Northern lights pricing in Rovaniemi is confusing because the options span everything from a €20 self-drive gamble to private tours running into four figures. The sleigh ride sits in the middle of that range, and it is the one we point most first-time visitors toward when they ask us directly which aurora tour to book.

Joona has spent years around Lapland's aurora guides, and the honest pitch for this particular format is comfort: you are not driving anything yourself, you are not standing in the cold the whole time, and someone whose whole job is reading aurora forecasts is doing the location-scouting for you. Here is exactly what that €109 gets you.

What the sleigh ride is actually like

You are picked up in the evening and driven out to where the snowmobiles and sleighs are waiting. Once everyone is bundled into the provided winter overalls, boots, helmet and balaclava, you climb into a covered sleigh and your guide tows you out on the snowmobile to a spot away from the city's light pollution. The engine noise drops away once you stop, and what is left is genuinely quiet — snow, dark forest, and a wide open sky.

From there it is watching and waiting, with breaks by a campfire in a teepee for local snacks and hot drinks while your guide explains what is happening in the sky and why. Check dates for the Sleigh Ride →

Who this suits

This is the format we recommend to people who want to see the aurora without the physical demands of a snowmobile safari or a long hike. You do not need any prior experience, and the Northern Lights Tour Sleigh Ride5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 is rated an easy difficulty by the operator. It also suits small families reasonably well, though StayLapland requires at least two people for the tour to run on weekdays and Saturdays, so check live group-size requirements when you book.

If you would rather be actively driving yourself rather than being towed, or you specifically want the reindeer add-on, see section five for how the alternative compares.

What's included, and what isn't

Included: the sleigh and snowmobile equipment (a helmet and a pair of balaclavas for the group), a tour guide in English (other languages available on request — flag it by email or WhatsApp after booking, since availability is limited), full winter clothing in adult and children's sizes, and local snacks and drinks by the campfire in a teepee.

Not included, and worth knowing up front: a guaranteed aurora sighting. No operator in Rovaniemi can promise the lights will appear on a given night — that is genuinely down to space weather, not the tour company. What you are paying for is being in a good dark-sky location with someone experienced watching the forecast, which meaningfully improves your odds without being able to guarantee the outcome.

Best time of year to book

Aurora season in Rovaniemi generally runs through the darker months of the year, and cloud cover matters as much as solar activity — a clear night with modest aurora activity often beats a cloudy night with strong activity, since you simply cannot see through cloud. Because of that, we would not tie this trip to one specific month over another within the winter season; flexibility on which night you go, if your itinerary allows it, matters more than which week you are visiting.

Bookings close 4 hours before the start time, so you have same-day flexibility if the forecast looks promising and you decide late.

Cost and value vs the reindeer version

At €109 for around 4 hours, the sleigh ride is the more affordable of StayLapland's two towed aurora formats. The Northern Lights Tour Reindeer Safari5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €179, about 3.5 hours) swaps the snowmobile-towed sleigh for a 2–3 km reindeer safari through the forest, with berry juice and cookies instead of the teepee campfire stop, and includes pickup and drop-off within a 10 km radius of central Rovaniemi.

Our honest read: book the sleigh ride if budget matters and you are happy with a snowmobile-towed experience; book the reindeer version if seeing reindeer specifically is on your list and you would rather combine that with your aurora hunt than book it as a separate activity. Both take the same 5% off with code HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5. Check dates for the Reindeer Safari version →

Practical small print before you book

A minimum group size applies on weekdays and Saturdays (StayLapland list at least two people, with a higher minimum on some days), so very small or solo bookings are worth double-checking against live availability before you commit to a date. All winter clothing is provided in adult and children's sizes, so you do not need your own thermal gear, though warm layers underneath and your own boots are sensible if you would rather not use the provided pair.

As with any Rovaniemi tour, always check the live cancellation policy in the booking window at the time you book, since exact terms can be updated by the operator.

Combining it with other tours

Because bookings close just 4 hours ahead, this pairs naturally as a second activity on a day when you have already done something more physical earlier — a husky safari or snowmobile tour in the afternoon, aurora hunting after dinner. We would not stack two aurora attempts back-to-back on the same trip unless the forecast genuinely justifies it; one well-timed night beats two rushed ones.

If you are weighing this against a bus-based aurora hunting tour instead of a sleigh, our guide on whether the Arctic Snowmobile Tour on private trails is worth it covers the more active alternative, and if you want to warm up properly afterwards, see our comparison of traditional sauna versus private sauna and ice swimming in Rovaniemi.

Frequently asked questions

Is the northern lights sighting guaranteed?
No — no operator can guarantee this, since it depends on space weather and clear skies. The tour maximises your chances by getting you to a good dark-sky location with an experienced guide, but it cannot promise a sighting.

What is the minimum group size?
StayLapland requires at least two people for this tour to run on weekdays and Saturdays — check current live requirements when you book, since they can vary by day.

Do I need any prior experience?
No. You are towed in a sleigh rather than driving yourself, and it is rated an easy difficulty by the operator.

How late can I book?
Bookings close 4 hours before the start time, which gives you flexibility to decide based on the forecast that day.

Is winter clothing provided?
Yes — full thermal overalls, boots, helmet and balaclavas are included in adult and children's sizes.

Does the discount code work on the reindeer version too?
Yes — HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 takes 5% off both the sleigh ride and the reindeer safari aurora tour.

Our final pick

For most first-time visitors asking us what to book for the aurora, the Northern Lights Tour Sleigh Ride5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 remains our default recommendation — it is comfortable, easy, reasonably priced at €109, and the late booking cutoff means you can decide on the day the forecast actually looks good. Save the reindeer version for when reindeer themselves are part of what you are after, not just the lights. Either way, code HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 takes 5% off at checkout. Check dates & book the Sleigh Ride →