Fingers crossed for Northern Lights in Lapland Finland!
When you think of Lapland in Finland, you think of the Northern Lights almost instantly. It’s just like the big five on safari…. a wonder of nature and there are no guarantees to see it. The Northern Lights can be seen all year long, but of course there are ideal conditions that make it more likely to see them. The Northern Lights (aka aurora borealis) are a natural phenomenon when shafts or curtains of coloured light are visible in the sky.
Northern Lights safari
When in Lapland in Finland it’s fun to go on a reindeer safari to spot the Northern lights. It’s a great ride and the reindeers are super cute. Fingers crossed that there’s a clear sky and no snow storm like when I did the reindeer safari.
A great place to do a reindeer Northern Lights safari is Salla. A small town in the middle of nowhere in Lapland Finland. It’s so beautiful there! The safari is definitely a real bucket-list experience. Amazing animals and a winter wonderland landscape. Just incredible.
During the reindeer safari you stop in the middle of nowhere to have a drink and warm up a bit. Trust me it’s cold! Just like it’s supposed to be at the Arctic Circle :-). The guides make a nice fire so you can snuggle up with your friends close to the fire while drinking hot coco! And of course… If you’re lucky you can see the Northern Light from this viewpoint.
When there’s no snow storm you might be lucky to witness views like these photos of Onlyinlapland.com! Amazing, right?
Unfortunately I had no luck to see the Northern Lights during my trip to Lapland. It was snowing most of the time and the sky wasn’t clear. Well, at least it gives me a reason to go back to Lapland Finland someday ;-)!
What is the perfect weather to see the Northern Lights?
Since I didn’t have much luck spotting the beautiful Northern Lights this time I did some research about the perfect weather conditions to spot it. Here’s a Northern Lights weather checklist:
– to see the Northern Lights in Lapland it has to be cold
– it’s often spotted after a sunny day
– when you can clearly see the stars at night chances to spot the Northern Lights go up
They say the Northern light ca be seen 200 days a year in Lapland in Finland. The Japanese even belief that seeing the Northern light is good for fertility. And I totally see where that comes from. It’s a magical happening and said to be a unique experience in life. No reason to doubt that!
Tech x Northern Lights in Lapland
I really hope you will spot the Northern Lights on your next trip to Lapland in Finland. In this blog I used some photos from Onlyinlapland.com to show this amazing wonder in the sky. They also made this cool Laplication iphone app you can download here. When you hold your Smartphone facing the sky you can see the Northern Lights everywhere ;-).
Other useful apps for the Northern Light are: Salla Northern Lights (Android) and the Aurora Forecast app (click here for iphone) and (click here for Android).
Remember that when you do a Northern Lights safari it’s totally dark and you can’t see the reindeers that good. But truste me… they’re too cute! Cheers ;-)
Northern Lights safari in Salla in Lapland
Address: via the Reindeer Park in Salla, Hautajärventie 111, Salla, Lapland, Finland
Province: Lapland Finland
Website: sallareindeerpark.fi
What to wear to Lapland Finland?
[show_shopthepost_widget id=”485022″]Warm coats, ski pants and good snow boots are a must when going to Lapland.
1) Lola burgundy red Coat // 2) Slalom ski pants // 3) Sorel boots // 4) Laney coat // 5) White ski pants // 6) Sorel boots in black
Plan your trip to Lapland Finland:
* Flights from Helsinki to Rovaniemi:
– From Helsinki there are daily flights with Finnair to Rovaniemi in Lapland Finland. The flight takes around 1,5 hour. Via Cheaptickets.nl you can book cheap flights from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. Search & book here >>.
– Looking for a flight to Helsinki? Both KLM and Finnair fly from Amsterdam to Helsinki multiple times a day. Search & book for cheap flights here >>
* Accommodation:
– If you want to stay at a super special hotel? Check these glass igloos in the middle of the forest: Kakslauttanen Igloo West Village. Or sleep in a snow hotel! There are several snow hotels in Finland Lapland: Snow Village and Arctic Snow Hotel.
– Yourlbb’s ‘normal’ hotel tips for Lapland Finland are: Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus (as a hotel for the first night at Rovaniemi). Nice hotels in other parts of Lapland Finland are: Ski-Inn Hotel Pyhätunturi (Pyhätunturi), Spa Hotel Levitunturi (Levi), Santa’s Hotel Aurora (Luosto), design hostel 7 Fells Hostel (Äkäslompolo) and Holiday Club Salla Hotel Revontuli (Salla).
– Do you travel with the whole family or group of friends? Book a cabin instead of a hotel. Via booking.com you can book beautiful cabins in all the small towns of Lapland Finland >>. A nice cabin where I stayed is “Kultakuru 1” in Pyhä (book it via Pyha.fi). In Salla I stayed at “Pan Village” close to the reindeer park. Can highly recommend it!
* All you need to know about Lapland Finland can be found on the website of onlyinlapland.com who invited me on this amazing bucket list trip.
PS: more travel tips and stories are in the Lapland Little Black Book. A travel guide with the best tips for an unforgettable trip to Lapland Finland.
Tip: discover more city- and travel guides by @yourlbb!
