Northern Lights Trips for Families: How to Make Your Aurora Hunt Child-Friendly

Northern Lights holidays can be romantic, exhilarating and awe-inspiring, but we often speak with guests concerned about the suitability of the frozen Arctic tundra for their little ones – however keen they might be to share this adventure of a lifetime with their family!

The great news is that the Aurora and the magic of Lapland are brilliant opportunities for kids to expand their horizons, explore landscapes and natural phenomena they might never have heard of before, and try excursions and activities they will remember forever.

Let’s talk about family trips to see the Northern Lights, some of the amazing activities we’d recommend for younger visitors, and varied accommodation options that are perfect at any age.

Can I Travel to See the Northern Lights With Children?

We often organise packages and tours for families while recognising that smaller travellers are less likely to be able to stay awake into the evening to watch the Northern Lights twinkling across the sky! One fantastic option is to consider a glass igloo, where you stay in heated, luxurious accommodation with an uninterrupted view of one of the most famous natural wonders.

The Arctic Circle itself is a remote and wild part of the world, but with all excursions managed by experienced local guides, often with cold weather clothing included, you’ll be in safe hands throughout your trip.

Few holidays inspire as much excitement as a visit to the North Pole, and all of the best places to see the Northern Lights are also considered among the safest, with almost non-existent crime rates –packages that include Aurora Borealis viewing are located in the beauty of Finnish or Swedish Lapland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Svalbard.

Discussing your Northern Lights holiday beforehand and explaining how this breathtaking natural phenomenon is formed by solar particles colliding in the earth’s atmosphere can be a great way to build up enthusiasm for the trip – as can the chance to see polar bears, reindeer and majestic huskies in the snowscapes of the Arctic.

Unique Activities for Kids in the Aurora Zone

There are two primary options families tend to prefer when organising a Northern Lights adventure, depending on the age of their children:

• Booking overnight tours and trips to see the Northern Lights with warm, comfy accommodations that are suited to children.
• Opting for an ice hotel or lodge close to the setting-off point to see the Aurora, arranging childcare with a qualified childminder, or a family member who is happy to alternate days for their chance to glimpse the lights.

Aside from the Northern Lights themselves, there are hundreds of activities you might wish to schedule, many of which are ideal for younger visitors and provide a learning experience as well as a huge amount of fun.

Northern Lights city breaks can work well, where you might, for example, schedule a four-night trip with a couple of days in a modern, festive city and then organise an overnight excursion or stay to see the lights. This combination package fits as much into your itinerary as possible.

Children can meet huskies and join in with a dog sledding safari, safely seated in a snug sled behind their tour guide. Kids also embrace the chance to ride as a passenger on a snowmobile, zipping through a landscape of snow-capped mountains and forests – age restrictions may apply.

A reindeer safari or visit to a reindeer farm is another fabulous day out for every family member, listening to herders talk about the heritage and lifestyle of these incredible animals, and with a chance to take a sled ride.

If you’re keen to plan a Northern Lights holiday that is focused on Christmas, you could book our outstanding Arctic Christmas tour in Finland, or the Lapland Adventure with Santa and Rudolph, with an overnight Aurora camp and one-on-one meetings with Father Christmas himself included.

Accommodation Options for Family Northern Lights Holidays

Although some Arctic Circle accommodation is designed as an adults-only getaway, there are plenty of options for families within the Aurora zone. A glass-roofed aurora cabin or a lodge with a viewing platform are excellent options, where the adults can stay up later to watch the lights in the dark skies once smaller travellers have settled down for the night.

Our Christmas tour includes accommodation at the superb Hotel Kalevala in Kajaani, Finland, where you can enjoy traditional local dishes, skiing, snowshoeing and reindeer safaris, along with a visit to Santa Claus, carol singing and a search for the ideal tree.

This package is designed for families, with an evening sauna and outdoor jacuzzi, special activities specifically for children, and a Christmas Eve buffet. Parents can make the most of a babysitter, included in the holiday, for two days, with a kid’s playroom, board games and PlayStation games, ice-sleds and toboggans to keep kids entertained and excited throughout.

You are welcome to contact our talented travel advisers for more information on this package or other tours and custom itineraries to ensure all of the members of your party have a wonderful experience, whatever their ages!

Planning Your Family-Friend Aurora Adventure

Planning a Northern Lights tour that includes a day or two within one of the nearest cities is a great compromise; you can visit Christmas markets, theme parks and attractions before heading into the pristine Arctic countryside where activities like snowman building and sledding are an excellent way to enjoy quality time together.

Note that smaller children aren’t able to manage the rigours of cross-country skiing, but a toboggan ride down a gentle slope is tremendous fun, and you can bring your little ones with you on a snowmobile – kitted out in cosy thermal clothing to keep the chill at bay.

Visiting the real-life winter wonderland remains a fairy-tale experience for children, and snuggling up in the evening around a blazing fire to watch the Northern Lights is an unmissable holiday – and one that every child will love.

During your trip, your hosts, guides, and tour leaders will be happy to help, whether recommending snacks and drinks or packing these on your behalf and offering layers and blankets for colder outdoor winter activities to keep the children content.