Among Scandinavian countries, Finland is often overlooked. People love Denmark with its delicious food, Sweden with its striking design, and Norway is one of the world’s top aurora destinations. Meanwhile, Finland is easily just as good (or maybe better) when it comes to seeing the northern lights – plus you can enjoy dog sledding, sauna breaks, and delicious Finnish pastries when you’re not out looking for the aurora borealis!c

If you’ve decided to go a bit off the beaten path in trying to see the northern lights, Finland might be the perfect destination for you. Read on to learn everything you need to know about the northern lights in Finland, plus where to go, when to see them, and popular tours that increase your chances of an unforgettable aurora experience.

What are the Northern Lights?

If you’ve arrived on this post while searching for ‘how to see the northern lights in Finland,’ you probably already know what the northern lights are… but do you understand the science behind the beautiful lights that dance across the night sky?

Historically, Finnish people believed that the northern lights were caused by the firefox, a creature who ran so quickly across the snow that his paws kicked up sparks into the night sky. In fact, the Finnish word for the northern lights is “revontulet,” which translates as “fox fires.” Other northern lights mythology in Finland held that the aurora was the spouts sprayed into the night sky by whales.

In fact, the northern lights are caused by the sun. When particles are emitted by the sun and strike atoms in the earth’s atmosphere, these atoms light up, producing the beautiful colors we see in the aurora borealis. Speaking of translations, this classical name for the northern lights was coined by Galileo, and means “north wind.” As you can only see the aurora borealis in the northern hemisphere, and it dances like the wind across the sky, this name makes sense too!

While it would be great to see the northern lights year-round in Finland, part of what makes the experience special is that you can only experience it during certain parts of the year. Read on to learn about the different seasons in Finland and your chances of seeing the aurora in each.

Autumn (August to October)

As the cold weather comes to Finland in the autumn, this is your first chance in the calendar year to see the northern lights. From late August (though more commonly after the autumnal equinox in September), you can see aurora on a dark night in northern Finland.

By day, you can enjoy the fall foliage and watch Finland’s many lakes slowly begin to freeze over.

Winter (November to March)

Winter is long in Finland, giving you ample opportunity to visit and see the northern lights.

You can spend the December holidays experiencing a winter wonderland or visit during the ‘shoulder season’ of March as the seasons begin to change – both are good months to visit as the skies are dark and the northern lights are commonly visible.