"A highly knowledgeable guide for the hunt for the northern lights, wherever they may be"
CHECK THE SKY
Cloud and darkness decide the night
—
Cloud over tonight’s dark hours
—
Kp forecast tonight (NOAA)
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Moon tonight
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Dark enough tonight
A forecast, not a promise: cloud for Levi from MET Norway, Kp from NOAA SWPC · Levi and Saariselkä sit about 250 km apart in Finnish Lapland; the figures here are computed at Levi. · month by month · checked
Geomagnetic latitude
65.0°
Corrected geomagnetic latitude (IGRF-13) of the nearest observatory, Sodankylä, published by ISGI, adjusted for the distance to Levi. Source, checked October 2026.
Kp that brings the oval overhead (est.)
≈ Kp 0.5 estimated
NOAA SWPC’s rule of thumb: the oval’s edge sits near 66° geomagnetic at Kp 0 and moves about 2° per Kp step. Source, checked October 2026.
Dark enough for the aurora
September to March
Months with at least 4 hours a night of the sun 12° or more below the horizon; May to August is too light. Computed with JPL DE421, checked October 2026.
Best months, on clear dark hours
November, December and January
Dark hours a night times the share of cloud-free night sky (NASA POWER, 2001–2025), checked October 2026.
Clear dark hours in November
≈ 2.5 h a night
An average, not a forecast: 13.9 h of darkness with 82% typical night cloud. Checked October 2026.
Levi and Saariselkä · Finnish Lapland
Northern Lights in Levi and Saariselkä, Finnish Lapland
Levi and Saariselkä are Finnish Lapland's resort villages, well north of the Arctic Circle and closer to the oval than Rovaniemi. The tours range from snowmobiles to a small group that drives until the lights appear.
From
US$224
per person
Free cancellation
- 4.7 / 5 656+ Reviews
- 10 Aurora Destinations Compared on This Site
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Levi Guaranteed Sightings Tour Includes
Arctic GM Experiences' small-group northern lights tour in Levi.
Highlights
- A small group of at most 8 guests
- Unlimited mileage and time, typically 6 to 10 hours
- A guide who is also a professional photographer
- Thermal clothing, hot drinks and light snacks
- A full refund if no northern lights are captured on camera
What's Included
- Northern Lights guaranteed viewing (full refund if weather prevents the tour from starting)
- Unlimited mileage & time (typically 6–10 hours)
- Small groups (max 8 guests) for a personal experience — never large groups or coach buses
- Professional photography (DSLR photos included)
- Certified, first-aid trained Northern Lights guide
- Travel in brand-new 2025 Ford Tourneo luxury 4×4 vans
- Pickup and drop-off from your accommodation in Levi
- Thermal overalls for Arctic conditions
- Hot drinks and light snacks
How a Night Works
From booking to the lights.
Book an Early Night
Book early in your stay, so a cancelled night still leaves time.
Pickup in the Resort
Tours collect you in Levi or from the Saariselkä area.
Follow the Clear Sky
Guides move with the cloud, and the Levi guarantee tour may cross borders.
Watch and Photograph
Photos of you under the lights are included on most of these tours.
Photo Gallery
On the Tour
Photos from the tour's own listing.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
What the Tour Brings, and What You Bring
Arctic GM Experiences OY includes
- Northern Lights guaranteed viewing (full refund if weather prevents the tour from starting)
- Professional photography (DSLR photos included)
- Pickup and drop-off from your accommodation in Levi
- Thermal overalls for Arctic conditions
- Hot drinks and light snacks
From the tour’s GetYourGuide listing, checked October 2026. Check dates for this tour →
Bring
- Layers under a windproof shell, a warm hat and gloves: you stand still for long stretches on an Arctic night
- Warm, waterproof boots with good grip on snow and ice
- A charged phone and a spare battery: cold drains batteries fast
- A head torch with a red light, so you keep your night vision
Month by month
When Levi Is Dark and Clear Enough
Night cloud, hours of darkness and how often the Kp index reached 3 or more in the dark hours, month by month at Levi.
| Month | Dark hours a night | Night cloud | Clear dark hours (est.) | Dark hours with Kp 3+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January best | 14.7 h | 80% | 2.9 h | 18% |
| February | 11.9 h | 80% | 2.4 h | 25% |
| March | 8.1 h | 76% | 1.9 h | 28% |
| April | 1.9 h | 70% | 0.6 h | 24% |
| May | Too light | 66% | — | — |
| June | Too light | 69% | — | — |
| July | Too light | 66% | — | — |
| August | Too light | 66% | — | 25% |
| September | 6.3 h | 73% | 1.7 h | 29% |
| October | 10.7 h | 85% | 1.7 h | 26% |
| November best | 13.9 h | 82% | 2.5 h | 24% |
| December best | 15.6 h | 84% | 2.4 h | 21% |
Night cloud: NASA POWER climatology (CLOUD_AMT_NIGHT), January 2001 to December 2025, at the Levi grid cell. Darkness: computed with JPL DE421 via Skyfield (sun more than 12° below the horizon), averaged per night. Kp 3+: share of the 3-hour Kp windows from 2015-01-01 to 2025-12-31 that fell in the dark hours here, from GFZ’s Kp index (CC BY 4.0); September and March run higher, the equinox effect NOAA describes. Clear dark hours are an estimate, dark hours times the cloud-free share. Checked October 2026.
Looking north
The Sky Over Levi, Facing North
Computed charts of the stars where the aurora usually appears, on a new-moon night. The aurora itself is not drawn: no chart can forecast it.
Tour or on your own?
Lapland on Your Own, or With a Tour?
- Can you get out of the resort lights on your own at night?
- Will you move when the cloud rolls in, at minus 20 degrees or colder?
- Do you have the clothing for a long wait outside?
Yes to all three
Go on your own
A short walk out of the resort lights onto a frozen lake or fell often gives a clear northern horizon; check the cloud first.
No to any of them
Book the tour
Transport to the clear sky, thermal clothing, a photographer and, on the Levi guarantee tour, a refund if the camera catches nothing.
Check dates →The Top Three Side by Side
Prices as listed on GetYourGuide, October 2026.
| Feature | TOP PICK Northern Lights Tour with Guaranteed… | Aurora Hunting Photography Tour | Northern Lights Snowmobile Safari |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From US$224/per person | From US$156 (Oct 2026) | From US$161 (Oct 2026) |
| Rating | 4.7/5 (656 reviews) | 4.7/5 (439 reviews) | 4.5/5 (629 reviews) |
| Operator | Arctic GM Experiences OY | Arctic Timetravels | Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park Levi |
| Free Cancellation | Yes, up to 24 hours ahead | Yes, up to 24 hours ahead | Yes, up to 24 hours ahead |
| Check Availability | View This Tour | View This Tour |
Other Levi and Saariselkä Northern Lights Tours
A Saariselkä photography tour, a Levi snowmobile safari and a quiet private lake.
IN SAARISELKÄSaariselkä: Aurora Hunting Photography Tour
Embark on a hunt for the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, from Saariselkä
BY SNOWMOBILELevi: Northern Lights Snowmobile Safari
Hunt for the northern lights under the moonlight and stars
PRIVATE LAKELevi: Northern Lights in Peace and Privacy - by a Private Lake
Explore Lapland with only local guides born and raised in the area
The Levi and Saariselkä Guide
Which Tour to Book
Ten tours compared on group size, transport and price.
Levi and Saariselkä put you further north than Rovaniemi, at about 65.0° geomagnetic latitude for Levi, close enough to the oval that a modest Kp of around 0.5 usually reaches it (NOAA’s rule of thumb, an estimate). The tour that promises the most is Arctic GM’s Levi tour with guaranteed sightings: a group of at most eight, unlimited mileage and time, typically six to ten hours, and a full refund if the camera captures no aurora, from US$224 as of October 2026.
Check dates for the Levi guarantee tour →
When to go
From September to March the nights are long enough, with 15.6 hours of darkness in December. On our measure the best months are November, December and January, at about 2.9 clear dark hours a night in January (an estimate). In 2015 to 2025, 29% of dark hours in September had Kp 3 or more, against 18% in January.
The tours compared
| Tour (operator) | From | Rating (reviews) | What stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guaranteed sightings, small group (Arctic GM Experiences) | US$224 | 4.7 (656) | Max 8 guests, 6 to 10 hours, refund if no aurora on camera |
| Aurora photography tour, Saariselkä (Arctic Timetravels) | US$156 | 4.7 (439) | Pickup within 15 km of Saariselkä, pro camera |
| Snowmobile safari, Levi (Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park) | US$161 | 4.5 (629) | Two people share a snowmobile |
| By a private lake, Levi (Soma Adventures) | US$179 | 4.8 (154) | A quiet lakeside spot |
| Snowmobile hunt, Saariselkä (Lapland Welcome) | US$221 | 4.6 (241) | A fire in the forest, snacks and hot drinks |
| Reindeer sledding, Saariselkä (Lapponia Tours) | US$212 | 4.6 (154) | A reindeer sleigh ride with a chance of the lights |
Prices in US dollars, ratings and review counts as listed on GetYourGuide in October 2026; they change with the date you pick.
Is the guaranteed tour worth the price?
It costs more than the snowmobile and village tours, and the refund only applies if the camera captures nothing, so on a clear active night you would see the lights from many of these. What the price buys is time and reach: a small group, a photographer, thermal clothing and no clock, so the guide can keep driving until the sky clears.
Compare with Rovaniemi or the whole country in northern lights in Finland.
Guest Reviews
What Recent Guests Say
4.7/5
from 656 verified reviews
"We went on the tour with the guide Nazarij, who was super friendly. We got lucky to go on the front seat, he explained us a lot about how the "hunting" works, how auroras happen and it make the tour even more amazing! We were driving for very long, and we went all the way to almost cross to Sweden!"
"The tour was simply splendid. Our guide really gave it his all to give us the best experience, and he succeeded. We were able to enjoy intense northern lights."
"Unforgettable experience hunting the Northern Lights. Rui was an awesome guide! Would totally recommend."
"Seeing the Northern Lights felt impossible, yet thanks to the amazing staff, it became a reality. A truly unforgettable experience, made even more special by our guide!✨❤️"
"We saw the Northern Lights – what more could you want! The guys deliver on their promises and look after their guests the whole time. Our tour guide, Agnes (Mathilde), did her best to show us the aurora and drove all the way to Sweden! In total, we spent about 11 hours travelling in the comfortable car and don't regret it! Thank you!"
"It was an incredible night. We were picked up from the hotel right on time, and our tour guide, Agnes (Mathilde), was very attentive. She looked after us the whole night and said we wouldn't finish the tour until we wanted to go home. Later, she even drove us up a hill to see the lights from another spot. We were very lucky; the aurora borealis were very strong, so it was a truly successful excursion and highly recommended."
"Amazing commitment to take us to the best spots to see the lights. We went all the way to Sweden to catch clear skies, and we were lucky to get a full spectacle."
Read all 656 verified reviews
See All ReviewsPick a Night, See the Price
Most northern lights tours on this site cancel free up to 24 hours ahead, and several offer a free second tour or a refund if the lights do not show. Check the terms of the tour you pick before you pay. Starting from US$224 per person.
Check AvailabilityFAQ: Levi and Saariselkä Northern Lights
The tours, the odds and the season, with figures checked October 2026.
Levi is further north and closer to the oval; Rovaniemi has more tours. Levi sits near 65.0° geomagnetic latitude and Rovaniemi near 63.6°, so Levi needs a little less activity. Rovaniemi has around twice as many northern lights tours on GetYourGuide (October 2026).
Yes, if no northern lights are captured on camera during the tour. Arctic GM Experiences lists a full refund on that condition, with unlimited mileage and time, as of October 2026. Check the terms in the booking calendar.
Yes, it is one of the most northerly resorts in Finland. The tours pick up in the Saariselkä area and drive to darker spots; Arctic Timetravels' photography tour picks up within 15 km of the centre, as listed in October 2026.
September to March, when the nights at Levi get at least four hours of nautical darkness. Darkness, not the aurora, sets the season this far north: from May to August the sky never gets dark enough. Computed with JPL DE421 via Skyfield for the town, checked October 2026.
November, December and January, on this site's measure: the most dark hours that are also cloud-free on average. That is the night length times the share of clear nights in NASA POWER's 2001-2025 night-cloud climatology. September and March also see more Kp 3+ activity, the equinox effect NOAA describes. Checked October 2026.
About Kp 0.5 brings the edge of the auroral oval over Levi, an estimate. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center puts the oval's edge near 66 degrees geomagnetic latitude at Kp 0, moving about 2 degrees per Kp step; Levi sits near 65.0 degrees geomagnetic. Higher Kp means brighter, more active displays, and cloud matters more than the number on most nights.
Still have questions? Email us at info@northernlightsdestinations.com
Kp index: GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences (Matzka et al. 2021), CC BY 4.0 · Oval rule of thumb: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center · Geomagnetic pole: NOAA NCEI (WMM2025) · Night cloud: NASA POWER Project, January 2001 to December 2025 · Tonight's cloud: data from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0); Kp forecast: NOAA SWPC · Sun and moon: JPL DE421 via Skyfield · Aurora data checked October 2026.