Hunting the Aurora Borealis in Finland with Arctic Frontier

My favourite activity when we visited Levi was hunting the Aurora Borealis in Finland with Arctic Frontiers… those are big words for me. Since the rest of the trip had been amazing. It had brought several first-time experiences for us including – staying in glass igloos on the fell, experiencing the thrill of the downhill slalom live, a private skiing lesson and kissing reindeer at a Husky Park. But finding the Northern Lights in Finland will stay with me forever. The question is when is the best time to see the Northern Lights in Finland? And what do you do when on your last night in Finnish Lapland and it doesn’t look likely that you will see the Northern Lights in Levi? You ring Kate of course.. 

Normally appearing in the winter months. The Finnish Meteorological Institute describe the auroras created by solar activity, as an interaction of the solar wind and the Earth’s magnetic field.

Best time to see the Northern Lights in Finland

Before arriving I did a lot of research to find out when the best time of year to see the northern lights in Finland. Of course, there are no guarantees. But everything I read said that you have the best chance of seeing them in aurora season, between xx and xx. We visited in November and stayed in the arctic circle with an igloo with glass roofs. So in theory one of the best months in the Northern Lights season but so far we had been unlucky.

You can download an app which we did while in Levi that gives you an aurora forecast and details of aurora activity. And when you are within a good chance of seeing the natural phenomenon. Charlie was a little young to visit the wilderness areas. Or try some of the outdoor activities such as snowmobile safaris and cross-country skiing where you have more chance of seeing a spectacular light show. So I was delighted that we found the Northern Lights in Levi on our last night in Finland. Not only did we manage to see them. But w also took some Northern Lights photography and get some pictures as a keepsake. 

Northern Lights in Levi – Arctic Frontiers

Yet as soon as we met Kate, one half of Arctic Frontiers I felt at ease. She instantly bonded with Charlie. Probably helped by the fact that she has children of her own and so gets it, in a way only parents can. Arctic Frontiers is a family tour business which specialises in small personal tours in and around the Levi area. Although many of their clients come to them for Aurora chasing. They also offer photography, cooking and foraging excursions.

Being able to see the Finland Aurora Borealis with young children

Plus they have recently renovated a beautiful traditional wooden cottage on the edge of a lake which is available to stay in. Made from Finnish Aspen in the traditional way it has such a lovely feel about it. Sleeping eight comfortably (read no sofa beds) it is a great place for making intergenerational travel easy. A perfect aurora cabins.

Kate explained the main reason for adding the cottage to the business is that they want to make their tours available to families. Aurora Chasing is by definition a late-night sport, totally impractical for those with young children. Yet there seems to be a growing trend for young families to travel more and outside the normal all-inclusive Mediterranean holidays. Which you constantly see ‘on deal’ in the tour operators’ windows. Like many families when we travel I want to achieve something. I want to share something with the boys which will help expand their minds. And open up new possibilities for them. Having the cottage gives families the option to move between being outside in the cold. And inside in the warm and for the really young allowing them to sleep peacefully. Until woken by an over-eager parent.

Finding the Finland Aurora Borealis in Levi

Picking us up from central Levi we drove 35km outside of the town to a village called Rulua. Known locally by its ‘peaceful’ namesake it is one of the best locations within the aurora zone. A feeling of tranquillity descends. As you leave the light pollution created by the artificial lights behind hunting for the Finland Aurora Borealis. All that lays in front of you on a clear night. Is pitch blackness, a starry night sky and the odd dear or reindeer in the pine forest that line the roads. We stopped a couple of times on route to see if we could spot any signs of the Northern Lights appearing. Armed with head torches we took a couple of pictures of the clear skies. To the untrained eye (aka me) it looked like nothing.

But to Kate who knows exactly what she is looking for it was a glimpse of the Northern Lights. The cameras are set up for you, so all you need to do is point and shoot, relying on the timing of exposure to capture a good picture which is what you control. Everything else is held in place with duck tape. This makes sure you don’t inadvertently alter any of the settings and end up with blurry photos. Stopping in the pitch black and looking up at the night sky really entertained Charli. Even when back in the van he was looking out the window at the northern sky. Excitedly to see if he could spot anything and hoping for a bit of luck.

How to take a picture of the Finland Aurora

Next to the cottage, there is a building hosting a fire pit the perfect place to wait for the auroral displays. Our first task was to build a fire to cook a prepared dinner that Kate had brought with her. While that was all looking after itself we headed outside and had a look at the night sky. The cloud had lifted and Kate pointed out where the sky appeared lighter. But it didn’t really have any colour to it.

A quick picture however confirmed that we could see the Northern Lights, suddenly we all became very excited. While dinner cooked we snapped away watching as it expanded and moved around the sky. The ice on the lake had frozen enough to allow us to walk out onto it. Which allowed for the best selfies ever. This picture below of Charlie and I looking at the Northern Lights is one I actually took while standing on the frozen lake. Kate used a head torch to light us up momentarily which was then captured on the photo because of the long exposure.

How to warm up while hunting for the Finland Aurora Borealis

Once the cold started to bite we went back in and sat around the fire. It was a good place to warm up. Before eating cheese and reindeer-heated pasties, made from oat flatbread. After which Charlie toasted handmade marshmallows while we drank more of the homemade berry juice. Once we had eaten our fill we headed outside and managed some photos of the night sky. Giving a view of the Northern Lights. Eventually, the sky clouded up and we retreated once more as sleet fell. It’s not often I lose all track of time but that’s exactly what happened and before I realised it was past 11 pm. Charlie fell asleep on the drive back to the hotel otherwise we would have stopped some more to get further photos of the Northern Lights.

How you can still see the Northern Lights in Finland even when they are not visible

Of course, seeing the Northern Lights in Finland is totally dependent on the elements. If there is no break in the cloud then there is very little that can be done. However, we would never have seen them on our trip if it hadn’t been for Kate. She taught us what to look for and how they may not always be visible to the naked eye but that they are there. Arctic Frontiers have a very good success rate in spotting the Northern Lights, in October this was 100%.

Our experience combined two of their excursions the Aurora Chasing with dinner. Unsurprisingly they are extremely popular, partly because all you need to do is turn up, they even provide all the outside clothing and footwear for adults. They even give you a memory card with the photos on to take home. For those of us juggling the pressures of family and a professional career in the city the thought of just needing to turn up without thinking about any of it really appeals.

I can not wait to return to Northern Lapland to see them again one day. Along with ice fishing, dog sledding, husky safaris, the reindeer farm and perhaps trying a sleigh ride. There is so much to do in Levi. It is a best place to visit in Northern Finland.

Have you seen the Northern Lights in Levi? Please let me know about your experiences in the comments below. 

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We were invited on a press trip by the Levi Tourist board to experience everything the resort has to offer. Our adventure with Kate was included in the itinerary.

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