best place to stay in levi for the northern lights
Every winter, thousands of travellers arrive in Levi with one dream, to see the Northern Lights over the Arctic sky. Yet one of the biggest decisions you'll make happens long before you step off the plane: where you choose to stay.
The short answer: the best place to stay in Levi for the Northern Lights is somewhere dark and quiet just outside the village, a cabin in the forest ten to twenty minutes from the centre and away from street lighting, rather than a hotel in the middle of Levi. Where you sleep will not make the aurora appear, but it decides how much of it you can see.
Many visitors assume that booking a glass igloo or staying in the centre of Levi automatically gives them the best chance of seeing the aurora. In reality, that's only part of the story.
Your accommodation won't make the Northern Lights appear, they remain one of nature's most unpredictable phenomena. But staying in the right location can make a significant difference to your viewing experience when they do.
After spending years exploring Finnish Lapland and creating Sixty Eight North, we've learned that the best Northern Lights holidays aren't just about chasing the aurora. They're about finding a place where you can slow down, disconnect from everyday life and immerse yourself in the Arctic landscape. The Northern Lights become part of that experience, not the only reason for it.
In this guide, we'll explain what really matters when choosing accommodation in Levi, why location is more important than many people realise, and why many experienced travellers choose to stay just outside the village.
why levi is one of the best places in finland to see the northern lights
Levi has earned its reputation as one of Finland's leading winter destinations for good reason.
Located around 140 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle (about 170 by road from Rovaniemi), Levi experiences long, dark winter nights that provide excellent conditions for viewing the Northern Lights. The aurora season typically runs from late August until early April, with the darkest months between September and March offering the greatest opportunities when skies are clear.
Unlike more remote destinations, Levi combines spectacular Arctic nature with excellent restaurants, winter activities and convenient transport links. Kittilä Airport is only fifteen minutes from the village (and about twenty-five from our forest), so visitors arrive in the Arctic without long transfers.
This balance between accessibility and wilderness is one of Levi's greatest strengths.
Within minutes, you can leave the lights of the village behind and find yourself surrounded by snow-covered forests, frozen lakes and complete silence.
It is this unique combination that makes Levi one of the best places in Lapland to experience the Northern Lights.
the biggest mistake people make when booking accommodation
Most people begin by searching:
"Best hotel in Levi."
But that's actually the wrong question.
A better question is:
"Where in Levi should I stay?"
Many booking websites compare room sizes, breakfast buffets and guest reviews. Very few explain how the location itself affects your overall Lapland experience.
Choosing accommodation isn't simply about finding a comfortable bed.
It's about deciding what kind of holiday you want.
Do you imagine stepping outside into a lively village full of restaurants and people?
Or do you picture opening your cabin door to untouched snow, ancient pine trees and a sky filled with stars?
Neither is wrong.
They're simply two very different experiences.
does staying outside levi village improve your northern lights experience?
One of the questions we're asked most often at Sixty Eight North is:
"Will I have a better chance of seeing the Northern Lights if I stay outside Levi Village?"
The honest answer is:
You won't increase the likelihood of the aurora appearing, but you can improve the conditions for seeing it.
The Northern Lights depend on several factors that nobody can control:
- Solar activity
- Cloud cover
- Darkness
- Weather conditions
However, one factor you can control is the amount of artificial light around you.
Bright streetlights, illuminated buildings and busy village centres can reduce the visibility of weaker aurora displays. In darker surroundings, those same displays are often easier to notice with the naked eye.
That's one of the reasons many visitors choose accommodation surrounded by nature rather than in the heart of the village.
why we built sixty eight north in the forest
When we first began searching for the perfect location for Sixty Eight North, we could have built close to the centre of Levi.
Instead, we chose something completely different.
We found a 78-hectare private forest, just fifteen minutes from Levi Village.
Some people questioned the decision.
Why build away from the restaurants, shops and ski slopes?
For us, the answer was simple.
We wanted our guests to experience the Lapland we had fallen in love with.
A place where mornings begin with snow-covered trees outside your window instead of passing traffic.
Where evenings are spent sitting beside a fire, relaxing in a private sauna or stepping outside beneath a sky filled with stars.
Where silence is the normal state of things.
That decision continues to shape everything we do today.
Our cabins aren't designed simply as accommodation.
They're designed as places where people reconnect with nature, with each other and with themselves.
When the Northern Lights appear above the forest, there's nothing to distract from the moment.
No crowds.
No queues.
No buses arriving every few minutes.
Just you, the forest and the Arctic sky.
staying at sixty eight north
Sixty Eight North is a small, family-run forest retreat at 67°59′N, fifteen minutes by car from Levi village and twenty-five minutes from Kittilä Airport. It sits on 78 hectares of private old-growth pine forest with no street lighting.
Each cabin is for two guests. It has a bio fuel fireplace, skylights above the bed, tall windows onto the forest and a private forest garden at the door with its own outdoor fire pit. On a clear, active night the aurora is visible from anywhere on the property, and from the bed through the skylights, so there is no need to drive anywhere or join a group to see it. We track aurora activity through the night and send guests an alert to the cabin when the lights appear, and a private northern lights hunt with a local guide is there for the nights when clear sky has to be found rather than waited for.
Breakfast and lunch are taken at the lodge and included in the rate, along with airport transfers; dinner is cooked at the lodge by request. Cabin stays are from €1,305 per cabin per night for two, inclusive of VAT, with a minimum of two nights, and the retreat is open from 1 December to 31 March.
If that sounds like the kind of place you were looking for, the cabins page has the details, and a stay for two can be booked directly.
A note from the Sixty Eight North team. We have spent over a decade in the Arctic and created Sixty Eight North after exploring countless locations around Levi to find the perfect forest setting.
Today, we continue to welcome guests personally, sharing local recommendations, favourite hidden places and the kind of first-hand knowledge that only comes from living and working in the Arctic. Every article on this website is written from real experience, with the aim of helping travellers plan a more meaningful Lapland holiday.
frequently asked questions
Does staying outside Levi village improve your Northern Lights experience?
Staying outside Levi village will not increase the likelihood of the aurora appearing, but it can improve the conditions for seeing it. Bright streetlights, illuminated buildings, and busy village centres reduce the visibility of weaker aurora displays, while in darker surroundings those same displays are often easier to notice with the naked eye.
Why is Levi one of the best places in Finland to see the Northern Lights?
Levi lies around 140 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, so it has long, dark winter nights that provide excellent conditions for viewing the Northern Lights. The aurora season typically runs from late August until early April, with the darkest months between September and March offering the greatest opportunities when skies are clear.
What is the biggest mistake people make when booking accommodation in Levi?
Searching only for the best hotel in Levi, rather than asking where in Levi to stay. The location itself shapes your whole Lapland experience: a lively village full of restaurants and people, or a cabin door opening onto untouched snow, pine forest, and a sky filled with stars.
Can you see the Northern Lights from Sixty Eight North?
Yes, when the sky is clear and the aurora is active. Sixty Eight North is a forest retreat fifteen minutes outside Levi village, with no street lighting on its 78 hectares of private forest. On those nights the aurora is visible from anywhere on the property, and from bed through the cabin skylights, without driving anywhere. Nobody can promise the aurora on a given night; what the retreat offers is dark sky and the time to wait for it.
How far is Sixty Eight North from Levi and from the airport?
Sixty Eight North is about fifteen minutes by car from Levi village and about twenty-five minutes from Kittilä Airport (KTT). Airport transfers are included in every stay, and the village, its restaurants and the ski slopes remain within easy reach for the day.
How much does it cost to stay at Sixty Eight North?
Cabin stays are from €1,305 per cabin per night for two guests, inclusive of VAT, including breakfast and lunch at the lodge, airport transfers and an aurora alert to the cabin when the lights appear, with a minimum stay of two nights. Dinner at the lodge is available by request. The retreat is open from 1 December to 31 March, and the private forest sauna and hot tub are booked as two-hour slots.
