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Northern lights in Tornio: which tour to book

A group of people in winter jackets with headlamps and tripods standing on snowy ice, watching a green aurora over dark mountains

Illustration photo: an aurora group in Iceland, not in Tornio.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

If you want a picture of yourself under the aurora, or help getting your own, book the four-hour hunt with the photographer: it is also the cheaper of the two. If you would rather keep moving towards the clearest sky and be back sooner, book the three-hour tour, which chooses its direction from the forecast on the night. Either way, dress for standing still outdoors, since neither lends clothing in the price.

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.

LappOne ExperiencesSnap the North
Price €123 – the lowest price per person €132
Length 4 h 3 h
Photos of you Yes, if conditions allow Not in the listing
Pick-up Any address in the area on the listing's map Tornio and Haparanda
Winter clothing For rent Not in the listing

Highlighted figures are the best in that row: the lowest price per person. Both price per person. Only price is marked: a longer evening is not a better one for someone who wants to be back early.

Where these figures come from
  • LappOne Experiences: Four hours: a drive to one dark spot, a short talk on the aurora, up to three hours of watching with a fire if conditions allow, and a photographer who takes your picture and coaches you.
  • Snap the North: Three hours with a guide who picks the direction from the weather and solar forecast on the night, with snacks and hot drinks. Starts from both Tornio and Haparanda.

The aurora tours sold around Tornio come from two companies, and both collect you from your hotel. The difference is what happens after that: one stays put and makes the most of the waiting, the other keeps moving.

If you want pictures

LappOne Experiences, which has its office at the travel centre the two towns share, drives to a spot with little light, gives a short talk on how the aurora forms and how to photograph it, and then waits outside for up to three hours, with a fire if conditions allow. Its professional photographer takes pictures of you under the sky when there is something to see and helps you set up your own camera or phone. Full-resolution raw files cost extra.

If you want to keep moving

Snap the North’s guide chooses which way to drive on the night, from the weather and solar forecasts, and the tour lasts three hours with snacks and hot drinks. It starts from both Tornio and Haparanda.

Kemi’s aurora tours are compared in northern lights in Kemi, and the rest of what is sold in Tornio is on the Tornio destination page.

What the same towns sell in daylight, a heritage rapids village or a guided walk in the hills, is set out in day trips from Tornio.

Tours you can book

Questions people ask

Why does one tour ask for a passport?

The three-hour tour lists a passport or ID card under what to bring, without saying why. Tornio and Haparanda sit on either side of the border between Finland and Sweden, and a tour that picks up in both towns and drives wherever the forecast points may cross it. Carry the document on either tour; it costs nothing and saves a problem if the route does cross.

Can we bring children?

The three-hour tour lists children under three as not suitable. The photographer's evening sets no age, but says it involves a long time outdoors and that there are no toilets, so for a young child it is a long wait in the cold. Ask about a child price when you book, since the listings open on the adult fare.

What if we have to cancel?

Both listings allow free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start. After that the price is not refunded, and neither listing mentions a refund for an evening that goes ahead under cloud, so the decision is best made the day before, with the forecast in hand.

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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