Northern Lights safari in Lapland: a reindeer sleigh adventure!

Fingers crossed for spotting the Northern Lights in Finnish Lapland!

When you think of Lapland in Finland, you immediately think of the Northern Lights! It is a bit like spotting the Big Five on a safari… a miracle of nature and absolutely no guarantee of actually seeing it. Although the Northern Lights can be spotted in Lapland all year round, there are of course circumstances when it is more likely to be seen!

Northern Lights safari

I love animals. So whenever possible, during a long-distance trip, I always do something where I can come into contact with the local animals. For instance, I once went gorilla tracking in Uganda and went looking for bears in Canada. In Lapland, meeting reindeer and huskies was high on my list!

If you're in Lapland, Finland, you can take an evening reindeer safari to admire the Northern Lights. You'll ride a sleigh through the forest to a spot where the Northern Lights are often beautifully visible. Those reindeer are absolutely adorable and an experience in itself! So fingers crossed for beautiful, but cold, weather and an unforgettable evening under a green sky.

A lovely and very authentic town in Lapland to spot the Northern Lights is Salla. A Northern Lights safari is offered here from the Reindeer Park. Salla is truly in the middle of nowhere. There's absolutely nothing nearby. Except for the Russian border, wonderful winter activities, and a ski slope. It's so beautiful there! And sooooo quiet. A real contrast to my life in Amsterdam, where tram 3 stops right outside my door and I always hear noise.

You do need to be able to handle the cold on an evening reindeer safari. When I went on the Northern Lights safari, it was snowing heavily, freezing cold, and I was bundled up in my sleigh under a reindeer hide. But hey, you're either at the Arctic Circle or you're not ;-).

During the Northern Lights safari, you'll stop in the middle of the forest for a hot chocolate (or something stronger). The guides will build a large fire for you to warm up by. Great, because by then you'll be ready for it! So snuggle up to your loved one by the campfire as you slowly warm up. And with a bit of luck, you'll have a fantastic view of the Northern Lights from this vantage point, and you can take plenty of photos. Tip: Don't forget to bring a tripod to photograph the Northern Lights.

If you're lucky enough to spot the Northern Lights during a reindeer safari, they'll probably look something like these beautiful photos from Onlyinlapland.com! Awesome, right?

Unfortunately, I didn't see the Northern Lights. It snowed and was cloudy for most of my trip to Lapland. Luckily, that always gives me a reason to return to Finnish Lapland!  

The perfect weather to see the Northern Lights

Since I was unlucky with the Northern Lights, I asked the guides what the perfect conditions are for spotting them. Here's a quick checklist:
– to spot the Northern Lights it has to be COLD!
– the Northern Lights are often seen after a sunny day
To spot the Northern Lights, the weather must be clear. If you can see the stars, that's a good sign!

They say the Northern Lights can be seen in Finnish Lapland over 200 days a year. Hope you're lucky!

APPS x Northern Lights in Finnish Lapland

It's so nice to see that there are all kinds of apps for the Northern Lights. In this blog, I used the Northern Lights photos from Onlyinlapland.com . They also made this funny Laplication iPhone app that you can download for free. If you hold your iPhone up in the air, you can see the Northern Lights anywhere ;-).

Other useful apps for the Northern Lights are: Salla Northern Lights (Android) and the Aurora Forecast app ( click here for iPhone ) > ( click here for Android ).

When planning a reindeer Northern Lights safari, keep in mind that it will be pitch black, so you'll have a harder time seeing the adorable reindeer. I highly recommend returning to the reindeer park during daylight hours. The reindeer are just so cute! Cheers ;-)

Northern Lights safari in Salla, Lapland

Address: via the Reindeer Park in Salla, Hautajärventie 111, Salla, Lapland, Finland
Province: Lapland Finland
Website: sallareindeerpark.fi

This is what you wear to Finnish Lapland!

A warm jacket, ski pants and good snow boots are a must if you go on holiday to Lapland.
1) Lola Bordeaux red coat // 2) Slalom ski pants // 3) Sorel snow boots // 4) Laney jacket // 5) White ski pants // 6) Sorel snow boots in black

Plan your trip to Lapland Finland:

* Flights from Helsinki to Rovaniemi:
– Finnair flights depart daily from Helsinki to Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland. The flight takes approximately 1,5 hours. Cheaptickets.nl you can easily find cheap flights from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. Search & book here >>.
– Do you also need to book a flight to Helsinki? Both KLM Finnair flies daily from Amsterdam to Helsinki. Find & book the cheapest flight >>
* Accommodation:
Want to stay in a unique hotel? Then check out these domes in the middle of the forest:
Kakslauttanen Igloo West VillageOr sleep in a snow hotel! These are Finland's top snow hotels: snow village en Arctic Snow Hotel.
– Yourlbb's hotel tips for Lapland Finland: hotel for the 1st night upon arrival in Rovaniemi is the Santa's Hotel Santa ClausBeautiful hotels in various villages in 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).
Traveling with the whole family or a group of friends? Book a cabin instead of a hotel. Via booking.com you can book beautiful cabins in every place in Lapland Finland >>. A nice cabin where I have stayed myself is “Kultakuru 1” in Pyhä (via Pyha.fi can you book this cabin) In Salla I stayed in Pan Village Near the reindeer park. Highly recommended!
* Everything you want to know about Lapland Finland can be found on the website of onlyinlapland.com which is why I was invited on this bucket list trip.

PS: You can find more great travel tips in the Lapland Little Black Book . A travel guide with the best tips for an unforgettable trip to Finnish Lapland.

Tip: discover more city and travel guides by @yourlbb!