Nordic travel specialist 50 Degrees North has launched a Northern Lights Money-Back Guarantee on its new Aurora Highlights in Autumn package, available for travellers with itinerary start dates between 1 September and 27 October 2026.
The seven-day independent journey travels from Ivalo in Finnish Lapland to Kirkenes in Arctic Norway, combining four nights at Aurora Village’s glass-roofed Aurora Cabins with two nights in traditional Gamme log cabins at Snow Resort Kirkenes. The guarantee covers the entire trip: if no northern lights are seen at either destination, a partial accommodation refund applies.
Why autumn, and why now
September and October sit either side of the autumn equinox, a period when aurora activity historically peaks, often producing stronger displays than the depths of winter. Temperatures across Finnish and Norwegian Lapland are cool but manageable, and the landscape is at peak ruska, the Finnish term for autumn colour, with birch and rowan forests turning gold and amber across the region.
The timing is also significant. The current solar cycle is among the most active in two decades, and aurora displays have been unusually frequent and vivid as a result. September and October, combined with this period of exceptional solar activity, make autumn 2026 a particularly strong moment to be this far north.
“The idea that you need to experience minus 20 degrees to see the northern lights is simply not true. Some of our most spectacular aurora sightings have been in September, in temperatures that felt like a brisk winter evening in Melbourne. The guarantee is our way of making that case to travellers who doubt their chances of seeing the lights in autumn,” said Mari Räsänen, CEO at 50 Degrees North.
What’s included
The package includes full board at Aurora Village and half board in Kirkenes, along with a guided northern lights search by car, husky wagon ride, visit to the Sámi museum Siida, hiking in Urho Kekkonen National Park, fat bike tour or Arctic stargazing session, panorama sauna and jacuzzi, king crab safari and husky mountain hike in Kirkenes. All airport transfers and the Ivalo to Kirkenes bus transfer are included.
Pricing and extensions
Aurora Highlights in Autumn is priced from AU$5,807 per person (single supplement AU$1,742), with the Northern Lights Guarantee included on all bookings. If no northern lights are seen at either destination during the trip, the refund is AU$815 for two people sharing, or AU$574 for solo travellers.
The journey can be extended with a pre-trip stay in Helsinki, a southbound Havila coastal voyage from Kirkenes to Bergen, and onward travel to Oslo by train on the Bergen Line with an optional detour on the Flåm Railway.
