Vulpes Journal: Find Your Answers, the Fox Will Tell You All

In two places: Rovaniemi, and Kemi, by the sea in the south of Lapland. The evening is the same in both, with the same small group, the same warm van, the same stories, and the same price. You choose your town when you book, and we pick you up there.

Yes, it is worth it. A small group means more room to breathe, and more time from your guide. I have watched the big vans pass by, everyone packed in together like berries in a basket. That is not how I spend my evenings. I do not think you will enjoy it either.

We do not drive from place to place, searching for clear sky. We have a few good spots around Rovaniemi, and a few around Kemi. Each night we choose the one with the best chance of a clear sky, and we stay there. I have done this all my life, and running from place to place does not bring the aurora any closer. Patience does. Some call this a “chase tour.” I call it running in circles.

Three to five hours, and the driving is part of that time. How long it takes depends on two things: how long it takes to pick up everyone in the group, and which of our spots has the clearest sky that night. Some are close to town, some a little further. Once we arrive, we stay.

The time of your tour is when we pick up the first guest. Then we collect everyone else in order, from one place to the next, so your pickup may be up to 45 minutes later, depending on the distance and the roads that night. On the morning of your tour, you will get your approximate pickup time, so you know when to be ready.

You do not need to bring your own warm clothes. We give you everything: a warm coat, boots, gloves, and a hat, checked to make sure it fits you well before we leave. I have fur for this. You will have ours.

A local Finn, someone who knows these winters well. Every one of our guides holds a professional driver’s license, so you are in safe hands on snowy roads. They learned the history of Lapland from local books and materials, not from a quick search on the internet. Ask them anything. They love the questions.

Yes. Every van we use has a lift built in. This was important to us from the very start, not something we added later. I have not seen many other tours in these towns built the same way. So we built ours to be different.

Yes, children are always welcome, with one parent close by the whole evening. If your child falls asleep, do not worry. This is a good sign. It means they feel safe and calm. Children love nature, animals, and a good story before sleep, so we let them rest. We keep warm blankets for them, and they can sleep in your arms, or right in their own seat. No one wakes a sleeping child for the sky. The sky can wait.

Even I do not see a strong aurora every night, and I have lived under this sky my whole life. My family watched this same sky for many generations before me, and they all say the same thing: it comes when it wants to come, not when we want it to. So I will not promise you the lights. What I do promise is a good evening, warm and full of stories, with or without them.

Not really. I have heard this word before. Some tours show you a small, weak light in the sky and call it a win. Then they give you a little money back and say sorry. I do not do this. I promise you honesty, not a guarantee I cannot keep.

Yes. Eight guests is the most I will ever take out in one van, and that includes the seat up front, next to the driver. For the best comfort, seven guests is the perfect number, so you can book seven seats online. If you need the eighth seat, the one up front, just message us. If someone travels with a wheelchair, it takes the space of two seats, so the group is five guests at most, including the wheelchair user. Please tell us about the wheelchair when you book. If your group is bigger than that, we also have a larger van with 16 comfortable seats. You can see both vehicles on our Our Vehicles page, and book the 16-seat tour there for your group. Either way, there is room for your whole pack.

Warm clothes, made to fit you. A comfortable ride in our van. Real Finnish snacks, and something warm to drink by the campfire. A telescope, so you can look closely at the stars. Photos of your evening, to take home with you. All of this is already part of your price. Nothing extra to pay at the door.

Yes. Just tell us before your tour, and we will have something good for you too. No one should feel left out because of what is on their plate.

If the sky is completely closed, with no real chance of a clear spot anywhere near us, we will tell you honestly before the tour. In that case, we cancel the evening and you get all your money back. If you would rather come on another night, you can change the date free of charge. We will never cancel quietly and leave you wondering. You will always hear it from us directly.

Yes. You can book the whole van just for your own group. Choose an 8-seat van or a 16-seat van. The price is for the vehicle, not for each person. Just ask, and it is yours.

Cancel more than 24 hours before your tour, and you get all your money back, no questions asked. Inside that 24-hour window, we cannot offer a refund, because we can no longer sell your seat to anyone else.

No, we do not give refunds for a weak or missing aurora, because we never promised you the lights, only a good evening. No honest tour can promise you the sky. Anyone who tells you otherwise is not telling you the truth.