Northern Lights Village Saariselkä — Hotel in Northern Lapland

Going to northern Finland in the winter is fun but also brings a higher weather risk if your goal is to see the northern lights. Keep in mind that no location can guarantee you that you will see the northern lights. They depend on solar activity levels, and can range widely in location, size and duration. Some can be gone in a fleeting moment while other may seem to stay in place for many minutes at a time. Low pressure cloud systems can bring beautiful snow fall to the region, but they will also often bring a solid cloud cover over night. Also keep in mind that there is no guarantee to see the lights on a clear night, regardless if you stay at the resort or if you go to another location.

We were very lucky twice. Once we went to the border on a very cloudy night at the resort, and the sky was clear near Nellim(ö). We spent about 20 minutes and only saw a few faint signs of northern lights in the far distance. We almost left to build a fire near another border camp, when suddenly an absolutely breathtaking and incredibly intense and long light show started in the sky. It was incredible and our guide said it was the most impressive of the season so far. We could not judge it then but understood two nights later what she meant.

Two nights later, after another fully cloud-covered night with heavy snowfall we encountered a second opportunity where the sky cleared up just in time around 20:00 and well past 1:00 in the morning. During that night we split up. Some of us went to the border again and saw lights along the way and at the bridge near the border. The lights were beautiful, there were some very large ones, but it was not as much or as intense as it had been two nights before. In contrast, at the resort, where no lights gad been visible three nights in a row, this forth night turned out to be spectacular and beautiful lights could be observed by all that were either in or outside of their cabin, or out on snowmobiles, snow shoes, or with a heated sleigh. We would say this night the people staying near the resort had the best show of northern lights to enjoy. All this detail is simply meant to highlight that you have to be willing to take a chance and that you are not guaranteed to see the stars or northern lights at all during your stay.

The resort itself offered everything we needed. Friendly service all around, clean cabins, great room service upon request while we we were out on an evening activity.

The food at the resort was always good or very good, fresh, prepared with care and love, and took into consideration special nutritional requirements. We had multiple guests with Vegan nutrition needs in our party and they were able to enjoy themselves during the entire week of our stay.

The dog sledging really was phenomenal. Overall it was really nice to encounter and get to know the people that own and care for the dogs and for the Reindeer at this resort. They treat their animals with great love, care, and respect. The dogs are not and can not be forced to run, but they sure love to run. They are very sweet and loving animals, and clearly all treated very well.

We also enjoyed talking to the owner of the Reindeer on site. It takes years to train them to where they can be on the resort for a few month out of the year, before they are released back into the wild. They are and remain wild animals, so never walk up to them without a safe fence to protect you.

The resort is within easy walking distance to Saariselkä. The post office, liquor store, super market, and other conveniences all located in one larger building complex had burned to the ground a few weeks before we got there, so grocery shopping if needed would have been extremely limited during our stay. Ivalo is about a 30 Minute car ride away and offers additional shopping options.

The ride to and from the airport was easy and we were glad that we booked this in advance through the resort. You can organize or book your own taxi ride or inquire about local bus connection times.

Be at Ivalo Airport no less than 90 minutes prior to...

We returned home yesterday after totally magical days at Northern Light Village, Saariselka.

We travelled as 2 families, each with 1 son, (age 5 and 7).

Its a short 25 min transfer from Ivalo airport which is provided by NLV in a comfortable SUV.

It is an absolutely beautiful resort, about 15 minutes walk from Saariselka, so on the edge of town. The forest setting is absolutely stunning.

We stayed in an aurora cabin with one double bed under the glass heated roof to melt the snow, and a sofa bed, which was comfortable.

There is a kettle/ tea/ coffee and a fridge with some wine, beer and a few snacks. There is limited storage and little room to dry things. Our friends had a small portable radiator in their cabin but we didn’t notice this until the last night so went without. No TV, didn’t miss it at all.

The only thing that didn’t work properly just so happened to be really important which was the ipad in the room. These ipads are also used by the hotel to send an alert if they see the northern lights. They said it was an internet connect problem they were looking into, but I have read much older reviews that said theirs were not working either. We were given a hand held buzzer instead, but on the last night, when we watched the northern lights for 3 years+, the buzzer never went off once.

We had the 5 day family package and the itinerary was great. The hotel kit you out with good quality thermal snow suit and boots. They also have balaclavas, socks, gloves. We had our own but we did pick up extras when ours were wet.

The excursions on the 5 day package were excellent, our package included an aurora hunt, husky safari, santa search, kids snowmobiles, cross country skiing and reindeer experience.

The husky experience was an hour long and incredible and you get to control the sleigh. The dogs are powerful, but they know exactly what they are doing. It was so much fun, super easy to control. There were husky puppies to cuddle when we got back. Wrap up warm and cover your face too, the wind chill bites!

Santa experience was just beautiful. I’m not sure if it’s always exclusive but it was for us. No one else to be seen for the whole 3 hours which made it super special. Absolutely delightful elves. Cookie making/ fun playing/ marshmallows and then finally the search for the cabin. Santa could not have been better. He looked incredible, really lovely, warm, friendly welcoming man with lots to say and really engaging with kids and adults.

Kids snowmobiles were thoroughly enjoyed. The dads rented grown up snowmobiles for 2 hours, no license needed. Went with a guide and covered some real distance. They really enjoyed it.

The only excursion we weren’t sure about with the kids was cross country skiing. The hotel were happy to switch my son from cross country skiing to another snow mobile session. The mums did 2 hour cross country skiing and loved it, but so glad we didn’t take the boys. We covered a lot of ground and were exhausted after 2 hours. It was so beautiful though, peaceful, tranquil, lovely forest tracks.

The hotel are very happy to swap excursions and were very accommodating to moving times too. The guides for all the excursions are fantastic, so warm and knowledgeable.

The hotel itself has a lovely reception area / dining area / comfortable sofas and perfect for just chilling. This hotel is definitely more suited to those that want a more chilled relaxed vibe and less of the elves singing, dancing etc which suited us.

Food was good quality/ well presented/ always checked and replaced or switched if running low. On reflection kids choices were quite limited. The service is excellent though, all staff was super friendly and helpful. Maybe just ask for anything you need if it’s not obviously available.

The local village is 10-15 mins walk and the ski area, 10-15 mins drive. There is a brilliant tobogganing area at the bottom of the ski run.

We all had the best time. It really is as magical as everyone says and we will return to Finland, maybe NLV...

We have just had a wonderful trip to the Saariselkä Northern Lights Village on their Searching for the Northern Lights 3-night, 4-day all-inclusive package. We were a family of 5, with a 13, 10 and 7-year-old.

We were visited the Village at Christmas time, so it sparkled with twinkling lights and Christmas trees. The accommodation are stylish, warm individual cabins with the iconic windowed roof. There was a large comfortable bed, a double sofa bed if you are sharing and we were grateful they accommodated a fold away bed for our youngest. There are lots of hooks and drawers for storage.

The food was generous, good, solid wintery fare in a buffet, with an a-la-carte offer for children. There is endless fresh bread, a soup, salad/ starters, fish, meat in a stew and usually gratinated vegetables. A dessert, fruit, chocolate fountain and cheese board.

The restaurant is open all day and also your lounging space, if like us, you had filled your cabin entirely, with the food only stopping for short periods between meal change overs. There are teas and coffee available all day. There are a few areas with armchairs and coffee tables, rather than dining tables.

The staff are a mix of nationalities and ages; it is telling that many of them return year after year to work at this resort. They are sunny, helpful and kind - including with unreasonable young children (mine). We did a range of expeditions listed below. The Village loans you all the outer kit you need, and are generous with it if you need more, or in our case, repeatedly get it wet from fooling around in the snow. This includes thick boots, down suits, balaclavas, mittens and helmets when needed.

• Snow-shoeing: This was our first outing, as soon as we arrived. Our kids spent quite some time just rolling in the snow for the joy of it, and Tabi our guide humoured them with powder-snow races and games. • Husky sleigh ride: Children do not drive, but adults do - be prepared for both! In the sleigh you are wrapped in reindeer skins and it is a special thing to do. And yes, you can fuss the huskies - my son cuddled every one of the teams of six, pulling the 12 sleighs. • A photography workshop: Ben patiently adapted this workshop for us who only had phones and not SLR cameras. • Aurora hunting in heated sleigh on the top of the fells. • Snowmobile to the lake and ice-fishing: You have to have a driving licence to do this (to the disappointment of the teen), but there was jeopardy in the deep snow with mishaps aplenty, led by the very calm Vivi and Alfie. Again, taking a core of ice out of Lake Salmijärvi to fish is simply an extraordinary experience. • Driven to Lake Ukonjärvi to aurora hunt: Another special moment, a 40-min drive to a remote lake, ringed by hills, and a lake covered in virgin, powder snow. It was silent, beautiful, but anyone hoping for calm was sadly disappointed by my boys having a two-hour wrestling match and snowball fight - encouraged by the guide. • Kids snowmobiles: They got to go bonkers, round a copse of trees on size-appropriate snowmobiles. • Searching for Santa: A beautifully managed outing to find Santa, led by Elf Funni & Elf Yanni through gingerbread baking, then trundled along by reindeer, padding through the snow to the Land of Elf, where we met the naughtier set of elves for games, hot chocolate and marshmallows, then each family was scooped up individually in a heated sleigh, to see if you can find the big man! We did, in his little cottage nestled in the woods and sat with him by his wood burner and chatted. • My husband and eldest chose to go Nordic Skiing instead, which they found well run, for people with no former experience using trails around the village.

All the expeditions were accompanied by open fires in tents or huts, with warm berry juice, marshmallows and sometimes more substantial food and tales from the guides of local folklore around the northern lights and reindeer herding.

The pick-up and drop offs ran very smoothly, despite...