Northern Lights: Norway, Finland or Sweden? Tromsø vs Rovaniemi vs Kiruna With Kids

We will never forget the first time we saw the northern lights 💚 Since then we kept saying “just one more time” and ended up spending three winters in a row in the Arctic: Rovaniemi in Finland when Leo was 1, Tromsø in Norway when he was 2, and Kiruna in Sweden just before he turned 3. And the question we get the most is always the same: “Norway, Finland or Sweden for the northern lights?” Usually followed by: “And which one is better with kids?”

In this post we compare all three destinations based on our own trips and everything we shared in our stories: your chances of seeing the lights, how kid-friendly each one is, activities, getting there, weather, prices and where to stay. And at the very end we tell you clearly which one we would recommend to whom 😅

Northern Lights: Norway, Finland or Sweden? The Short Answer

• Travelling with small kids for the first time: Finland – Rovaniemi. Igloos, sleds, snowy forests and Santa Claus Village… the easiest and most magical option for children.
• If seeing the lights is your top priority: Sweden – Kiruna and Abisko. Very little light pollution, and being inland the sky is clear more often.
• If you want scenery and city life: Norway – Tromsø. Fjords, the ocean, great restaurants; but you will have to leave the city to chase the lights.

Northern Lights Chances: Where Are You Most Likely to See Them?

Let’s get this out of the way first: there is no guarantee anywhere! It depends on three things: a clear sky (no snow, no clouds), enough solar activity and a bit of luck. In all three destinations the lights can be seen from late September to late March; if you also want snowy landscapes, December to February is the best time. But our experiences were very different:

Finland – Rovaniemi: we saw them 3 nights out of 4!

We stayed 4 nights in Rovaniemi and saw the lights on 3 of them. Some of them we even watched through the glass roof of our igloo, from our bed 😍 Rovaniemi is inland, so the weather is usually dry and cold, which means clearer skies. Getting a little away from the city lights is enough; staying by Lake Kemi or in the middle of the forest makes it much easier. All the details are in our Rovaniemi Travel Guide.

Norway – Tromsø: no luck for us 🥲

Tromsø sits right under the aurora oval, so it always tops the “best chance in Europe” lists. That is exactly why we went. But being on the coast, the weather changes constantly and cloudy nights are common. The lights showed up every night the week before we arrived and for almost a week after we left; while we were there, we didn’t see them once. In Tromsø you really need to rent a car or join an aurora tour and “chase” the clear skies. Without kids that is a great adventure, but a midnight car ride with toddlers… not very realistic 😅 So we stayed in a cabin with a hot tub outside the city and waited for the lights to come to us. More in our Tromsø Travel Guide.

Sweden – Kiruna and Abisko: the strongest candidate on paper

Kiruna is one of the strongest spots for the northern lights in Swedish Lapland. The town is small and it is very easy to escape light pollution. Abisko, about 1–1.5 hours away, gets fewer clouds than its surroundings thanks to its location between the mountains and is often named one of the best places in the world to watch the aurora. In Kiruna the lights tend to be most active between 9 pm and 1 am. This time we didn’t rent a car, so we couldn’t drive to Abisko at night; we became the team that waited at the hotel hoping the lights would come to us 😄 If you rent a car or join a tour, your chances go up a lot.

Our ranking: for the chance of seeing the lights, 1. Kiruna/Abisko, 2. Rovaniemi, 3. Tromsø. Tromsø’s location is actually great, but the coastal weather leaves a lot to luck. Wherever you go, stay at least 3–4 nights so that even with bad weather you have a good chance of catching them one night. And download an aurora forecast app on your phone.

Northern Lights With Kids: Which One Is Best?

We did all three winters with Leo, at ages 1, 2 and 3. So on this part we really know what we’re talking about 🙂

1. Rovaniemi – the easiest introduction to the Arctic with kids

Leo was 1, and looking back we can’t think of a better destination for that age. Our igloo resort had sleds and Leo absolutely loved being pulled around in the snow all day 😄 Honestly, we found Santa Claus Village quite touristy, but for small kids it is still a magical experience. Most accommodation is designed with families in mind and activities are short and child-friendly. The only thing we had to skip because of the baby was the icebreaker cruise. Rovaniemi is always our first recommendation for families.

2. Kiruna – wonderful for slightly older kids

This is probably where Leo laughed the most. At Nutti Sámi Siida farm he fed the reindeer with his own hands (entry about €18 per person), and we drank hot chocolate with marshmallows by the fire in a Sámi tent. The Icehotel even has an ice slide for kids! In the evenings the kids couldn’t get enough of the pool at Camp Ripan. One thing to know: in Kiruna it is between -10 and -20°C, much colder than Tromsø. If you get the clothing right it’s no problem; if you don’t, the holiday gets very short 😅

3. Tromsø – the most challenging with toddlers

Leo was 2 and we had another 2-year-old with us. We started the trip saying “if there is anything more adventurous than going to the Arctic with a 2-year-old, it’s going with two of them” 😄 Tromsø’s advantage is the milder weather (around -5°C when we were there) and indoor options like play areas in the city. People are incredibly friendly too; even when the kids spilled yogurt all over the supermarket floor, everyone just smiled! But chasing the lights means long drives at night, and we didn’t find the Sámi camp visit suitable for small children. In short, for us Tromsø is the favourite for an aurora adventure without kids.

What to Do in the Arctic? Activities Compared

The northern lights are at night, but what about the days? There is plenty to do in all three places, but each has a different character. First, one personal choice of ours: we don’t do husky or reindeer sled rides. On the tours we came across in Rovaniemi, the animals did not look well at all, so whenever we mention these tours below, our recommendation will be the alternative 🙂

Things to Do in Rovaniemi

• Snowmobile tour: the thing we recommend x10000 instead of a husky safari! They give you the gear, a short briefing, and then with the guide in front you head into snow-covered forests and frozen lakes. You can check Rovaniemi snowmobile tours here.
• Visiting the Arctic Snow Hotel: rebuilt from ice and snow every winter. You can visit even if you don’t stay; entry is around €30 per person. One of our favourite places.
• Santa Claus Village: posing on the Arctic Circle line and sending yourself a postcard from Santa’s post office (ours arrived exactly 1 year later!) is lovely. But we found the village very touristy; half a day is enough.
• Arktikum: a beautiful museum about the polar region and Lapland; its glass-roofed corridor is a perfect break on a cold day.
• Icebreaker cruise: a Lapland classic where you can even float in the frozen sea. We couldn’t do it with a baby and it’s the one thing we were sad to miss.
• Husky safari: the most popular activity, but we don’t recommend it; if you do go, choose small, well-reviewed farms that care about animal welfare.

Things to Do in Tromsø

• Fjord road trip: the real magic of Tromsø is in the fjords! Follow the road along Kaldfjord and Kattfjord all the way to Sommarøy; without these views our trip would have felt incomplete.
• Cable car to Storsteinen: ride the Fjellheisen cable car up to 421 metres and look down over the city, fjords and mountains. Especially beautiful at sunset.
• Sámi camp visit: we did a day trip with Tromsø Arctic Reindeer: tea and coffee in a tent, a talk about Sámi culture, a traditional meal and feeding the reindeer. Lovely, but not suitable for 2–3 year olds; we left the kids with the dads.
• Arctic Cathedral and Polar Museum: the city’s iconic triangle cathedral and a museum on polar expeditions. Some images in the museum can be quite graphic for small children, just so you know.
• Sauna + ocean: in Sommarøy, even watching people jump into the sea after the sauna is an experience; try it yourself if you dare 🥶

Things to Do in Kiruna

• Icehotel: the world’s first ice hotel! Art suites rebuilt every year, an Ice Bar and even an ice slide for kids. It’s -5°C inside. You can visit without staying.
• Nutti Sámi Siida: a real Sámi reindeer farm right next to the Icehotel. You feed the reindeer by hand; entry is about €18 per person. Leo’s favourite thing, definitely go with kids.
• Jukkasjärvi Church: right next to the farm, a fairytale red wooden church.
• Snowmobile tour: very popular in Kiruna too and, if you ask us, a much better idea than husky rides. You can check Kiruna snowmobile tours here.
• The moving town and church: Kiruna is relocating its whole town centre because of the huge iron ore mine underneath; they even moved the church inch by inch! Walking around the new centre is a fascinating experience.
• Day trip to Abisko: 1–1.5 hours away; perfect for short walks in the national park, frozen lake views and waiting for the aurora in the evening.
• Sauna and ice pool: at Camp Ripan’s Aurora Spa: sauna at -20°C outside, then the ice-cold plunge pool, then the hot tub. Only one of the four of us volunteered 😅 but it was the best moment of the trip.

Activities Side by Side

Activity	Rovaniemi 🇫🇮	Tromsø 🇳🇴	Kiruna 🇸🇪
Ice hotel	Arctic Snow Hotel (~€30)	None	Icehotel (the world’s first)
Sámi culture / feeding reindeer	Yes	Tromsø Arctic Reindeer (not ideal for toddlers)	Nutti Sámi Siida (~€18, kids love it)
Snowmobile	Yes, our favourite	Yes	Yes, very popular
Nature and scenery	Snowy forests, frozen lakes	Fjords and the ocean ✨	Abisko National Park, mountains
City and museums	Arktikum, Santa Claus Village	Arctic Cathedral, Polar Museum, cable car	The moving town centre, the mine
With small kids	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐

In short, Rovaniemi and Kiruna stand out for the variety of activities, while nothing beats Tromsø’s fjords for scenery. The activities we enjoyed most with Leo were the Sámi farm and the Icehotel ice slide in Kiruna.

How to Get to the Northern Lights Destinations

• Rovaniemi: we flew from Berlin with Finnair via Helsinki. There are also direct flights from Istanbul with Turkish Airlines. We rented a car at the airport: €200 in total for 4 days.
• Tromsø: easy to reach with connecting flights via Oslo. As two families we rented a big car for about €100 per day. In Tromsø a car is a must for chasing the lights.
• Kiruna: we went from Berlin to Stockholm and then from Stockholm to Kiruna entirely by sleeper train, and it was the best train journey of our lives! Stockholm–Kiruna takes 15–16 hours; we paid €480 in total for a 3-person couchette compartment. The faster option is a 1.5-hour flight from Stockholm.

Northern Lights Holiday Prices: Which One Is the Most Expensive?

All three northern lights destinations are expensive, but Norway is the priciest in our experience. In Tromsø most hotels were around €200 per night in high season, and because we booked last minute we paid €280 for one place. In Rovaniemi nice cabins and igloos are in the €140–200 range. In Kiruna food is seriously expensive: a reindeer sandwich at the famous food truck costs around €28 😅 Considering you’re in the Arctic, you have to accept it. Booking accommodation and activities early is the biggest saving in all three.

Where to Stay to See the Northern Lights

Rovaniemi

• Santa Claus Holiday Village: right in Santa Claus Village, perfect for families. As we were travelling with a baby, it was our only option.
• Apukka Resort: a little outside the city, with glass-roofed cabins and aurora sleds.
• Arctic TreeHouse Hotel: treehouses with panoramic windows facing the forest, where you can watch the lights from bed. More options in our Lapland igloo hotels guide.

Tromsø

• Vengsøy Northernnorway: far from the city, with a hot tub in the garden; a place to truly unwind. Perfect for the dream of watching the northern lights from a hot tub 😍
• Five Apartments: for those who want to stay in the city centre and chase the lights with tours.

Kiruna

• Camp Ripan: staying here was the best thing we did in Kiruna. Walking distance to the centre but surrounded by nature; sauna, plunge pool and hot tub at -20°C was the best moment of the trip. And the mushroom soup at its restaurant was the best we have ever had!
• Icehotel: the world’s first ice hotel. We only visited, but if you want to stay there are also warm bungalows on the campus.

What to Wear for the Northern Lights: How We Dressed Our Kids

Waiting for the northern lights can mean hours outside, and as the Germans say, there is no bad weather, only the wrong clothes! Our formula for kids: merino wool base layer and merino socks, regular clothes and snow trousers on top, a fleece under the jacket, a thick snow suit or jacket, a merino balaclava covering the face and another hat over it. Same logic for adults: base layer + regular clothes + outdoor jacket. Feet and hands get coldest, so don’t skimp on good winter boots and gloves.

Conclusion: Which Northern Lights Destination Do We Recommend?

	Rovaniemi 🇫🇮	Tromsø 🇳🇴	Kiruna 🇸🇪
Chance of seeing the lights	High (3 out of 4 nights!)	Variable, you need to chase	Highest (especially Abisko)
With kids	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Weather (January)	Very cold, dry	Milder, humid	Coldest (-10/-20°C)
Highlights	Igloos, Santa Claus Village, snowmobile	Fjords, city life	Icehotel, Sámi culture, Abisko
Getting there	Direct flights available	Via Oslo	Night train or via Stockholm
Price	Expensive	Most expensive	Expensive

With small kids, on your first trip to the Arctic, go for Rovaniemi without a second thought. If your kids are a bit older and you want to maximise your chances of seeing the lights, choose Kiruna (and spend a night in Abisko). For a northern lights adventure with scenery and city life, without kids, pick Tromsø. You can find our detailed guides here: Rovaniemi Travel Guide and Tromsø Travel Guide. Which one are you going to? Let us know in the comments 🫶