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Northern lights photography tours in Rovaniemi

Two ways home with aurora photos: a tour built around the camera, or a chase where the guide photographs you under the sky.

Top picks
Northern lights photography hunt
Nordic Odyssey Northern lights photography hunt
★ 4.9 (336) from €115
Book now
Northern lights photography tour
Beyond Arctic · 6 hours Northern lights photography tour
★ 4.4 (270) from €116
Book now
Compare all 6 options

If the photos matter as much as the sight, there are two routes. A photography tour puts the camera at the centre of the night. A guaranteed chase with photos is about finding the aurora first, and the guide takes pictures of you with it along the way. The table puts both side by side.

Photography tours and chases with photos

Photography tours next to the guaranteed chases that include photos of the night. Sorted by number of reviews; tap a column header to re-sort.

Photo Tour FormatGuarantee typeGroupDuration Reviews ↕ Price ↕ Book
Northern lights hunt by 4×4 van
Arctic GM Experiences 		Van chase Full refund if the camera captures nothing Max 8 per van 5 h ★ 4.6 (4,456) €70 per person Book now
Northern lights tour with photos
BookLapland 		Chase, up to 200 km Full refund if no aurora is seen — 5 h ★ 4.8 (2,634) €70 per person Book now
Aurora hunt with photos
Lapland Explorers 		Bus or small group Full refund if the camera captures nothing Bus, or small group max 8 6 h ★ 4.8 (1,329) €55 per person Book now
Northern lights photography hunt
Nordic Odyssey 		Photography tour No guarantee Max 8 — ★ 4.9 (336) €115 per person Book now
Small-group aurora hunt with photos & video
Aurora Monkeys 		Small-group chase Full refund Max 8 5 h ★ 4.8 (330) €132 per person Book now
Northern lights photography tour
Beyond Arctic 		Photography tour — — 6 h ★ 4.4 (270) €116 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. A dash means the listing gives no figure for this point. The product page has the details.

Photography tours

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.

Northern lights photography hunt
Nordic Odyssey

Northern lights photography hunt

Professional camera · max 8 guests · overalls provided · the operator states the aurora is not guaranteed.

from €115 ★ 4.9 (336 reviews)
Book on Viator
Full tour details

Highlights

  • Photography-focused aurora hunt with a professional camera
  • Small group, maximum 8 guests
  • Overalls provided

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

Northern lights photography tour
Beyond Arctic

Northern lights photography tour

A six-hour night built around photographing the aurora.

  • Duration: 6 hours
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
from €116 ★ 4.4 (270 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full tour details

Highlights

  • Northern lights tour with a photography focus

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

Guaranteed chases with photos of the night

These chases are about the sighting and the refund rule. Photos of you under the aurora are part of the package.

Northern lights hunt by 4×4 van
Arctic GM Experiences

Northern lights hunt by 4×4 van

Full refund if the camera captures nothing · max 8 guests per van · the most-reviewed tour in this comparison.

  • Duration: 5 hours
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
from €70 ★ 4.6 (4,456 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full tour details

Highlights

  • Guarantee: full refund if at no point northern lights are captured on camera
  • Aurora chase in 4×4 vans with a maximum of 8 guests per van
  • The most-reviewed northern lights tour in this comparison

What's included

  • Guided aurora chase by 4×4 van
  • Overalls

Meeting point

Valtakatu 26, central Rovaniemi.

Know before you go

  • The refund condition is the camera rather than the naked eye: a faint aurora that shows up on a photo counts as a sighting.
  • Read the guarantee terms on the product page before booking, because they are the binding version.

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

Northern lights tour with photos
BookLapland

Northern lights tour with photos

Full refund if no aurora is seen · the guides drive up to 200 km · photos included.

  • Duration: 5 hours
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
from €70 ★ 4.8 (2,634 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full tour details

Highlights

  • Guarantee: full refund if no northern lights are seen
  • The guides drive up to 200 km in search of clear skies
  • Photos of the night are included

What's included

  • Guided aurora chase
  • Photos of the night
  • Overalls and boots

Know before you go

  • Whether "seen" means by eye or on camera is defined in the guarantee terms on the product page. Check them before booking.

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

Aurora hunt with photos
Lapland Explorers

Aurora hunt with photos

Full refund if the camera captures nothing · bus or small group of up to 8 · photos within 2–3 days.

  • Duration: 6 hours
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
from €55 ★ 4.8 (1,329 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full tour details

Highlights

  • Guarantee: 100 % refund if no northern lights are captured on camera
  • Bookable as a bus tour or as a small group of up to 8
  • Photos delivered within 2–3 days

What's included

  • Guided aurora chase
  • Photos of the night

Meeting point

Korkalonkatu 25, Rovaniemi.

Know before you go

  • Bus and small group are separate options on the same listing, so check which one you select.
  • The refund condition is the camera rather than the naked eye.

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

Small-group aurora hunt with photos & video
Aurora Monkeys

Small-group aurora hunt with photos & video

100 % money-back guarantee · max 8 · photos and videos of the night.

  • Duration: 5 hours
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
from €132 ★ 4.8 (330 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full tour details

Highlights

  • Guarantee: 100 % money back
  • Small group, maximum 8 guests
  • Photos and videos of the night

What's included

  • Guided aurora chase
  • Photos and videos

Know before you go

  • The exact refund condition (eye or camera) is set out in the guarantee terms on the product page.

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

Photography tour or chase with photos?

A photography tour, if…

  • you bring your own camera and want time to use it
  • a small group matters: Nordic Odyssey takes a maximum of 8
  • you accept that there is no refund rule: Nordic Odyssey states the aurora is not guaranteed

A chase with photos, if…

  • you want a refund rule for a night without aurora
  • portraits of you under the sky are enough, since the guide takes them
  • you do not want to handle a tripod in the cold

What the photo chases include

BookLapland includes photos of the night, Lapland Explorers states delivery within 2–3 days, Aurora Monkeys adds videos, and the Arctic GM chase carries “photos” in its title. Reviewers of several of these chases mention the pictures the guides took of them. One critical review is a useful reminder of the limit: on a cloudy night, the photos show what the sky showed, which in that case was clouds.

Photographing the aurora yourself

The camera sees more than your eyes, because it can collect light over several seconds. That is also why a faint aurora can look pale to you and green on the photo. More on this on our naked eye vs. camera page. For your own pictures:

  • A tripod is not optional. Long exposures need a camera that does not move. A phone works best on a small tripod or a steady surface, in its night mode.
  • Manual focus on infinity. Autofocus struggles in the dark; set it before you leave the van and tape the ring if you can.
  • Batteries drain in the cold. Carry spares in an inside pocket, close to your body.
  • Watch for condensation. Moving a cold camera into a warm van fogs the lens; a bag helps it warm up slowly.
  • Gloves you can work in. Thin liner gloves under mittens let you press buttons without freezing your fingers.
A photo is not a promise of colour

No tour can promise how strong or how colourful the aurora will be. A reviewer on a Lapland Explorers chase writes that the aurora was hard to see with the naked eye because of cloud and a full moon, and that they managed a faint picture. That is a normal outcome on a weak night, with or without a photography tour.

What guests write about the photos

Guides who take photos and videos of their guests are a frequent theme in the reviews. The critical voices show the other side: on a cloudy or weak night, the pictures cannot show more than the sky did.

“The professional photos that we received, the motivation of our guide to show us the northern lights”
Saskia · Germany · May 2026 Northern lights hunt by 4×4 van · Arctic GM
“Fantastic! our guide did his best to show us the lights and took great pictures and videos of us with them. Dress warm though!”
Lipika · Germany · April 2026 Aurora hunt by heated minivan · Lapin Taivas
“Our guide, Patrick, was so great. He found us the perfect spot to see the light show, was very patient in finding that spot, and we all got some amazing photos. … The tour group was small and the tour was very well organised.”
Sorcha · Ireland · January 2026 Small-group wilderness tour · Wild About Lapland
“We left at 6:30 pm and drove for about 2 hours to the aurora spot in Sweden. We split up at 3:00, so it was a long tour. It was hard to see the aurora with the naked eye because of the cloudy sky and full moon, but I managed to get a faint picture of it! …”
Verified traveller · Japan · March 2026 · translated review Aurora hunt with photos · Lapland Explorers
“I didn't really like anything about it, starting with the fact that they never spoke in Spanish, even though the advert said that it was also in Spanish. … We didn't see the Northern Lights, not in the slightest. In the photos they took of us, you can only see clouds. …”
María · Spain · September 2026 · translated review Northern lights tour with photos · BookLapland

Real traveller reviews from GetYourGuide.

FAQ

Is a northern lights photography tour guaranteed?

The Nordic Odyssey photography hunt states that the aurora is not guaranteed. If you want a refund rule, a guaranteed chase that includes photos is the alternative. Most of them refund if the camera captures no aurora.

Do I need my own camera?

Not on the chases with photos: the guides photograph you under the aurora. On a photography tour your own camera is the point, and a tripod is essential for long exposures.

Can I photograph the northern lights with a phone?

Yes, on a reasonably strong night. Use the night mode, keep the phone completely still on a small tripod or a steady surface, and keep the battery warm.

When do I get the photos from a chase?

It depends on the operator. Lapland Explorers states delivery within 2–3 days; the product page of each tour tells you how the photos are delivered.

Will the photos show more than I saw?

Often, yes. A camera collects light over several seconds, so a faint aurora can look pale to the eye but green on the photo. On a cloudy night, however, the photos show clouds.

Related on this site

Naked eye vs. camera

Why the photo shows more than you see.

Small group vs. bus

More time with the guide and the camera.

What to wear

Standing still behind a tripod is the coldest part of the night.

Compare photo tours and photo chases

Format, guarantee type and duration in one table.

See the comparison