The northern lights are usually associated with winter, but, in Northern Finland, their most active seasons are actually autumn and spring, Visit Finland says on its website.
Seeing the northern lights with one’s own eyes is a unique experience for many, and you need a clear sky and a little luck to see them. Right now, you have a good chance of seeing this unique optical phenomenon in Northern Finland, as the best season for spotting the northern lights starts at the end of August, when the nights get darker, and ends at the beginning of April.
Your chances get even better the further north you travel in Finland. The northern lights can be seen in Lapland about 200 nights a year – that is, on every second clear night.
Currently, flights are operated from Helsinki Airport to the Lapland airports of Rovaniemi, Kittilä, Ivalo and Kuusamo. In the coming winter, there will also be many direct scheduled flights to Finavia’s Lapland airports from all over Europe. In addition to the existing routes, as many as 23 new routes will open in Lapland for the 2024–2025 winter season.
Facts about the northern lights:
- The northern lights can best be seen when the sky is clear. There are mobile apps and websites to help you check how likely you are to see the northern lights.
- Green is the most common colour of the northern lights, while red northern lights are very rare.
Image: Pertti Turunen / Visit Finland.
This article was first published in September 2023.
