Unusual Aurora Nights in Levi

Levi’s unusual Northern Lights evenings put the activity first. You float on a lake in a rescue suit, look through a telescope, walk on snowshoes or sit by a cabin fire, and the aurora, if it appears, is a bonus. The best-known is Safartica’s Ice Floating and Northern Lights Tour: 4.5 from 71 reviews, from $155 per person, first date 23 November (checked October 2026).

Why these are experience-first

Each of these evenings goes to one place, a lake, a shelter or a trail, and stays there. Their routes do not follow the cloud the way a Northern Lights chase does. FMI puts the chance of auroras at roughly half of dark, cloudless nights in the Levi area, and cloud decides the rest. So choose the evening you would enjoy under a grey sky. One exception is the lake cabin: Soma Adventures cancels with a full refund when it is too cloudy, and says it will move west if the lights are there.

The evenings compared

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All six carry free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

Ice floating: for the curious, not just swimmers

You lie on open water in an Arctic rescue suit, a buoyant dry suit that keeps you on the surface, so the listing says “no swimming skills are required”. Everyone is instructed first, and you must be at least 120 cm tall. It suits anyone who wants the strangest story of the trip, and it works on cloudy nights: one reviewer saw no lights through the cloud and called the floating under the stars “awesome”. The drawbacks are the hour’s drive each way, a late finish and group size, with two reviewers mentioning groups of 23 and 25. Read our ice floating review.

Telescope stargazing: for partial cloud with gaps

Keo Wilderness’ Northern Lights Tour and Stargazing by Telescope (4.6 from 194 reviews) drives 15 minutes to a forest lake, with a fire shelter, sausages, optional snowshoes and a telescope you can photograph through with your own phone. A telescope needs clear sky too: under partial cloud it works only through the gaps, and under full cloud you get the fire and the stories. The operator asks you to get in touch two days before so it can pick the best night of your stay. The drawback is that the site is close to Levi and fixed, and children under 8 cannot join.

The lake cabin: warmth for adults and teenagers

Soma Adventures’ Northern Lights by a Private Lake (4.8 from 154 reviews) collects you around 9 pm and drives about 40 km (25 miles) north to a family cabin. You watch from reindeer hides on the frozen lake, then warm up by the fireplace with homemade pies and hot berry juice. Groups are capped at 8. It is the warmest evening here and suits families with teenagers, but under-13s cannot join, there is no child price, and you are home around 00:30–1 am. Read our lake cabin review.

Snowshoe walks: active, quiet, small

Wandering Owl’s Night Star Walk on Snowshoes (4.8 from 26 reviews) is adults-only, capped at 8, and includes thermal suits, boots, a hot Scandinavian meal and professional photos; give your sizes in the booking notes. It excludes hotel pickup, and with little snow it becomes a normal hike. Polar Star Travel’s Evening Snowshoe Walk is shorter and takes children from 7, but it rests on only 10 reviews (4.4) and you bring your own warm clothing.

Sledges, a heated sleigh and a snowcat

The Northern Lights Sledge Ride costs from $100, the lowest price among the tours we review in full; the snowmobile page compares it with self-drive safaris. Lovimainas’ Aurora Hunting in Heated Sleigh takes groups of up to 8 under a plexiglass roof, from $111, and refunds in full at −30 °C (−22 °F) or below, but it is new and has no reviews. Lapland Express’ Snowcat tour climbs Levi Fell in a heated cabin with big windows, from $151, departing at 19:00 and 21:15. It needs at least 4 bookings per departure and has only 5 reviews (4.8). You stay warm on both, and you watch the sky through glass.

Horses, bikes, canoes, a snow village and a yurt

• Horses: Lapin Saaga’s Aurora Riding Trek with Icelandic Horses (5.0 from 9 reviews, $151) needs no riding experience but sets an 85 kg rider limit and a minimum age of 12. Its autumn trek ($129) has no transport, and Polar Lights Tours’ Finn horse ride ($271) has one review.
• Bikes: Polar Star’s E-Fatbike Adventure ($158) needs riders at least 160 cm (5 ft 3 in) tall and 12 or older.
• Canoes: Canoeing Under the Arctic Night Sky ($125) runs on the Ounasjoki in August and September only, when nights are just starting to darken. Its next date is August 2027, and non-swimmers cannot join.
• Snow Village: Northern Lights Safaris’ Snow Village visit (5.0 from 20 reviews, $145) is a 45-minute drive with an ice bar and ice slide, from 25 December; a private version costs $871 per group of up to 8.
• Yurt: the Northern Lights Yurt Dinner ($218) serves three courses under a clear roof section, with reindeer and husky puppies, but has no reviews yet.

Safartica’s campfire evening ($103) is the simplest of all. For the strongest chance of a sighting, a chase still wins; our worth-it guide explains when it pays, and the best time guide covers the months. Sleeping under glass belongs on where to stay. You can also compare every type of aurora tour from Levi.

Ready to float? Check dates for Safartica’s ice floating evening.