Northern Lights – the elusive but spectacular phenomenon that captivates so many. Come winter, when the night falls and coupled with lots of luck, watch the northern lights dance across the night sky. We were extremely lucky to catch them during our Northern Lights hunting in Ivalo.

Travel Hanter

09 Sep 18

Northern Lights Hunting In Ivalo

Ivalo is a village in northern Finland, home to pine forests and reindeer. It is also the place where we succeeded in our Northern Lights hunting in Ivalo.

After our failed attempt to catch the Northern Lights in Iceland, we were even more determined to catch those green lights. Traveling from Helsinki up North to Ivalo, we booked several Northern Lights hunting tours and our Northern Lights hunting in Ivalo with Ivalotrek is where we got really lucky.

• The tour

After much research online, we made a booking with Ivalotrek. We were picked up from our hotel in Ivalo and the tour was a small group of six people. Our guide cum driver cum photographer brought us to the first destination where we didn’t have much luck. We then went to a second location to continue our hunt.

Truth to be told, Northern Lights hunting is way less exciting than the name may suggest. Basically, the hunt involves driving into the wilderness where there is little light pollution, followed by setting up your tripod and camera. The action then ends and you begin the long wait in the freezing cold and constantly hoping that mother nature grants your wish of capturing those lights.

HAN-dy tip: Bring a DSLR camera and tripod to take the perfect pictures.

Klook.com

• The Magical Moment

After waiting in the chilly winter night for about 1.5 hours, the green lights started appearing in the sky. They weren’t those faint lights that looked way more impressive in the photos. They were those that become brighter with streaks of purple and pink, dancing across the sky, lighting up the land beneath them. IT WAS MAGICAL!

• Conclusion

We feel extremely blessed to be able to witness the extraordinary display during our Northern Lights hunting in Ivalo. However, if we didn’t manage to catch the lights, the tour was just standing and waiting in the cold. Still, we would take our chances if we visit Ivalo again!

HAN-dy tip: Check the Aurora forecast website to choose the best day to hunt for the Northern Lights.

Also, check out

Guesthouse Husky Safari in Finland [Review]

9 Days Iceland Itinerary