Chases run all season and refund in full if the camera catches no aurora — €139 per person from November.
Chases run all season and refund in full if the camera catches no aurora — €139 per person from November.
The best time for a Rovaniemi aurora tour is September–October or February–March, according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), and between about 21:00 and 01:00 on any dark, clear night from late August to April. Taking weather into account, FMI points to March and early April. October adds a bonus: chase tours cost about half their winter price.
Source: Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) for aurora months; temperatures are monthly averages; chase prices from GetYourGuide checks on 21 Oct, 11 Nov and 17 Feb. Fields we do not have are not shown.
Source: Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) for aurora months; temperatures are monthly averages; chase prices from GetYourGuide checks on 21 Oct, 11 Nov and 17 Feb. Fields we do not have are not shown.
Source: Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) for aurora months; temperatures are monthly averages; chase prices from GetYourGuide checks on 21 Oct, 11 Nov and 17 Feb. Fields we do not have are not shown.
Source: Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) for aurora months; temperatures are monthly averages; chase prices from GetYourGuide checks on 21 Oct, 11 Nov and 17 Feb. Fields we do not have are not shown.
Source: Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) for aurora months; temperatures are monthly averages; chase prices from GetYourGuide checks on 21 Oct, 11 Nov and 17 Feb. Fields we do not have are not shown.
Source: Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) for aurora months; temperatures are monthly averages; chase prices from GetYourGuide checks on 21 Oct, 11 Nov and 17 Feb. Fields we do not have are not shown.
Source: Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) for aurora months; temperatures are monthly averages; chase prices from GetYourGuide checks on 21 Oct, 11 Nov and 17 Feb. Fields we do not have are not shown.
Source: Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) for aurora months; temperatures are monthly averages; chase prices from GetYourGuide checks on 21 Oct, 11 Nov and 17 Feb. Fields we do not have are not shown.
Source: Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) for aurora months; temperatures are monthly averages; chase prices from GetYourGuide checks on 21 Oct, 11 Nov and 17 Feb. Fields we do not have are not shown.
Source: Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) for aurora months; temperatures are monthly averages; chase prices from GetYourGuide checks on 21 Oct, 11 Nov and 17 Feb. Fields we do not have are not shown.
Source: Finnish Meteorological Institute, Visit Rovaniemi, Visit Finland; temperatures are 1991–2020 means from two datasets, shown as ranges · GetYourGuide listings for Rovaniemi: Aurora Hunt - 100% Guaranteed, Free Photos, Rovaniemi: Northern Lights Tour - 100% Guarantee & Photos (★ 4.65, 4,456 reviews) and Rovaniemi: Northern Lights Tour – 100% Guarantee & Photos (★ 4.84, 2,634 reviews), checked 6 Oct 2026.
Temperatures in the strip are averages: the two climate datasets differ by 1.5–2 °C in winter, so plan for the colder figure. In January and February the mean is −10 to −12 °C, and a 5–8 hour chase spends long stretches outdoors. Tours like Rovaniemi: Northern Lights Tour – 100% Guarantee & Photos include overalls and boots for down to −40 °C if needed; Rovaniemi: Aurora Hunt - 100% Guaranteed, Free Photos does not list clothing. Compare what each tour includes on the price page.
December worries many travelers because of the "polar night". Rovaniemi does not have one: on 21 Dec 2026 the city gets 2 hours 33 minutes of daylight. That short day gives a long dark window, but December is not on FMI's best-month list.
Is 2026–27 still a good season? Solar Cycle 25 reached its maximum period in October 2024, and 2026–27 is in the declining phase, when strong storms are still possible. That is a reason to go rather than wait — but even a strong storm needs a clear, dark sky to be seen. See guarantees for what happens if it stays cloudy.
Most auroras over Finland appear between about 9 pm and 1 am local time, peaking around midnight (FMI). Chase tours leave before that window and stay out through it: Rovaniemi: Aurora Hunt - 100% Guaranteed, Free Photos departs between 18:00 and 21:00, Guaranteed Northern Lights – 100% Money-Back + Photos picks up between 18:00 and 21:00, and Rovaniemi: 100% Guaranteed Northern Lights Hunt & Small Group leaves at 18:00–19:00. In midwinter Northern Lights Wilderness Tour | Photos & Extra Guarantee usually leaves between 7 PM and 9 PM.
Short evenings cover only part of the window. Most BBQ and campfire tours last 3 hours, so a 19:00 start ends around 22:00, before the typical peak. Check the start time on the listing, or pick a chase of 5–8 hours such as Rovaniemi: Northern Lights Tour - 100% Guarantee & Photos if the aurora is your main goal. Our review Check dates
Autumn is the season most people skip and FMI rates highest. September and October are among its best months, average temperatures are around 8 °C and 1 °C, and the autumn tours' own photos show aurora reflected in unfrozen lakes. On 21 Oct 2026 the shared chase Rovaniemi: Aurora Hunt - 100% Guaranteed, Free Photos cost €59.95 and Rovaniemi: Northern Lights Tour - 100% Guarantee & Photos cost €69.50, against €119 and €139 from 11 Nov.
“"despite the weather being a bit cloudy, he was patient and we were able to see the auroras." — Rita, October 2024, Rovaniemi: Aurora Borealis Trip – Autumn, review on GetYourGuide”
Cloud is the usual reason a night is called off, and guaranteed chases handle it for you: Rovaniemi: Northern Lights Hunt with Guarantee & Free Photos cancels by 4:00 PM with a full refund, and Rovaniemi: 100% Guaranteed Northern Lights Hunt & Small Group calls the night off by 15:00 if there are no clear areas within 350 km. Other chases drive to clearer sky; guests often mention long drives, sometimes into Sweden. Compare refund rules on guarantees.
Rated 4.84 from 2,634 reviews, it chases clear skies for 5–8 hours, drives up to 200 km, and refunds 100% if the guide’s camera captures no aurora. Thermal overalls and boots to −40 °C are included if needed.
All 65 tours we track allow free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start, so you can move a booking to a clearer night.
Rovaniemi: Best & Original Aurora Experience with Pro Photos switches to night photography in heavy cloud or snowfall; Rovaniemi: Snowtrain to Northern Lights Camp runs in all weather and focuses on the Arctic night when skies are cloudy.
Rovaniemi: Northern Lights Hunt with Guarantee & Free Photos and Guaranteed Northern Lights – 100% Money-Back + Photos give a free re-hunt or a full refund if the cameras catch nothing; Rovaniemi: Guaranteed Northern Lights Photo Tour gives a free second night.
September–October and February–March are the best months according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, and taking weather into account it points to March and early April. October has the extra advantage of autumn prices: shared chases cost €59.95–69.50 on 21 Oct 2026 against €119–139 from November. See the month strip for temperatures. Check dates
Yes. The aurora season in Rovaniemi starts in late August, and FMI lists September among the best months. Average temperatures are around 8 °C, and autumn tours such as Rovaniemi: Aurora Borealis Autumn Lake Floating Experience (lake floating, from €136) and Rovaniemi: Aurora Borealis Trip – Autumn (lakeside fire, from €89) run then. None of these autumn-only tours guarantees the aurora. Check dates
December works, but it is not one of FMI's best months. Rovaniemi has no true polar night; on 21 Dec 2026 it gets about 2 hours 33 minutes of daylight, so evenings are long and dark. Average temperatures are around −8 to −9 °C, so choose a tour that includes overalls, such as Rovaniemi: Northern Lights Tour – 100% Guarantee & Photos. We did not check December prices. Check dates
Between about 21:00 and 01:00, with a peak around midnight, according to FMI. Chase tours usually pick up between 18:00 and 21:00 (for example Rovaniemi: Aurora Hunt - 100% Guaranteed, Free Photos and Guaranteed Northern Lights – 100% Money-Back + Photos) and stay out 5–8 hours, covering the whole window. A 3-hour BBQ evening that starts at 19:00 ends before the peak, so check the start time. Check dates
In Finnish Lapland the aurora appears on roughly every second dark, clear night, according to FMI and Visit Finland. The "three nights in four" figure belongs to Kilpisjärvi in the far north, not Rovaniemi. Cloud is the bigger limit, so plan two or three tour nights and use free cancellation up to 24 hours before start. See guarantees.
Opinions differ, and we found no official source that settles it, so we don't advise planning around the moon. Guests on GetYourGuide have reported seeing the aurora on a full-moon night on Rovaniemi: Reindeer Sleigh Ride at Night and with the moon hidden by clouds on Rovaniemi: Northern Lights Hunt with Guarantee & Free Photos. Cloud cover and the 21:00–01:00 window matter more for your plans. Check dates
Yes. Solar Cycle 25 reached its maximum period in October 2024, and 2026–27 is the declining phase, in which strong storms are still possible. Even a strong storm needs a clear, dark sky to be seen, which is why chase tours drive to wherever the sky is clear. Compare chases on aurora hunting. Check dates
No. In summer the nights in Rovaniemi are too light to see the aurora, even when it is active. The season runs from late August to April. If you visit in summer, tours like Rovaniemi: Ice Floating in Forest Lake with Combo Options float on a forest lake under the midnight sun instead. Plan your aurora trip for September–October or February–March. Check dates
Plan at least two or three nights. The aurora shows on roughly every second dark, clear night in Lapland, and clouds can close the sky for days. Book one night first and keep the next ones flexible: all tours we track allow free cancellation up to 24 hours before start, and Rovaniemi: Northern Lights Hunt with Guarantee & Free Photos gives a free re-hunt if its cameras catch nothing. Check dates