3. Tour Highlights

The main highlight of our trip was to witness the unique marvel of nature - a spectacular display of Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) dancing across the polar sky. As most of you would know, the name 'Aurora Borealis' was given by astronomer Galileo Galilei after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora and the Greek god of the north wind, Boreas.

A. Chasing Aurora in a heated sleigh

Out of the many activities arranged by the resort for aurora hunting, we opted for the cosy heated sleigh where one can enjoy a comfortable ride as the guide tows the sleigh with a snowmobile through the pristine landscape to the top of the fell, far away from residential areas. 

After arriving at the spot, the guide set up a tent for us and lit some fire while we eagerly waited with our cameras to capture the glittering lights. While shivering in the cold, we sipped some warm berry juice served by the guide and listened to his amazing experiences on such tours. 

We waited for almost an hour under the starlit sky before we could spot the first glimpse of the magical green lights. At first, they seemed very faint and vanished too quickly but gradually became more vibrant and real!! It was a 'dream come true' moment for us as the dark sky started glittering with shades of green all around- honestly no words can do full justice to what we witnessed there. With this amazing show of colours above and the thick blanket of snow beneath, we were left speechless by the mesmerising beauty of that night. But more spectacles were awaiting us the next night! Although we took plenty of photos on our own, the guide was also carrying his camera to click the perfect picture for us with the northern lights dancing in the background. The tour started around 8 PM or 9 PM with 3-4 people travelling together in one sleigh and lasted for 3 hours (which was enough to completely freeze us by the time we went back to the resort!). The cost of the tour was approximately 120 euro per person.  

B. Aurora over Lake Inari

Inspired by our successful aurora hunting on the first day, we booked the tour for aurora viewing by Lake Inari next night. This tour included a bus ride of one hour from the resort to Lake Inari which is the largest lake in Northern Finland close to the Russian border. The bus halted about 0.5 km away from a viewing platform  (near Lake Inari) and we walked the remaining distance all the way to the top of the platform overlooking the beautiful frozen lake. Although our guide had set up a camp close to the viewing platform for people to keep them warm, all of us chose to stay on the observatory deck hoping not to miss the first lights. After waiting in the dark for a long time, we finally got lucky as the green streaks slowly started glowing in the sky. While we were busy admiring the green lights, it was the turn of the rare purple streaks to amaze us!! Watching these bright lights swaying in the night sky was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  

C. Chasing Northern Lights in Nellim

Nellim is a small village in Finland approximately 42 km north of Ivalo and very close to the Russian border. On a clear starry night, there can be nothing more mesmerizing than a beautiful show of northern lights over the bridge on Paatsjoki river.

D. Viewing Northern Lights from Aurora cabin

Another unique experience was to watch the northern lights illuminate the dark sky while comfortably lying in bed in a cozy aurora cabin. Although you might have to stay awake almost the entire night to witness this special moment, believe me its totally worth the wait! Fortunately, we were able to view the northern lights from the glass roof of our room on the last night of our stay at 3 AM.  

E. Reindeer ride

While we were chasing the northern lights at night, daytime was spent making new winter experiences. One of them was the reindeer sleigh ride in the wild forest and the opportunity to feed the reindeers in the reindeer paddock.

F. Snomobile Safari

A 2.5 hour snowmobile ride through the snowy forests of Saariselkä was an amazing way of enjoying the breathtaking white landscape of the surroundings. As we embarked on this fun bumpy ride through the forests from one mountain to another, it was pure bliss to witness the natural beauty all around.

G. Husky safari

If you want some additional thrill then don't forget to speed along the snowy roads on a husky safari amidst this unique landscape.   

5. Useful Tips

• Best time to visit: The best time to visit Lapland for viewing the Northern lights is between November to March. We visited Lapland during February and were able to view the lights during all 3 days of our stay.

• Thermal wear: Winter in Lapland is extremely chilly. Be prepared for extreme negative temperatures and always dress in layers to ensure that you stay warm. All the aurora hunting tours begin around 8 or 9 PM at night and you should carry appropriate thermal wear to conquer the cold! The aurora hunting tours also include thermal wear provided by the tour organisers. You can consider using them incase your thermals are not adequate. 

• Aurora tours: I would suggest booking the aurora tours designed by different tour operators since they know the remote places where you have more chances of viewing the lights.

• Aurora forecasts: Remember to check the aurora forecasts before planning for the day. They give a fair idea of the chances of sighting the lights each day.

• Stay outside: Although it's extremely cold, try to stay outside as long as possible to maximise your chances of witnessing this spectacle. 

• Plan other activities: Remember to plan other winter activities as well since aurora hunting is not always successful but that does not stop your trip from being interesting! 

6. Goodbye

I can continue talking about Northern lights forever but to sum up the experience in a few words, it is simply surreal!! I am sure its on your bucket list already but if you have not yet planned for the trip, then start doing it now. You will definitely not want to miss witnessing this natural miracle at least once in your lifetime.