Aurora Service Tours
Aurora Service Tours
5
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Full view
About
Come and join the most northern dedicated aurora company in the EU as we go out chasing the northern lights around the most northern areas of Finland & Norway.
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Aurora Service Tours
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5.0
767 reviews
Excellent
748
Very good
15
Average
4
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Lynne
UK16 contributions
Jan 2023 • Solo
My 2nd visit to Northern Lapland with Aurora Service Tours ,I didn't think they could improve on my 1st visit ,how wrong I was !
My guide for the week was Darren (what a superstar ),great sense of humour, very knowledgeable & went out of his way to ensure the visit was a huge success .
My expectations were exceeded on arriving at the Chalets ,I was blown away to be given one of the new ones ,I loved chalet 5 but this one was like being in a 5 star hotel .Thank you so much AST ✨️
Ours was a small group ,just myself & a lass from the USA ( Ryan) & we got on immediately which made the trip even better .
Darren took us Snowmobiling, what an absolute blast...even falling off & getting stuck was great fun 😁Darren ensured we were safe all the time ...I'd thoroughly recommend this option ,zooming across a frozen lake in glorious sunshine is an incredible feeling !
We were so lucky with the lights ,2 nights gave us incredible displays (that didn't want to stop ) which resulted in Ryan & myself staying out at camp until 3.30am both mornings. Thankfully we had the Kota below the viewing tower to nip into for a quick warm up as ,at -16 ,it was a tad chilly 😳
On the other nights Darren took us out in the company minibus ,chasing clear skies for miles ...the 1st night we dipped out due to fog & heavy cloud but the 2nd night Darren kept going & got us under a short cloud break to see them dancing above us . The lights are unpredictable & not gaureenteed but AST will do everything in their power to get you under them .
I can't speak highly enough of Aurora Service Tours , Piritta in the office is friendly, efficient & very helpful throughout the booking and Darren was a 5 Star guide.
I will be back 😁
My guide for the week was Darren (what a superstar ),great sense of humour, very knowledgeable & went out of his way to ensure the visit was a huge success .
My expectations were exceeded on arriving at the Chalets ,I was blown away to be given one of the new ones ,I loved chalet 5 but this one was like being in a 5 star hotel .Thank you so much AST ✨️
Ours was a small group ,just myself & a lass from the USA ( Ryan) & we got on immediately which made the trip even better .
Darren took us Snowmobiling, what an absolute blast...even falling off & getting stuck was great fun 😁Darren ensured we were safe all the time ...I'd thoroughly recommend this option ,zooming across a frozen lake in glorious sunshine is an incredible feeling !
We were so lucky with the lights ,2 nights gave us incredible displays (that didn't want to stop ) which resulted in Ryan & myself staying out at camp until 3.30am both mornings. Thankfully we had the Kota below the viewing tower to nip into for a quick warm up as ,at -16 ,it was a tad chilly 😳
On the other nights Darren took us out in the company minibus ,chasing clear skies for miles ...the 1st night we dipped out due to fog & heavy cloud but the 2nd night Darren kept going & got us under a short cloud break to see them dancing above us . The lights are unpredictable & not gaureenteed but AST will do everything in their power to get you under them .
I can't speak highly enough of Aurora Service Tours , Piritta in the office is friendly, efficient & very helpful throughout the booking and Darren was a 5 Star guide.
I will be back 😁
Written 13 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike
1 contribution
Mar 2023
Seeing the Aurora is magical, but very few people can say they've laid on a reindeer pelt in the remote wilderness of Lapland at 4am watching the lights dance around the stars. That's exactly what we did one evening here though.
Despite the word "tours" right there in the name, AST was instantly more like family than a tour operator. From the moment we met Darren at the airport through to him dropping us back off at the end of the trip it felt like we had arrived with friends. Darren's excitement for the Aurora and his desire to go the extra mile to ensure we enjoyed every moment of our trip really made a big difference. We had our own cabin which felt like our own little slice of luxury tucked away between the trees on the side of the riverbank, looking out towards Norway. The cabins have underfloor heating so were always warm, but we enjoyed the log burner too, and of course our own private sauna. It couldn't be a Finnish home without one...
We had booked a Husky sledding experience and a few hours of snowmobile driving as part of our trip, and Darren took us on these excursions too. Both would be highly recommended to experience both the very traditional and the much more modern way of going off-road in the snow covered wilderness of Lapland.
In the evenings Darren met us at the Kota (a small cabin with a central fire pit where you can keep warm and toast some marshmallows) before we headed out with the rest of our very small group to find a good location to see the Aurora. The camp site is actually very well located itself though and on more than one evening we didn't need to go anywhere at all, we stayed on site and used the purpose built observation tower (where the AST live stream is hosted) to see the Aurora as there was no cloud cover, and enjoyed the warmth of the Kota in between.
Despite no direct flights, and a further 2 and a half hour ride from Ivalo Airport to Utsjoki, this is by far the best short break I've ever done, it's magical up there and I can't wait to visit again.
Despite the word "tours" right there in the name, AST was instantly more like family than a tour operator. From the moment we met Darren at the airport through to him dropping us back off at the end of the trip it felt like we had arrived with friends. Darren's excitement for the Aurora and his desire to go the extra mile to ensure we enjoyed every moment of our trip really made a big difference. We had our own cabin which felt like our own little slice of luxury tucked away between the trees on the side of the riverbank, looking out towards Norway. The cabins have underfloor heating so were always warm, but we enjoyed the log burner too, and of course our own private sauna. It couldn't be a Finnish home without one...
We had booked a Husky sledding experience and a few hours of snowmobile driving as part of our trip, and Darren took us on these excursions too. Both would be highly recommended to experience both the very traditional and the much more modern way of going off-road in the snow covered wilderness of Lapland.
In the evenings Darren met us at the Kota (a small cabin with a central fire pit where you can keep warm and toast some marshmallows) before we headed out with the rest of our very small group to find a good location to see the Aurora. The camp site is actually very well located itself though and on more than one evening we didn't need to go anywhere at all, we stayed on site and used the purpose built observation tower (where the AST live stream is hosted) to see the Aurora as there was no cloud cover, and enjoyed the warmth of the Kota in between.
Despite no direct flights, and a further 2 and a half hour ride from Ivalo Airport to Utsjoki, this is by far the best short break I've ever done, it's magical up there and I can't wait to visit again.
Written 12 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
William andrew I
2 contributions
My wife and I had a wonderful time with Aurora Service Tours.Darren who looked after us was great to be around and always did his utmost in his quest to find the northern lights for us
Written 5 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
j E
Raleigh, NC14 contributions
Feb 2023
What a fantastic experience! I don't normally book "tours", preferring to do my own thing and not vacation on someone else's schedule, but being unfamiliar with Finland in general we decided to take a chance. This company was definitely the right choice for us.
Our goal was primarily to see the aurora borealis, but also to experience the nature of northern Lapland. This experience checked all my boxes - I can't really call it a "tour" because it felt more like a small group of friends, and because we never felt like we had to be here or there on a schedule.
Our wonderful guide was Darren, the perfect host! There were five of us for the four nights we were there (M-F) during the third week of Feb. 2023. We had chosen that week because it was near the new moon, so darker skies.
There are about ten cabins in a northern Lapland forest setting. The cabin we were in was built fairly recently, was quite comfortable, roomy and warm with plenty of room to fix meals (includes basic cooking equipment). Heated floors and a sauna :)
Truly awe inspiring auroras the first three nights without ever having to leave the cabin area to chase down clear skies. Weather reports called for clouds, but the skies cleared up in the evenings in time to regale us with beautiful shows.
Each evening after dinner in our cabins we met near the tower where we could climb to the top for amazing views when the aurora was putting on her display, then retreat to the kota in between to warm up by the fire, sip warm drinks and chat with others (if you want to). Darren was always there like an old friend to help with alerts, learning to take pictures with whatever camera you brought (I just used an iphone and got decent pics), sharing knowledge about the auroras, and whatever else!
During the days, you do whatever you want - we signed up to do the husky sleds and snowshoeing on two of the days, and played around the cabins at other times. And there was always your own sauna to retreat to in your cabin!
Two of us went to the husky farm with Darren so we had a truly personal experience! We LOVED seeing the dogs and seeing how eager they are to run, then learning to mush, and going out for about a 15 mile run.
Also had a lot of fun snowshoeing with Darren (four of us chose to do snowshoes) on a trail through the forest right by the cabins.
We even had a little "dinner party" with our new friends on the last evening that all were there :)
I would absolutely book with Aurora Service Tours again and of course we'd love to have Darren as our host again!
Our goal was primarily to see the aurora borealis, but also to experience the nature of northern Lapland. This experience checked all my boxes - I can't really call it a "tour" because it felt more like a small group of friends, and because we never felt like we had to be here or there on a schedule.
Our wonderful guide was Darren, the perfect host! There were five of us for the four nights we were there (M-F) during the third week of Feb. 2023. We had chosen that week because it was near the new moon, so darker skies.
There are about ten cabins in a northern Lapland forest setting. The cabin we were in was built fairly recently, was quite comfortable, roomy and warm with plenty of room to fix meals (includes basic cooking equipment). Heated floors and a sauna :)
Truly awe inspiring auroras the first three nights without ever having to leave the cabin area to chase down clear skies. Weather reports called for clouds, but the skies cleared up in the evenings in time to regale us with beautiful shows.
Each evening after dinner in our cabins we met near the tower where we could climb to the top for amazing views when the aurora was putting on her display, then retreat to the kota in between to warm up by the fire, sip warm drinks and chat with others (if you want to). Darren was always there like an old friend to help with alerts, learning to take pictures with whatever camera you brought (I just used an iphone and got decent pics), sharing knowledge about the auroras, and whatever else!
During the days, you do whatever you want - we signed up to do the husky sleds and snowshoeing on two of the days, and played around the cabins at other times. And there was always your own sauna to retreat to in your cabin!
Two of us went to the husky farm with Darren so we had a truly personal experience! We LOVED seeing the dogs and seeing how eager they are to run, then learning to mush, and going out for about a 15 mile run.
Also had a lot of fun snowshoeing with Darren (four of us chose to do snowshoes) on a trail through the forest right by the cabins.
We even had a little "dinner party" with our new friends on the last evening that all were there :)
I would absolutely book with Aurora Service Tours again and of course we'd love to have Darren as our host again!
Written 4 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paula S
Anderson, SC2 contributions
Mar 2023 • Solo
This trip went beyond all expectations! Darren is an exceptional guide, driver and person. We started off in a blizzard, where we saw our first Northern lights, and ended with 4 straight nights of lights! Darren put more miles on that van than one can imagine, just to find the Northern lights. Darren led us to dog sledding and snowmobiling over a frozen river and frozen lake. The comraderie he fostered in the group made it all the more a perfect experience.
I did it ( will be 70 in 2 weeks) so go for it!
I did it ( will be 70 in 2 weeks) so go for it!
Written 3 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Judy G
2 contributions
Mar 2023 • Friends
Northern Lights experience was AMAZING...from beginning to the last second. Our guide Derren was exceptional..he made the trip fun and engaging. His experience with the Lights proved to be extremely important...he continued ever night until we found a gap. We saw the Lights every night ..Trip of a life time..Thank you...Thank you
Written 3 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Matthew
1 contribution
Feb 2023 • Couples
We had an absolutely amazing time watching the magical auroras at night! Our days were also fun-filled with snow mobiles, husky sledding and snow walk/hike. Darren is exceptionally passionate about not only the auroras, but maximising the experience for those on the tour. From initial pick up at the airport, activities by day, aurora chasing at night - nothing was too much trouble for Darren to make our time in Utsjoki an absolute dream! Six stars!!!
Thanks to the Aurora Service Tours team for great communication and answering all of our questions in the lead up to our trip.
Special thanks to our fellow tour travellers- you made our special holiday even more special! We will never forget you! (Also six stars!!)
Thanks to the Aurora Service Tours team for great communication and answering all of our questions in the lead up to our trip.
Special thanks to our fellow tour travellers- you made our special holiday even more special! We will never forget you! (Also six stars!!)
Written 20 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Flo
Liestal, Switzerland5 contributions
Feb 2023
Our guide Darren did a great job, driving us around, entertaining us, sharing stories... what a lovely time we had. I want to highly recommend both the snowmobile and dog sledding in addition to the experience of just being there, far off from society in the midst of nature and animals. And we did catch the Northern Lights, at least two days we had decent Northern Lights and relatively clear skies.
If your looking to get away away from the people, dive into nature and chase the Northern Lights with a personal guide, this is the adventure for you!
If your looking to get away away from the people, dive into nature and chase the Northern Lights with a personal guide, this is the adventure for you!
Written 20 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lanek538
Florida Panhandle, FL1 contribution
Feb 2023 • Couples
We had Darren as our guide. From the moment he picked us up in Ivalo to when he dropped us back at the airport everything went very smoothly.
Darren was great about keeping us informed of all activities. The snowmobiling, dog sledding, and snow shoeing extra activities were wonderful.
We spent 4 nights hunting the northern lights. It snowed 2 of the nights so there were no lights. The other 2 nights were clear and we had an incredible show of the Aurora. We feel very blessed to have had 2 absolutely fantastic nights.
The cabins that we stayed in were spotlessly clean. Plenty of firewood for the fireplace. Once again, Darren showed us how to run everything in the cabin including the sauna.
We could not have asked for a better experience!!!
Darren was great about keeping us informed of all activities. The snowmobiling, dog sledding, and snow shoeing extra activities were wonderful.
We spent 4 nights hunting the northern lights. It snowed 2 of the nights so there were no lights. The other 2 nights were clear and we had an incredible show of the Aurora. We feel very blessed to have had 2 absolutely fantastic nights.
The cabins that we stayed in were spotlessly clean. Plenty of firewood for the fireplace. Once again, Darren showed us how to run everything in the cabin including the sauna.
We could not have asked for a better experience!!!
Written 18 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter S
1 contribution
Feb 2023
Our cabin was clean, warm, comfortable and very well equiped, with plenty of wood available for the log burner. The bedroom had twin beds rather than adouble. The platform was very useful on less cloudy nights, whnen you don't have to drive to see the lights.
The advice on suitable clothing on teh website ws very useful - we experiienced outside temperatures between -2C and -32C in February and used nearly all teh layers we had with us.
We were lucky enough to have Darren to ourselves, and he really did go the extra mile to ake sure we had a good time (we enjoyed the snowshoe expedition) and despite being there at nearly full moon and with quite a lot of cloud around, he managed to find us somewhere we could at least glimpse the lights on one night and had good views the other two.
With ambient moonlight the lights are not as bright as they would be on a dark night - be aware that a well configured camera makes them stand out rather better than your eyes can - but we really did see them with our own eyes, and were thrilled with the experience. Well done, Darren and team!
The advice on suitable clothing on teh website ws very useful - we experiienced outside temperatures between -2C and -32C in February and used nearly all teh layers we had with us.
We were lucky enough to have Darren to ourselves, and he really did go the extra mile to ake sure we had a good time (we enjoyed the snowshoe expedition) and despite being there at nearly full moon and with quite a lot of cloud around, he managed to find us somewhere we could at least glimpse the lights on one night and had good views the other two.
With ambient moonlight the lights are not as bright as they would be on a dark night - be aware that a well configured camera makes them stand out rather better than your eyes can - but we really did see them with our own eyes, and were thrilled with the experience. Well done, Darren and team!
Written 7 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
anna
Symi, Greece
hello,
when it shows you what you will do every day, it says you have the option of doing a snowmobile adventure and husky sledding. is that included in the price or do you have to pay extra for that?
thanks
Preeti A
Gurgaon71 contributions
Does any cabin have double beds or all are single beds? Is the cost pp different for single person staying or for twin sharing cabin?
Off_again_Yeah
Sydney, Australia26 contributions
tours.aurora-service.eu/
The cabin I was in only had single beds, three in fact, I was travelling solo so didn't really think about it. I didn't go to any other cabins so have no idea on set up.
I paid same as everyone else and had the whole cabin to myself.
I would suggest contact them directly about bedding configuration, they are pretty good at responding quickly.
Honestly there is no better Aurora tour service! I highly recommend them, if you are lucky enough to get Dan as a guide even better!
Ladyessexgirl
essex6 contributions
Hi,
What gloves / mittens are provided, please?
We have thermal liner gloves but need outer gloves. Do we need to get our own, or are they provided?
Thank you
Woohoolabloodyhoo
7 contributions
Your hands and feet will get cold quickly and you will need warm gloves. We wore thermal liners and mittens over the top as recommended. We also took hand warmers to slip inside. You will also need good boots with enough room to wear plenty of socks we wore three pairs every time we went out. The feet were the first thing to feel cold closely followed by the hands. Hope you have a fabulous time.
Ellen & Dianne
12 contributions
IAre your chances increased in seeing the aura borealis nightly the further north you go in the colder winter February versus March? Also, how far a walk is the restaurant you were speaking about? Is it relatively close to the cabins?
Vondababe
Studley, UK7 contributions
Any experiences from food perspective as what basics to bring and what to buy? Slightly nervous about what we might expect in supermarket (and cost?) as have fussy eater in party. Thanks!
Heather JC
Cardiff, UK17 contributions
Hiya,
You stop off at a supermarket on the way to your cottage. I found that prices are similar to the UK supermarkets but of course some things may be a little more expensive.
Your guide will give you a translation sheet which is very handy when you go in. The middle of Jan 2019 I found quite a few Tesco items in the supermarket so keep an eye out for them (cookies, teabags etc)
In my cottage there was lots of basic items such as salt, tomato sauce, washing up liquid etc. But I’m guessing some are just left by previous guests. I left whatever I had left like drinking chocolate, porridge etc. So maybe best to ask what your cottage has already.
jenhen40
Warwick, UK15 contributions
Hello, we are coming over in Feb 2019. Would anybody have any suggestions for a suitable camera to take pictures as I can't afford a DSLR. I have a point and click camera. Anyone used a point and click and got a decent shot of the Aurora? Thanks
Kate M
2 contributions
I would also recommend a tripod. You need slow shutter speed & wide aperture so tripod is pretty much essential. Good luck.
Redjms
28 contributions
Has anyone from Scotland (Edinburgh) gone late November for a mid week tour & if so what was your travelling itinerary to get there? We're struggling with flights, having 2 stops & a 35 minute connection time from Helsinki to London on our return, which I'm very nervous to do. TIA.
Redjms
28 contributions
Sorted it out, no reply necessary.
Paradise28539159549
1 contribution
Me and my family are travelling to Finland between several locations in early February 2019 and we need some advise for our trip.
We will be driving from Rovaniemi to Nellim on E75 and Route 969. (4 hrs drive according to Goggle map)
We will stay in Nellim for 2 nights, then head to Utsjoki for the Aurora Service Tour. (2.5 hrs drive)
After that we will drive all the way back to Rovaniemi. (5 hrs drive)
This will the first time for us driving around Finland in this season.
Is there anything that we should worry about?
Is the above plan seems reasonable?
And has anyone of you ever experienced road closures due to bad weather in Finland during early February?
Thanks a lot!
Simon S
2 contributions
I can't help you with the specifics of conditions for those roads but my advice would be: don't be in a hurry, slow down and enjoy the scenery; there are many trucks on the roads up there and while their drivers are considerate they take up a fair share of the road; also be vigilant for reindeer on the roads; they belong to the local Sami farmers who depend on them for their livelihood. My daughter and I had a wonderful experience with Aurora Service Tours in October; I'm sure you will too. They might be able to offer more detailed advice.
CSLaw2015
Kuching, Malaysia2 contributions
My family and I are travelling to Finland on 16-26 November 2018. Are your activities available during the period?
Natalya D
Haifa, Israel31 contributions
Good evening
-Deer farm visit
-Dog sleds
-Snowmobile
-Frozen waterfalls (depend ff the area)
-Arctic museum (depend ff the area)
-Santa Claus village (depend ff the area)
-Ice Palace (depend ff the area)
-Snowshoes (forest hiking)
...
Have you nice trip & good weather
Nataly