Send me your dates and we will adjust the programme together.
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Day 1. Arrival and the first aurora night
I meet you at Rovaniemi Airport; the city centre is ten minutes away. We leave time for you to settle into your hotel and rest.
In the evening we set out on the first northern lights chase. We follow the forecasts and drive to where the clouds break, and when the aurora appears I take professional photos of you under it. This programme gives you a second aurora night as well, so even if the sky does not cooperate tonight, your chance continues.
- AfternoonWelcome at the airport, transfer to the hotel
- Evening1st northern lights chase and photography · 4–10 hours
Day 2. Santa Claus Village and Arktikum
We start the day late. Around midday at Santa Claus Village you cross the Arctic Circle line, visit Santa in his office and send a card from his post office.
In the afternoon at Arktikum you explore Arctic nature, Sámi culture and how the northern lights form.
- MiddaySanta Claus Village and the Arctic Circle line
- AfternoonArktikum museum and science centre
Day 3. Snowmobile and ice fishing
You ride a snowmobile with a guide. We follow forest trails among pines bowed with snow and come out onto a vast, frozen lake. The moment the forest opens, the feeling of freedom begins. The pace is relaxed for first-timers, and children ride in a heated sled.
In the afternoon comes the calmest moment of the day: in the middle of a frozen lake we drill through the ice with an auger and fish like the locals. Finns say that catching a fish is not the goal, it is a bonus. By the fire, with hot drinks, we watch the pink light over the ice.
- MorningSnowmobile safari · about 1 hour of driving
- AfternoonIce fishing and campfire
Day 4. Reindeer and huskies
In the morning we are at a lakeside reindeer farm. The family has herded reindeer since at least the 1800s and now cares for more than 250 of them. You meet the herders, feed the reindeer and, if the snow allows, ride into the forest by sleigh.
In the afternoon we are with the pure-bred Siberian huskies. After a short lesson you drive your own dog team about 4 kilometres through the snowy forest. Then we visit the kennels and spend time with the huskies.
- MorningReindeer farm · about 2 hours
- AfternoonHusky sledding, you drive yourself · 14:00
Photo: Yair Haklai, CC BY-SA 4.0
Day 5. East Lapland: Korouoma and Ruka Coaster
The longest day of the programme. Early in the morning we drive south-east, about an hour and a half, to Korouoma canyon. In this deep valley, formed hundreds of millions of years ago, water running down the canyon walls freezes every winter into giant ice waterfalls. The walk is about 5 km: short, but with steep ascents and descents, and slippery in winter. With ice cleats or snowshoes we walk without hurrying, and take a warm break by a fire in front of the ice columns.
In the afternoon we continue to Ruka. Ruka Coaster, which you have probably seen all over social media, is a mountain coaster that glides down a snowy slope with views of the forest. You brake the sled yourself as it speeds up to 40 kilometres per hour. On the way back to Rovaniemi in the evening, we stop briefly at the Auttiköngas waterfall.
- Early morningDrive to Korouoma · about 1.5 hours
- Towards middayWalk in the canyon, frozen waterfalls, break by the fire
- AfternoonRuka Coaster · from 13:30
- EveningStop at the Auttiköngas waterfall, return to Rovaniemi
Ruka Coaster is open in the winter season from early December (depending on snow) until early May. Children under 8 and shorter than 135 cm ride with an adult.
Day 6. Levi and the second aurora night
In the morning we head north to Levi, about two hours away. Levi is one of Finland's best-loved ski villages: a small village centre decked with lights, cafés, fire pits and slopes climbing the fell. We take the gondola up Levi fell and look down over a sea of snow-covered forest. At Samiland on the top you see the traditional clothing, reindeer herding and handicrafts of the Sámi people.
In the evening we set out on the second northern lights chase, under the dark skies around Levi, away from city lights. After the chase there is no long drive back: you spend the night in Levi.
- MorningDrive to Levi · about 2 hours
- DaytimeGondola up Levi fell, Samiland, village centre
- Evening2nd northern lights chase · 4–10 hours
- NightOvernight stay in Levi
Day 7. Farewell
A relaxed breakfast in Levi on your last morning. You have two options for the journey home: fly from Kittilä Airport, only 15 kilometres from Levi, or return to Rovaniemi with me and fly from there. When planning your flight, we look together at which suits you better.
- MorningBreakfast and free time in Levi
- Depending on your flightTransfer to Kittilä Airport or Rovaniemi
Included
- Airport welcome and return transfer
- All tours in the programme and the transfers between them
- Transport for the East Lapland day
- Transfer to Levi and to Kittilä or Rovaniemi
- Guiding every day in Turkish or English
- Professional photos of you on both aurora nights
- Hot drinks on the tours
Not included
- Flights
- Accommodation, including the night in Levi (I share my recommendations)
- Lunches and dinners
- Thermal clothing (I recommend where to rent it)
Good to know
Just your group
I plan the programme and the guiding only for your group. On some tours, such as the husky and snowmobile tours, you join the supplier's small groups: up to 8 people on the snowmobile and up to 4 sleds per husky departure.
With children
Most activities are suitable for children. On the snowmobile, children under 140 cm ride in a heated sled. The husky tour is not open to children under 2, and children under 16 do not drive the sled. Prices for children are calculated separately, at a lower rate.
What to wear
Between November and April the temperature is between −5 °C and −25 °C. Dress in layers: a merino wool base layer against the skin, wool or fleece over it, and a windproof, waterproof jacket and trousers on the outside. Insulated boots, thick gloves and a hat are essential. Winter overalls can be rented in the city centre; I will tell you where.
Northern lights
The aurora is not a promise but a search: no guide can give a 100% guarantee. That is why this programme has two aurora nights. My guarantee is this: if we go out and come back without a single photo, I offer you the next night free of charge.
Extreme cold
If the temperature drops below −30 °C and goes past −35 °C, some tours can be cancelled for safety. On such a day we rearrange the programme together.
“On every programme I meet you at the airport and stay with you until the last day.”
Çevikkan Koçoğlu · Your guide, in Lapland since 2022Send me your dates and I will take care of the rest
We arrange the order of the days together, according to your dates and the weather forecast.