Northern Lights Tour in Rovaniemi with a 5-Year-Old and a 10-Year-Old: Is a Small Group Hunting Tour Right for Your Family?
A late-evening aurora tour and a five-year-old do not always mix. Here is how we would decide, and when the small group hunting tour is the better family choice.
The messages we get most often from families start the same way: "our children are five and ten, can they really do a northern lights tour?" The honest answer is yes, often, but the format you pick matters more than the child's age.
We live in Rovaniemi, and Joona has worked in Lapland tourism for years, so we have watched many families work this out. This page walks through the small group hunting tour and the alternatives for younger children. If you are still building the wider trip, our guide to activities in Rovaniemi is a good place to browse next.
For a family with a five-year-old and a ten-year-old, the Professional Small Group Northern Lights Hunting Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 is a strong choice if your children can handle a late evening: groups are two to eight people, the guide is also a photographer, winter clothing in child sizes is included, and the listing states a 100% refund if no aurora photos are captured. It is listed from €199 per adult, so type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout for 5% off.
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The real question: can your five-year-old stay up?
Age is not the best test. Think about your younger child's evening. Can they stay awake until 22:00 or later? Do they warm up after a nap? Do they get cold quickly? A calm child who loves being outside will often enjoy a hunting tour more than a tired child who is dragged along because the schedule said so.
Start times for these tours vary, and the listing says the start can be between 17:00 and 21:00, confirmed by email on the day. Ask yourself whether that window works with dinner and bedtime. If the answer is "only with tears", choose a shorter tour, which we cover later in the page.
For the ten-year-old the equation is easier. Most children of that age love the idea of chasing something rare, and they are old enough to hold a camera, learn the word aurora and be proud of a good photo.
Between those two ages, the biggest risk is boredom, not cold. Waiting for the sky is part of the experience, and children who are given small tasks cope far better than children who are simply told to be patient. We also suggest agreeing a signal beforehand: if either child says they are too cold, an adult takes them back to the vehicle at once, no argument. Having that rule makes the whole evening calmer, because nobody feels trapped.
Think also about the grown-ups. A tour that runs late affects your own energy the next day, and a family that has planned a slow morning will remember the aurora more fondly than one that rushes to a 08:30 pickup.
What a small group hunting tour is like with children
The listing describes a small group of two to eight people with a professional aurora guide and photographer, speaking English, with other languages on request. Because the group is small, the guide can talk to children directly and slow down when somebody needs a break. That is the main reason families choose it over the larger bus tour.
Winter clothing is included in adult and child sizes: overalls, boots, gloves and socks, according to the listing. That matters, because it removes the most stressful part of family packing. Still, bring your own warm base layers and a spare pair of gloves for the younger one.
The tour moves to where the sky looks best, so you may spend time in a vehicle. Bring a small toy or a tablet loaded with something quiet for the drive, and a snack that will not freeze solid.
Type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout for 5% off.
Cost for a family: what the tour actually adds up to
The tour is listed from €199 per adult. Child pricing can differ and is shown for your date in the booking window, so we do not guess a total here. As a rule, extra people add up quickly in Lapland, which is why we prefer to read the total in the booking window and compare it with a shorter evening before choosing. What we suggest is to enter your exact party in the live calendar and look at the full price before you decide, rather than relying on a rough rule of thumb.
Compare that with the other hunting tours. The bus version starts from €109, and the private tour from €1,990, which only makes sense for larger groups or special occasions. For a family of four, the small group tour often lands in the middle: more personal than a bus, far cheaper than private.
Our general budget thinking for a Lapland week is in what a family of four spends in Rovaniemi, and it helps you decide where an aurora evening belongs among the other costs.
Book this if, skip this if
Book it if your children can stay up late, you want a guide who also takes photos, and you like the idea of a refund if no aurora photos are captured. It also suits a family that has already done a husky or reindeer day and wants the evening to be the highlight.
Skip it if your younger child falls asleep by 19:30, if motion sickness is a problem on winding roads, or if you simply want a short and gentle evening. There is nothing wrong with that choice, and the next section gives you a better one.
We always say the same thing to families: do not pay for an aurora hunt to prove something to your children. Pay for it when the evening suits them.
Type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout for 5% off.
A gentler option for the five-year-old
If the hunting tour feels like too much, there are shorter evenings that keep the northern lights possibility. Northern Lights Tour in Atmospheric Cottage5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 is listed from €109 for three hours, with a campfire and snacks and a surprise gift for children according to the listing. Northern Lights Tour Reindeer Safari5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 starts from €179 for three and a half hours and combines a reindeer safari with a night outdoors.
These stay closer to base, so the chance of seeing the lights depends more on the weather that evening. The upside is a shorter night and a lot of things for children to do while they wait.
Read the minimum numbers in the listing as well: some of these tours need at least two people on weekdays and Saturdays, and a larger minimum on other days.
What to pack and how to prepare the children
Make the evening a game before you leave. Show the children a few photos of aurora, explain that it looks like a soft green cloud and that it moves slowly, and promise a hot drink at some point. Children who know what they are looking for stay patient far longer.
Wear a merino or synthetic base layer, add fleece, and let the supplied overalls do the rest. Thin liner gloves help when small fingers need a phone. Pack wet wipes, a small thermos, and a spare hat. Avoid anything cotton next to the skin.
Eat a proper dinner earlier, and let the children nap if they can. Take medicine for travel sickness only if your doctor has already recommended it. And give them a job: the ten-year-old can be in charge of "spotting", the five-year-old in charge of counting stars.
How to fit it into a family week
Do not put the tour after the longest day of the trip. A big husky day followed by a late aurora evening is a recipe for tears. Spread them out, and keep the next morning slow.
A reindeer day works nicely on the day before, since it is calm. See Kuoksa Reindeer Adventure5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5, listed from €159 for about three hours. For ideas on structuring a whole day with children of different ages, our plan for a four-year-old and an eleven-year-old translates well to your situation.
Book the aurora evening early in your stay, in case the first night is cloudy and you need a second try.
If you have only three nights, a good pattern is: arrival day easy, aurora evening on night two, a big daytime activity on day three with the evening free. If you have five nights, add a second chance on night four. The pattern matters more than any single product, because the sky decides, not the schedule. Keep one evening deliberately empty, and use it either for a second attempt or for sauna and an early night.
Type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout for 5% off.
Frequently asked questions
Is the small group northern lights tour suitable for a 5-year-old?
It can be, but it is an evening tour with a flexible start between 17:00 and 21:00, so think about bedtime. For very young children a shorter cottage or campfire tour may be easier.
What is the group size?
The listing says a small group of two to eight people.
Is children's clothing included?
Yes, the listing includes winter clothing in adult and child sizes: overalls, boots, gloves and socks.
What if there is no aurora?
The listing states a 100% refund if no northern lights photos are captured during the tour. Check the live conditions before you pay.
How much does it cost?
It is listed from €199 per adult. Child prices appear in the booking window for your date.
Can I use a discount code?
Yes, type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout for 5% off every StayLapland tour. It has no expiry date.
Our final pick for a family with a 5- and a 10-year-old
If both children can manage a late evening, we would book the small group hunting tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5: small group, a guide who is also a photographer, children's clothing included, and refund wording that lowers the risk. If your younger child cannot, choose the cottage or reindeer evening instead and enjoy the early night.
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