Rovaniemi Aurora Borealis Tour: A Detailed Review
Visiting Rovaniemi and wondering if an Aurora Borealis tour is worth it? Well, that’s totally understandable. Many dream of witnessing the captivating Northern Lights dance across the night sky, and Lapland, specifically Rovaniemi, happens to be a pretty spot to maybe make that dream a reality. That said, let’s find out more about whether a tour makes sense for seeing them.
Why Choose a Guided Aurora Borealis Tour in Rovaniemi?
Planning to chase the Aurora alone, might be alright, but choosing a guided tour, has its advantages, too, especially if it’s like your first time in the Arctic. Local guides really do bring more than just driving skills to the experience. Here’s where they, like, add value:
- Expertise in Spotting Auroras: Guides are, like, pretty familiar with the area and have knowledge on where and when the lights might show up. They pay attention to weather patterns and solar activity.
- Transportation to Prime Viewing Locations: They drive you away from the city lights pollution, to places where, maybe, the sky is darker and clearer.
- Warm Gear and Facilities: The arctic evenings are really pretty cold. Tours will often provide outerwear to, maybe, keep you warm and some even have warm shelters along the way.
- Photography Assistance: Many tours actually offer assistance in setting up cameras to, sort of, snap some pics of the Aurora.
When you consider these perks, joining a tour can turn into more rewarding and, maybe, even a more comfortable Northern Lights hunt, that you might do alone.
Types of Rovaniemi Aurora Borealis Tours
Rovaniemi really does offer lots of ways to go Aurora hunting. Knowing what your options are can, basically, help you pick one that fits your style and what you want to experience:
- Bus Tours: These are more or less, the standard option. They take a group to a good spot outside of the city by bus. It’s, like, convenient and, potentially, affordable.
- Snowmobile Tours: If you’re after something adventurous, that, maybe, combines sightseeing with a bit of a thrill, then a snowmobile tour is your kind of tour. You get to, literally, drive through the snow.
- Reindeer or Husky Sleigh Rides: Want something pretty magical? These tours have you travel by sleigh, pulled either by reindeer or huskies. The views can be, like, enchanting, but it’s also a colder, slower journey.
- Walking/Snowshoeing Tours: This option has you hiking or snowshoeing into the wilderness. It’s more active and a good pick, arguably, if you like nature and quiet.
- Photography Tours: Are you super serious about photography? These tours come with instructors who, possibly, know how to catch the Aurora just right with a camera.
- Private Tours: Want something customized, where it’s like your own thing, these tours are adjustable. They offer flexibility and can be customized to just your requests.
Knowing what to expect can, maybe, improve the overall experience, regardless of which you pick.
What to Expect on Your Aurora Borealis Tour
Okay, here’s like a heads-up on how your Rovaniemi Aurora tour, typically, runs so you get an idea.
- Preparation: Many tour providers, actually, suggest dressing warmly in layers. Tour operators can, almost, offer outer layers or suits, in order to fight the arctic chill.
- Departure: Tour starts from a meeting point in Rovaniemi. It, might be, hotels or spots in town.
- Transportation: Depending on the tour, you’ll be transported in some form of vehicle or sleigh. The buses can be, a bit, cozy, while the sled rides provide scenic trips.
- Aurora Spotting: On arrival at the spot, tour guides can find a comfortable area. This is, almost, a process of waiting, looking at the sky, drinking hot drinks. The guides, also, can share stories about the Northern Lights or local folklore.
- Photography: If the Aurora decides to display itself, make use of the chance. Many guides provide assistance with setting up your cameras or using theirs to, sort of, capture images.
- Return: The tours run for three to four hours, as a matter of fact, once it gets near the finish they’ll drop you off where you started.
Just know, Auroras do not just perform on cue, there is some good luck needed. But the tour, arguably, can up your odds and ensure your comfort.
Reviewing Key Tour Operators in Rovaniemi
Picking a tour can be a tricky task. Here’s a short review of a few operators that you could, potentially, see in Rovaniemi:
- Arctic Adventures: Recognized for having variety in tours from bus rides to snowmobiling. They have pretty favorable reviews and offer warm clothes.
- Safartica: Focuses on sustainable tourism and giving back to the Lapland community. They run various eco-friendly tours.
- Lapland Welcome: Delivers really well-designed trips with skilled photography guides. Ideal if you are serious about photographs.
- Beyond Arctic: Provide tours, a bit, geared towards small groups and want to ensure a more individualized experience. They put emphasis on customer service.
Investigate reviews and evaluate offerings when picking an operator. It’s not like all services are created equal, what one person finds great the other might not like that much.
Tips for Making the Most of Your Aurora Tour
Okay, here’s a little bit of tips that might help ensure your Aurora tour in Rovaniemi becomes everything it could be.
- Dress in Layers: It does get pretty frosty in Lapland. Layers enable you to control your temp by, maybe, removing or adding.
- Check the Aurora Forecast: You want to sort of know when your best chances are for observing the Aurora before booking the tours. Services and Apps actually track solar activity.
- Bring a Good Camera: Okay, your smartphone works ok, but a camera, maybe, has better sensors. This can actually let in more light to help snap pictures.
- Be Patient: There is no way to guarantee a display of Aurora. Be prepared to, just, chill out.
- Ask Questions: Don’t be reluctant about getting clarifications from guides. Guides are a fountain of info on what creates the light phenomena or just random facts around the surrounding location.
Your time of waiting, with such tips, can make a cold evening transform into a memory.
Rovaniemi Aurora Borealis Tour – Common Misconceptions
Alright, it’s time that we cover the, potentially, confusing details around Aurora tours.
- Misconception: Lights are guaranteed to appear every tour.
Reality: Mother nature may, not provide northern lights. - Misconception: The naked eye could make them seen with absolute clearity.
Reality: Dependant on their power, they’re a slight shade that photos improve. - Misconception: You can wrap up in clothing only and do absolutely fine!
Reality: The artic chills, do reach right through multiple layers and outer clothes are important. - Misconception: Rovaniemi city is optimal for lights due its urbanisation and closeness to other towns.
Reality: You should depart a built-up, heavy light city to gain superior sights.
With better information on realitites, you will make educated guesses for how Aurora Tours perform.
Top Recommendations for Aurora Photography in Rovaniemi
Photographing the Aurora is something a bunch of people may, want to experience on trips. Here are some tips for, maybe, doing it better in Rovaniemi:
- Use a Tripod: Aurora photography always demands steady gear. The Tripod ensures clearity because a shake-free image is taken.
- Manual Focus: A tour pro would typically say, that focusing directly on the image to change it is super important for sharpness. Set camera lens to manual focus on, almost, the star for optimal sharpness.
- Experiment with Settings: Begin to experiment at a good shutter value with aperture/ISO speeds. Set longer speeds to capture greater illumination for less grainyness!
- Scout Locations: Seek open location from water for landscapes including the Northern Lights reflection. Tour operators and local advisors assist on these choices and other settings when picking your location!
- Be Patient: Fantastic photography is never quick and, as a matter of fact, will demand extreme perseverance especially when nature is concerned. Be Patient & make changes during various Aurora viewing times.
Maximizing your Rovaniemi Tour budget
Let’s be real. Going on tour might take a bit from, maybe, your travel funds. It’s, also, easy to plan your cash in Rovaniemi for seeing lights in Lapland.
- Compare deals : Examine costs that different tourist organizations are running across tour styles and tour schedules to ensure maximum discounts from those operators.
- Reserve earlier : Arrange Aurora tours way earlier than leaving to, potentially, guarantee reductions/ availability during peak durations of stay where high travel may incur extreme surges!
- Group travelling is efficient: Are friends with you? Look through private booking packages with team costs, since they might decrease rate charges unlike per head fees typically advertised solo for that travel trip..
- Seek all inclusives: Search out bundles incorporating transfers plus clothing during tour package which, typically, lessen single costs through, kind of, integrated tour solutions offered for every guest overall within trip agreements .
- Go Off Season: Check when the best tour availability is by seeking cheaper days to, perhaps, make good light opportunities on better off season price ranges.
Through great economic strategies, visiting Northern Lights can happen without costing extreme cash
