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Private northern lights tour in Oulu: what is on offer

A photographer in winter clothes carrying a camera on a tripod across a snowfield

Illustration photo: a winter photographer, not on the Oulu tours.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

With children, book the three-hour family tour, which brings a bonfire, snacks and family photos to your group alone. For photographs of the sky rather than of yourselves, the six-hour photography night. Only a party ready to spend most of the night on the road should ask for the long chase towards Lapland, which is booked with the company directly.

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.

Majakka Outdoors: familyMajakka Outdoors: photographyMajakka Outdoors: towards Lapland@rootedlapland: snowshoes
Price €194 €270 €450 €129
Priced per Person Person Person Person
Length 3 h 6 h 5–10 h 2.5 h
Group Private Private Private Shared, up to 6
Getting there Pick-up and drop-off Pick-up in Oulu Not stated Meet at a private yard
Booked on Booking platform Booking platform Contact form Booking platform

Nothing is ranked: the three private evenings differ in length and purpose, and the snowshoe walk is shown only as the nearest shared option.

Where these figures come from
  • Majakka Outdoors: family: Three hours for your family alone, with a bonfire, snacks, hot drinks and family photos.
  • Majakka Outdoors: photography: Six hours to Hailuoto and the rapids with night photography tips and a barbecue.
  • Majakka Outdoors: towards Lapland: A chase of five to ten hours north from Oulu, booked with the company directly.
  • @rootedlapland: snowshoes: Not private: a snowshoe walk on the sea ice for at most six guests.

Private aurora evenings from Oulu come from one company, Majakka Outdoors, and the choice between them is mostly a choice of how long to stay out.

Three hours with children

The family tour collects you, lights a bonfire with snacks and hot drinks and takes photographs of the family, with your group the only one there.1

Six hours with a camera

The photography night drives your group to Hailuoto, the Koitelinkoski rapids and Haukipudas, with tips on night photography for a camera or a phone and a Finnish barbecue.2

Most of the night towards Lapland

The company’s own page offers a private chase north from Oulu of five to ten hours, with hot drinks, snacks and photographs. Its booking link no longer leads to a live listing, so it is booked through the contact form.3

If private is not essential

@rootedlapland’s snowshoe walk on the sea ice takes at most six guests, the smallest group size printed among Oulu’s shared tours.4 The shared tours are compared on the best northern lights tour in Oulu, and a family’s full cost on northern lights with children in Oulu.

Tours you can book

Questions people ask

Is the price per person even though the tour is private?

Yes, as listed. The platform shows the family tour from €194 and the photography night from €270 per person, and the company's own page shows the Lapland chase from €450 per person. For a party of two or more, ask Majakka Outdoors for the total before booking, since the listing does not say how the price changes with the size of the group.

How late can we cancel?

The family tour and the photography night are sold on a booking platform with free cancellation up to 24 hours before, which suits a trip whose evenings depend on the forecast. The Lapland chase is booked through the company's contact form, and its page prints no cancellation terms, so agree them in writing when you book.

Do we need our own winter clothing?

Plan on it. None of the three private listings says that clothing is lent, and Majakka's driven aurora tour asks guests to bring their own. The photography night spends six hours outdoors and by the car, and the Lapland chase up to ten, so bring boots, warm layers, a hat and mittens that will keep you warm standing still.

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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