Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Arctic Scandinavia: Northern Lights in Finland, Sweden and Norway
9 days from Rovaniemi to Tromso from December to March: two nights each in Rovaniemi, Muonio, Abisko and Tromso, with huskies, a reindeer farm, the Ofoten railway and six planned evenings under the Northern Lights.
9 days · Rovaniemi to Tromso Airport · up to 12 guests
Koivusaari island in Rovaniemi, in autumn; the trip runs in winter, when it lies under snow Photo: Leonhard Lenz, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hiking_trail_on_Koivusaari_Rovaniemi_2022-09-15_23.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights
- Start and end
- Rovaniemi to Tromso Airport
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 4 h on day 5No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Easy
Short walks of 1 to 3 km on snow, a husky ride of about 5 to 10 km sitting or standing on the sled, a reindeer sleigh ride, and a snowshoe walk of about 3 km in Abisko National Park with a shorter loop if you prefer. Aurora evenings mean one to three hours outside in deep cold, including an open chairlift up Mount Nuolja, and you can always stay in. Two days have about 3.75 hours in the minibus, broken by lunch, and two train rides.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 3 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,345 (estimated price)
- Season
- December to March
Highlights
Why this trip
- A husky ride through snowy forest outside Rovaniemi, and crossing the Arctic Circle line
- A reindeer farm near Muonio: a sleigh ride and lunch by the fire in a kota hut
- Waiting for the Northern Lights by the frozen Muonio river with a campfire
- The chairlift up Mount Nuolja to the Aurora Sky Station in Abisko
- The Ofoten railway from Abisko down to Narvik, above the Rombaksfjord
- The Fjellheisen cable car over Tromso at the last light, then a fjord aurora chase
- Two nights in every base, and a winter outfit lent to you for the whole trip
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,345 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 4 h, on day 5.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi Airport (RVN) to your hotel in Rovaniemi
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Rovaniemi
- Drive about 15 min
Fly into Rovaniemi, the capital of Finnish Lapland, usually on a connection from Helsinki: plan to land by about 3 pm. A driver meets you at arrivals for the 15-minute transfer into town. Rovaniemi sits where the Ounasjoki river meets the Kemijoki, a few kilometres south of the Arctic Circle; it was almost entirely burned at the end of the Second World War and rebuilt to plans by the architect Alvar Aalto, which is why the centre looks modern. At about 5 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group, fits everyone with the winter outfit you keep for the whole trip (thermal overall, boots, mittens, socks and a balaclava) and runs through the route, the cold and the aurora forecast.
Evening
Then we sit down to a welcome dinner of Lappish food, perhaps salmon soup or sauteed reindeer. If the sky is clear and the forecast strong, your guide takes anyone who wants to go to a dark riverbank outside town afterwards.
Included
- Pick-up at Rovaniemi Airport (RVN)
- Winter outfit fitting and welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
- An aurora outing outside town if the sky is clear and the forecast strong
Free time: Free until the 5 pm briefing
Huskies, Arktikum and the Arctic Circle
Rovaniemi to a husky farm, then the Arctic Circle at Santa Claus Village, back to Rovaniemi
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Rovaniemi
- Drive about 1 h
The husky ride goes first, in the brightest hours of the short winter day. We drive about 25 minutes out of town to a husky farm in the forest, where the dogs start howling as soon as the harnesses come out. After a safety talk from the mushers you ride two to a sled, one standing on the runners and one sitting, on a trail of about 5 to 10 km through snowy pine and over frozen bog, then warm up with a hot drink by the fire.
Afternoon
Lunch is a hot, sit-down meal. In the afternoon, when the morning coach groups have moved on, we stop at Santa Claus Village to step over the painted line of the Arctic Circle and post a card from the Santa Claus Main Post Office. Back in town we visit Arktikum, the museum and science centre on the riverbank, for the Arctic peoples, the Sami and the science of the aurora (closed on Mondays from March; we then swap it to another day).
Evening
The early evening is free; after dark your guide takes the group to a dark spot outside town to watch the sky.
Included
- Husky ride of about 5 to 10 km at a farm outside Rovaniemi, two to a sled
- Sit-down lunch
- The Arctic Circle line and the post office at Santa Claus Village
- Arktikum museum and science centre
- Guided aurora watch at a dark spot outside town
Optional experiences
- Snowmobile safari on the frozen river (a valid car driving licence is needed to drive)
- A meeting with Santa Claus in his office at Santa Claus Village
Easier option: Ride as the passenger for the whole trail, wrapped in a reindeer skin, and skip the evening aurora watch if you would rather rest.
More active option: Drive the sled for the whole trail, if your sled partner agrees and the musher is happy with your braking.
Free time: Early evening free in Rovaniemi
Activity: Huskies pull hard. Standing on the runners means holding on and using the brake on the downhill parts; the mushers teach you first.
North through the forest to Muonio
Rovaniemi to Kittila and Levi, then on to Muonio on the Swedish border
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Muonio
- Drive about 3.5 h
Afternoon
After breakfast we drive north-west into the forest and fell country of western Lapland, about 230 km and about three and a quarter hours in all, with a coffee stop and a long lunch break so nobody sits for more than about two hours at a time. Reindeer often stand on the road here, so the driving is unhurried. We stop for a sit-down lunch in Levi, Finland's biggest ski resort, at the foot of its fell, then carry on for about an hour to Muonio, a small village on the Muonio river, which forms the border with Sweden. The village has only a few streets of lights, and the river and the lakes around it are dark.
Evening
We settle into the hotel, our base for two nights, with time for a sauna before dinner together. After dinner your guide walks the group down to the frozen river, a few minutes away, to watch for the Northern Lights over the Swedish bank.
Included
- Drive through western Lapland via Kittila
- Sit-down lunch in Levi
- Dinner in Muonio
- Aurora watch by the frozen Muonio river if the sky is clear
Free time: Late afternoon free in Muonio for a sauna or a walk
Activity: The longest stretch without a stop is about two hours.
A reindeer farm and a campfire night
Muonio to a reindeer farm nearby and back, then a dark spot by a lake
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Muonio
- Drive about 45 min
Morning
A slow morning, then in the late-morning light we drive a short way to a reindeer farm, where a herding family tells us how reindeer are herded in Lapland, how the animals are marked and moved between winter and summer grazing, and what the herd means to a family that has worked with it for generations. You help feed the reindeer, then take a sleigh ride of a couple of kilometres behind one through the forest.
Afternoon
Lunch is cooked over an open fire in a kota, the traditional wooden hut: perhaps salmon or a reindeer stew, with coffee boiled on the fire.
Evening
The afternoon is free, for a sauna and a roll in the snow, a ski on the prepared tracks or a nap before a late night. After an early dinner on your own, we drive a few minutes out of the village to a dark lakeshore, light a campfire, hand round hot berry juice and wait for the sky.
Included
- Reindeer farm visit with a herding family near Muonio
- Reindeer sleigh ride of a couple of kilometres
- Lunch cooked over the fire in a kota hut
- Campfire aurora evening at a dark lakeshore
Optional experiences
- Snowmobile safari (a valid car driving licence is needed to drive)
- Cross-country ski hire
- A night in a glass-roofed cabin, quoted when you book
Easier option: Watch the feeding from the fire and skip the sleigh ride, and go back to the hotel early from the campfire.
More active option: A morning snowshoe or ski on the tracks near the village with your guide before the farm visit.
Free time: Afternoon free in Muonio; dinner on your own
Activity: Reindeer sleighs are slow and steady; you sit low under a blanket.
Into Sweden: Kiruna, then the train to Abisko
Muonio to Karesuando and Kiruna, then the train to Abisko
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Abisko
- Drive about 4 h
We cross into Sweden at Karesuando, a bridge over the Muonio river with normally no passport check, and the clocks go back an hour, which gives the day some slack. The road runs south-west through forest and frozen bog to Kiruna, about 260 km and three and three-quarter hours in all with a coffee stop on the way. Kiruna is Sweden's northernmost town, built around the iron-ore mine in the Kiirunavaara mountain, and it is moving: the mine has spread under the old centre, so homes, shops and the big wooden church are being rebuilt or carried a few kilometres east.
Afternoon
After a sit-down lunch in the new centre we board the train for Abisko, about an hour and a quarter along the shore of the frozen lake Tornetrask, while the minibus carries the luggage by road.
Evening
We settle into the hotel, have dinner together, then walk down to the lake shore to watch for the lights.
Included
- Drive into Sweden via Karesuando
- Sit-down lunch in Kiruna's new centre
- Train from Kiruna to Abisko (luggage by road)
- Dinner in Abisko
- Aurora watch on the Tornetrask shore if the sky is clear
Activity: If the train is cancelled by weather, we drive to Abisko on the E10, about 95 km and 1.25 hours.
Abisko National Park and the Aurora Sky Station
Abisko, the national park and Mount Nuolja
- Breakfast
- Stay in Abisko
- Drive about 15 min
Morning
A free morning, for sleeping in, a cross-country ski on the prepared tracks or a coffee looking over the lake.
Afternoon
Around midday your guide leads a snowshoe walk of about 3 km into Abisko National Park, set up in 1909 and one of the first national parks in Europe, through mountain birch bent low by the snow and down into the canyon, where the river freezes into blue ice falls. On a clear day the U-shaped gap of Lapporten, the mountain gate to the south-west, stands out across the valley.
Evening
Abisko sits in the rain-shadow of the mountains on the Norwegian border, so its sky is often clear when the coast is cloudy, which is why we save this evening for it. After a rest and dinner on your own, we take the open chairlift, with evening departures at about 9 pm, up Mount Nuolja to the Aurora Sky Station, about 900 m up, with warm drinks, a small exhibition and a terrace over a valley with no lights in it.
Included
- Guided snowshoe walk in Abisko National Park and the frozen canyon
- Aurora Sky Station on Mount Nuolja, with the chairlift up and down
Optional experiences
- The Aurora Sky Station's set dinner at the top (book ahead)
- Cross-country ski hire
- A day trip back to Kiruna for the Icehotel at Jukkasjarvi (ask when you book)
Easier option: Take the short canyon loop of about 1 km, and skip the chairlift if the cold or the height do not suit you: watch from the lake shore near the hotel instead.
More active option: A longer snowshoe of about 6 km towards the Lapporten viewpoint trail with your guide, conditions allowing.
Free time: Morning free in Abisko; dinner on your own
Activity: The chairlift is open to the air and the ride up takes about 20 minutes in the dark; with the full outfit and a blanket it is cold but fine.
The Ofoten railway to Narvik, on to Tromso
Abisko to Narvik by train, then Narvik to Tromso
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Tromso
- Drive about 4 h
This is the one long travel day, and it is long because the train is worth it.
Morning
In the late morning we board the train at Abisko and ride over the watershed at Riksgransen into Norway, then down the Ofoten line, cut into the mountainside high above the Rombaksfjord, to the ice-free port of Narvik, about an hour and three-quarters. The line was built around 1900 to carry Kiruna's iron ore to the sea.
Afternoon
In Narvik we have a sit-down lunch near the harbour and stretch our legs, then our Norwegian minibus, which has brought the luggage over by road, drives us north on the E6 to Tromso: about 250 km and three and three-quarter hours past fjords and frozen lakes, with a coffee stop halfway so no stretch is longer than about two hours.
Evening
We reach Tromso in the evening. The evening is free; if the sky clears, your guide points you to the harbour, a short walk away.
Included
- Train on the Ofoten line from Abisko to Narvik
- Sit-down lunch in Narvik
- Drive from Narvik to Tromso with a coffee stop
Optional experiences
- The Narvik War Museum, if time allows after lunch
Free time: Evening free in Tromso; dinner on your own
Activity: If the railway is closed by weather, we drive from Abisko to Narvik on the E10 (about 75 km, about an hour) and keep the rest of the day the same.
Tromso, Fjellheisen and a fjord aurora chase
Tromso, the Fjellheisen cable car, then an aurora chase inland or along the fjords
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Tromso
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
A free morning in Tromso, for the Polar Museum on the harbour, a coffee in the old wooden houses of the centre, or just a slow breakfast.
Afternoon
Early in the afternoon your guide leads a short walk through the centre and over the Tromso Bridge to the Arctic Cathedral, finished in 1965, its white triangular roof facing the island. Then we take the Fjellheisen cable car up to Storsteinen, about 420 m above the city, timed for the last light, when Tromso's lights come on below and the mountains and fjords turn blue.
Evening
We come down for an early farewell dinner together. At about 7 pm we head out on the aurora chase: your guide and driver study the cloud forecast and drive to wherever the sky is clearest, along the fjords, inland, or as far as the Finnish border if that is where the gap is, with hot drinks and a fire at the stop. Back in Tromso around midnight or later.
Included
- Guided walk across the Tromso Bridge to the Arctic Cathedral
- Fjellheisen cable car to Storsteinen
- Farewell dinner
- Aurora chase by minibus from Tromso, with hot drinks and a fire
Optional experiences
- Polar Museum entry
- Whale watching by boat, in the weeks the whales are in the fjords (ask when you book)
Easier option: Stay in town for the evening and watch from the harbour if the chase is not for you.
More active option: Walk up the Sherpa steps beside the cable car instead of riding up, when they are open and free of ice.
Free time: Morning free in Tromso
Activity: The chase can mean three or four hours in the minibus and long waits outside in the cold; it is the evening most likely to finish late.
Tromso Airport and home
Tromso to Tromso Airport (TOS)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 15 min
Morning
A late breakfast after the aurora chase, and time to hand back your winter outfit at the hotel. Tromso Airport is on the same island, about 5 km and 15 minutes from the centre, and our driver takes you there in time for your flight; your guide says goodbye at the hotel or the terminal. Most flights from Tromso connect through Oslo, so book a flight leaving after about 11 am, and if you are flying home the same day, leave a generous connection in Oslo. If you would like more time in the north, Tromso is an easy place to stay on: we can suggest hotels and day trips, from the Lyngen Alps to whale watching in season. If you want a slower week in one place, our Tromso winter trip spends six days around the fjords and the Lyngen Alps, our Swedish Lapland trip gives Abisko three nights and the Icehotel, and our Finnish Lapland trip goes deeper into Rovaniemi and Yllas.
Included
- Drop-off at Tromso Airport (TOS)
Activity: Book a flight from Tromso leaving after about 11 am.
- Rovaniemi2 nights
- Muonio2 nights
- Abisko2 nights
- Tromso2 nights
- Tromso Airportend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: For a few weeks around the December solstice the sun does not rise in Abisko or Tromso and barely clears the horizon in Rovaniemi; the days are a few hours of blue twilight, so outdoor activities sit in the middle of the day. January and February are the coldest months inland. March has 10 to 12 hours of daylight, deep snow and milder days. The Northern Lights are possible on any dark, clear night through the season; cloud is what most often hides them, and the coast at Tromso is cloudier than inland Lapland. Reindeer graze along the roads in Finland, so the driving is unhurried.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want several real chances at the Northern Lights in different skies, inland and on the coast
- First-time Arctic visitors who want Lapland, Swedish mountains and a Norwegian fjord city in one trip
- Rail fans: the Ofoten line from Abisko to Narvik is a highlight
- Solo travellers, couples and families with older children
- People who do not want to buy a full set of Arctic clothing for one trip
Not for you if you want
- Anyone who needs a guaranteed aurora: nobody can promise one
- Travellers who want one base and no packing: our single-country winter trips suit you better
- Anyone who cannot face one to three hours outside at -20 C, or a late night on the Tromso chase
- A deep Sami culture trip: the reindeer farm is one day, not the focus
- A ski holiday: skiing is optional around the planned days
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Rovaniemi2 nights
- Muonio2 nights
- Abisko2 nights
- Tromso2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights: 2 in Rovaniemi, 2 in Muonio, 2 in Abisko and 2 in Tromso
- Hotels or lodges of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Private transfers from Rovaniemi Airport (RVN) and to Tromso Airport (TOS)
- A private minibus and professional driver in Finland and Sweden, and a Norwegian minibus and driver from Narvik to the end of the trip
- Train from Kiruna to Abisko
- Train on the Ofoten line from Abisko to Narvik
- Your luggage carried by road on both train days
- The Tromso aurora chase by minibus
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from the day 1 briefing to the airport on day 9
- Local mushers, a reindeer herding family and aurora guides for those activities
Activities
- A full winter outfit for the whole trip: thermal overall, insulated boots, mittens, woollen socks and a balaclava
- Husky ride of about 5 to 10 km outside Rovaniemi
- The Arctic Circle at Santa Claus Village, Rovaniemi
- Arktikum museum and science centre, Rovaniemi
- Reindeer farm visit with a sleigh ride near Muonio
- Guided snowshoe walk in Abisko National Park and the frozen canyon
- The Aurora Sky Station on Mount Nuolja, Abisko, with the chairlift
- Guided walk to the Arctic Cathedral, Tromso
- Fjellheisen cable car, Tromso
- Aurora evenings outside Rovaniemi, by the Muonio river, at a campfire near Muonio and on the Tornetrask shore
Meals
- 8 breakfasts
- 5 lunches: near Rovaniemi on day 2, in Levi on day 3, in a kota at the reindeer farm on day 4, in Kiruna on day 5 and in Narvik on day 7
- 4 dinners: a welcome dinner in Rovaniemi, arrival dinners in Muonio and Abisko, and a farewell dinner in Tromso
Not included
- International flights to Rovaniemi and from Tromso
- Visa or ETIAS travel authorisation fee, if it applies to your dates
- Travel insurance, which should cover weather delays
- Lunches on days 6, 8 and 9, and dinners on days 2, 4, 6 and 7
- Drinks, including alcohol, which is expensive in Sweden and Norway
- The Aurora Sky Station dinner
- Optional activities: snowmobile safaris, a glass-roofed cabin night, the Icehotel day trip, whale watching, the Polar Museum, ski hire
- Thermal base layers, hat and liner gloves
- Tips
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,345 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
Prices in these answers apply from Jan 1, 2027. Black Friday offer: 15% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 6,710 per person. Dec 2 to Dec 31: from CAD 7,265. From Jan 1, 2027: from CAD 7,895.
What does the price include?
Eight nights in 3-star-plus hotels, 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 4 dinners, airport transfers at both ends, a private minibus and driver, both train journeys, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, a winter outfit for the whole trip, the husky ride, the reindeer farm, Arktikum, the Aurora Sky Station, the Fjellheisen cable car and the Tromso aurora chase.
Will we see the Northern Lights?
We cannot promise it, and nobody honestly can. The whole route lies under the band where the aurora is most often active, but you still need solar activity and a clear, dark night. We plan six evenings across three countries, so your guide can look for clear sky inland when the coast is cloudy, and calls hopeless nights off early.
How big is the group, and who leads it?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests in one minibus. A See Sight Tours guide stays with the group from the first evening briefing in Rovaniemi to the airport in Tromso, watches the weather and aurora forecast every day, and works with local mushers, a reindeer herding family and aurora guides.
How fit do I need to be?
Not very. The walks are 1 to 3 km on snow, you can ride the husky sled as a passenger, and the snowshoe walk has a short loop. The hardest parts are the cold, with one to three hours outside on aurora evenings, and two days of about 3.75 hours in the minibus, each broken by lunch and a coffee stop.
Why so much travel? Is it tiring?
It is a three-country trip, so there are three travel days, but we stay two nights in every base and never drive more than about 3.75 hours in a day. On two of the travel days the train does part of the work while our minibus carries the luggage, and every base has a free morning, afternoon or evening.
I am travelling solo. What does a room of my own cost?
A room of your own for all eight nights is from CAD 1,345 on top of the small-group price, shown before you request to book, with nothing added later. Solo guests share a sled with another guest or the guide, and join the same group, table and activities as everyone else.
When is the best time to go?
Any departure from December to March has dark skies for the aurora. December and January bring the polar night in Abisko and Tromso, with a few hours of blue twilight and the most hours of darkness. January and February are coldest inland. March has long bright days, deep snow and milder weather, and still dark nights.
How does booking work?
Pick a start date and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until then. The small group starts from CAD 7,895 per person sharing, with taxes; prices are indicative until we confirm your dates and name the hotels.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide, driver and vehicle, from CAD 14,210 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we quote the hotels, trains, activities and transfers for you.
Do I need a visa, and are there border checks?
Canadian and US citizens do not need a visa for a short stay; Finland, Sweden and Norway are all in the Schengen area, so the land borders have no passport checks. Europe's ETIAS travel authorisation is due to start for visa-free visitors, and we tell you before you fly whether it applies to your dates.
What if a train is cancelled by snow?
We drive instead. The minibus is already on the road with your luggage, so if winter weather closes the line between Kiruna and Narvik, we take the E10 to Abisko or to Narvik and keep the rest of the day the same. You lose the view from the train, not a night anywhere.
Should I choose this trip or one of your single-country winter trips?
Choose this trip for variety: Lapland forest, Swedish mountains and a Norwegian fjord city, with skies in three places. Choose our 6-day Finnish Lapland, Swedish Lapland or Tromso trips for one base, less packing and more nights in one spot. All run in winter, and any of them extends this one.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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