The Best Time and Places to See the Northern Lights in Lapland, Finland

The Northern Lights are famously elusive. However, you’ll be pleased to hear that the odds of catching sight of this eerie delight is far better in northern Lapland than any other place, with the ethereal display making an appearance around 200 nights out of 300.

You won’t see the lights through your window though. You need to brave the cold (it can get down to -50C (-58F), so wrap up warm) and get out there every night. The further into the wilderness you are the better, as light pollution makes the auroras almost impossible to see. Complete darkness is best. If you can find a frozen lake (not too difficult in Northern Lapland) around midnight, you’re upping your odds, as these landscapes often offer wide open, unobstructed panoramas.

In general, September to April is the best season – the bright summer months render the lights almost invisible – due to its long light nights and midnight sun. Autumn is a beautiful time to visit the region, with the russet-coloured leaves burning brightly, in what’s known as “ruska season”. Because the snow hasn’t yet fallen, the nights are inky black, resulting in perfect aurora-spotting conditions.

With the first major snows in November, the Arctic winter comes on almost instantly. Once the sun has set in late November, you won’t see it again until mid-January. But December is a celebratory time in Lapland, and visiting then will come complete with reindeer rides, dog sledding and snowmobiling – the latter being one of the preferred ways to chase the aurora over frozen lakes. The shortest days of the year, from December to January, increase your chances of spotting the lights, but they are also devastatingly cold. Be warned!

February to March are also popular months for aurora hunting, because the nights are still long but there is significantly less snowfall which means the skies are less cloudy. The spring equinox on March 20th is said to bring greater solar activity and “geomagnetically disturbed days,” which means prime time for spying the lights.

April is often the last month it is dark enough at night to see the lights. However, don’t think of this as a last resort, spring is a glorious time to visit Lapland, and with much of the snow gone, you can easily spend more time outdoors.