Frequently asked questions
Q: I want to book an Utsjoki Aurora Tour for me and my husband on [DATE]. I see that these dates are not included on your website. Can you make an exception?
A: Although I live in Utsjoki, I do regularly travel on assignments elsewhere. As a result, if the dates are not mentioned on the website, this means that I cannot offer a tour. I can however offer alternative solutions, just drop me a message!
Q: I don’t have a camera. Can I still join the tour?
A: Of course! Everyone is welcome to join the tour. During the tour, I will take photos of you under the Northern Lights, so you will always have a memory of your time under the Lapland sky. I will send you the photos by email after the tour.
Q: Do you guarantee to see the Northern Lights? Will they look like on the pictures?
A: No. The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon, and nobody can predict their appearance or strength. Sometimes, we might get lucky with an exceptionally bright display. Be aware that the bright pictures that you usually see come from those displays, and are often overly edited. The photo below is closer to reality. It does not mean that it is less spectacular to see with your naked eye! If the Aurora appears, even in such a dimmer way, you will see it move and dance and swirl a little bit, and that is always truly fascinating, even to an experienced chaser like me! Because of this, I don’t offer any refund if we are unlucky not to see the Northern Lights.
Q: The weather is bad. Do we still go on the tour?
A: There are 2 scenarios here. If the weather is bad in Utsjoki, it is possible that the situation is much better elsewhere. In this case, of course, we proceed with the tour (this is why we have a tour after all!). But sometimes it can happen that the weather forecast appears to be bad for the entire area. If I estimate that there are no chances to find clear sky, I will inform you and cancel/postpone the tour depending on your own availability. In case of cancellation because of the weather, if you paid in advance, you will naturally get a refund.
Q: When will I know what the planning is?
A: I will take your booking whenever you contact me, and confirm availability. Once confirmed, be reassured that it means that if the tour proceeds, there is a spot for you! On the day that you booked, I will contact you with my thoughts on departure time and weather conditions. Sometimes, the weather forecast is all over the place, and we will only take the decision to leave or not very late in the afternoon. I never start a tour if I estimate that the chances are too small!
Q: We are a couple and our hotel is in Saariselkä/Ivalo or Inari. Can you pick us up there?
A: The distances in Lapland may not look very long on a map, but they do take quite some time to travel. Saariselkä (and Ivalo) are located at more than 2 hours drive from where I am based in Utsjoki, Inari is a 1.5 hour trip one way, so unfortunately I cannot offer chases from there.
Q: We are visiting Santa Claus village in Rovaniemi, can you pick us up there?
A: Rovaniemi is about 6 hours driving one way from my location, so unfortunately, I can’t pick you up there. Contact my friend Alex, also editor in chief of All About Lapland, for an incredible experience. Alex always gives 200% to the chase!
Check out here my full aurora tour description and booking form.
