Northern Lights Photography Tour Saariselkä

Saariselkä, a fell village in northern Lapland

Saariselkä is a small resort village in the Inari region of northern Finland, about 250 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. It sits on the slopes of rounded fells such as Kaunispää, surrounded by pine forest and wild open land, and borders one of the largest national parks in Finland. Ivalo airport is only about half an hour away, which makes the village easy to reach.

Because Saariselkä is so far north and has very little light pollution, it is one of the best places in Finland to see the Northern Lights. The village itself is compact, with hotels, cabins and glass-roofed lodges, but just a few minutes outside the centre the night becomes truly dark. That is where an aurora hunting tour from Saariselkä takes you, away from the lights and towards the clearest patch of sky.

The Northern Lights over Lapland

The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, appear when charged particles carried from the sun by the solar wind collide with gases high in the Earth’s atmosphere, about 100 kilometres up. Oxygen gives the most common green colour, while purple, pink and red tones appear during stronger displays. Saariselkä lies under the auroral oval, the ring around the pole where the lights are most frequent.

The aurora season in Finnish Lapland runs from late August to early April, whenever the nights are dark enough. Activity often peaks between about 21:00 and 01:00, which is why this tour leaves in the evening. Clear skies matter as much as solar activity: the lights may be strong but hidden behind clouds, and that is exactly why having a guide who knows where to drive makes such a difference.

The aurora hunt by minivan

This Saariselkä Northern Lights tour is built around mobility. The guides check the aurora forecast, satellite cloud maps and local conditions before and during the evening, then choose the route. If the sky is cloudy near the village, the minivan simply drives on, as far as is reasonably feasible, to find gaps in the clouds over lakes, fells or forest clearings.

The minivan seats 8 to 18 people, so the group stays small enough to move quickly and stop at locations that big coaches cannot reach. Between stops you can ask the guide anything about the aurora, Lapland nature and local culture. Wear comfortable clothes for the drive, which may be long on cloudy nights, and keep your winter gear ready for the moment the lights appear.

Your Northern Lights photos

Photographing the aurora well needs a good camera, a tripod and long exposures, which most phones still struggle with in the cold. On this tour the guide brings professional equipment and takes pictures of the sky and of you standing under the lights, with snowy trees or frozen lakes in the frame. The photos are shared with you at the end of the trip, and their cost is already covered by the tour.

This means you can simply enjoy watching the Northern Lights with your own eyes instead of fighting with camera settings in freezing temperatures. If you have your own camera, the guide is happy to give tips on settings and composition. Many guests say the photos taken by the guide are the best souvenir of their whole Lapland holiday.

Best time to see the Northern Lights in Saariselkä

The best months to see the Northern Lights in Saariselkä are from September to March. Autumn offers milder nights and reflections on unfrozen lakes, while December and January bring the polar night and the longest darkness of the year. February and March combine deep snow, longer days and often clearer, colder weather, a favourite time for photographers.

Winter nights in northern Lapland are cold, often between minus 10 and minus 30 degrees Celsius, so dress in thermal layers, a warm winter jacket, a hat, gloves and insulated boots. Warm clothes can be provided on request. Remember that no one can guarantee the aurora; staying several nights in Saariselkä and booking the hunt early in your stay gives you the best chances.