The 15 Best Saariselkä Tours in Finnish Lapland

1.Aurora Hunting Photography Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 325 reviews · 3 hours · from $163Our pick

Join Arctic Timetravels for a three-hour Aurora hunt from Saariselkä. Guides such as Ivan, Mikke, Eugene, and Amar use weather and cloud conditions to choose viewing spots, rather than waiting in one place. Hotel pickup, warm drinks, snacks, and professional photos are included.

“Something like this, where it’s luck dependant, will obviously heavily affect how you rate this your. Luckily for my booking (which I booked 2hrs before start time) we saw northern lights at all of our stops. They were absolutely beautiful, the tour was well organised - we have a lovely hot juice (maybe lingonberry?) and the frozen lake was 100% the best part. It was -20C so I cannot stress how important it is to wrap up warm, especially hands and feet! We spent quite a while at each spot to allow us to get lots of content! Our guide was brilliant and took loads of photos of each of…”

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2.10KM Husky Safari with kennel visit

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 313 reviews · 4 hours · from $234

Drive a two-person sled for half of a 10 km husky run, then swap places and ride as passenger. At the small Veskoniemi kennel, guides such as Elena explain the dogs’ lives, with time to meet the team, visit puppies, and warm up with a drink.

“Everything was perfect from start to finish. The transfer was smooth and the driver was very kind and friendly. It was clear that the huskies are well cared for and truly loved. Our guide was very experienced and shared many interesting stories about the dogs’ daily lives and training. Everything happened exactly as we had imagined — a wonderful experience that we can highly recommend!”

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3.Snowmobile Ride with Hot Drinks

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 196 reviews · 2 hours · from $152

From hotel pickup in Saariselkä, you’ll gear up, learn snowmobile basics, and follow an English-speaking guide through snowy forests and open countryside. The two-hour ride includes warm clothing, a helmet, photo stops, and hot drinks such as berry juice. David, Marianne, Kaisa, and other Safartica guides have earned praise for clear instruction and patient support.

“This experience was amazing ! The view in the forest while driving was so beautiful ! Thank you to our guide !”

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4.Northern Lights Hunt Snowmobile Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 195 reviews · 5 hours · from $199

You’ll learn to drive a snowmobile on practice tracks, then follow your English-speaking guide into the dark Lapland forest. At a tepee or hut, warm up beside a fire with sausages, snacks, and hot drinks before watching for the Aurora. Guides such as David, Marco, and Markus are known for careful support.

“all ok. big group so little unorganised at start. but guide was good stopped fir 3 northen light spots”

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5.Auroras Northern Lights in Saariselka

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 176 reviews · 5 hours · from $175

Spend five hours hunting the aurora around Saariselka with an English-speaking guide such as Christina, Linda, or Franzi. Drive to a dark forest site, warm up in a hut, cook barbecue snacks, hear Lappish stories, and get help with night photography. Pickup from major local hotels is included.

“The Aurora hunting tour was a great experience, although we only got a slight glimpse of the Aurora due to heavy cloud cover Francine ensured everyone was comfortable and warm with great conversation as well. The snacks was a good surprise as this wasn't clear in the tour description. Overall experience and atmosphere was great. Definitely recommend going on this tour.”

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6.Snowmobile Safari on Tundra with BBQ

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 151 reviews · 3 hours · from $175

Set out from Saariselkä, Ivalo, or Kakslauttanen with an English-speaking guide such as Marko, Fabian, or Tommi. Learn to handle a Lynx snowmobile on marked tracks, ride through snowy woods and open fields, and stop at a forest hut for fire-cooked snacks and hot drinks. Shared driving is standard, with solo driving available for an extra fee.

“Our guide Marko was such a nice guy as a guide. he was very friendly, always asking if everything was okay. It was totally worth the money compared to what we have experienced. totally recommended!”

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7.Northern Lights & Reindeer Sledding Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 140 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $222

From Saariselkä, ride a reindeer sleigh through quiet Finnish forest, stop to feed the animals, and warm up with a hot drink by a campfire. English and Finnish-speaking guides such as Visa, Ansee, Nilla, and Eemeli add local stories, with an Aurora sighting possible but never promised.

“This activity was amazing! Our guide, Eemeli, was really nice and fun! We had such a great time! We met at the tour operator's. Then we had to wear lots of layers of clothing (thanks God we did it, it was so cold in the woods). The minivan took us to the place where the reindeers were and we had a fantastic ride on the sleds! It was so magic: sledding in a dark wood. We stopped to start a fire, take pictures and drink a hot fruit juice. Our guide talk to us about life in Lapland and sang some songs. On the was back, we saw the Northern…”

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8.Evening Snowmobile Tour with Fire & picnic

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 127 reviews · 3 hours · from $183

You’ll ride a well-kept snowmobile through Saariselkä’s Arctic forests, swamps, and hills after dark, with warm clothing, a guide, and about 1.5 to 2 hours of driving. A fire stop brings grilled sausages, pastry, and hot drinks. Aurora sightings are possible, not promised.

“Activités bien mais par rapport au prix je trouve ça chère, après il y avait un très bon guide, sympa et plein d’anecdote ! Mais au vu du prix la prestation je suis quand même déçu ..”

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9.Aurora Photo Tour by Car with Transfer & Drinks

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 116 reviews · 3 hours · from $135

Leave Saariselkä by minibus with an English-speaking guide, follow clear skies toward northern lights viewing areas, and pause for hot drinks and gingerbread. Warm clothing, hotel transfers, photography tips, and a link to tour photos are included, though the aurora and scenic stops are never guaranteed.

“geen NL is overmacht, maar 1 uur in de auto naar russische grens en weer terug, zonder drankje en niets fotografisch, vind ik nog geen 1 € waard. chauffeur was alle spullen vergeten geloof ik. je zou verwachten iets compensatie. te krijgen, maar ook dat niet helaas.”

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10.Arctic Trail Horse Riding Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 105 reviews · 2 hours · from $170

Ride your own steady Finnish horse through quiet forest trails near Saariselkä. Maria and the local guides explain riding, horses, animal tracks, and the surrounding nature. The two-hour outing includes at least 60 minutes in the forest, hot drinks, and a maximum of four riders.

“This was the best activity!!!! The horses are so nice, the guide was so knowledgeable and pointed out various animal tracks along the trail. The horses led us so carefully through deep snow and you really got a chance to experience nature in a whole new way.”

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11.Snowshoeing Tour in Urho Kekkonen National Park

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 91 reviews · 2 - 4 hours · from $88Best value

Set out from Outdoor Expert Saariselkä with a guide such as Alessa or Rita for a 2-hour, 4-hour, or evening snowshoe walk in Urho Kekkonen National Park. Expect off-route travel, snowy trees, wildlife tracks, a warm drink, and a pace suited to the group.

“Special experience to walk on the dark forest! She explained really well and we heard lot of interesting things. Highly recommend!”

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12.Snowmobile Safari, Meet and Feed Reindeers with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 85 reviews · 3h 15m · from $210

Spend 195 minutes learning to drive a snowmobile across frozen Ivalo River and Lake Inari, then visit Tina and Tapio’s island home. Feed reindeer, hear about life in Lapland, and eat homemade fish or reindeer dishes in a warm teepee. Small groups, local guides such as Piia and Bea, and winter gear are included.

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13.Lake Inari Northern Lights Tour w/ Reindeer & Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 80 reviews · 4 hours · from $194

Tina and Tapio host this small-group evening from Ivalo to their island home near Lake Inari. You will ride a reindeer-hide-covered sleigh, feed friendly reindeer, and eat local fish or reindeer in a traditional teepee while watching for the Northern Lights.

“Zonder noorderlicht (wat natuurlijk nooit te garanderen is) is deze tocht wat magertjes. Het is vooral een (koude) tocht over het meer in een slee achter een sneeuwscooter gevolgd door een tussenstop in een tipi tent met vuur waarop worstje/soep/brood worden klaargemaakt en waar je de gelegenheid krijgt 2 rendieren te voeren. Daarna nog paar minuten terug met de slee naar de auto die ons terugbracht naar de beginlocatie waar we onze dikke geleende pakken konden inleveren en daarna teruggebracht werden naar ons hotel. Als totaalpakket niet slecht als aanbod, maar in de praktijk zonder noorderlicht heeft het weinig om het lijf.”

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14.Aurora Photography Tour 3 HOURS

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 74 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $167Top rated

Join Arctic Timetravels for a three-hour Aurora hunt from Saariselkä. Your guide follows changing forecasts, drives to at least three dark locations, explains the lights, and serves hot drinks. Guides such as Ivan, Walter, Karoliina, and Nico have helped guests find clear skies and capture the show.

“I highly recommend this tour. They were very professional and kept us updated on the weather forecast. Walter was a great guide and we were very lucky to see an amazing light show.”

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15.Saariselkä,Kakslauttanen: Aurora Hunting & Photography Tour.

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 58 reviews · from $154

Join ArcticTours for a 3 to 3.5 hour Northern Lights hunt from Saariselkä, Kakslauttanen, or Kiilopää. An English or Finnish speaking guide drives a small Mercedes minibus beyond cloudy skies and village lights, then helps you photograph the aurora when conditions allow. Guides include Henry and Jen.

“The guide (forgot his name) picked up up on time and chased the lights. Fortunately, within minutes, we saw the lights. He brought us to a hidden spot and explained the lights and took alot of photos. It was simply magical.”

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