A guided walk through the night forest, a fire or a viewpoint, and the aurora if it shows up.
The short answer
An evening snowshoe tour from Rovaniemi is a guided walk of about two to three hours through dark forest to a fire, a viewpoint or a watchtower, where the group warms up and watches the sky. The northern lights are never certain: every operator says so, the walks run under cloud as well, and Wonderlapland refunds nothing if the aurora does not appear.
Choose by pickup, clothing and group size. Wild about Lapland lends overalls and boots but does not pick up in the city centre; Aihki Adventures keeps groups small and has a cabin to warm up in.
Pick one day, or the first and last day of your stay in Rovaniemi. We look up the booking calendar of every snowshoe tour on this site and list the ones with places left.
Clothing: Overall, boots
Clothing: Own warm clothing and shoes
Clothing: Winter clothes
Clothing: Poles, head torch
The evening walks leave Rovaniemi after dark, and some operators hand out head torches for the trail. The table shows what each one includes. Several listings give no walking distance, because the guide picks the route on the night.
| Photo | Tour | Pickup | On snowshoes | Total time | Clothing | Max. group | Min. age | Price p.p. | Reviews | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Night snowshoeing with a northern lights watch Wild about Lapland | Not in the centre | not stated | 3 h | Overall, boots | 8 | 10+ | €105 | ★ 4.5 (53) | Book now |
| Night forest hike to a watchtower Wonderlapland | Included | not stated | 3 h | Own warm clothing and shoes | 9 | 8+ | €130 | ★ 4.8 (8) | Book now |
| Quiet northern lights snowshoe walk Aihki Adventures | Centre or set points | not stated | 3 h | Winter clothes | 6 (booking limit 8) | 7+ | €89 | ★ 5.0 (6) | Book now |
| Two-hour snowshoe tour near the centre East Lapland Group | No pickup listed | not stated | 2 h | Poles, head torch | 6 | 12+ | €79 | new listing | Book now |
Each snowshoe price is per adult and is read from GetYourGuide or Viator when the page opens, so a listing with a hotel surcharge or a second option can cost more on the booking page.
Each card starts with pickup and clothing. Open it for the full list of what is included and who the operator turns away.
The guide picks old forest, a frozen lake or a hilltop to suit the group and lights a fire with flint and steel. Pickup only outside the centre.
An evening snowshoe walk in a group of at most 8. The guide chooses a place that suits the group and gives a good chance of seeing the aurora if it appears, and lights a fire halfway with flint and steel. The northern lights cannot be guaranteed; the walk runs in any weather.
Pickup, clothing, food and age limits as the operator lists them on the booking page.
Halfway along the trail, a watchtower with a view over the forest, a hot drink and locally baked biscuits. No refund if the aurora stays away.
A guided night hike on snow-covered forest trails near Rovaniemi. Halfway, the group stops at a watchtower with a view over the forest for a hot drink and biscuits. Northern lights are possible on a clear night but not guaranteed.
Pickup, clothing, food and age limits as the operator lists them on the booking page.
The route is chosen each night from the weather and aurora forecast, with a stop to wait at a viewpoint and a warm cabin to use.
After the drive out of town, the group walks on snowshoes through forest and open ground, partly in silence, to a viewpoint chosen for the night. There the guide serves warm drinks and snacks while everyone watches the sky. A cabin with Wi-Fi is available to warm up. The operator states that the aurora cannot be guaranteed and that the walk needs basic fitness.
Pickup, clothing, food and age limits as the operator lists them on the booking page.
The shortest format, starting near the city centre. Book the evening slot for a chance of northern lights; good basic fitness is asked for.
You meet the guide and walk from near the city centre into the forest on snowshoes. On evening tours, clear skies may bring the northern lights, which the operator does not guarantee. New listing without reviews so far.
Pickup, clothing, food and age limits as the operator lists them on the booking page.
The operators describe these tours as walks with a chance of lights, not as aurora hunts. Wild about Lapland chooses between old forest, a frozen river or lake and a hilltop to suit the group, and stops halfway to light a fire with flint and steel. Its listing adds that the tour runs in any weather and asks for a certain amount of endurance. Aihki Adventures picks its route each night from the weather, cloud cover, moonlight and aurora forecast, walks parts of it in silence and then waits at a viewpoint, with a cabin nearby for warming up. Wonderlapland heads for a watchtower in the forest, where a hot drink and locally baked biscuits are served.
East Lapland Group offers the shortest format, two hours from near the city centre, and sells it as a day or an evening slot; it is a new listing with no reviews yet.
Wonderlapland states that no refund is given if the aurora does not appear. The other evening listings make no promise either, and all GetYourGuide tours here can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before the start. Checking the cloud forecast the day before is the one decision you control.
An evening walk means standing still in the cold while you watch the sky. Wild about Lapland lends professional winter overalls and boots, and Aihki Adventures winter clothes. Wonderlapland does not include winter sports gear, asks for warm clothing and sturdy, waterproof shoes, and provides torches if needed. East Lapland Group supplies poles and a head torch and recommends long-shafted boots for deep snow. The page on what to wear goes through it tour by tour.
Wild about Lapland picks up only at accommodation outside the city centre and adds a surcharge from 10 km out; guests in town walk to its office. Aihki Adventures collects from the centre or set pick-up points, and Wonderlapland includes pickup. The youngest guests allowed are 7 with Aihki Adventures, 8 with Wonderlapland, 10 with Wild about Lapland and 12 with East Lapland Group. Wild about Lapland does not recommend its night walk for people with heart problems.
In Rovaniemi civil twilight ends at 15:27 on 1 December and at 16:48 on 1 February, according to the US Naval Observatory. By 1 March it lasts until 18:21 and by 1 April until 21:08, so the season for evening walks narrows towards spring. The page on the best time has daylight and snow month by month.
Prefer to look for the lights from a vehicle that moves with the clear sky, without the walk? Bus and minibus tours are compared on our sister site rovaniemi-northernlights.com.
Some guests saw the aurora, others only clouds and falling snow, and most rate the walk on the guide and the fire. The 3-star review from 2024 is about the operator as a business rather than the walk.
“… Right at the start they explained that seeing the northern lights is never guaranteed … but that the chances were good. I really appreciated their honesty. And then we actually saw them! … Walking through the snowy forest with snowshoes felt unreal. …”
“missed the northern lights because of too much cloud cover. But Lapland and Rovaniemi are beautiful. Snow gently falling was so peaceful. The staff were very responsive, patient and kind. Will try to come back to hopefully see the lights next time.”
“Great experience that wasn’t too long. We had a good chance of seeing the Northern Lights despite the clouds, so it was the perfect clearing and location for that. Our guide, Anna, was very easygoing, positive, and really taught us how to make a campfire. Truly worth the money even if clouds were very high!”
“Would not recommend Wild About Lapland!! It’s clear the employees are overworked and the business views its customers and employees as numbers $ only.”
Reviews of snowshoe tours from Rovaniemi, quoted from GetYourGuide.
No. Every operator says the aurora cannot be guaranteed, and the walks run in cloudy weather too. Wonderlapland gives no refund if the lights do not appear.
Aihki Adventures picks up from the centre or set points, and Wonderlapland includes pickup. Wild about Lapland collects only outside the centre, so guests in town walk to its office.
Wild about Lapland lends overalls and boots, and Aihki Adventures winter clothes. Wonderlapland wants your own sturdy, waterproof shoes.
Most tours last about three hours including the drive. East Lapland Group runs two hours in total.
From 7 with Aihki Adventures, from 8 with Wonderlapland, from 10 with Wild about Lapland and from 12 with East Lapland Group.
The home page lists every snowshoe tour, day and evening.
Open the comparison