Northern lights in Finland

Why inland Lapland works

Finnish Lapland is flat or gently hilly, forested and far from the sea. High pressure often settles over it for days in midwinter, bringing still air, clear skies and serious cold: −20 to −30 °C (−4 to −22 °F) is normal in January and February. Clear and cold go together here, which is good news for aurora watchers and a warning about clothing.

Finns call the aurora revontulet, fox fires, after a folk tale of an Arctic fox whose tail sweeps sparks into the sky as it runs across the fells. You will see the name everywhere, from hotel names to beer labels.

Rovaniemi

The capital of Lapland sits on the Arctic Circle and has the most flights, including direct winter flights from the UK in some years, and connections through Helsinki year-round. The VR night train from Helsinki takes about 12 hours and arrives in time for breakfast.

Rovaniemi is the furthest south of the bases here. On a quiet night the aurora appears around 17° above the northern horizon, so the town lights and Santa Claus Village crowds work against you. Drive or take a tour 20–30 minutes out to a lake shore, such as those around Norvajärvi, and the difference is obvious.

Levi and Ylläs

Levi, near Kittilä airport, is Finland's busiest ski resort, lively in the evenings and ideal for mixed groups who want skiing, husky rides and aurora in one trip. On quiet nights the aurora sits about 33° up in the north. Ylläs, under an hour away, is calmer and darker. The overnight train runs to Kolari, about an hour from both.

Over 2005–2025 the trip planner gives Levi its best odds in March, just ahead of September.

Saariselkä, Ivalo and Inari

This is where the aurora is overhead on ordinary nights. Ivalo airport has flights from Helsinki; Saariselkä is about 30 km (20 miles) south, a compact village on the edge of Urho Kekkonen National Park with glass igloos and aurora cabins nearby. March gave Saariselkä its best odds over 2005–2025.

Inari, 40 km north of Ivalo on the shore of the huge Lake Inari, is the centre of Finnish Sámi culture. Siida, the Sámi museum and nature centre, is worth an afternoon, and the frozen lake gives a wide, dark horizon in every direction.

Utsjoki and Kilpisjärvi: the far north

Utsjoki, on the Teno river at the Norwegian border, is the northernmost municipality in Finland and one of the darkest, emptiest places in the country. Expect very few services.

Kilpisjärvi, at the tip of Finland's north-western arm, is surrounded by fells, including the much-photographed Saana. It lies closer to Tromsø than to Rovaniemi, and Norwegian tour buses often arrive there on cloudy coastal nights. January and February gave it the best odds in the trip planner.

Glass igloos: worth it?

Sleeping under a glass roof is a lovely idea, and on a clear, active night it delivers. Know the limits. Condensation and frost can blur the glass, the room's own lights reflect, and the aurora often appears low in the north rather than straight above. Photographs through glass rarely match those taken outside.

Treat the igloo as a bonus, not a strategy. Set an alarm, dress quickly and step outside when it starts.

How far south the aurora reaches in Finland

Further than many visitors expect. Oulu, on the Gulf of Bothnia, can see it on almost any clear, dark night low in the north, and Helsinki needs roughly Kp 2.7 to show it low over the northern horizon. During the strong storms of May and October 2024 it was photographed across southern Finland, including in Helsinki itself.

That said, for regular sightings rather than lucky storm nights, plan on Lapland.

Getting there and getting around

From the UK most people fly to Helsinki and connect to Rovaniemi, Kittilä or Ivalo, or take one of the winter direct flights when they run. From North America, Helsinki is the usual hub. The domestic leg takes about 1 hour 15 minutes to Rovaniemi and a little longer to Ivalo.

Roads in Lapland are straight, well ploughed and quiet, and hire cars have studded tyres. The hazards are cold and reindeer, which wander onto the road, especially at dusk. If you would rather not drive, almost every resort runs aurora tours by minibus, snowmobile or reindeer sled, and many hotels offer an aurora alarm or call in the night.

Finland is two hours ahead of the UK. Shops in small villages close early, so stock up on snacks and hot drinks before a long evening outside.

When to go

The season runs from late August to early April. Lapland has midnight sun from late May to mid-July in the far north, and the bright nights either side rule out the aurora from about late April to mid-August. In midwinter the sun does not rise at all in the far north: in Utsjoki the polar night lasts about seven weeks.

September is quiet, mild and lovely, with autumn colours called ruska and lakes that are not yet frozen. Christmas is busy and expensive and often cloudy. Late February and March bring deep snow, bright days, long clear spells and the best statistics in several resorts.

Frequently asked questions

Is Rovaniemi good for the northern lights? It is fine on active, clear nights if you get out of town, but bases further north such as Levi, Saariselkä or Inari see it more often and higher in the sky.

How cold does it get? In January and February nights of −25 °C (−13 °F) are common inland and −35 °C is possible. Many resorts lend thermal suits and boots.

Can children come on aurora tours? Yes, and Finnish Lapland is the best set-up destination for families. Choose tours with a heated hut or a fire, and keep outings short.

Is the night train better than flying? It saves a hotel night and a lot of airport time, and you wake up in snow. Book early for the Christmas and February holiday weeks.