How to See Northern Lights in Finland: Don't make these 5 mistakes

🌌Seeing the northern lights in person is a beautiful experience but hunting them is quite tricky. In this video, I offer advice on the best time to see northern lights, the best places to spot them, and the 5 mistakes you absolutely should avoid when searching for them. These tips can help you search for aurora borealis anywhere, but my experience is specifically in Finland.

It's hard to find a complete guide to help you make the most of your aurora hunting experience, but I have put together this make-no-mistake guide to help increase your chances of seeing the dancing bright lights.

Recommended Aurora Hunting Gear ⬇
-Northern lights app: Free version of an app called "Aurora"

🙏Thank you Petri for letting me borrow a couple of your beautiful pictures in this video.

❓Is it your dream to see the northern lights one day?

[coolcatb]

I saw a gorgeous green aurora when I was 10. That was 47 years ago, and I still remember it clearly. They truly are magical.

[TheMagicalPinata]

I just skipped all these steps and named our Finnish daughter Aurora. So I can easily see a Finnish Aurora.

[AuroraNowApp]

Even as an app developer, I really must agree with trusting apps blindly is a huge mistake. Never know when the show starts, and the beautiful landscape is quite amazing even without northern lights. One more mistake that might not be as bad, is the position and phase the moon is in during the period you go traveling for northern lights. Nice if possible to avoid full moon and if possible, go traveling when the moon is down during night. Thanks for great content!

[Assistance]

Omg, your excitement when you are talking is just unreal, love it 😊

[Andie]

Yes!! Seeing the Aurora is my lifelong dream!! I’m headed to Lapland in 6 weeks to search for northern lights, saunas, huskies, reindeer, and a level of cold that I have never known before!! This was super helpful! Thank you!!

[tharakaseneviratne]

This is a wonderful video. Long ago, in 1989, I have visited Lapland during a training in Helsinki, Finland, and seen the Auroras. Your candid video brings back all the nostalgic memories. Thank you for the very informative and lovely presentation !

[federicorizzi]

Believe it or not, I dreamt northern lights the last night and now you came out with this video 😃 I have spotted my first Aurora on the very first night in Rovaniemi some years ago. What a privilege! It looked like two thin green lines dancing in the sky. I was so mesmerized by that experience that I didn't want to take my camera off and get some footages. Sometimes I find the camera is a distraction, sometimes I want to fully enjoy the moment and I want it all for myself. After 30 minutes, I was freezing at -20°, it decided to vanish as quickly as it appeared. I ran to the hotel shouting at the receptionist "woooo I've just seen the Aurora!!!" And he replied, calmly, "pfftt we see it every night...."
And I was like "whaaaat I traveled 2000 km for Haha!
Aurora was one of the greatest experience in my life

[rolf]

Hi Varpu, We were very fortunate to witness the Northern lights during our visit to Karkussen on 25-28th January 2023. the first night we saw them from our Igloo attached to our log cabin when we ran outside to photograph them, the second night we captured them during out reindeer safari!!!. I was always under the impression that the light could be seen green with the naked eye however, it wasn't until I pointed my IPhone 14 at the lights I could see them more clearly. Wouldn't it be amazing if someone could invent a pair of glasses with the same lens technology as our camera's much in the same way as 3D glasses were used in watching 3D films in cinema's? Keep up your amazing work! The Finnish tourism board should employ you full time to actively promote visits to your country with that natural welcoming Finnish Looking forward to returning someday! :)

[joetsang]

Wonderful advice! Esp. "don't make your trip all about Auroras". You would get very disappointed if you plan nothing ahead but only aurora, but fail to see it (which is very likely). I was lucky enough to watch my first aurora in Iceland in 2018. But in the same trip, the glacier trekking alone was such a wonderful experience. It already completed my trip even if I hadn't been able to see the aurora. Likewise, another amazing aurora encounter in Inari, Lapland in 2020 (even more beautiful, with those dancing lights of multi-color). But the fjord experience in Norway in the same trip was also precious enough to mark my trip.

[ChenQuiYakShiMash]

We saw them in keflavik December 2022. All your advice was Perfect 👍

[milenachaves]

Hi. Thanks for your video. I'm Brazilian 🇧🇷 . See the northern Lights is my dream. 😍 Probably, I'll cry when i see.

[vbalasubra]

Thank you for this and for your smiling face

[staopaopa]

I was at my friend's cottage by lake in Mikkeli, having 4 hr evening swimming, sauna, eating sausages with drinks, snow everywhere, butt naked and having the best time and Boom, Northern lights appeared, it was fantastic to see, never forget it.
Welcome to Finland and I was visiting from America.

[soniaperez]

I saw them on Sunday near Rovaniemi. Amazing!!

[udothiel]

Hey Varpu, thanks a lot for sharing your experiences. I just returned from Saariselkä with awesome pictures of northern lights.

[LynneLuxonJonesphotography]

Hi Varpu, lovely to see your enthusiasm for all things Finnish . I've visited Utsjoki 4 times & seen the spectacle everytime , sometimes a subtle show but also some amazing displays. Can't wait for my 5th trip next year ❤ The landscape is breath taking as well, I'm absolutely in love with northern lapland x

[PS-ulmt]

Moi! Nice video. Joo, I plan on moving to Finland and have been looking in Roveniemi. Aside from the beautiful Northern lights I am captivated by the beauty of the wintry landscape. Kiitos!

[PaiviProject]

I am from Tornio and I grew up watching those beautiful Northern Lights every winter. They were just stunning. We were living away from the city lights so when I got dark, it got really dark and the views were so clear. I can not tell you how much I miss Finnish FOOD, oooh oooh, poron kuivalihaa ja maksalaatikkoa ja monia muita. Hei hei.

[Justice]

Such a lovely smile. Thank you for the information I hope all are as cheerful and happy as you seem in Finland. 🙌🏾

[samagha]

Thank you for the video and your suggestions I will be heading to Rovaniemi in March 2024. Can’t wait.