Small Group or Bus: Which Northern Lights Tour from Rovaniemi?
Northern lights tours from Rovaniemi by bus or small group: group sizes of 8 to 65, where you get on, hours, warm clothing and what the refund terms cover.
Take the bus or group option if you are staying in central Rovaniemi and watching the budget; take a small group if you want pickup from your accommodation, a longer night and fewer people in the vehicle. Experience Tours Lapland’s Rovaniemi: Northern Lights Hunt with Guarantee & Free Photos, from US$61 on promotion, usually US$121 a person (checked November 2026), sells both, and on either one, if the guides’ cameras capture no aurora, you choose a free place on another hunt, as many times as you need, or a full refund.
Its Group Tour takes up to 47 guests and leaves at 7:00 PM from the bus stop at Korkalonkatu 23, next to Pub Uitto, with no hotel pickup. The small group takes up to 15 guests per vehicle, in a van or a minibus, and collects you within 12 km of the centre. Overalls and boots are not provided, so bring winter clothing.
Group size and format, hunt by hunt
| Hunt | Bus or group option | Small-group option | Warm clothing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Experience Tours Lapland | Group Tour, up to 47, Korkalonkatu 23 | Up to 15 per vehicle, accommodation pickup within 12 km | Not provided |
| Lapland Explorers Oy | Bus Tour, up to 54, Korkalonkatu 25 in front of Pub Uitto, about 3 to 8 hours | Up to 8, pickup within 10 km, about 4 to 10 hours | Bring your own |
| Authentic Experiences Rovaniemi | Standard Group, 10 to 65 by bus, bus stop at Ruokasenkatu 3 | Up to 8 per guide and vehicle, pickup and drop-off | Extra clothing not included |
| Arctic GM Experiences OY | Coach tour from its office at Valtakatu 26, typically 4 to 6 hours | Up to 8 in a 4x4 minivan, accommodation pickup, typically 6 to 10 hours | Thermal overalls with the small group only |
| Polar Lapland Oy | A heated bus with 1 to 3 local guides | Up to 8 per guide and vehicle | Not included |
| BookLapland | Group tour from its office at Koskikatu 22, 5 hours; size not stated | Up to 8, pickup within 15 km, 8 hours | Arctic overalls and boots included |
| Arctic Safari Guides | 5-hour hunt from Scandic Pohjanhovi, cars and minivans only, no hotel pickup | 8-hour hunt, up to 8, hotel pickup | An optional add-on |
| Into North | None | Up to 8 by car, hotel pickup | Winter clothes and boots on request |
GetYourGuide listings, checked November 2026. Hours for BookLapland are its options on four dates read between 27 November 2026 and 17 February 2027.
What the bigger group gives up
Time and reach, more than comfort. Arctic GM Experiences OY’s coach tour typically lasts 4 to 6 hours and its small group 6 to 10; Lapland Explorers Oy’s bus tour about 3 to 8 hours and its small group about 4 to 10. A small van can stay out longer, and several of the small-group options are sold with unlimited distance.
The crowd at the viewing spot is the other cost. A guest on Arctic GM Experiences OY's hunt in October 2026 found the tour “overcrowded” and the display faint; another, collected from the hotel in April 2026, wrote that the best part was the small group.
What the bigger group keeps
The price, and the same terms. On the dates we read, BookLapland’s group tour cost US$154.88 a person against US$232.87 for its small group, and the refund terms of Experience Tours Lapland cover both its Group Tour and its Small-Group Tour, though not its Private Tour. Lapland Explorers Oy's bus tour carries the same Northern Lights Guarantee, photos, warm drinks and snacks as its small group.
Which one to book
Rovaniemi: Northern Lights Hunt with Guarantee & Free Photos
Experience Tours Lapland: a Group Tour of up to 47 from Korkalonkatu 23, or up to 15 per vehicle with pickup. A free place on another hunt, or a full refund, if the cameras capture no aurora.
See dates →Rovaniemi: Northern Lights Tour – 100% Guarantee & Photos
BookLapland: the small group of up to 8 with pickup within 15 km runs 8 hours, and Arctic overalls and boots are included on every option.
See the hunt →Rovaniemi: Small Group Northern Lights Hunt with Money-Back Guarantee
Into North: up to 8 by car with hotel pickup, 5 to 8 hours of searching, winter clothes on request, and a full refund if no aurora is visible on camera. Not for children under 7.
See the hunt →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
Arctic GM Experiences OY’s coach tour also sells on Viator as Rovaniemi: Northern Lights Coach Tour - 100% Guarantee & Photos for US$95 (checked November 2026). The operators price in euros, so what you pay in US dollars depends on the day’s conversion.
More from Lapland
Aurora and Winter Tours with Open Dates
Other northern lights hunts and winter evenings in Lapland with live availability. Where each starts, what it includes and the cancellation terms show before you book.
A Group Tour with a Free Re-Hunt
Experience Tours Lapland's hunt from Rovaniemi: a Group Tour from Korkalonkatu 23 or a small group with accommodation pickup, unlimited photos, and a free place on another hunt or a full refund if the guides' cameras capture no aurora.
See dates