Autumn Northern Lights in Rovaniemi

Rovaniemi’s tourism office dates the aurora season from late August to mid-April. That means the first weeks come without snow: the nights are dark again, but the lakes are open, the forest has no white cover and the aurora can reflect on still water. Snowmobile safaris and reindeer sleigh rides need snow cover; the northern lights do not.

Autumn tours at a glance

Lake floating needs open water, so it runs in the weeks before the lakes freeze. The wilderness tour runs through the autumn with later departures than in mid-winter. Check the dates on the product page.

Photo	Tour	Format	Guarantee type	Duration	Reviews ↕	Price ↕	Book
	Small-group wilderness tour with campfire Wild About Lapland	Chase + campfire	Guarantee as paid option	4 h	★ 4.3 (1,535)	€103 per person	Book now
	Autumn lake floating under the aurora Safartica	Lake floating (autumn)	No guarantee	3 h	★ 5.0 (11)	€136 per person	Book now

Prices are per person and come live from GetYourGuide and Viator. Where the guarantee is a paid option, it is added on the booking page.

Autumn tours in detail

Each tour with what its listing says about the guarantee, the length of the night and the group. Open a card for the full details.

Wild About Lapland

Small-group wilderness tour with campfire

Runs in autumn too · max 8 · campfire and up to 3 viewing spots · guarantee as an option.

Duration: 4 hours
✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start

from €103 ★ 4.3 (1,535 reviews)

Book on GetYourGuide

Full tour details

Highlights

Small group, maximum 8 guests, with up to 3 viewing spots per night
Campfire in the wilderness
Warm clothing included
No guarantee in the standard version; the guarantee is a separate option

What's included

Guided wilderness tour with campfire
Warm clothing

Know before you go

With the guarantee option, the tour is postponed or cancelled with a full refund if conditions look poor, and refunded if no aurora is captured on camera.
Without the option, the tour runs as a wilderness evening with no refund promise.

Details from the operator’s listing on the booking platform. The guarantee terms there are the binding version.

Safartica

Autumn lake floating under the aurora

Float on an open autumn lake · aurora not guaranteed · minimum height 120 cm.

Duration: 3 hours
✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start

from €136 ★ 5.0 (11 reviews)

Book on GetYourGuide

Full tour details

Highlights

Autumn lake floating: drift on an open lake in a floating suit while you watch the sky
Runs in the snow-free autumn season

Not suitable for

Children under 120 cm

Details from the operator’s listing on the booking platform. The guarantee terms there are the binding version.

Late AugStart of the aurora season in Rovaniemi

No snowThe first weeks of the season: open lakes, bare forest floor

120 cmMinimum height for autumn lake floating

Mid-AprEnd of the season

What is different in autumn

Open water. Until the lakes freeze, the aurora can mirror on the surface, and you can float on it. Safartica’s autumn lake floating puts you on an open lake in a floating suit; the listing states that the aurora is not guaranteed.
No snow, milder nights. The nights are not as cold as in deep winter, but you still spend hours outdoors in the dark. Dress in warm layers, see what to wear.
Later departures. Wild About Lapland lists later start times for September and October than for the mid-winter months, because the nights get dark later at the start of the season.
No snow activities yet. Snowmobiles and reindeer sleighs wait for the snow. In autumn the northern lights are the main event of the evening. Husky operators run autumn rides with wheeled carts instead of sleds, compared on our sister site for husky tours.

Guaranteed chases in autumn

The chase tours drive to wherever the sky is clear, and they are not tied to snow. Reviews written in September 2026 describe chase nights with BookLapland, Arctic GM and Lapin Taivas, including a sighting after three hours of driving and a return at 3:30 in the morning. Whether a particular chase runs on your date is shown in its booking calendar. The guarantee rules are the same as in winter: our guarantee comparison sorts them.

Autumn checklist

Lake floating depends on open water, so check the season dates in the listing.
Bring waterproof shoes: without snow, the forest floor can be wet.
Clouds are the same risk as in winter. Plan more than one evening if the aurora is the reason for your trip.
A chase night still ends late. Reviewers report returns after 3 a.m.

Autumn or winter?

Autumn is for the aurora on its own: reflections, floating on open water, milder nights. Winter adds the snow scenery, ice floating and the combination with huskies, snowmobiles or reindeer. The seasons side by side are on our best time page.

What travellers wrote in September

Recent reviews of the chases describe the start of the season: long drives, late returns and sightings at several stops. The late return is part of a chase night, in autumn as in winter.

★★★★★

“Really awesome night however we didn't get back til 3:30am. We saw the lights at multiple stops and it was honestly a dream come true! Really knowledgeable staff. Only problem is I couldn't find the location to start as the address took me somewhere different.”

Olivia · Australia · September 2026 Northern lights tour with photos · BookLapland

★★★★★

“Atte and Max are very friendly, patient, and helpful staffs! We catched the Aurora after 3 hours driving chasing!!”

Yukai · Finland · September 2026 Northern lights tour with photos · BookLapland

★★★★★

“My first aurora finally arrived! … We drove west from central Rovaniemi all the way to Ylitornio, chasing clearer skies. She explained that aurora chasing is not simply about latitude, but about finding gaps in the clouds …”

Mcgrady · China · September 2026 Northern lights hunt by 4×4 van · Arctic GM

★★★★★

“… Another great advantage was the small group size of only six people, which allowed us to fully immerse ourselves in this magical experience …”

Andrea · Italy · September 2026 Aurora hunt by heated minivan · Lapin Taivas

★★★★★

“The trip was excellent! The guides were very kind and friendly, and the transportation was perfectly organized. We really enjoyed watching the beautiful Northern Lights while having some snacks and warm tea. …”

Anja · Montenegro · September 2026 Northern lights tour with photos · BookLapland

Real traveller reviews from GetYourGuide.

FAQ

Can you see the northern lights in Rovaniemi in September?

Yes. Rovaniemi’s tourism office dates the aurora season from late August to mid-April, so September is within the season. As always, a clear sky decides.

Is there snow in Rovaniemi in autumn?

Not in the first weeks of the season. That is what makes autumn different: open lakes, reflections on the water and lake floating instead of ice floating.

Which northern lights tours run in autumn?

Safartica runs autumn lake floating on open water, and Wild About Lapland runs its small-group wilderness tour in autumn too. Recent reviews show that the guaranteed chases also operate at the start of the season; the booking calendar on each product page shows the dates.

Can I do husky or snowmobile tours in autumn?

Snowmobile safaris and reindeer sleigh rides need snow and start later in the season. Some husky operators run autumn rides with wheeled carts instead of sleds; they are compared on our sister site for husky tours.

Is autumn lake floating guaranteed?

No. The listing states that the aurora is not guaranteed. You pay for the floating. The aurora is a bonus on a clear night.

Autumn tours at a glance

Autumn tours in detail

Small-group wilderness tour with campfire

Highlights

What's included

Know before you go

Autumn lake floating under the aurora

Highlights

Not suitable for

What is different in autumn

Guaranteed chases in autumn

Autumn or winter?

What travellers wrote in September

FAQ

Related on this site

Aurora floating

Best time

Naked eye vs. camera

Compare autumn and winter tours