Utsjoki Aurora Tour with a Small Group
Join me in this Utsjoki Aurora tour, in a small group (max. 3 people) with very personal service.
Last updated: 25 January 2023.
Seeing the Northern Lights, also known as Aurora Borealis, is a unique and breathtaking experience. Finnish Lapland and particularly the Utsjoki region is one of the best places in the world to see the Aurora.
SEASON 2022 – 2023
Bookings are open for the 2022 – 2023 aurora season. Contact me soon to book your excursion, as availability is very limited!
Price: 175 euros per person
Why the Utsjoki area?
If seeing the Northern Lights constitutes a bucket list item for you, and you have decided to come and try this in Utsjoki in Finnish Lapland, then I am happy to tell you that you took a very good decision!
The Utsjoki region is located exactly on a “belt” around the polar circle, where it is almost guaranteed to see the Northern Lights on a clear night. Forget everything that you might have read about a solar maximum and minimum. While it is true that this plays a role, there remains a lot of Aurora nights in the Utsjoki area thanks to its position under the “belt”.
The most important is to find good weather and clear skies because the Aurora is not visible behind clouds. Northern Lights Tours will help you to find this good weather.
What you can expect
The north of Finnish Lapland and especially Utsjoki is a perfect place to witness the Aurora. But sometimes the weather does not cooperate, and there are clouds right above where you are staying. That’s where I come in.
I will take you along in my comfortable vehicle and we will drive to clearer skies. We will be following the weather forecast and drive away from the Utsjoki village lights.
I will usually pick you up at the reception of your accommodation in Utsjoki (up to 20 km around the village) around 7-8 PM. Sometimes there are chances for earlier Aurora, especially during the Polar Night in December/January, so we might need to agree on leaving earlier.
After a short but important safety briefing, we will start driving in the direction of the good weather. This will bring us either East along or even beyond the Norwegian border, or further West along the Teno River. Sometimes we will consider driving a bit south towards Inari. And sometimes we may even have to enter Norway and take photos on the shore of the Arctic Ocean! I will regularly monitor the weather forecast updates on my smartphone to refine our search. I have been driving all these roads over and over again the past 10 winters. I know each and every of them perfectly with all the safe and photogenic places to stop! Just check out my Northern Lights pictures portfolio for some examples of the spots we might visit. You can also check out these blog posts to read the stories of how we went Northern Lights Chasing with my past guests.
You are together a maximum of 3 people (plus me) so the tour remains very cosy. This also allows great flexibility on the ground that we can cover to increase our chances to see the Northern Lights! It also allows me to dedicate a lot of time to each and every guests, to set up your cameras and take pictures of you.
Learn how to take Aurora photos
During the Northern Lights tour, I will help you with your photography. I will give you tips on composition and on how to set up your camera for night, Astro and Aurora photography. If the Aurora is not dancing, we will learn how to take beautiful pictures of the Milky Way.
Before you travel to Lapland, I recommend you to read my guide on how to take Northern Lights pictures. This will help you tremendously. There are many things that you can do beforehand at home to practice if you don’t have much night photography experience.
You need to bring your own camera and tripod to take pictures. But of course you don’t need to be a photographer to join a tour!
Price of your Utsjoki Aurora Tour
Our Utsjoki Aurora Tour might last from 3 hours up to the entire night. I will always do my best to give you the best possible experience. I never give an “end time” to our hunt. If we are under dancing Aurora, who really wants to go back to the hotel?
The price for a full evening of Aurora hunting, including hot drinks and some light snacks, with a pick up in Utsjoki (up to 20km from the village), is:
- 175 euros / person
Usual pick up locations in Utsjoki are the cottages at Aurora Holidays, the Hotel Utsjoki, or Holiday Village Valle. Of course, I will also pick you up at your Airbnb accommodation, so long as it is located within 20 km from the Utsjoki village.
I do not offer pick-ups from Inari, Ivalo, Saariselkä, Kakslauttanen or Rovaniemi.
Included:
- Pick-up from your accommodation, and drive to find clear skies
- Guiding
- Teaching photography when needed
- Pictures of you under the Northern Lights when they appear (they are sent to you after a few days by email)
- Hot drinks and biscuits/cookies
Not included:
- Cold weather clothing (if you don’t have proper clothing, please let me know and I will arrange rental for you – if you don’t have proper clothes, for safety reasons, I am not able to take you on the tour!)
- Photography equipment (you need to bring your own)
See what my previous clients think of this tour!
Additional services
You can rent from me the following equipment:
- Tripod: 10 euros / day
Note that I only rent equipment to customers who book the tour with me.
Conditions
By reserving the tour you are acknowledging that you have read and you agree with these conditions.
Additional conditions for groups (3 participants and more):
When booking online a 30% advance payment is required to guarantee the tour. I accept Paypal payments or bank transfers in Euros. A 6% transaction fee will be asked for all Paypal payments. This advance payment is not refundable if you decide to cancel the tour. However, I will of course reimburse you if we have to cancel due to unfavourable weather conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are you ready to book your Utsjoki Aurora Tour?
Book soon to make sure you get your preferred date! Availability is very limited as I only take very small groups.
