"Jan was a great guide. Although the chances weren’t good, he found us a great spot to view the Northern Lights. We drove quite a long way and had a great time watching the Northern Lights."
Levi · Aurora photos
Levi Northern Lights Photo Tours
Who shoots, what you get and when it arrives.
From
$138
per person
Free cancellation
- 4.3 / 5 174+ Reviews
- 5.5–6 hours Duration
- Tripod Camera or Phone Mount
- Max 8 Guests per Guide
- Free Cancellation
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Beyond Arctic's small-group minivan hunt pairs you with a wilderness and photography guide, lends a tripod or phone mount, and sends edited photos after the tour.
The Experience
A Chase Planned Around the Pictures
Two or three spots chosen for the sky and the foreground, a photography guide, a tripod or phone mount, hot drinks and edited photos afterwards.
Highlights
- Aurora-first hunt with photography at its core, by minivan in a small group
- Usually one to three locations a night, picked from live weather and aurora forecasts
- Planning starts in the morning, with weather systems, solar activity and local forecasts analyzed
- The team will drive about 100 km (62 miles) if that is where conditions are best
- Cloud fallback: heavy cloud or snowfall turns the night into a night-photography session
- Reviewers mention help with their own camera settings and a fire at a remote hut
What's Included
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off (the listing words it 'outside central Levi area')
- Minivan transport, with a maximum of 8 people per guide
- Wilderness and photography guide
- Tripod for your camera or a mount for your smartphone, plus headlamps and other gear
- Hot drinks
- A collection of edited photos after the tour, free of charge
How the Hunting & Photography Tour Runs
A briefing, two remote stops, 5.5–6 hours out and photos sent after the tour.
Briefing and pickup
The tour opens with a short briefing on the night's weather, aurora forecast and destination. Pickup is included, and the itinerary starts and ends in Sirkka, the village Levi's centre sits in. Minimum age is 8.
First photo stop
About 30 minutes by minivan takes you to the first stop for photos and a short walk of about 45 minutes. The guide sets up the tripod for your camera or a mount for your phone.
Second stop and a break
Another 30-minute drive leads to a longer stop of about 1.5 hours with a break, hot drinks, photos and camp activities. If heavy cloud or snowfall hides the aurora, the group turns to night landscape photography.
Back to Sirkka, photos later
You return to Sirkka after 5.5–6 hours. A collection of edited photos follows after the tour at no extra charge; the listing does not say how many or how quickly.
Photo Gallery
Aurora Photography Around Levi
Guest and operator photos from Beyond Arctic's hunts.
Three Tours With Photos Included
Beyond Arctic's photo-led hunt, Arctic GM's long chase with a photographer-guide and Arctic Midnight's short small group, checked October 2026.
| Feature | PHOTO-LED CHASE Beyond Arctic Hunting & Photography | Arctic GM Guaranteed-Sightings Chase | Arctic Midnight Levi Northern Lights Experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | $138 per person | $223 per person | $147 per person |
| Length | 5.5–6 hours | About 8 hours (typically 6–10) | 2–4 hours |
| Tour type | Aurora-first, spots chosen for photos | Aurora-first chase, no mileage limit | Aurora-first, moves between spots |
| Who takes the photos | Wilderness and photography guide | Guide who is also a professional aurora photographer | Guide with a DSLR |
| Your own camera or phone | ✓ Tripod or phone mount supplied | Not needed; no tripod listed | Not needed; no tripod listed |
| Photo delivery | Edited collection after the tour, free | DSLR photos included; timing not stated | Professional photos after the tour |
| Group size and ages | Max 8 per guide; minimum age 8 | Max 8, minimum 2; no baby carriages | Small group, size not stated; all fitness levels |
| Pickup and clothing | Pickup included; clothing not listed | ✓ Accommodation pickup; ✓ thermal overalls | ✓ Accommodation pickup; campfire and snacks |
| If there is no aurora | Night landscape photography instead | Full refund if none is captured by camera | Not guaranteed |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 (174 reviews) | 4.7 / 5 (656 reviews) | 4.9 / 5 (64 reviews) |
| Book Now | See on GetYourGuide | See on Viator |
Other photo tours
More Tours With Photos Included
Arctic GM's long chase, Arctic Midnight's small group, the telescope evening and the snowshoe star walk.
GUIDE IS A PHOTOGRAPHERGuaranteed-Sightings Aurora Chase
A small-group 4x4 van chase from Levi that follows the clear sky for typically 6–10 hours, with a full refund if no aurora is captured by camera at any point during the tour.
SMALL GROUP · DSLR PHOTOSLevi Northern Lights Experience
A 2–4 hour small-group aurora chase from Levi with accommodation pickup, a campfire, snacks and professional DSLR photos sent after the tour, bookable 25 October 2026 to 12 April 2027.
PHOTOS WITHIN 2 DAYSAurora & Telescope Stargazing
An experience-first evening at a remote forest lake about 15 minutes from Levi, with telescope views of the moon, stars and planets, a fire shelter with sausages and hot drinks, and the chance of auroras on a clear night.
ADULTS ONLY · PRO PHOTOSNight Star Walk on Snowshoes
An adults-only, experience-first night walk on snowshoes from Levi with Wandering Owl: thermal suits, a hot meal by the fire, a guide who reads the stars with you and professional photos, with the aurora a possible bonus.
Photography tours
Who Takes Your Aurora Photos
Photographer or guide with a camera, how many photos and when they arrive, group size, length, and whether a phone is enough.
A Northern Lights photography tour from Levi is a small-group hunt where a guide with a professional camera photographs you under the aurora and sends the pictures afterwards, so you do not need your own camera. Beyond Arctic’s hunting and photography tour ($138, 5.5–6 hours, max 8 per guide) is the best-known, and Arctic GM and Arctic Midnight include DSLR photos too (checked October 2026).
Photography tours compared
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| Tour | Who shoots | Length and route | Group | Pickup and clothing | Ages | Photo delivery | If there is no aurora | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beyond Arctic hunting and photography (GYG) | Wilderness and photography guide; tripod or phone mount for you | 5.5–6 h; 1–3 spots, changes with weather | Max 8 per guide | Included; clothing not listed | 8+ | Edited collection after the tour | Night photography instead | $138 per person |
| Arctic GM guaranteed-sightings chase | Guide is also a professional aurora photographer; DSLR | About 8 h (typically 6–10); no mileage limit | Max 8 | Accommodation pickup; thermal overalls | Not stated | Not stated | Full refund if no aurora is captured by camera | $223 per person |
| Arctic Midnight small group (Viator) | Guide takes DSLR photos | 2–4 h; moves between spots | Small group, size not stated | Accommodation pickup; clothing not listed | All fitness levels | After the tour | Not guaranteed | $147 per person |
| Beyond Arctic on Viator | Guide is a professional photographer, helps set up your camera | 4–6 h | 2–8 per booking | Meet at Myllyjoentie 2; pickup outside central Levi | 8+ | Edited collection | Not stated | $166 per person |
| Experience Kittilä small-group hunt | Guide with a full-frame mirrorless camera | About 3 h | Max 8, 9-seater van | Kittilä and Levi pickup | No under-2s | Shared with you | Reschedule or refund only if it cancels for severe weather | $100 per person |
Every tour in the table is aurora-first: the photos happen only if the hunt finds the lights, apart from Beyond Arctic’s fallback to night landscapes. If you would rather have a good night out whatever the sky does, the telescope stargazing evening and the snowshoe star walk also include guide photos and are covered on our unique experiences page.
Photographer or a guide with a camera
The listings split into two kinds. On a photography tour proper, the photographer is the product: Beyond Arctic plans each night “from early morning” around forecasts and “photographic potential”, lends a tripod for your camera or a mount for your phone, and turns to night landscapes if the aurora stays hidden. Kotona Lapland’s private aurora tour with photo shoot goes further: a photographer contacts you before the tour, guides your poses and delivers edited images through an online gallery. It costs $840 per group of up to 4 for about 2 hours and has no reviews yet.
On an aurora hunt with photos, the guide drives and finds the sky first, then takes your picture. Arctic GM’s guide is “also a professional photographer” and takes DSLR photos when the lights appear. Arctic Midnight’s Levi Northern Lights Experience includes professional DSLR photos and a campfire in 2–4 hours, rated 4.9 from 64 reviews. Our aurora hunting page compares those chases on distance and refund rules.
The Beyond Arctic Viator listing, Northern Lights Hunting Photography Tour in Levi, is sold by the same company but with different terms: 4–6 hours, $166, a minimum of 2 people per booking and a meeting point at Myllyjoentie 2, rated 4.4 from 44 reviews. We cannot confirm it is the same tour as the GetYourGuide one, so compare the inclusions on the listing itself.
How many photos, and when they arrive
Few listings give a number. Soma Adventures’ cabin evening by a private lake promises “tens of photos of you and auroras”, delivered right away. Keo Wilderness sends its guide’s photos within 2 days. BookLapland’s Pro Guaranteed chase emails edited aurora photos within 24–72 hours. Beyond Arctic, Arctic Midnight and Wonderlapland say only that photos come after the tour. If the count matters, message the operator after booking; a quiet, cloudy night produces fewer pictures on every tour.
Two Wonderlapland listings are new, with no reviews yet. The Guided Northern Lights Photography Experience ($151, about 8 hours, photos and video) states that it cannot refund if the aurora is not seen, only offer a reschedule. The Short Aurora Borealis Photography Expedition ($112, about 3 hours) refunds in full if it cancels for bad weather.
Safartica’s Northern Lights Hunting Photo Tour drives about 200 km (124 miles) by bus, with guides who help with camera settings and a link to the photos. It is rated 3.8 from 122 reviews, the lowest rating of any photo tour on this page, and its first date this season is 20 November.
Group size and length
Small groups are the norm: Beyond Arctic, Arctic GM, Experience Kittilä and BookLapland all cap at 8, and a smaller group means more turns in front of the guide’s camera. Arctic Midnight does not state its size. Length runs from about 2 hours (the private photo shoot) through 3 hours (Experience Kittilä, Wonderlapland’s short trip) to 5.5–6 hours for Beyond Arctic and 6–10 hours for Arctic GM. A longer tour gives the guide more time to find the lights and more chances for a sharp portrait, at the cost of a very late night.
Do you need your own camera?
No. Every tour on this page includes photos taken by the guide, so a phone is enough. A camera helps if you want your own wide shots: Beyond Arctic lends a tripod, and Safartica’s and BookLapland’s guides give settings tips. For a phone, Visit Iceland’s tourist board recommends the night mode, a steady support and no flash; cold drains batteries fast, so carry a power bank. The guide’s camera handles the hard part, which is a sharp portrait of you lit against a faint sky.
The drawback of Beyond Arctic, our pick, is its 4.3 rating from 174 reviews, with one reviewer finding the van full and cramped; Arctic GM costs more and keeps you out much longer. See our Beyond Arctic review, the private tours page for a shoot with only your party, and the best-time guide for clearer months. You can also compare every type of aurora tour from Levi.
Ready to book? Check dates for the photography tour.
Guest Reviews
What Photography Tour Guests Say
4.3/5
from 174 verified guests
Ratings and review counts are each platform's own figures (GetYourGuide or Viator) as of October 2026 and change day to day.
"We had really bad conditions, but we actually saw the Northern Lights. Our guide did everything he could to ensure we had a clear view and kept us informed about what we were trying and why. Every seat in the van was taken, so it was a bit cramped. He took some photos of the participants, which I can recommend."
"No words to thank you for the unforgettable experience we had! Our guide was extremely kind and tireless in the hunt for the Aurora :) So much so that we managed to see it!! I highly recommend it!"
"First, the original date was postponed due to snowfall, and we were worried we wouldn't be able to see the Northern Lights during our vacation. But the following day, the sky was clear, and our guide, Nicola, took us to places where we could admire this phenomenon in all its glory. Our souvenir photos turned out great, and we would do this trip again in a heartbeat. Many thanks to Nicola for his perseverance! :-)"
"It was perfectly timed. We arrived at a really nice remote location, with a hut as a shelter and had some sausages around some fire. Outside we even saw some really strong aurora borealis. I tried to take some pictures myself and our guide was really helpful in giving me some tips with the settings. Overall it was quite an adventurous, yet also chill night. Definitely would do it again!"
"Nicola, the guide, was very attentive, always looked after us, and found the best spots to see the Northern Lights. Hot tea was included! Highly recommended!"
"Saku is a fantastic guide. He took us to unique places we would never have found on our own. The Northern Lights were incredible! We're really looking forward to the photos."
"It was awesome. Teemu, the guide, was really professional. Despite the cloudy sky, we saw the Northern Lights more than once. I recommend it!"
Read all 174 verified reviews
See All ReviewsBook the Photo-Led Hunt
Rated 4.3 out of 5 from 174 reviews, with a photography guide, a tripod or phone mount and edited photos sent after the tour. Starting from $138 per person.
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More tours and times nearby. Each listing shows its own cancellation policy.
Aurora Photography Tours: Questions
Who takes the photos, how many you get and when, group size, length, own camera or phone.
Many Levi tours do. Beyond Arctic sends a collection of edited photos after its hunt, Arctic GM's guide is also a professional aurora photographer and takes DSLR photos, and Arctic Midnight includes professional DSLR photos. Some cheaper tours do not: the Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park minivan lists no photos at all. Check the inclusions before you book. Aurora hunts compared.
Most listings do not give a number. Soma Adventures' cabin evening promises tens of photos of you and the aurora, delivered right away. Beyond Arctic, Arctic Midnight and Wonderlapland say only that photos follow after the tour. The count depends on the night: a strong, long display gives the guide time for many portraits, while a brief or faint one gives few. Ask the operator if it matters.
No. Every photography tour on this page includes photos taken by the guide, so you can come with only a phone. A camera is useful if you want your own wide shots: Beyond Arctic lends a tripod for your camera or a mount for your phone, and Safartica's and BookLapland's guides give tips on settings. Charge everything fully, because cold drains batteries quickly.
Usually up to 8. Beyond Arctic takes a maximum of 8 per guide, and Arctic GM, Experience Kittilä and BookLapland also cap at 8. Beyond Arctic's Viator listing needs at least 2 and at most 8 people per booking. Arctic Midnight promises a small group without giving a number. For only your party, Kotona Lapland's private photo shoot takes up to 4. Private tours.
From about 2 to 10 hours. Kotona Lapland's private photo shoot lasts about 2 hours, Experience Kittilä and Wonderlapland's short expedition about 3, Arctic Midnight 2–4, and Safartica's photo tour about 4. Beyond Arctic runs 5.5–6 hours, and Arctic GM's chase typically 6–10 hours with no time limit. Longer tours give more time to find clear sky, but return very late.
Yes, that is who benefits most. The hard shot is you, sharp and lit, under a faint aurora, and that is the picture the guide's professional camera is there to take. Beyond Arctic also supplies a phone mount, so your own night-mode shots stay steady. Keep the flash off and carry a power bank, as Visit Iceland's tourist board advises. Camera settings are a topic of their own.
It varies by operator. Soma Adventures delivers right away, Keo Wilderness within 2 days and BookLapland by email within 24–72 hours. Kotona Lapland delivers edited images through a private online gallery. Beyond Arctic, Arctic Midnight and Wonderlapland say only that photos come after the tour, without a timeframe. If you need them before you fly home, ask when you book.
On a photography tour the pictures shape the night: Beyond Arctic picks spots for their photographic potential, lends a tripod and switches to night landscapes if cloud hides the aurora. On an aurora hunt with photos the guide drives to find clear sky first and photographs you when the lights appear, as Arctic GM and Arctic Midnight do. Our Beyond Arctic review.
Still have questions? Email us at info@levinorthernlightstour.com
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