Ask anyone who has been on an aurora tour what they remember and a surprising number will say the cold first and the lights second. That is not a complaint about Lapland; it is a reminder that watching the sky is a slow activity. You stand, you sit, you wait and you stare upwards, and the quality of your evening depends on how warm you are while you do it.

The good news is that tours from Rovaniemi solve most of the problem for you. We have read through what the small-group hunting tour provides and put together a local guide to what is covered, what you should still add, and what to leave at the hotel.

What the tour provides

The listing for the small-group hunt includes winter clothing for adults and children, with overalls, boots, gloves and socks. Alongside that you get a professional aurora guide and photographer, information about the northern lights and a small group of 2 to 8 people. The tour starts between 17:00 and 21:00, confirmed by email by 14:00 on the day.

That means you do not need to buy or pack bulky snow gear. What you wear underneath is still your job, and it matters more than most people expect.

The three-layer system we use

Build your outfit in three layers. The base layer should be thermal underwear in wool or a good synthetic: top and bottoms. The middle layer is something warm and not bulky, such as a fleece or a thin down jacket. The provided overalls are the outer layer. Avoid cotton next to the skin, because it holds moisture and feels colder as the evening goes on.

For your feet, wear one pair of warm wool socks rather than several pairs. Too many layers squeeze the foot and reduce circulation, making your toes colder rather than warmer. The boots provided are designed for deep cold and are usually roomy, so one good pair of socks fits well.

On your head, bring a hat that covers your ears and a neck warmer or scarf. A lot of heat escapes from the neck, and a good neck gaiter makes a visible difference.

A word on fit, because it is the mistake we see most often. Layers only work if there is a little air between them. If your base layer is tight, your middle layer is snug and your overalls are tight on top, there is no room for warm air to sit and you will feel colder than someone wearing less. Choose a middle layer one size up if you are in doubt, and try the whole combination at the hotel before the tour starts.

Think about the toilet, too. Overalls and several layers take time to take off, so go before you leave the hotel. It sounds trivial, but on a long evening it is the detail people mention most afterwards.

Hands, phone and battery

Hands are the first thing to ache. The tour provides gloves, but we would bring thin liner gloves to wear underneath. They keep your hands warm when you need to take them out of the thick gloves to use a phone or camera. Hand warmers are cheap and light, and put one in each glove if you tend to feel the cold.

Bring a fully charged phone and consider a power bank. Cold drains batteries quickly, and the evening is long. Keep the phone inside a jacket pocket close to your body between photos. The photographer on the tour can take professional images, but you will want your own as well.

If you wear glasses, a small cloth helps, because they fog up when you move between warm and cold spaces.

Photography deserves its own note. If you want your own pictures of the sky, your phone's night mode can work, but it needs a steady hold or a small tripod. Ask the photographer for advice on the night; the whole point of having one on the tour is that they know which settings suit that evening's conditions. Do not spend the entire sighting looking at a screen, though. The best advice we can give is to take a few frames, put the phone away and look up.

What to leave behind

Leave behind anything you cannot afford to lose, expensive jewellery that can catch, and heavy shoes you will not use. Do not bring a tripod unless you have been told it is useful; the photographer will usually handle the long exposures.

Also leave behind the idea that the evening has to be spent entirely outdoors. Good tours build in breaks, and you will warm up between sightings. Keep your expectations realistic: there is no guarantee of lights, but the 100% refund if no photos are captured gives you a safety net. Read the live terms in the booking window for your date.

When you reach checkout, type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 for 5% off.

Dressing children

The listing says winter clothing is provided for children as well, which is a real relief for parents travelling with little ones. Even so, bring your own thermal base layers for them, plus warm hats and spare mittens. Children get cold fast and complain late, so check hands and feet regularly.

If you are travelling with children, you may also want to read our guide to aurora hunting for a family of five, which covers how a small group works with a bigger family.

For other tours that include clothing and how to pick between them, our Rovaniemi activities hub has the full list.

Food, drink and paperwork

Food and drink matter more than people think. Eat a proper meal before the tour, but not a heavy one, and drink water during the day. Warm drinks are often part of a tour stop, but check the details in your confirmation or ask the guide. A small snack such as chocolate or nuts is a good backup.

Bring a printout or screenshot of your booking. The pick-up information arrives by email, and it is much easier to find it on a saved screen than to search for it with cold fingers.

Finally, tell the guide if you start to feel cold. It is easier to fix early than late, and a good guide would always rather you said so.

It also helps to build slack into your evening. Do not plan a late dinner reservation straight after the tour, and do not book an early start the next morning if you can avoid it. A tour that begins at 21:00 and runs for several hours will leave you tired, and a relaxed morning afterwards is part of the experience. If you have a flight or a long transfer the next day, check your timings before you choose your date.

Other formats, same advice

If you want to compare formats, the bus hunting tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 from €109 is the budget option and also carries a refund if no photos are captured. The private tour, the Private Northern Lights Hunting Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at €1,990, includes the same clothing and a tailored evening for your own party.

For most readers we would pick the small group for its balance of comfort and price, and the bus for budget travellers who are happy in a bigger group.

Frequently asked questions

Is winter clothing provided on the aurora tour?
The small-group hunt lists winter clothing in adult and child sizes: overalls, boots, gloves and socks.

What should I wear under the provided overalls?
Thermal base layers in wool or synthetic, a fleece or thin down layer, and warm socks. Avoid cotton against the skin.

Do I need to bring gloves?
Gloves are provided, but thin liner gloves underneath keep your hands warm when you use a phone.

What time does the tour start?
Between 17:00 and 21:00, confirmed by email by 14:00 on the day.

What if no northern lights appear?
The tour lists a 100% refund if no aurora photos are captured. Read the live terms for your date.

Is there a discount code?
Type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout for 5% off any StayLapland tour, with no expiry.

Our final pick

Our pick is the small-group hunting tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 with the provided winter clothing, plus your own thermal base layer, hat, neck warmer, liner gloves and a charged phone. Book with HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout for 5% off.

Skip packing a full snow outfit; it is not needed. Skip nothing else on the warm-layer list: comfort is what turns a long wait into a good night.

One last tip from living here: if you are unsure whether you are warm enough, you probably are not yet. Add one more thin layer, because you can always remove it in the vehicle.