Fairbanks Aurora Borealis Tours: A Complete Guide to Viewing the Northern Lights in Alaska

Have you ever dreamed of witnessing one of nature’s most spectacular light shows in person? During the winter months, Fairbanks, Alaska, offers the opportunity to view the magical Aurora Borealis, known as the Northern Lights.

Imagine standing outside on a crisp, clear night as dazzling green, pink, purple, and blue streaks dance across the sky. This experience will take your breath away and leave you in awe of the beauty of our universe.

I’ve researched, interviewed, and written this post with my travel buddy and sister, Jill, who spent a week in Fairbanks chasing the Northern Lights. We share everything you need to plan your own winter escape to Alaska. In this guide, you will learn what you can expect on Fairbanks Aurora Borealis tours and which companies offer you the best experience, so you can make your own dreams of seeing the Northern Lights come true.

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Getting to Fairbanks, Alaska

Fairbanks is in the heart of Alaska and serves as a gateway to the natural wonders of the far north. It’s conveniently situated between Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, and Denali National Park and Preserve, making it ideal for exploring the northern parts of the state.

The small but updated Fairbanks airport greets you as you land on one of the limited flights here daily. The best option when flying from the United States is Alaska Airlines, which offers direct flights from Seattle. 

Using a free website like Skyscanner.com can help you find low fares on flights to Fairbanks. It searches hundreds of websites and finds you the cheapest, fastest, or best flights from your search.

Best Time to See the Aurora Borealis in Fairbanks

Fairbanks is one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights due to its location, just south of the Arctic Circle, directly under the Auroral Oval. The destination is ideal for visitors who hope to witness the mesmerizing dance of the Aurora Borealis.

The long winter nights also provide more opportunities to glimpse this celestial wonder. On clear nights from late August through April, it is one of the best places in Alaska to see them.

Explore Fairbanks reports that you have over a 90% chance of witnessing the aurora borealis in Fairbanks if you stay a minimum of three nights and actively seek the aurora between 11 PM and 3 AM. Unfortunately, this isn’t a guarantee, but those odds are pretty good.

How to Get Around Fairbanks

You have several options for getting around Fairbanks during the day. But at night, to see the Northern Lights, you will need your own car or to book a tour in advance.

A rental car offers the most flexibility in seeing the Northern Lights since you can jump in the car on a clear night when they are present. Unfortunately, the number of available rental cars is limited. You must book in advance, or you risk them being sold out.

Fairbanks does an outstanding job of maintaining the streets and clearing the snow, so driving is manageable unless extreme conditions exist. Of course, you should take proper precautions when driving in unfamiliar places.

Best Places to Stay in Fairbanks to See Northern Lights

Several lodges in and around Fairbanks provide optimal Northern Lights viewing opportunities. In addition to the ones listed below, there are other hotels in Fairbanks, such as the Hampton Inn & Suites, Sophie Station Suites, and SpringHill Suites.

Aurora Borealis Lodge and Chalet

Situated on Cleary Summit, one of the world’s best spots for viewing the Aurora Borealis, the Aurora Borealis Lodge and Chalet is only a 30-minute drive from downtown Fairbanks but a world away.

The Cedar Lodge features four private rooms with large north-facing windows offering panoramic night sky views. For larger groups, Logan’s Chalet is a spacious two-bedroom Alaskan log home with its own aurora viewing platform.

Whether you choose a private room or the stand-alone chalet, you’ll have a full kitchen, bathroom, and all the amenities needed for an unforgettable stay.

The knowledgeable hosts offer nightly aurora tours to guide you to the best viewing spots on the property. With no light pollution and ideal weather conditions, you’re almost guaranteed an awe-inspiring light show.

One main thing to consider when booking a stay at the Aurora Borealis Lodge is its location. Although ideal for seeing the Northern Lights, it isn’t near any restaurants or attractions, so having a car is almost a must.

Pike’s Waterfront Lodge

Pike’s Waterfront Lodge is the perfect home base for your winter trip to Fairbanks and is close to the airport and downtown. This luxurious lodge is the premier spot for viewing the Northern Lights.

The lodge features warmly decorated rooms with plush beds, free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, and scenic river views from private balconies.

In addition to the lodge rooms, you can also book Aurora side cabins. These king-sized cabins flank the Chena riverbank, giving you beautiful views of the river and the property.

The amenities at Pike’s Waterfront Lodge are outstanding, beginning with the free airport shuttle to the hotel. Start your mornings with a complimentary continental breakfast buffet, served every day from 6 AM to 10 AM. Finally, end your day with ice cream at the social hour every evening.

After a long day of exploring, you can unwind in the lodge’s sauna or outdoor hot tub. The property also has an on-site restaurant and bar serving delicious Alaskan cuisine and craft cocktails.

The Northern Lights at Pike’s Waterfront Lodge

Staying at Pike’s Waterfront Lodge offers several amenities that increase your chances of seeing the Northern Lights.

You don’t even have to leave the hotel grounds to take in a spectacular light show. Head to the Aurora Riverfront Deck and gather around the glowing fire pit, where you can roast marshmallows while waiting for the sky to erupt in a dazzling display.

For an even more immersive experience, visit the Aurora Conservatory, an all-glass structure purpose-built for viewing the Aurora. The panoramic windows offer unobstructed views across the Chena River, so you’ll have front-row seats when those magical green lights start dancing overhead.

Don’t worry about missing out while asleep because the staff will ring your room if the Northern Lights appear for a truly VIP experience.

You’ll want to stop at the Aurora Discovery Institute, where informative iPad stations will teach you everything you ever wanted to know about the Northern Lights and beyond.

With top-notch amenities, dazzling natural scenery, and lodge-wide northern lights mania, Pike’s Waterfront Lodge is the ultimate base camp for experiencing the magic of an Alaskan winter.

Aurora Borealis Tours in Fairbanks

One of the most important things to consider when booking Fairbanks Aurora Borealis winter tours is that not all group tours are created equally.

Some Alaska Northern Lights tours provide transportation to a lodge, where you sit in a cozy spot while you wait for the lights to appear. Other tours chase the lights in a van throughout the night.

Which you book depends solely on your preference for how adventurous you choose to be.

Both tours happen nightly between late August and April when solar activity is highest. Advance booking is recommended as all these tours are extremely popular.

Finally, seeing the Northern Lights in Fairbanks is not guaranteed since they depend on Mother Nature. Consider booking more than one tour for a greater chance of seeing these marvels dance through the sky.

Fairbanks Aurora Borealis Lodge Tours

The lodge tours pick you up from your hotel and take you away from the city lights to optimal viewing locations called Aurora Lodges. They offer wide-open night sky views with knowledgeable guides who help point out the Northern Lights and offer interesting facts and stories.

While waiting for the lights to appear, you can find appointed lodges, warming huts, teepees, or rooms with large windows that offer a cozy and relaxing spot. These spaces provide a perfect view of the sky, so you don’t miss a moment of the breathtaking display.

In addition to the comfortable setting, these accommodations offer complimentary coffee, hot chocolate, and cookies to keep you warm and comfortable. You can also find restrooms for your convenience. These spaces are perfect for people who want to enjoy the Northern Lights in a peaceful and welcoming environment.

These tours’ advantages are the informative sessions and comfortable gathering spots with games, TVs, and viewing locations in a climate-controlled area. These tours are often less expensive than those that chase the lights.

Tours typically last 4 to 6 hours, departing between 9:30 and 10:00 PM, when the skies are darkest.

Best Fairbanks Aurora Borealis Lodge Tours

• Aurora Camp – Located on a hilltop near Murphy Dome, this 4-hour tour takes you to a newly built base camp with all the amenities. The tour includes portrait photography and transportation.
• Aurora Lodge—Almost 30 miles outside Fairbanks, this modern spot is a great place to hang out and view the Aurora Borealis. The tour lasts 4-5 hours and includes transportation.
• Northern Lights and Hot Springs—This six-hour tour combines the best of Fairbanks with the Northern Lights, the Chena Hot Springs, and the Aurora Ice Museum. While waiting for the Aurora Borealis, visit the Aurora Ice Museum, followed by a soak in one of the best viewing spots in the area, the Chena Hot Springs.

Fairbanks Aurora Borealis Viewing Tours

The Fairbanks Aurora Borealis Viewing tours chase the Northern Lights rather than waiting for them to appear. Your enthusiastic guides act as Aurora chasers taking you on an adventure searching for the best viewpoints. Often meteorologists and/or photographers, these guides are passionate about their trips and make them meaningful for you.

These tours’ advantages are longer tours with a higher likelihood of seeing the Aurora Borealis, but they are also more expensive than sitting at a lodge. The trade-off is an adventure like no other.

Best Fairbanks Aurora Borealis Viewing Tours

• Northern Lights Chasing with Photography—These full-night tours are led by passionate guides who drive to the best locations for Aurora Borealis viewing and then deliver free photographs from the tour.
• Incredible Aurora Viewing Adventure—This meteorologist-led tour chases the Aurora Borealis for prime viewing and includes photos sent to you after the tour. The tour includes a twilight campfire, reindeer sausage, and hot/cold drinks.
• Northern Lights and Dog Sledding – Combine two of Fairbanks’s most popular attractions: dog sledding and the Northern Lights, with this combination six-hour tour that includes dinner.

Fairbanks Self-Guided Aurora Borealis Tours

The nice thing about seeing the Northern Lights in Fairbanks is that you don’t need a tour; you may be able to see the aurora from anywhere in town. However, your chances increase when you go further outside town, so having a car is beneficial.

The viewing areas mentioned below have public access to park to view the aurora. This requires planning on your part, but it can be a money-saving option.

When you arrive in Fairbanks, I recommend stopping at the Morris Thompson Cultural Visitors Center to pick up a map and viewing guide. Having the directions will be super helpful if you are driving independently.

Other tips to increase your viewing chances include being willing to go out in the wee hours, scouting the public areas during the day to familiarize yourself with the roads, and being cautious by not pulling over randomly.

Areas for Self-Guided Aurora Borealis Tour

• Aurora Borealis Lodge – Requires reservation and is open from 10:30 PM to 2:00 AM
• Chena River State Recreation Area—This area is approximately 60 miles from Fairbanks and offers prime viewing spots.
• Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge – Creamer’s Field is a short drive from Fairbanks on College Rd. where many visitors have reported having luck seeing the Northern Lights

Renting Cold Weather Gear for Tours

When visiting Fairbanks in the winter, packing proper cold-weather clothing is absolutely essential.

Temperatures can dip well below zero, so wearing multiple moisture-wicking and insulating layers with a winter parka, snow pants, insulated boots, wool socks, gloves, and a warm hat will keep you comfortable outdoors.

Although you may have cold winter gear, you probably don’t have -40F winter gear, especially if you are from Texas, like me. That’s where the good people at Alaska Element can help.

They provide full rentals, including outerwear like parkas, snow pants, and boots in adult sizes from small to 5x.

Conveniently located on the edge of town, they rent gear for all winter activities, including Northern Lights tours, snowmobiling, and dog-sledding. As a bonus, they deliver directly to your hotel.

I can’t say enough how easy it is to work with this father-and-daughter-run business! When you are ready to go home, simply drop off your bag with your rentals at your hotel’s front desk, and they will pick it up.

Be sure to reserve rentals well in advance since cold-weather clothing is in high demand during winter.

Conclusion

An Alaska Aurora trip to Fairbanks is an unforgettable adventure, and there are several things you can do to make it even more memorable.

First and foremost, keep your expectations in check. While seeing the Northern Lights in person is the ultimate goal, realize that this natural phenomenon is out of your control.

Ultimately, you’re in Fairbanks in the wintertime to create lifelong memories. The icing on the cake is the dazzling Aurora Borealis lighting up the night skies.

While planning ahead by visiting at the best time, booking your tours, and going out each night increases your chance of seeing the Northern Lights, it’s important to remember that seeing them is not guaranteed. However, even if you don’t get to see them, there are still many other wonderful things to do in Fairbanks in the winter.

After visiting Fairbanks, explore more of Alaska’s breathtaking wonders by visiting Juneau’s captivating landscapes, discovering Sitka’s rich history, and experiencing Ketchikan’s coastal charm. Each of these experiences is a chapter in the exploration of Alaska’s unparalleled allure.