When we are asked about the northern lights, the question is almost always about couples. The families are the ones who write back in a panic the night before, because five people do not fit into the same plan as two.

We live in Rovaniemi, so we have seen what a good aurora evening does to a child and what a bad one does to everyone else. Here is how we would plan it for five, with the prices, the trade-offs and the honest bits.

Why a family of five needs a different aurora plan

Most northern lights advice is written for couples. Two seats on a bus, two thermal suits, one flexible evening. A family of five is a different logistics problem, and we have watched friends with three children discover that on the one night the sky finally cleared. Everyone has to be dressed, fed and in the same place at the same time, and the youngest has usually fallen asleep on the sofa an hour earlier.

So we think about it the way we would for our own relatives: which tour keeps five people together, which one gives a tired child somewhere to be comfortable, and which one leaves you a second chance if the first evening is cloudy. In Rovaniemi the answer usually comes down to two StayLapland tours that are both built around a promise rather than a lottery: the bus hunt and the small group hunt.

What the small group tour actually is

The Professional Small Group Northern Lights Hunting Tour from Rovaniemi5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 takes two to eight people with a professional aurora guide who is also the photographer. The guide chooses where to go on the night based on cloud cover and the forecast, rather than driving to the same car park every evening. From what the tour page states, you are given winter clothing in adult and child sizes, including overalls, boots, gloves and socks, and you receive information about the northern lights along the way.

The price starts from €199 per adult. We are deliberately not quoting a child price because it is set inside the booking window and can change with the date, so open the live calendar on this page and look before you commit. If you want 5% off, type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout.

The part that makes it feel different from a normal sightseeing evening is the guarantee wording. The page states that you get a 100% refund if no northern lights photos are captured during the tour. We always read that as a statement about the photos the guide takes, not about what your eyes can see, so keep it realistic: it protects your money, it does not control the sky.

Seats, cars and the 2–8 rule

The group size is the quiet advantage for a family of five. With a maximum of eight guests, five of you take up most of the group, which means you are not shuffled around between strangers and the guide can talk to the children without shouting over forty people. The flip side is that if you are only five, the group may be topped up with a few other guests, so do not assume the evening is private. If you want it to be yours alone, that is the private tour further down.

Practical details we would check in the booking window rather than guess: the exact pick-up point, whether all five of you are covered by one booking, and how child places are priced. The tour page says booking closes one hour before the start, but we would never leave a family of five that late. Seats on the nights with a good forecast go first, and five seats together are harder to find than two.

The late start and tired children

This is the honest trade-off. The tour page says the start time can vary between 17:00 and 21:00 and is confirmed by email later on the day of the tour. In December that is simply dark, so a 17:00 start is not a late night at all. A 21:00 start, though, is a long evening for a five-year-old who got up at seven to ride huskies.

What has worked for friends of ours, and what we would do ourselves: put the aurora night after a quiet day, not after a snowmobile safari. Give the children their main meal before you leave. Pack a flask of something warm, even though thermal clothing is supplied, because standing still in the cold is what tires children, not moving. And decide in advance that anyone who is too sleepy can curl up in the vehicle while the others watch, because on a good night the sky is worth more than perfect parenting.

If your youngest is under about three, read the age notes on the product page carefully and consider whether the bus tour or a shorter bus hunt for first-timers fits better. We would rather you pick the tour a small child can enjoy than the one that sounds most exclusive.

Small group versus the bus tour, with five people

The comparison matters because the sums are different when five people are paying. The guaranteed bus tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 starts from €109 per adult, runs for about five hours, and the product listing shows prices for ages 13 and over and for ages 3 to 12. It follows the same logic of weather-based routing and photos included, with the same 100% refund wording if no aurora photos are captured.

Rough maths for two adults and three children, using the adult “from” prices only as a ceiling for the adults: two adults on the bus come to €218, against €398 on the small group. That is a €180 difference before any child price, and for some families that pays for a lot of hot chocolate. The small group gives you the smaller crowd, a more flexible guide and, from our experience of how these evenings feel, more time to stand around taking photos with the children instead of queueing for the bus door. The bus gives you a lower price and a long, structured evening.

Our rule of thumb: if your children are old enough to enjoy a long coach ride, take the bus and spend the saved money on a second aurora night. If you have a restless five-year-old, a shy teenager or a grandparent who needs room to move, the small group is what we would book. We wrote a longer breakdown in our cost comparison for a family of four, and the same logic scales to five.

When the private tour is worth the jump

The private version of the hunting tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 starts from €1,990, which is a very different number, and we are not going to pretend it is for everyone. What you get is a private tour only for your family, the same guide and photographer and the same refund wording for photos, plus free cancellation up to seven days before the activity rather than 24 hours.

For five people that is roughly €398 per person if everyone counts equally, which is not outrageous for a once-in-a-lifetime trip with three generations or with a child who has been dreaming of the aurora for years. It makes real sense if the group has mixed needs, if you want the pace set by the slowest walker, or if you are celebrating something. It makes less sense if the real goal is just to see lights, because the small group already gives you the same guide-led hunting at a much lower price.

How to book without losing a night

Three practical points we repeat to friends. First, book the aurora tour for the early part of your stay, not the last night. If the first evening is cloudy you still have two or three chances, and the tour page says cancellations are free up to 24 hours before. Second, check availability for the whole family at once; one seat short and you will be tempted to split up. Third, keep your day light on the day of the tour.

When you are ready, use the live calendar below (or the small group tour page5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5) and type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 in the discount field at checkout for 5% off every StayLapland tour. It is the only code we use, and it never expires. If you need more help planning the rest of your days, our guide to activities in Rovaniemi lists every activity we recommend, and our booking-window guide explains what sells out first.

Frequently asked questions

Can five people book the small group tour together?
The tour is for groups of two to eight people, so five fits. Check availability for five seats in the booking calendar, because a night can have fewer free seats than the maximum.

What time does the tour start?
The tour page says the start time varies between 17:00 and 21:00 and is confirmed by email on the day, so keep your evening flexible.

Is clothing included?
Yes, winter clothing in adult and child sizes, including overalls, boots, gloves and socks, is listed as included.

What if we do not see the lights?
The tour states a 100% refund if no northern lights photos are captured during the tour. Read the full terms in the booking window before you pay.

Can we cancel if the forecast looks bad?
Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before the activity, and a fee applies inside that window. The private tour has a seven-day rule instead.

Where do I enter the discount code?
Type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 in the discount field at checkout. It takes 5% off every StayLapland tour.

Our pick for a family of five

If we had three children and one winter in Lapland, we would book the small group hunt for the first clear-looking evening, keep a bus tour as the backup for a later night, and keep the days before it quiet. The private tour is for the family that wants the whole evening to itself, and we would only suggest it when the budget is comfortable.

Open the calendar, pick the evening that suits your youngest, and type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout.