center to spot the undulating glow: The northern lights can be seen in Finnish Lapland some 200 nights a year. For the best views, try the Arctic Garden behind the Arktikum museum or the top of the Ounasvaara fell.
Further north still, the vast Lake Inari is home to aurora huts and igloos and nearby Sami cultural centers, Siida and Sajos. Meanwhile at the ski resorts of Levi and Ylläs—as well as Ounasvaara on the outskirts of Rovaniemi itself—you can carve fresh powder by day, and aurora-hunt across frozen fells by night. This is a top-of-the-world adventure that feels like another planet.
Your Rovaniemi itinerary
Day 1
Where to stay
In the city center, the Arctic Light Hotel, overlooking the confluence of the Ounasjoki and Kemijoki rivers, is the pick of the bunch. But some of the most interesting stays are a little further out, such as the cabins of the Arctic TreeHouse Hotel, with its wide northern-facing windows positioned to catch the northern lights.
8 a.m.
Take a scenic snowy hike
The icy waterfalls of the Korouoma Canyon (pictured) are like something straight out of Frozen. Hike to them through snow-draped fir trees on a day-long guided tour.
6 p.m.
Spice things up
Warm up with some surprisingly straight-out-of-Mexico tacos at Taqueria Yuca.
9 p.m
Get a grandstand view of the aurora
One of the best places to see the northern lights in the city center is the Arctic Garden on the banks of the river. The long glass corridor of the Arktikum museum helpfully points north, so you know which way to look.
Day 2
11 a.m.
Ready, steady, snow
Start the day speeding across the dazzlingly white Arctic countryside on a snowmobile safari.
1 p.m.
Stop for some café culture
Head back to the Arktikum museum for some lunch—don’t miss the café’s signature banana bread made with surplus fruit from a local supermarket (or a peek at the exhibits after).
Tor-Ivar Næss: “My pro guide to shooting the northern lights”
3 p.m.
Appreciate the architecture
After Rovaniemi was almost completely flattened during WWII bombing raids, famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto helped redesign the city with its streets laid out in the shape of a reindeer head with antlers. See his work in Rovaniemi’s city hall, library, and Lappia Hall.
5 p.m.
The hottest way to see the lights
Sauna is synonymous with Scandinavia (pictured), so sweat it out in a traditional wood-fire one out in the wilderness, followed by a Lappish dinner of smoked salmon and aurora-spotting from a cozy cabin.
Day 3
9 a.m.
Take on the tundra
Learn about the serious skills it takes to survive in the wintry wilderness on this snowshoeing, ice-fishing and fire-making survival skills adventure—you’ll barbecue what you catch for lunch.
2 p.m.
Go full festive
Families can’t leave Rovaniemi without visiting the city’s most famous resident, at the fantasyland of Santa Claus Village (pictured). Grown-ups might prefer to tap into a different kind of festivity on a brewery tour at Finland’s northernmost brewery.
6 p.m.
Eat like a local
Tuck into more Lappish specialties, such as reindeer tartare or grilled Arctic char, at Arctic Restaurant.
7:30 p.m.
See the aurora from the water
One of the most unique ways to see the northern lights is bobbing in an icy lake under the night sky.
Fiona Kerr is a food-loving travel journalist and former features director at Condé Nast Traveller. Her writing has appeared in The Guardian, The Telegraph, Elle Decoration and the The New York Times. When she gets to a new country, her first stop is usually the local supermarket.
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