accommodation
We thought carefully of the places that we want to visit on this trip, and chose the best ones for aurora hunting. And we think we found the best ones! These hotels are situated well in the north, where seeing the auroras is easiest in the whole world!
hotels
places we’ll stay at
We chose some of the best, cozy and friendly places for Aurora Mafia Roadtrip!
aurora village ivalo
Aurora Village in Ivalo was our first choice and idea for this trip. Not only does it have an amazing location in the north of Lapland some 300 km north from the Arctic Circle, it is also the place of amazing hospitality and vibe. Aurora Village is probably the best “Glass igloo” hotel in the whole Lapland. They keep the number of Aurora Cabins on their property low. Seeing auroras is definitely easy here, because each and every Glass Igloo has their own, unobstructed view of the north.
The owner of the place Juha Tuunanen, is a person with great enthusiasm, and he constantly creates new ways to entertain his guests. One of such inventions is the Jurt (or warm Lappish hut), where we’ll meet up for the welcoming ceremony on the arrival day.
Restaurant Loimu at the centre of Aurora Village will provide us with amazing meals, and also serve as our conference room for the Aurora Hunting workshop that we will organize.
aurora Holidays, utsjoki
Aurora Holidays is a family hotel situated in Utsjoki, the most northern municipality in Finland. Situated by the river Teno, the bordering river between Finland & Norway, this place literally serves as window into another country. And, of course, it is truly one of the best (if not the best) places to see northern lights in the whole world! Even a small gust of solar wind is enough to spark some nice auroras here, which will be overwise not visible more to the South.
The hotel is owned by a local family of reindeer herders, Mika & Tiina. Not only they are great hosts, but amazing cooks! Aurora Holidays offers more homestyle accommodation with 4 cottages and and apartment building with 2 apartments. Each cottage or apartment offers space for 4 people, with each 2 people having their own bedroom. Shared are the bathroom & kitchen facilities, but you won’t need to be cooking here, as all the meals are taken care of. And, there is also a sauna in each cottage!
You can find out more about Aurora Holidays here:
Hotel cahkal, Kilpisjärvi
Hotel Cahkal is a new and modern hotel in Kilpisjärvi. Situated almost on the border with Norway, Kilpisjärvi is one of the best places to see auroras in Lapland. It is a tiny village with only a few hundred inhabitants, yet it attracts thousands of tourists due to its amazing natural beauty. The main geographical feature of Kilpisjärvi is the fell Saana, a sacred mountain for local people, that overlooks the village.
For a long time, Kilpisjärvi lacked a truly new and modern place to be, and Hotel Cahkal is here to fill the void. The hotel opened in Summer 2022 to the praise of the visitors! The name of the hotel comes from a famous lake situated nearby, called Cahkal, a popular hiking destination. Hotel Cahkal, with 23 hotel rooms, offers a boutique experience amidts these Arctic terrains. Their stylish and modern rooms offer an amazing view over the surrounding mountains.
The Hotel’s restaurant Aika Kitchen & Bar, with floor-to-ceiling windows, offers feasts not only for your body, but for your eyes as well! Here you can taset some of the traditional Lappish ingredients, but with a modern twist.
Find out more about the hotel:
www.cahkalhotel.fi
Arctic Skylight Lodge, Äkäslompolo
Arctic Skylight Lodge will be the accomodation for our last night on the trip. It is located in the middle of Lapland’s nature which makes it the perfect place to relax and let our trip come to an end. We especially choose this small place with only 10 glass cabins in total because it reflects the calmess and peacefulness of Lapland. It is surrounded by beautiful lappish forest and has a stunning finnish sauna and jacuzzy by the river that you will be free to use in the evening. At the same time Arctic Skylight Lodge has one of the best location requirements for seeing the Northern Lights. The small restaurant with view in the forest serves a high quality three course dinner for the end of the trip.
The owners of Arctic Skylight Lodge – Brian and Joanna – warmly welcome all visitors and want to give them an experience to be home away from home. That is exactly what we experienced when staying in this wonderful place. It is full of love, beautiful nature and happyness.
location
We are located in Finnish Lapland, and this Aurora Mafia Roadtrip will depart from Rovaniemi or Kittilä airports.
