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Northern lights in Sodankylä: which aurora hunt to book

A teepee glowing from a fire inside under faint green northern lights, with a dark line of spruces and a starry sky

Illustration photo: a lit tent under the aurora, not from one of the hunts compared here.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

For a short hunt, book Arctic Wonders' two hours on GetYourGuide: winter gear is lent and you can cancel until a day before, which is worth the extra twelve euros over the Viator listing that cannot be refunded. For more hours under the sky, book Arctic SISU's four-hour hunt on Viator, the same tour for less, or its six-hour night with a campfire.

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.

Arctic Wonders on ViatorArctic Wonders on GetYourGuideArctic SISU on ViatorArctic SISU: campfire night
Price €82 – the lowest price per person €94 €160 €220
Duration 2 h 2 h 4 h 6 h
Cancellation Non-refundable Free until 24 h before Free until 24 h before Free until 24 h before
Winter clothing Not stated Overall, boots, gloves Not stated Not included
Group Up to 20 Not stated Not stated Up to 8
Extra Not stated Hot drinks, cookies Pickup Campfire, warm drinks

Highlighted figures are the best in that row: the lowest price per person. All four price per person. Only the price is marked, and the cheapest listing cannot be refunded: none of them can promise the aurora.

Where these figures come from
  • Arctic Wonders on Viator: The two-hour hunt at the lowest price, but non-refundable, in a group of up to 20. Book it only if your dates are fixed.
  • Arctic Wonders on GetYourGuide: The same two hours with an overall, boots and gloves lent, hot drinks and cookies, and free cancellation until a day before.
  • Arctic SISU on Viator: Four hours looking for clear sky, with pickup. The same tour is €180 on GetYourGuide, where the group is capped at eight.
  • Arctic SISU: campfire night: Six hours, with a campfire in the wilderness and warm drinks, at most eight guests. The longest night on offer.

Two companies sell aurora hunts in Sodankylä, and each lists its hunt on two platforms, at different prices and, in one case, on different terms.

Two hours from the village

Arctic Wonders drives out from its office for up to two hours. On GetYourGuide the hunt lends an overall, boots and gloves and comes with hot drinks and cookies, and you can cancel until a day before. On Viator the same outing is twelve euros cheaper, but the listing says it cannot be refunded or changed for any reason, and groups can reach twenty.

Four or six hours with pickup

Arctic SISU Experience collects you and spends four hours taking a small group to viewing spots chosen for the night. It was 160 euros on Viator and 180 on GetYourGuide, both free to cancel. Its six-hour night adds a campfire in the wilderness. Clothing is not lent, so dress for standing in the cold.

Why timing matters more than place for the aurora is explained in the Rovaniemi northern lights guide. The rest of the village is on the Sodankylä destination page.

Tours you can book

Questions people ask

Where does each hunt start?

Arctic Wonders starts from its office at Unarintie 13 in the village, on both platforms. Arctic SISU collects guests from addresses inside an area marked on its GetYourGuide listing, and its Viator listing names Sompiontie 2 as the meeting point. If you stay outside the village, check the pickup area before booking.

Do we need our own winter clothing?

For Arctic SISU, yes: its listings give winter clothing guidance before the tour rather than lending it, so come in a warm jacket and trousers, wool layers, boots, a hat and mittens. Arctic Wonders' GetYourGuide listing lends an overall, boots and gloves; its Viator listing does not say.

Is a longer hunt worth it?

Only if you want the time. A longer hunt gives the guide more hours to drive towards a gap in the clouds and to wait for activity, but it is also a longer night in the cold, and no listing promises the aurora. With small children, the two-hour hunt is easier to plan around.

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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