Can I see the Northern Lights in Autumn?
If you don’t fancy the sub-zero temperatures associated with Northern Scandinavia in winter, consider an autumn tour.
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Our staff will respond to your query promptly and provide detailed information to your questions.
4 days - Experience Arctic Europe in its majestic autumn months
Known to the locals as ‘ruska’, autumn in Finland is an exciting time of change. This phenomenon starts when the days get shorter and the weather gets colder. The birch turns a gentle shade of yellow, aspen turns red, and the leaves of blueberry and lingonberry shrubs turn bright red. The peak season lasts two to four weeks in September.
Add the magic of Northern Lights at night, and you can have an unforgettable autumn experience above the Arctic Circle. Highlights of this tour include a night in a glass igloo under the starry sky, guided boating tour in the wilderness, walking with your own husky dog, cruise on the majestic Lake Inari and insights into the indigenous Sami culture.
See several other Northern Lights tours in Arctic Europe here.
Highlights include
- Husky wagon trip at Kiilopaa
- Guided hiking tour of the Urho Kekkonen National Park
- Try the Sauna in your own room and enjoy the peace & quiet in this remote setting
- Look for early Northern Lights whilst cruising on Lake Inari after dinner
- Stay one night in a glass igloo at Glass Igloo Cabins in Ivalo
- Berry picking in the forests
- Day 1
- Arrival in Lapland and transfer to Inari
- Day 2
- Northern Lights search by boat on Lake Inari
- Day 3
- Husky Farm wagon tour, guided hike Urho Kekkonen National Park & evening staying in a glass igloo
- Day 4
- Awake in your glass igloo, enjoy breakfast and transfer to the airport
- Start/End Place
- Ivalo, Finland
- Country Visited
- Finland
- Duration
- 4 Days
- Start Date
- Flexible
- Travel Style
- Independent
- Suitability
- Independent holiday with moderately active activities and no luggage handling included
- Code
- 50DN0100
As a Certified B Corporation, 50 Degrees North has designed this tour using handpicked local hoteliers and suppliers who share our ethos of delivering services and activities of high social and environmental standards.
The CO2-e per person per day of all tours is carefully measured following each season. We fully offset all emissions of our tours on your behalf, and we constantly look at ways to reduce emissions where possible.
Details
Transportation
Private transfers
Included
- Airport transfers on day 1 & 4, transfers between hotels on day 3
- 2 nights' accommodation in a river side hotel & 1 nights accommodation in a glass igloo cabin
- Half board - breakfast and dinners included.
- Activities included: Husky wagon tour with visit to the husky farm, guided hiking tour of Urho Kekkonen National Park, Siida Museum & Northern Lights cruise (until mid September).
- 24-hour emergency service
- Taxes and service fees
Not Included
- Meals not specified in the itinerary
- Gratitudes and items of personal nature
- Travel insurance
- International or domestic flights
Optional activities include electric fat biking through the forest, guided berry picking, riverboat journey to Lemmenjoki National Park and spend a day as a guest of the Paltto family with traditional Sámi yoik singing.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrival in Lapland and transfer to Inari
After your arrival to Ivalo airport, transfer to your hotel at Inari.
Your first night is for your leisure, so try the sauna on your room, go for a walk by the river and rapids or just enjoy the nature and silence. In the evenings, you can turn on the Aurora TV which follows the night sky above you. Pull on your boots and grab your jacket if the aurora shows itself.
Meals
1 DinnerAccommodation
Wilderness Hotel JuutuaDay 2 - Northern Lights search by boat on Lake Inari
After your breakfast, you will visit Sami Siida museum. Here you will learn about Sámi culture and the diverse nature of Northern Lapland. This museum receives consistently great feedback from our travellers.
Afternoon is for your leisure - hiking, fishing and berry picking are all options you might like to explore.
In the late evening after your dinner, you will be taken on an atmospheric cruise of Lake Inari. If the sky is clear, this vast wilderness lake provides the perfect viewing spot for the Northern Lights. Even if the auroras are having a night off, the rising mist, moving clouds or glistening stars all serve to emphasize the quiet drama of being out there on the Sámi sea.
Meals
1 Breakfast1 Dinner
Transportation
Cruise duration 2 hoursDay 3 - Husky Farm wagon tour, guided hike Urho Kekkonen National Park & evening staying in a glass igloo
After breakfast you will transfer to Aurora Village resort where you will be staying your last night in a Glass Igloo.
First thing first, head out for a husky wagon ride. Huskies need to stay fit in summer so let’s go for a summer wagon ride with a team of huskies. Your husky musher will pick you up from the Aurora Village reception and take you to the husky farm nearby. You will get to greet the dogs and you’ll get to know details of the life of Alaskan Husky dogs. A team of huskies will take you on a 20-minute ride on a customized summer wagon. You’ll be served coffee in a traditional wooden Kota-building at the husky farm.
After lunch, head out to Saariselkä, where we start a guided hike on the highland area. Urho Kekkonen National Park is a paradise for hikers. Walk along the well-maintained trails and you will see unforgettable sceneries; round-topped fells and thick forests.
These glass cabins provide a one-of-a-kind opportunity to admire the Northern Lights and millions of stars in the crystal clear sky with a comfortable room temperature. The glass thermal roof ensures that the window will stay clear even in the lowest temperatures, and the warmth and amenities of the cabin will ensure you the most comfortable aurora observing experience we can offer you. Each cabin offers a private bathroom. You will get a free Aurora Alert on arrival as well - which will buzz you if the chance of seeing the Northern Lights is high during your stay!
Dinner is included at the restaurant.
Meals
1 Breakfast1 Dinner
Day 4 - Awake in your glass igloo, enjoy breakfast and transfer to the airport
Farewell and transfer to Ivalo Airport.
Meals
1 BreakfastDates & Prices
All prices listed are per person, twin share. Prices are indicative due to the current uncertainty across Europe with increasing energy and volatile fuel costs. For last minute bookings: prices are subject to availability.
Dates
Valid From
Valid To
From Price
Status
Accommodation
1 Sep 2025
25 Oct 2025
25 Oct 2025
1 Sep 2025
25 Oct 2025
NZD 2,735
On request
Standard
1 Sep 2025
25 Oct 2025
25 Oct 2025
1 Sep 2025
25 Oct 2025
NZD 975
On request
Extra for Single
Important Information
This tour can be combined with a Norwegian Coastal voyage from Kirkenes or an extention into Sweden.
It is important to note that in this period there will be no snow in this region. However, the autumn colours are usually beautiful this time a year, and there is already potential of seeing the northern lights.
Some of the activities listed finish in mid-September but others can be substituted in.
Gallery
Interactive Tour Map
Inspiration
A guide to berry picking on tour in Scandinavia
Scandinavian summers are magic. With their long, bright days and midnight sun you have the amazing opportunity to experience Nordic nature at it’s best. What would it taste like if you could bottle some of that magic?
Aurora Borealis Photography
Aurora Safari Camp founder, Fredrik Broman offers handy hints about capturing the Northern Lights.
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Travel Safe
Travel Insurance and Safety
Travel insurance is compulsory for all tours with 50 Degrees North. The safety of our travellers, staff and operators is a major priority of 50 Degrees North. With an operational office in Norway, 50 Degrees North has access to an up-to-the-minute flow of information regarding the countries we work in. We are also in regular contact with the various operators we use. Their in-depth knowledge and understanding of their various areas is vital.