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Private northern lights tour in Ruka: what is on offer

A snowy track between tall snow-laden spruces under a starry violet night sky

Illustration photo: a forest at night, not in Riisitunturi.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

For a private evening with a sky rule on your side, book the snowshoe night in Riisitunturi: the guide drives your party there and moves the date or refunds if the forecast is cloudy. For the dogs as much as the sky, book the kennel's private husky ride after dark. If private matters less than price for two, the small-group drive with photos costs less.

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.

MyTrail: Riisitunturi by nightRailakka: aurora husky rideSoulvia: small-group drive
For two €550 €790 €492 – Lowest total for a couple.
For four €692 – Lowest total for a party of four. €1,430 €984
Group Private, 1 to 8 Private, up to 6 Shared, up to 8
Length 4.5 h 3–4 h 4–5 h
Getting there Private transfer included On request Pick-up at two hotels
Youngest 12 Not stated No minimum

Highlighted figures are the best in that row: Lowest total for a couple. and Lowest total for a party of four.. Totals are the price for the whole party: MyTrail's from the resort shop's calendar, Railakka's €790 for one or two plus €320 for each extra guest, and the shared drive at €246 a head.

Where these figures come from
  • MyTrail: Riisitunturi by night: A private snowshoe night in a national park, with the transfer from Ruka or Kuusamo and a guarantee against a cloudy forecast.
  • Railakka: aurora husky ride: A private evening husky ride from a lakeside kennel for up to six, with the dogs as the point as much as the sky.
  • Soulvia: small-group drive: Not private: a shared drive for up to eight guests with photos, collecting from two hotels.

Private aurora evenings around Ruka are rare: two sellers offer one, and each prices the party rather than the person.

A snowshoe night in the national park

MyTrail drives your party, one to eight people, to Riisitunturi National Park for about three hours on snowshoes, with reindeer hides to lie on, hot chocolate and cinnamon buns. The guide says plainly that it is a night under the sky rather than an aurora hunt.1 If the forecast is cloudy, MyTrail moves the date or refunds the price.2 The total rises slowly with each guest, so it is cheaper per head the larger the party. MyTrail also runs a private version of its night sky walk on the Valtavaara fell beside Ruka, two to two and a half hours with a quarter of an hour’s transfer each way; that page prints no price.5

A husky ride after dark

Railakka’s evening ride takes your party alone behind its dogs for three to four hours, at a flat price for one or two and a set sum for each extra guest up to six. Transport to the kennel is arranged on request.3

If private is not essential

Soulvia’s drive with photos is shared, but with no more than eight guests it is the nearest thing, and for two it costs less than either private evening.4 The shared outings are compared on the best northern lights tour in Ruka, and Railakka’s daytime private rides on the private husky tour in Ruka.

Tours you can book

Priced per person

  • A small-group aurora drive with photos, pick-up in Ruka or Kuusamo

    Run by Soulvia journeys LLC

    From €246per person

    Length4–5 h

    Listed on GetYourGuide · Price read Sep 27, 2026

    Book now on GetYourGuide(opens in a new tab)

Priced for the whole party

  • A private night on snowshoes in Riisitunturi National Park, with transport from Ruka

    Run by MyTrail Finland

    From €550per group of up to 2

    Length4.5 h

    Listed on the operator’s own site · Price read Sep 28, 2026

    See it on the operator’s site(opens in a new tab)

  • A private evening husky ride in the dark, for the chance of northern lights

    Run by Railakka Huskies

    From €790per group of up to 2

    Length3–4 h

    Listed on the operator’s own site · Price read Sep 28, 2026

    See it on the operator’s site(opens in a new tab)

Questions people ask

How late can we cancel a private evening?

Much earlier than a shared outing. MyTrail keeps the whole price inside three days, half inside a week and a tenth inside two weeks. Railakka keeps the whole price inside fourteen days and half inside forty-five. The small-group drive is booked on a platform, so its terms are the platform's; read them on the listing before paying, and book the private evenings only once your dates are fixed.

Do we need our own winter clothing?

For both private evenings, yes. MyTrail asks for your own outdoor clothing and hands out snowshoes, poles and reindeer hides to lie on. Railakka asks guests to wear their own winter clothes and can arrange clothing in advance for an extra fee. Either way, bring boots, layers, a hat and mittens that will keep you warm standing still in the dark.

Can we bring a child?

On the snowshoe night, only from twelve, which is the youngest age MyTrail prints for it. Railakka's evening ride prints no child fare, although its daytime private rides take children from five, so ask before booking. The small-group drive sets no minimum age at all, and is the one of the three that suits a family with younger children.

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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