The northern lights may appear all year round, but sometimes clouds or bright summer nights make it impossible to see them. The northern lights cannot be reliably predicted, which is why seeing them is believed to bring good fortune.
Northern lights
The northern lights are part of Lapland’s charm
The best places for catching a glimpse of the northern lights are in open or high places outside of residential areas, away from the glow of street lights. In the Ruka area, Juhannuskallio (that you can reach by car) and the Valtavaara and Konttainen area are great places for viewing the northern lights.
On the Posio side in Riisitunturi, an adventurous northern lights watcher can spend the night in the open wilderness hut on the peak of the fell. A clear sky or minimal cloud coverage are preconditions for seeing the northern lights.
You can admire the Northern Lights in Ruka webcam in real-time and also as saved images.
You can track the probability of seeing the northern lights with apps such as free My Aurora Forecast (available in Google Play).
Double aurora, or the northern lights reflecting on a calm water surface, is on the wish list of many tourists who have travelled a long way to see it. This experience is possible on the shores of lakes or ponds in Kuusamo in August–November.
Enjoying your holiday in October–November is also a sustainable choice that promotes tourism all year round!
Under a glass roof, you can admire the northern lights while comfortably lying on your back. The unique accommodation options range from villas for a few people to large log cabins.
Many of our accommodation providers who specialise in northern lights holidays have paid particular attention to operating in a manner that respects nature.
You can participate in an environmentally friendly guided northern lights safari on a reindeer sleigh, riding on a Finnhorse or embarking on a snowshoe adventure.
The wilderness is also easily accessible by snowmobiling or sitting in a sleigh pulled by a snowmobile.