Can you see the northern lights in Ylläs tonight?

In central Lapland, the northern lights show on three to four nights a week when skies are dark and clear. Visit Ylläs notes that autumn weather is generally cloudier than spring, and thick cloud hides the aurora. You can reach the fell by direct airport bus from Kittilä or by connecting shuttle from the night train at Kolari.

When to see the northern lights in Ylläs

Statistics from the Finnish Meteorological Institute place central Lapland, which includes Ylläs, Levi and Sodankylä, at auroral displays on three to four nights a week. That rate reflects how often you could see the lights if every night were dark and clear. The institute notes that auroral activity occurs fairly evenly across the year, with slightly more displays in autumn and spring than in winter and summer. However, northern summer nights are too bright to reveal the faint glow.

The most typical window for viewing is a couple of hours either side of midnight, though displays can appear at any hour of the night. During major geomagnetic storms, they can last from sunset to sunrise.

Local tourism body Visit Ylläs states that the aurora season starts in late August, and that autumn offers good viewing without needing to wait for snow, provided skies stay clear. The organisation considers spring the best time after winter, noting that autumn weather is generally cloudier than spring's. By late April, lengthening daylight reduces the chance of seeing a display.

Because the aurora forms above all clouds, it cannot be seen when the sky is covered by thick cloud. FMI figures show that cloud cover is especially abundant in autumn and winter, when about 65% to 85% of the sky is covered, with clear days least frequent in November and December. Weather does not affect whether auroras occur. Visit Ylläs says a completely cloudy evening may not be worth trying, but if you can see even one star the aurora is possible. Look to the northern sky, where Visit Ylläs says the aurora usually appears. The organisation says the biggest mistake is to step out for a quick look, because the aurora can come and go quickly, so take your time.

How to get to Ylläs

Visit Ylläs says Ylläs is in the municipality of Kolari and has two villages on different sides of the fell: Äkäslompolo and Ylläsjärvi. It is a half-hour drive from Kolari station and from Kittilä airport.

Finavia puts Ylläs around 35 km from Kittilä airport, and says the airport has multiple daily connections from Helsinki. For the winter season running from 25 October 2026 to 27 March 2027, Finavia lists scheduled routes to Kittilä from Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Liverpool, London Gatwick, London Luton, Manchester, Milan, Munich, Paris, Riga, Vienna and Zurich, excluding charters. Liikenne Rundgren operates the connecting bus between Kittilä airport and Ylläs; outside the main season and in summer, transfers run on demand and must be booked ahead. Timetables are published and tickets go on sale via Matkahuolto on the 20th day of the month before.

By rail, the night train from Helsinki reaches Kolari the following morning, connecting with a 35 km shuttle bus to Ylläs. The train runs nightly in winter and mainly four times a week in summer. VR gives Kolari station as 35 km from Ylläs with a connecting bus of around 30 to 60 minutes, and its trip search lets you buy the train and bus tickets in one go. Car-carrying wagons operate on routes to Kolari, Rovaniemi and Kemijärvi, with two night trains departing Helsinki for Kolari on the busiest ski-season nights. You can also travel on the night train north toward Rovaniemi.

From Rovaniemi, Visit Ylläs says it is best to come by car or taxi, about a 2-hour drive. The indirect bus via Levi runs only on days a train arrives in Kolari, and the waits between buses can be very long. By road from the south, Visit Ylläs says to follow road 21 (E8) to Kolari and turn onto road 939 for Ylläsjärvi. From Rovaniemi, take road 79 to Kittilä and then road 80 to Ylläsjärvi. The two villages are 15 km apart; drive carefully and watch for reindeer.

Where to stand to see the aurora

Visit Ylläs says you can watch the aurora from your own yard, but for the best views and photographs it advises an open place with a good view to the north. Broader area details appear in our guide to Ylläs.

Visit Ylläs highlights several viewing locations:

• Lake Äkäslompolo and the Ylläs swing: Signposted paths behind the K-Market Jounin Kauppa lead to the shore of Lake Äkäslompolo, which provides a wide-open view of the sky. On calm nights the lake reflects the aurora.
• Lake Ylläsjärvi: Named alongside Lake Äkäslompolo by Visit Ylläs as a good spot.
• Äkäslompolo ski resort car park: A viewpoint for aurora watching by car with a direct view to the north.
• Kellokas visitor centre: The backyard has a wide view towards Pallas-Yllästunturi national park, the northern sky and the fells, is easy to reach, and suits families.
• Tuomikuru day-trip hut: The trail starts from the Ylläsjärvi side, leading to a hut where the sky opens wide in all directions.
• Kukastunturi: The summit provides views in every direction. In autumn the easiest way up is by bike, though the wind on the fell can make it feel colder.
• Kuertunturi: In winter, a relatively easy climb where you can photograph the aurora with snow-covered trees.

Visit Ylläs says fewer trees higher up the fells give a better view of the sky. Visit Ylläs asks aurora watchers to respect private property and never to park in someone's yard or on the road. It also advises bringing a headlamp while avoiding dazzling the group. FMI says to give your eyes time to adjust to the dark, which takes tens of minutes, and to use only a dim red light if you need a lamp.