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Arctic Circle and Northern Lights Tour from Fairbanks provided by Alaska-Wildlife-Guide - Day Tours

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Arctic Circle and Northern Lights Tour from Fairbanks

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Arctic Circle and Northern Lights Tour from Fairbanks
4.5
217
By Alaska-Wildlife-Guide - Day Tours
Book in advance
from
C$343.15
per adult
Reserve now & pay later: Save your spot free of charge with flexible booking.
92% of travellers recommend this experience
This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Full view
Tour snapshot
Duration:
12–14 hours
Taking Covid-19 safety measures
Hotel pickup offered
Group size:
9
Ticket type:
Mobile
Free cancellation
  • Duration:
    12–14 hours
  • Taking Covid-19 safety measures
  • Hotel pickup offered
  • Group size:
    9
  • Ticket type:
    Mobile
  • Free cancellation
About
Know before you go
  • Duration: 12-14 hours
  • Mobile tickets accepted
  • Instant confirmation
Cancellation policy
  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
Available languages
English
What to expect
Know before you go
  • Duration: 12-14 hours
  • Mobile tickets accepted
  • Instant confirmation
Available languages
English
Cancellation policy
  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
What to expect
Need help booking?
Call the number below and use the product code: 5957ARCLIGHT
Important information
Inclusions
  • Local guide
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off, within city limits of Fairbanks and North Pole
  • free Snacks and water
  • free Sandwiches (vegetarian option available, please advise at time of booking)
  • free unlimited Hot drinks, like coffee, tea, hot chocolate
  • personalized Arctic Circle Certificate
Exclusions
  • Gratuities
  • no gluten free or vegan meal option available. You are welcome to bring or buy your own lunch and snacks.
  • cold weather gear
Duration
12–14 hours
Departure details
  • Traveller pickup is offered.
  • Pickups commence from 2:00 PM. We will contact you the day before your tour with your exact pickup time. We can only pick up from addresses within the Fairbanks or North Pole city limits. We cannot pick up from the airport. If you are staying outside the city limits, we can pick you up at Walmart or another hotel location. Please call our office to discuss what options are available..
  • Hotel pickup is offered. View the hotel list on our checkout page to see if yours is included among the pickup points.
Additional information
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Adult pricing applies to all travelers. We cannot accept bookings with small children due to possible hazardous weather conditions on the haul road.
  • Please dress appropriately. The temperatures can reach extreme conditions during the winter month and we recommend to dress in layers.
  • Please note that the Northern Lights are a natural occurrence and therefore cannot be guaranteed! (no refund possible)
  • The weather conditions are in no way predictable in our area and we will not offer a refund in case of too many clouds.
  • Exact schedule and itinerary of stops are subject to change based on daily conditions and Northern Lights activity on the day of your tour.
  • There is a possibility of cancellation due to dangerous weather and/or road conditions. If this occurs, an alternative date or full refund will be offered.
  • Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required. We are not able to provide gluten free or vegan options.
  • Type of transportation: climate controlled van
  • The group size is limited to 9 people for each passenger van. Bigger group bookings are possible and multiple vans will be used in this case.
  • Not recommended for travellers with back problems
  • It is mandatory for every customer to rotate seats at least a few times on this tour.
  • Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 9 travellers
Inclusions
  • Local guide
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off, within city limits of Fairbanks and North Pole
  • free Snacks and water
  • free Sandwiches (vegetarian option available, please advise at time of booking)
  • free unlimited Hot drinks, like coffee, tea, hot chocolate
  • personalized Arctic Circle Certificate
Exclusions
  • Gratuities
  • no gluten free or vegan meal option available. You are welcome to bring or buy your own lunch and snacks.
  • cold weather gear
Departure details
  • Traveller pickup is offered.
  • Pickups commence from 2:00 PM. We will contact you the day before your tour with your exact pickup time. We can only pick up from addresses within the Fairbanks or North Pole city limits. We cannot pick up from the airport. If you are staying outside the city limits, we can pick you up at Walmart or another hotel location. Please call our office to discuss what options are available..
  • Hotel pickup is offered. View the hotel list on our checkout page to see if yours is included among the pickup points.
Duration
12–14 hours
Return details
  • Returns to original departure point
Additional information
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Adult pricing applies to all travelers. We cannot accept bookings with small children due to possible hazardous weather conditions on the haul road.
  • Please dress appropriately. The temperatures can reach extreme conditions during the winter month and we recommend to dress in layers.
  • Please note that the Northern Lights are a natural occurrence and therefore cannot be guaranteed! (no refund possible)
  • The weather conditions are in no way predictable in our area and we will not offer a refund in case of too many clouds.
  • Exact schedule and itinerary of stops are subject to change based on daily conditions and Northern Lights activity on the day of your tour.
  • There is a possibility of cancellation due to dangerous weather and/or road conditions. If this occurs, an alternative date or full refund will be offered.
  • Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required. We are not able to provide gluten free or vegan options.
  • Type of transportation: climate controlled van
  • The group size is limited to 9 people for each passenger van. Bigger group bookings are possible and multiple vans will be used in this case.
  • Not recommended for travellers with back problems
  • It is mandatory for every customer to rotate seats at least a few times on this tour.
  • Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 9 travellers
Travel safe during COVID-19
Last updated: Aug. 20, 2021
A note from Arctic Circle and Northern Lights Tour from Fairbanks
To be in compliance with the CDC and the State of Alaska: Guests are not required to wear face masks, but may if they wish. We also urge you to review the updated Health Advisory Number 2 at https://covid19.alaska.gov/health-advisories/ .
What you can expect during your visit
  • Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
  • Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
  • Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
What you can expect during your visit
  • Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
  • Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
  • Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
  • Gear/equipment sanitised between use
  • Face masks provided for travellers
Itinerary
  • You'll get picked up
    See Important Information for details
  • 1
    Alyeska Pipeline Viewing Point
    Stop: 30 minutes
    See details
  • 2
    Hilltop Restaurant & Marketplace
    Stop: 20 minutes
    See details
  • 3
    Dalton Highway Sign
    Stop: 10 minutes
    See details
    Pass by
    James Dalton Highway
  • 4
    Yukon River Camp
    Stop: 30 minutes
    See details
  • 5
    Arctic Circle Sign
    Stop: 30 minutes
    See details
  • You'll return to the starting point
+
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
217 reviews
Excellent
188
Very good
13
Average
7
Poor
6
Terrible
3
austinboomerang
Austin, TX35 contributions
Spectacular!
What an adventure! This is a professional outfit—from booking to prep to execution. Dave was our guide and Cameron was his apprentice. They were friendly from the time they picked us up till the minute they dropped us over 12 hours later.

The van was comfortable with 8 of us tourists, and although the roads were quite drivable by sheer luck that day, we were happy to not be driving all that way. A tire lost tread and Dave quickly and capably changed it without a fuss, and we carried on.

There were plenty of short stops along the way, esp. if you heed the warning to use the toilets at each.

I hadn’t expected to be interested in an oil pipeline but they created interest with fascinating information. I particularly liked how they presented no particular persuasion politically or environmentally.

We walked on the frozen Yukon! We arrived to see a beautiful sunset at the Arctic Circle sign. We learned so much about the Alaskan culture/way of life. And last but not least, we saw the Aurora Borealis! Dave took some cool photos of us and even shared some photography tips. Speaking of tips, be sure to have winter clothing. The temps were below freezing and gbs wind can feel brutal pretty quickly while out of the heated vehicle.

Food was basic, consisting of two turkey sandwiches. Two stops also had food but limited to typical snacks you find at gas stations, plus pie. Since the tour begins in the early afternoon, I’d recommend having breakfast and/or a hearty lunch beforehand.

Overall, I would highly recommend this tour with this company, and with these tour guides.

*I composed this review during the ride back to Fairbanks. I had no idea the best was yet to come. The light show was other-worldly! Dave and Cameron were incredibly patient with all of us even as we kept on and on taking photos. They even encouraged us to continue taking our time and enjoying it.
Written March 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Herbert E
Texarkana, TX11 contributions
Dress warm
Pick up from hotel and drop off was very convenient. Vehicle was comfortable but crowded, perhaps two fewer seats would help making seat rotation and putting layers of clothing on easier. Huge drawback was that due to humidity of so many people, the windows begin to fog up and eventually freeze over so unless you’re on the front, your viewing experience is limited. Had a great and knowledgeable tour guide providing insights into the land/lifestyle of the land you’re entering. The Dalton Highway was not build for tourism, so expect to get bounced around a bit. If all you want to do is see the northern lights, this tour is not for you. However, if you want to see the Arctic Circle and the land, you are on the right tour and the price of entry is to get bounced up the Dalton Highway.
Written November 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
JMcD202003
Fishers, IN26 contributions
Tour to Arctic Circle
Feb. 2022
This “tour guide” service was used for this specific tour, as it included many items of interest to our group. For this tour, it was our group (4 adults) only with the driver in a van. We met him at a convenient area in North Pole, which was close to the cabin we were then staying at. This tour was a driving tour starting in Fairbanks and continuing to the Arctic Circle. Our guide was “Frank”. He drove our party (4 total). The guide was very knowledgeable of the entire area, and provided a lot of information. Part of this tour was seeing the Alaska Pipeline. The road we took (eventually turned into the Dalton Highway) essentially followed the pipeline. At the start of the Dalton Highway, there is a pull-off with signs providing details of the man named “Dalton” and the work he did in Alaska. There were additional pull-off spots so you could actually walk up to the pipeline, and there were markers giving you information about the pipeline. We made stops as needed for breaks and for taking photos. The “Hilltop Store” was a good break and was one of the last stops with running water bathrooms. Unfortunately, the Wildwood Mercantile store was closed when we got there – it would have been nice to see what that like inside. We saw wildlife along the way, and along one mountain pass, the snow had coated all the trees and it was magical. The Dalton highway is the roadway from just north of Fairbanks all the way to the “North Slope” or Prudhoe Bay. It is paved in some sections and gravel in others. We were very glad to have a guide like Frank, because he knew the road and the conditions, and was prepared should something unusual happen. There were times when you could barely see the sides of the roadway, as snowfall covered the sides and the road. This is definitely a place where you need a very skilled and knowledgeable person driving. We made stops as needed, including one at the Yukon River. There is a small store next to the river. We walked down to and then onto the Yukon River, close the bridge that carries the pipeline across. We continued on past the Arctic Circle and then stopped at the sign designating the Arctic Circle for photos. Following that, the weather cleared and Frank pulled off the roadway on a large siding area. The northern lights started and were just spectacular for quite a while. Following this, we continued on back to North Pole. I would highly recommend this tour and provider.
Written March 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Racal24
Chicago, IL72 contributions
No COVID safety measures + You could rent your own car and do this yourself
Sep. 2020
Our tour guide was nice and we did see some faint lights, but I'm honestly not sure what the added value of this tour is? You could simply drive up to the Arctic Circle with your own car. This company charges $250 per person, while renting an SUV would cost $60 total and would allow you to stop anywhere you want... It's a no brainer. It's a straight road to the circle (which is just a sign that says "Arctic Circle, there's nothing else to see there) and the road is in pretty good condition. Also keep in mind no one can guarantee you'll see lights, all you have to do is drive somewhere dark, look at the sky and hope you get lucky.

Also flagging there was absolutely no precautions regarding COVID19 on this tour: we spent over 10 hours in a car, with no hand sanitizer and no social distancing, and no one was wearing masks. It's probably the highest risk situation you could be in to catch germs.
Written September 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Rainer Z
Sorry about your experience, but this was not with our tour company. See communication with TripAdvisor. One more point, we take maximum precautions regarding the health and safety of our guides and customers. From the sanitizing of the vans and equipment, to the provision of extra hand sanitizer and facemasks, to prescreening of all passengers, to the reduction of allowable capacity, we believe we have covered the bases as much as possible.
Written September 25, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Jacklyn L
5 contributions
Very, very disappointing trip. Might be better with a driver who was knowledgeable about what we were se
Mar. 2022
The driver never introduced himself. We had a family of four, a couple, and three singles in a very small van. The husband of the family sat in the front passenger seat and mostly helped us in and out of the van. There was no step stool to help us.
The itinerary called for three 60 min stops (Yukon River Camp, Arctic circle sign, hilltop restaurant & Marketplace). We stopped but not for long. We did receive a bag lunch/dinner combo to eat on van. Seems there was a glitch in microphone and we could not hear anything driver had to say. He and the husband talked to each other. We voluntarily switched seats once on the tour as it was too difficult for us to get out from other seats. Finally saw Northern Lights at 1:10 am but a semi was also parked at the spot and thus our pics had red lights below the green. We did not receive certificate that morning. Finally arrived by mail 12 days later.
Written March 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Diane W
Orlando, FL8 contributions
Disappointed
Mar. 2022 • Family
Seeing the Arctic Circle during our trip to Alaska was something that seemed like a good idea, but in hindsight I wish we skipped this trip. The van was so crowded and uncomfortable (think less leg room than coach on an airplane and no where to put anything you brought with you or purchased so it has to be on your lap). The microphone/speaker system didn’t work, so we couldn’t hear anything in the back row. The windows frosted over, so we couldn’t see anything out the window. We were in back row for the majority of the trip and couldn’t hear or see anything….not exactly how I envisioned our 14 hour trip to be. I anticipated it would be a bumpy ride, but wasn’t prepared for how bumpy it really was. The box lunch was a nice touch, but so hard to eat given the lack of space in the van. When we were getting dropped off our guide realized he didn’t have our certificates, so we went all that way and didn’t get a certificate. This is one tour that I wish we had skipped.
Written March 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
wanderlust_traveller
Dallas, TX35 contributions
Awesome Experience!!
We were a family of 3 and we were very apprehensive about this tour due the multiple extremities involved with it. First the temperatures ranging between -20 and -60 f, then the wilderness of being off the grid completely and finally the uncertainty of being driven by someone unknown on these treacherous roads. But by the end of it all of these doubts were rested and we were treated to one of the best tours we have ever taken which was accentuated by the thorough enthusiasm and knowledge of our hosts Bob and Nick. They singlehandedly ensured that all of us in our tour beat the cold and came out to see one of the best natural phenomena. We were lucky to be treated to a beautiful display of Aurora which even our hosts admitted to have not seeing for a while. The tour company took care of all the details and they went the extra mile to keep us warm and well fed with both stomach and brain food!
Couple of advice to them would be to be clearer in the itinerary about the food and other stop details and timing and secondly to do something about the frosted windows which hampers the view to some extent from inside the van.
I will strongly advice everyone to take this tour and specifically request for Bob as your host, I can promise his enthusiasm will rub on to you and you will forget all extremities and you will enjoy what you came enjoy after traveling a long distance.
Written February 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Rainer Z
Three cheers for Bob & Nick -- we totally agree. Glad you enjoyed your Tour. Thanks.
Written May 6, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Dawn
2 contributions
Nate’s the man!!
Sep. 2021 • Couples
Nate was awesome!! The tour was long but didn’t seem like it, he was talkative and had a great sense of humor. Took us to a spot where we saw the most beautiful sunset ever! Got to see moose and a black bear! He was patient while everyone did what they wanted to do at each of the stops. Great host for serving up hot beverages and can change a flat tire in no time😀
Written September 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Rainer Z
Hello We are so happy that you got to see the beautiful Alaskan wildlife on your trip. Thank you for this amazing review and we wish you well on your future adventures. Your AWG Team
Written September 29, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
clayton.spann@gmail.com
Vail, AZ53 contributions
Ok but would seek alternate options
Sep. 2020
Would recommend an alternate option, for Artic circle simply fly into cold foot Alaska, send 1 or 2 days. This tour was primarily a drive up to the arctic circle line. On return trip driver makes several stops to try and capture northern lights, which he did and was amazing. Downside, Jake, our tour guide was not interactive and was more of a shuttle driver so made the 3 hour one way drive a bit boring. Unfortunately, we also had the back row which was extremely tight and uncomfortable... so overall highly unpleasant. We spent approximately 20 minutes at the Artic circle sight and then headed home. Driver stopped at several points on the way home for northern lights and we did capture a 1.5-hour light show at one stop. Again, since we were in back row, we got out of the van to view since we could not see for our seats while other could view. If I was to do again. 1) For Artic circle, fly up to Coldfeet, spend the day, do some hiking 2) for Northern lights since we had a rental car head out a couple of nights north of Fairbanks for viewing. On the plus side. Communication with tour office was great leading into trip, a more dynamic tour guide certainly could have improved this. Overall, just not worth the $450 we spent. Would not recommend
Written September 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Rainer Z
Glad you saw "the light show" -- not everyone does. Also glad you enjoyed the Arctic Circle itself. You are right -- van touring is not for everyone. Compared with flights, accommodation, and rental car costs in unforgiving terrain, this is still a bargain. Glad you enjoyed Alaska.
Written September 22, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Kenneth K
High Point, NC5 contributions
Worth every dime
Sep. 2021
Went on the Arctic Circle/Aurora trip 0n 09/07. David was the ultimate professional in guiding 9 of us on a 13 hour trip up the Dalton Hwy, The trip was full of information,but the highlight was David's persistence on making sure we saw the aurora. It wasn't looking very good with thick clouds,but we finally located a spot with a short burst of color. Thanks David and the rest of the crew!! (and whoever made the sandwiches !!)
Written September 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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About the operator

Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator.

By: Alaska-Wildlife-Guide - Day Tours
2,007
Terry5503
Terry5503
00
Excellent
Jake and coke were fantastic. They drive was long but the experience was worth it. We saw a bear and a fox
Marksr53
Marksr53
00
Fantastic
Everything was as expected Jake did a great job and was very informative. Would recommend this tour zzzzzzzz-zzzzz…
Terry5503
Terry5503
00
Excellent
All the stops where great. Jake was excellent and extremely knowledgeable had a wonderful experience
Renee M
Renee M
00
Long drive but nice scenery
We enjoyed the drive and scenery but we were in the back of the van and had a hard time hearing everything. The st…
agnieszkas429
agnieszkas429
00
Great experience
Our tour guide was Bob who is super cool, shared a lot of interesting stories and created great atmosphere. We were…
Departure782676
Departure782676
00
Tour of Fairbanks
Raylene was awesome! She showed us the town - it turned out to be a lovely day. Saw museums and our first moose!
Cheryl L
Cheryl L
00
Don't miss this tour!
Beautiful drive, interesting tours at Chena Hot Springs, a delicious lunch at the lodge of wild Alaskan salmon and …
cai007
cai007
00
Jake & the The Hot Springs - Great!
How Jake got us there and back on those icy roads, I have no idea! It was a skating rink; we could actually see th…
laveinte20
laveinte20
00
Spring break vacations.
Awesome place, beautiful experience. The driver was so kind. This exceeded my expectations 👍🏻👍🏻.
jeffalanj
jeffalanj
00
An enjoyable time
Really enjoyed the ice museum and the ice bar. Had a lot of fun with the bartenders who worked then night of March…
Whitclem
Whitclem
00
Go for the hot springs, northern lights se a bonus!
The hot springs were perfect in the chilly weather and we were even lucky enough to catch the northern lights on ou…
Steve T
Steve T
00
Great!
Tim was an awesome guide, patient with my novice driving, took pics for us, all around great time. Highly recommend…
amruthas2019
amruthas2019
00
So nuch
Highly recommend this experience! Tim is an amazing guide and will ensure you have the time of your life on the sno…
871shailap
871shailap
00
2 moose
Tim is awesome!! We saw 2 moose and tons of moose poop. Informative tour guide. Couldn’t ask for more
gjackson2187
gjackson2187
00
Great adventure!
The trip was really fun! I felt safe the whole time and the views were great. Tim was a great tour guide
Frequently Asked Questions about Arctic Circle and Northern Lights Tour from Fairbanks
Arctic Circle and Northern Lights Tour from Fairbanks will start at 2:00 PM. Discover and book Arctic Circle and Northern Lights Tour from Fairbanks on Tripadvisor
Arctic Circle and Northern Lights Tour from Fairbanks price starts from C$335.70. Discover and book Arctic Circle and Northern Lights Tour from Fairbanks on Tripadvisor
Arctic Circle and Northern Lights Tour from Fairbanks cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book Arctic Circle and Northern Lights Tour from Fairbanks on Tripadvisor