Northern lights in Saariselkä: minivan hunt, snowmobile, reindeer sleigh or photo tour?
Updated October 29, 2026 · 4 min read
If seeing the aurora is the reason for the evening, book the Aurora Hunting Photography Tour. It travels by minivan, runs for 3 hours, starts at €139 and holds 4.7 stars from 441 reviews, and its guides choose the stops according to the forecast. Visit Finland warns that aurora activity “can be intense in one spot and invisible just a few kilometres away”, and it names clouds as the most common reason visitors miss the lights. A vehicle can leave a cloud bank behind; a reindeer or snowmobile on a forest trail cannot. Choose the snowmobile or the sleigh only if the ride would still feel worth its price under a grey sky.
Nine aurora tours from Saariselkä compared
| Tour | Getting around | Duration | From | Rating | Named in the description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Hunting Photography Tour | minivan | 3 hours | €139 | 4.7 (441) | guides pick locations from the forecast |
| Aurora Hunt & Photo Tour by Van | Mercedes-Benz van | 3 hours | €130 | 4.5 (96) | professional drivers |
| Aurora Photo Tour by Car with Transfer & Drinks | car | 3 hours | €119 | 3.9 (118) | gingerbread cookies, hot drinks, photos sent afterwards |
| Northern Lights Viewing & Photographing | not stated | 4 hours | €156.60 | 4.0 (203) | local stories, warm comforts |
| Hunting Northern Lights by Snowmobiles | snowmobile | 4 hours | €197.10 | 4.6 (242) | ride through snow-covered forest |
| Evening Snowmobile Tour with Fire & picnic | snowmobile | 3 hours | €149 | 4.5 (137) | sausages grilled on a campfire, hot drinks |
| Reindeer Sledding Tour on a Northern Lights Hunt | reindeer sleigh | 2.5 hours | €189 | 4.6 (154) | feeding the reindeer, hot drink |
| Husky Safari with Aurora Borealis Hunt | husky sleigh you drive | 3 hours | €260 | 4.5 (15) | warm drink during a break |
| Northern Lights Hunting Snowshoe Trip | on foot, snowshoes | 2.5 hours | €89 | 4.8 (29) | a guide teaches snowshoe walking |
When your odds are best
The Finnish Meteorological Institute counts an auroral night on every second night in Sodankylä and on three nights out of four in the Kilpisjärvi–Utsjoki area, provided the sky is clear. In latitude, Saariselkä lies between the two, about one degree north of Sodankylä. FMI names February–March and September–October as the best months and 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. local time as the best hours; in summer the light nights make auroras invisible. Visit Finland gives the whole season as late August to early April.
On the afternoon of your tour, check FMI’s aurora probability map: the larger the dot, the better the chance.
Cold is part of the price
Clear nights are the cold ones. FMI’s 1991–2020 averages for Saariselkä village put January at −12.1 °C, with an average daily low of −15.6 °C. A minivan tour lets you climb back into the vehicle between stops; on a sleigh you sit still; on a snowmobile you add wind chill. If your own gear is thin, the Insulated, Waterproof Winter Clothing Set Rental starts at €46 and covers adults and children in Saariselkä and Ivalo.
Who each format suits
The minivan hunt suits photographers and anyone with one or two evenings in which to see the lights. Among the three car and van tours, the €119 option scores lowest at 3.9 stars.
The snowmobile hunt costs €197.10 against €139 for the minivan tour and lasts one hour longer, and whoever drives watches the track rather than the sky. Book it if you want a night ride either way.
The reindeer sleigh is the shortest outing at 2.5 hours, and its listing presents it as a Sámi tradition. Because the ride stays in a Lapland forest, a cloudy forecast cannot be dodged.
The husky hunt is the most expensive at €260 with only 15 reviews. The snowshoe trip is the cheapest at €89, but you cover the ground on foot.
What no listing can promise
Nobody controls cloud cover. One listing, the Guaranteed Aurora Tour in Small Group & Pictures at €199, offers your money back if no aurora appears, yet it has a single review so far.
Our recommendation
Take the Aurora Hunting Photography Tour on one of your first evenings, so a cloudy night still leaves time to try again. Treat a snowmobile or sleigh outing as a separate winter experience that might bring an aurora as a bonus.
