Seeing the Northern Lights in Lapland, Finland
- Dara Wissinger Pütz
- Apr 13
- 8 min read
My lifelong dream has always been to see the Northern Lights. I had no plan on where I would see them, just that I needed to see them someday. I have never lived far enough north for this to happen organically in my normal life so I knew I would need to travel to see them. Researching where best to see them within Europe led me to finding Northern Lights Village – Saariselkä. Please know I am in no way affiliated with this resort. I wholeheartedly enjoyed every aspect of my trip there and cannot recommend them enough.
With some schedule conflicts, I was disheartened to see the only time we could visit Lapland would be at the very end of their season (end March to the very beginning of April). I was worried this would mean less snow and less northern lights to see as it isn’t the prime season. I was so incredibly wrong. We booked a three-day long couples’ package with everything included via the resort.
From researching options in Lapland this is the option I would recommend. A trip can be booked independently, and you can coordinate driving, food, activities, etc. We felt with lack of snow driving experience and the scarcity of resources and locations in the area we felt the most comfortable with booking a package. This decision of course is up to you in terms of your comfort level but overall, this was one of the best stress-free holidays we have ever had!
Even though the goal of this trip was to see the northern lights, I knew there was a high possibility we would not see them at all in our four nights there. Many people online and I have chatted to in person said they have been to Lapland and never saw them while staying there well over a week. Well miracles happened for us, and we saw them every single night! The biggest surprise was walking up to our private cabin at midnight just after landing and seeing them immediately. Every single night we stayed up during the prime viewing time (10pm -1am) and watched them light up the sky from our bed.
If you visit Lapland, the best experience is surely with a glass ceiling cabin. We felt very safe and private as the feet of snow created a cocoon around us for additional privacy. All the cabins in this location were well spaced apart to add to this feeling. All glass is heated so the ice and snow melt off for optimal northern lights viewing. While this hotel did have northern lights alarm clock, it never went off while we were there and yet we still saw them every night. When we checked out, we asked why that is and were told if the northern lights don’t register over a certain intensity threshold, then they wont wake up guests with the alarm. As well as the person who sounds the alarm only checks for northern lights every hour or so, meaning they could be easy to miss. My advice is to plan to stay up during the prime viewing time window and hopefully capture some magic!
One important point to note about the northern lights is even though they are visible on a camera they may not be visible to the naked eye. We traveled with only our iPhone and were able to capture a wide range of northern lights. Though, if you own a professional camera this of course will do a much better job. We often saw the northern lights via our phone camera only. I found this to be so surprising considering how clear they come out in a camera, but you can easily look in the sky and see nothing at all. Something to keep in mind is to always have your camera or phone ready to capture the magnificence even if you don’t see it.
Aside from experiencing the magic of the northern lights and having my dreams come true, we were thrilled to participate in some winter wonderland activities across the resort. We chose a package that already included many of the activities, but it would have been very easy for us to change the activities offered ahead of time or add additional ones. Make sure you truly want to experience all activities prior to booking as you don’t want to sit out on any and not substitute for something you want to do. To note, all staff are highly trained in all activities and have held their roles for many consecutive seasons. One of our guides was a former special forces officer and survival expert – we felt extremely safe under his care for all excursions.
#1 - Dogsledding
I was super excited to participate in this activity as I grew up watching a famous dog sled story. My fellow 90s babies may know the infamous movie ‘Balto’. Where a dedicated husky leads a dog sled team in formidable winter conditions to save a community by delivering an important medication as quickly as possible. This event really did happen and Balto is a true hero celebrated in Alaska. Naturally, following my childhood inspiration, I wanted to experience dogsledding too.
We were welcomed by a beautiful pack of huskies ready to take on the day and run their little hearts out. As my husband is a very tall human, we realized it would be safer for him to stand and lead the dogs (cue in ‘Mush!’) to balance us out and have leg room. I cozied myself in some blankets and accepted my role as passenger princess with a great view of… the backs of the dogs. Which doesn’t matter too much since the scenery all around is so stunning. Our guide (with his own dog sled team) led us through the lush winter wonderland for well over an hour. The only downside to seeing the back sides of the dogs, which no one really warns you about so here I am to warn you, is that they do not stop for a bathroom break. Let that sink in for a moment. Yes, as the dogs are running their little hearts out, they are also using the restroom of all varieties at the exact same time. As the passenger I was in their direct line of fire and wind path. Thankfully, I don’t recall anything truly hitting me, but I do remember thinking that wind cannot be clean as well as smelling the effects of their running toilet breaks. Word for the wise, do not volunteer as a passenger princess for this activity.
After my questionable though exhilarating, and stunning passenger princess experience I was welcomed with the best surprise ever – puppies! There was a new litter, first of the year waiting for us to play until our hearts were full. I stayed for much too long to do my duty and acclimate the puppies to people. The real miracle is none of them came home with me in my carry on bag.
#2 - Sauna and spa
Our couple’s package included a hot stone massage at a nearby village (with transportation to and from included) as well as private access to the sauna. We never had a private sauna experience and now we are hooked! The Finns swear by sauna as a daily ritual to cleanse the body and relax. I can understand why they live by this rule. The hot stone massage was equally relaxing, and we loved going to the local village to explore the area and buy some local groceries. One of my must dos and favorite activities on holiday is to go to a local grocery store. I love trying local snacks and bringing home a truly local piece of the trip.
#3 - Northern Lights Hunting
Another inclusion was taking a heated sled with our skilled guide to go out and ‘hunt’ for northern lights. On the way we had dinner in a teepee of local reindeer and seasonal delicacies. It was such a romantic and unique experience I would recommend adding this one if it’s an option wherever you choose to see the northern lights. Funny enough, even with hours of driving around in our super cool sled we never saw the northern lights. We did see them though upon immediate return to our cabin and watched them from the coziness of bed.
#4 – Reindeer Sledding
Besides dog sledding, reindeer sledding is also a popular activity in Lapland. The Sámi people are native to the region of Lapland and still herd reindeer today. Some of the Sámi guided us on our sledding experience and explained how they care for the reindeer population while still allowing them to be roam freely in the wild. We not only were able to experience a magical sledding experience but also feed the reindeer as well. We ended the activity inside of a wood fire heated hut with warmed berry juice.
#5 – Ice fishing & Snowmobiling
Other activities include ice fishing and snowmobiling. We chose to go snowmobiling where I was a content passenger princess. This activity lasted several hours with a lunch break in a traditional teepee heated by an open fire. We used the same open fire to cook our lunch of hot soup and warm sandwiches. It was a great way to see the local landscape.
Best time to visit winter wonderland
We visited at the tail end of the winter season in the last week of March and very beginning of April and it was the perfect time to go! We were worried being at the tail end of the season we may miss the northern lights or not have a complete experience. It was the exact opposite, less crowds and perfect timing to see the northern lights. We were told by several guides that the busiest time to visit is the Christmas holidays, but this is during polar night with limited daylight hours. We had the perfect mix of daylight and night to fully experience all activities. The best part is there were still feet of snow!
There are many ways to see the northern lights and I hope to see them again someday. This version was the best way that worked for us and was the perfect long weekend getaway while living in Europe. A bonus if you book via a resort, all outer winter wear is provided for you. This resort provided snow suits, hats, gloves, and even boots. My hope is you also have the privilege of seeing the gorgeous northern lights in person whichever magical way you are able to see them!
Meet Dara
Originally I am from the very first and second smallest state in America, Delaware. After achieving my masters degree I wanted to take a 'gap year' to work in Shanghai, China with Disney. I met my husband in Shanghai and somehow that 'gap year' turned into more than 8 years of living abroad! I have lived across three continents and four countries before I turned 30 and I wouldn't be surprised if those statistics change again before I am 40. I currently reside in the land of fairytale inspiration itself, Bavaria, Germany with my German husband. I love the thrill of visiting somewhere new and I am passionate about planning every single detail for all of our trips. I have always wanted to share my knowledge and expertise from this magical life abroad and thus this column was born. Join me as I take you from Delaware to Everywhere.
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