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Northern lights in Hetta, Enontekiö: which evening to book

Three small figures and a snowmobile far out on a wide frozen lake at dusk, a faint green aurora in the violet sky above

Illustration photo: a snowmobile on a frozen lake under a faint aurora, not necessarily in Hetta.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

If the dogs are why you came to Hetta, book the night dogsled tour: you drive your own team in the dark, which is a quieter evening than one spent behind an engine. If you want to cover the most ground for the least money and can drive, book the snowmobile evening, as long as your group reaches its minimum. For a family or friends with older or younger members who would rather sit warm, book the heated sleigh.

How the operators compare

Prices are the operators' own published starting prices as of the date this guide was updated, and they change through the season.

Hetta Huskies: by dogsledHetta Huskies: by snowmobileHetta Huskies: heated sleigh
Price per adult €175 €120 – the lowest price per adult in the kennel's price table €140
Length 1.5 h 1.5 h 2.5 h
Distance 6 km 20 km 20 km
Who drives You, sharing a sleigh You, sharing a snowmobile The guide
To yourself €325, or guide-driven €175 high season, €145 low Not stated

Highlighted figures are the best in that row: the lowest price per adult in the kennel's price table. Adult prices assume two people sharing a sleigh or a snowmobile. Only price is marked, and it is the price in the kennel's snowmobile table; see the body for the other prices the kennel prints.

Where these figures come from
  • Hetta Huskies: by dogsled: Six kilometres on the same track as the daytime Silent Landscapes tour, driving your own team with head torches when needed, and a farm visit. Classed intermediate at night.
  • Hetta Huskies: by snowmobile: Twenty kilometres on maintained trails near the base to a good viewing spot and back. You need a driving licence to drive, and at least four people for it to run.
  • Hetta Huskies: heated sleigh: Twenty kilometres sitting in a heated sleigh pulled by a large snowmobile, up to nine inside and two more behind the guide. Sold to groups of family or friends.

Aurora evenings in Hetta are sold by Hetta Huskies, and the three it offers are three different nights out. What changes is how you travel and how much of the work is yours.

By dogsled

The night tour runs on the six-kilometre track used for the daytime Silent Landscapes tour, and you drive the dogs yourself, sharing a sleigh. The kennel classes the route as intermediate after dark because visibility is lower, and it often takes longer than the daytime version. It costs 175 euros per adult, the most of the three, which the kennel puts down to more guides per guest, lighting and extra safety checks at night.

By snowmobile

The snowmobile evening covers twenty kilometres of maintained trail close to the base, stops at a good viewing point and comes back. Two adults share a machine and take turns; a snowmobile to yourself costs more, with a higher price in high season. Anyone driving needs a licence, and the tour runs only when four people have booked or someone pays for four.

In a heated sleigh

The heated sleigh covers the same distance, with up to nine people sitting inside behind a large snowmobile and two more riding on the machine with the guide. It is sold to groups of family or friends, and the kennel suggests it for groups with older or younger members.

More than one price

The kennel prints the snowmobile evenings in two places, and the numbers do not match. The table on its snowmobile page gives 120 euros for the shared snowmobile and 140 for the heated sleigh, while the aurora page gives 100 and 120, and the day table lists the heated sleigh at 200 euros as an aurora safari. Ask which applies when you book.

The kennel’s daytime husky tours are on the Enontekiö destination page, and the same kennel’s daytime snowmobile tours are in snowmobile safaris in Enontekiö.

The daytime outings from the same company are set out separately: husky safari in Hetta and the reindeer farm visit.

Tours you can book

Questions people ask

What do we wear, and is clothing lent?

Not as standard. On the snowmobile evening, snowmobile clothing and boots can be hired for 5 euros a piece and gloves, hats and buffs for 2.50 each, and the kennel asks you to check it has enough if you are relying on it, since most guests arrive already dressed for the Arctic. The dogsled evening lends head torches when needed but recommends bringing your own.

Can children come?

On the dogsled evening, yes: the kennel prints a child fare of 125 euros for ages three to twelve, and its FAQ says a child under three always rides in the sleigh with a parent. On the snowmobile evening, children and adults can ride in a sleigh pulled by the guide's snowmobile for 90 euros. The heated sleigh is the one built with older and younger passengers in mind.

Can we get our money back if the sky is cloudy?

Neither the aurora pages nor the price tables mention a refund for cloud, and the kennel's FAQ says short tour bookings are generally non-refundable. Book once you are sure of the evening rather than waiting for a forecast, and ask the kennel directly about its terms for the snowmobile evenings, which the FAQ does not address.

Written by

Lapland Handbook Staff

Lapland Handbook is written by its editorial staff in Rovaniemi. Every price, age limit and group size in a comparison is read from the operator's own page and marked "Not stated" when the operator does not publish it. Each guide names who should not book, and names the operator that suits each kind of group, whichever it is.

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