Huskies by day, auroras by night in Levi
A husky ride and the northern lights are the two things most visitors to Levi hope for, but they rarely come in the same booking. The dogs run in daylight or twilight, and the aurora needs a dark, clear night. Plan them as two halves of one day and you give yourself a fair chance at both.
Two bookings, not one
None of the five husky tours we compare is sold as an aurora tour. They run in daylight or in the midday twilight, when the guides can see the trail and the dogs can rest before dark.
So the usual plan is a husky ride in the daytime and a separate aurora outing at night. You can book a guided hunt in the village or simply walk away from the lights on a clear evening.
If an evening sled ride catches your eye, read the listing closely. Some sledges sold for the night are pulled by a snowmobile rather than dogs, so check what pulls the sled before you pay.
Two seasons that overlap
The aurora season in Lapland runs roughly from September to March or April, whenever the nights are dark enough. The husky season is shorter, because the dogs need snow on the trails. That usually comes in late November or December.
The overlap is the heart of the winter, roughly December to March. Our guide to the best months for huskies in Levi walks through those weeks one at a time.
In autumn you may see the lights without any sledding, and in early April you get sledding with much shorter nights. Both can work, but neither gives you the full pairing.
Clear skies count for more than cold
Many visitors think the aurora needs a hard frost. What it needs is activity from the sun and a clear sky, and cold nights in Lapland simply tend to be the clearer ones.
Cloud is the real problem. A thick layer can hide a strong display completely, while a gap of a few hours on an ordinary night can show you a pale green arc over the fells.
No one can promise the lights on a given night, and no fair guide will. Give yourself several evenings in Levi and the odds improve. The aurora article on Wikipedia explains the science behind it.
A short ride that leaves the evening free
If you want energy left for a late night, a short ride is the easy fit. Keo Wilderness's 2 km musher-driven ride, from ~$117, takes about an hour from the meeting point at Burger King Levi.
A professional musher drives and you sit in the sled, after a 10-minute transfer to the base. The route crosses frozen lakes and snow-covered forest, and the ride holds 4.5 from 20+ reviews on GetYourGuide.
An hour with the dogs, then rest before dark
You sit while the musher drives, so there is nothing to learn and little to tire you out. The catch is the length of 2 km (about 1.2 miles) and the lowest scores of the five tours. It is not suitable for anyone over 100 kg (220 lb).
If you would rather drive, Keo's 5 km self-drive ride from ~$167 takes about 2 hours and still leaves the evening open. Our guide to ride lengths compares the options side by side.
Planning the day around both
- Morning or midday: the husky ride, in the best light of the day
- Afternoon: a warm meal and a rest, with time to dry your layers
- Evening: check the cloud forecast before you decide where to go
- Late night: head away from the village lights if the sky is clear
Keeping the two parts apart has a second advantage. If the night turns cloudy, you can move the sky watching to another evening without losing the ride.
Book the husky ride early in the trip. Most GetYourGuide listings allow free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead, which helps if you shuffle plans around the weather.
Staying warm twice in one day
A sled ride and an aurora night both mean long spells in the cold, and the second involves a lot of standing still. Winter temperatures in Levi often sit around -10 to -20 °C (14 to -4 °F) and can drop lower.
Dry your mittens and base layers between the two. Damp clothing from the ride makes the night feel much colder, as our clothing guide for a husky sled explains.
Phones lose charge fast in the cold. Keep yours in an inner pocket and carry a small power bank if you plan to photograph the sky.
Where to watch the sky
The village of Levi has street lights and busy hotels, which wash out a faint display. A short walk or drive toward the edge of the forest or a frozen lake gives you a darker view to the north.
Stay on cleared paths wherever you go, and tell someone your plan. The cold is the main risk on a long night, so turn back before your hands and feet go numb.
When the sky stays cloudy
A cloudy forecast is common in Lapland, and it can last several nights in a row. Spread your evenings across the trip rather than saving the sky watching for the last one.
Plenty of visitors leave Levi without seeing the aurora, and a cloudy week is nobody's fault. The husky ride is the part you can count on, as long as the snow holds.
The reindeer and husky trip adds a second animal if you want more from the daytime. Our price comparison sets all five tours side by side.