We took a Northern Lights day trip with Arctic GM based on a recommendation from a friend. Unfortunately, our experience on that particular night didn’t meet expectations. It felt more like we had paid for a long drive with minimal guidance from our driver, who also served as the tour guide. Our group consisted of two families—us (a couple) and another family with a young child and an elderly person. In hindsight, this kind of tour, which involves hours of travel and waiting in the cold, may not be suitable for families with young children or older adults. I believe a professional company like Arctic GM could proactively inform guests about the nature of the trip to help them make an informed decision. The journey turned out to be exhausting for the child, the family, and also for the rest of the group. Another concern was the lack of enthusiasm from our guide. After a brief introduction, the next several hours were spent repeatedly discussing traffic rules and emphasizing that the Northern Lights are not guaranteed. While we understand that the lights are a natural phenomenon and can’t be controlled, repeating this message constantly became frustrating rather than helpful. At one point, we followed a wrong prediction from an app and ended up at a place where there were clouds. Another instance, we ended up on a road that was closed for construction. Later, when we finally had a good prediction and found a spot with parking, our guide chose not to stop—simply because vehicles from another tour company were already there. As a result, we completely missed the sighting opportunity. I believe any tour guide in these kinds of adventurous trips need to be spontaneous alongside being careful. This statement from the guide felt counterproductive and made the experience feel more commercial than thoughtful. In the end, we received some photos without the Northern Lights and a partial refund of €30 per person. We understand every tour experience can vary, and this review reflects just that one night. To make the most of our visit, we ended up booking another Northern Lights trip with a different company, which we’ve reviewed separately. That said, we also booked the Korouma National Park and Canyon day trip through Arctic GM—and it was absolutely amazing. We truly enjoyed that part of our experience and appreciate the effort that went into that tour. We hope the company takes feedback constructively to improve the Northern Lights experience for future guests.

Excellent communication prior to the event regarding timeframes, what to bring, and likeliness to see the Auroras. Multiple options to cancel for a full refund as the weather deteriorated. I chose to take the chance and the viewing was more than I could have hoped for. Guide-Mehmet was incredible and fiercely passionate about "catching the Auroras". Wonderful experience! Note- pay attention to the timeframe for the tour. It can take hours to see the Auroras and there is a high potential when the days are longer to stay out very late, even to mid morning. We had some in the group that were tired and wanted to go back after seeing a couple of Auroras. Don't ruin it for others, be flexible and be patient.

We had a wonderful time on our Northern Lights tour with Mehmet. First, he set expectations about our likelihood of seeing the Northern Lights then shared he would do everything in his power to make it happen. Second, he explained why we were heading south to Ranua to hunt for the Lights. He also shared the science behind them. He took amazing photographs and was happy to take as many as we wanted. We received a link to all the photos within 48 hours and they were perfect. The van we rode in was comfortable and clean. He also had hot juice and muffins for us to snack on. Mehmet really made the trip special with his positivity and conversation. This was a top bucket list item for me and I was not disappointed. The tour was well worth it for me and my family, even my kids ages 13 & 11 had a great evening. I would highly recommend this tour.

These guys were great. From the time of the booking they kept me informed about arrangements, especially in the couple of days leading up. They were careful to warn that there could be no guarantee of a strong Borealis display. The mini-vans were new, comfortable and on-time. Our guide (the aptly-named Aurora!) was delightful. They don’t just go to one place, but head right out of Rovaniemi, well away from the light pollution, to give you the best chance of seeing as much as can be seen. We were super-lucky, and got a truly awe-inspiring display from Odin and Thor and whichever other deities were in the control-room that night - it was one of the most incredible experiences I’ve had, in many travels, and the achievement of a decades-old ‘bucket list’ ambition. AND - all the guides are themselves photographers, with good cameras pre-set for aurora photography, and they taken plenty of photos of the guests against the backdrop of the display … then send you a link a couple of days later to let you download all of THOSE photos in full resolution. I had just been using my iPhone 14, and it did a good job -but I do a lot of proper photography back home and so I know I got better photos than other folks just using their iPhones, hence my point about it being a real advantage that you get access to your own guide’s photos of your own experience, but on a proper digital SLR (that you didn’t have to pack and carry around the world yourself). And they have thermos flasks of hot blueberry juice which, believe me, are super-welcome after an hour standing in -9C! I highly recommend Arctic GM - they really were terrific, exactly what you would hope for when attempting an excursion to see the Northern Lights. To be honest I am still buzzing, 3 days later.