Thirteen northern lights tours you can actually book around Fairbanks, Alaska, spread across six categories: viewing lodges and hilltops, small-group chasing vans, photo-led trips, the Chena Hot Springs evening, an Arctic Circle day run and a dog-sled aurora night. From-prices, ratings and review counts here are accurate and current.
Before you pay anything, you can weigh each option by its published price, duration, rating and review volume, so the shortlist builds itself.
Top rated by review count
An evening at Chena Hot Springs Resort: the Aurora Ice Museum, a soak in the outdoor hot springs pool, and aurora viewing on the grounds. Rated 4.5 across 1,342 reviews, from $275 per person.
Short answer
Six formats cover the whole catalog: hilltop and lodge viewing (4), chase tours (4), photo-focused trips (2), plus one each for the hot springs combo, the Arctic Circle run and the dog sled dinner. From-prices span $99 to $385 per person. Chena Hot Springs Resort's combo leads on volume with 1,342 reviews. See all 13 listings or head straight to the top-reviewed trip.
One photo per category, drawn from the tours listed here rather than a generic aurora stock image.
A starting shortlist of the best-reviewed tours. Pick an answer below to rebuild it.
Chena Hot Springs Resort
from $275 ★ 4.5 1,342 reviews
Check availability →full day (return aurora hunt ~3am) Free cancellation
from $330 ★ 4.5 171 reviews
Check availability →Free cancellation
from $179 ★ 4.4 38 reviews
Check availability →5-6 hours Electric Moose Studios Free cancellation
from $300 ★ 5.0 14 reviews
Check availability →Watch from a warm lodge, a glass house at Cleary Summit, or a hilltop with open sky all around. Full hub: aurora viewing lodges & hilltops.
Top rated by review count
Murphy Dome hilltop viewing from $99 per person. Rated 4.5 across 317 reviews; check the cancellation terms on the listing.
from $200 per person
A dedicated viewing lodge outside Fairbanks, where you wait for the lights in warmth instead of standing in the cold. Rated 4.5 across 286 reviews, from $200 per person.
Check Price & Availability →
from $179 per person
Watch the northern lights from a heated glass house on Cleary Summit, warm while the sky works overhead. Rated 4.4 across 38 reviews, from $179 per person, free cancellation.
Check Price & Availability →
from $160 per person
Aurora lodges and heated yurts away from Fairbanks city glow, with pickup from major hotels included. Rated 4.5 across 34 reviews, from $160 per person, with free cancellation.
Check Price & Availability →Guides drive toward gaps in the cloud rather than waiting out one bad sky. Full hub: aurora chasing tours.
Top rated by review count
The most-reviewed chase on this page, holding a 5 rating across 789 reviews. From $335 per person; check the cancellation terms on the listing.
from $215 per person
Mobile small-group chase that goes wherever the sky is clearest that night. Rated 5 across 557 reviews, from $215 per person.
Check Price & Availability →
from $239 per person
Combines two winter pastimes: drilling through lake ice for fish, then watching the sky for the aurora. Rated 5 across 121 reviews, from $239 per person.
Check Price & Availability →
from $160 per person
A vip-format aurora chase from Fairbanks, rated 4.4 across 18 reviews, from $160 per person. Instead of waiting at a lodge, the guide drives to wherever the sky opens, which matters on patchy nights. This listing is non-refundable, so compare it against the Murphy Dome hilltop option before booking.
Check Price & Availability →Guided camera instruction and portraits under the lights. Full hub: aurora photography tours.
from $385 per person
A guided Fairbanks aurora tour built around photography: hands-on camera lessons and portraits under the lights. Rated 5 across 245 reviews, from $385 per person.
Check Price & Availability →
5-6 hours · Electric Moose Studios
from $300 per person
Electric Moose Studios runs this 5 to 6 hour aurora adventure, pairing a night of northern lights viewing with pizza and hot drinks in a heated space. Rated 5 across 14 reviews, from $300 per person, with free cancellation.
Check Price & Availability →An evening at Chena Hot Springs Resort: an outdoor hot springs soak, the Aurora Ice Museum, and aurora viewing on the grounds.
· Chena Hot Springs Resort
from $275 per person
An evening at Chena Hot Springs Resort: the Aurora Ice Museum, a soak in the outdoor hot springs pool, and aurora viewing on the grounds. Rated 4.5 across 1,342 reviews, from $275 per person.
Check Price & Availability →A full-day Dalton Highway drive to the Arctic Circle sign, then an aurora hunt on the way back using live forecasts.
full day (return aurora hunt ~3am)
from $330 per person
This full-day trip runs north up the Dalton Highway to the Arctic Circle sign, roughly 194 miles from Fairbanks, then hunts the aurora on the drive back, returning around 3am. Rated 4.5 from 171 reviews, from $330 per person, free cancellation.
Check Price & Availability →A moonlit dog-sled ride, dinner, then time under the lights.
from $320 per person
An evening dog sled ride under moonlight, paired with a hot dinner and northern lights viewing from a quiet spot outside Fairbanks. Rated 4.5 across 140 reviews, from $320 per person, with free cancellation.
Check Price & Availability →All 13 tours in one table, sorted by traveler reviews.
| Tour | Category | Duration | From price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Springs Combo, Chena Resort | Chena Hot Springs | See listing | $275 per person | 4.5 · 1,342 reviews |
| Premium Aurora Viewing Tour | Aurora Chasing | See listing | $335 per person | 5.0 · 789 reviews |
| Small-Group Aurora Chase | Aurora Chasing | See listing | $215 per person | 5.0 · 557 reviews |
| Budget Hilltop, Murphy Dome | Lodges & Hilltops | See listing | $99 per person | 4.5 · 317 reviews |
| Guided Lodge Viewing, Commentary | Lodges & Hilltops | See listing | $200 per person | 4.5 · 286 reviews |
| Photo Lessons and Portraits Included | Photography | See listing | $385 per person | 5.0 · 245 reviews |
| Full-Day Arctic Circle Sign Trip | Arctic Circle | full day (return aurora hunt ~3am) | $330 per person | 4.5 · 171 reviews |
| Dog Sled, Salmon Dinner, Yurt | Dog Sledding | See listing | $320 per person | 4.5 · 140 reviews |
| Ice Fishing and Aurora Combo | Aurora Chasing | See listing | $239 per person | 5.0 · 121 reviews |
| 270-Degree Glass House, Hot Drinks | Lodges & Hilltops | See listing | $179 per person | 4.4 · 38 reviews |
| Lodge and Yurt Aurora Viewing | Lodges & Hilltops | See listing | $160 per person | 4.5 · 34 reviews |
| Private Tour, Hotel Pickup | Aurora Chasing | See listing | $160 per person | 4.4 · 18 reviews |
| Electric Moose, Pizza and Shelter | Photography | 5-6 hours | $300 per person | 5.0 · 14 reviews |
The table above holds the basics. This one goes further: filter by category, then sort by price, rating, length or review count.
All 13 tours, most reviewed first. Tap a sort chip twice to flip the order.
| Tour | Category | On board | Length | Departs | From | Rating | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Springs Combo, Chena ResortChena Hot Springs Resort | Chena Hot Springs | No food served | See listing | Fairbanks, Alaska area | from $275 | ★ 4.51,342 reviews | Check availability |
| Premium Aurora Viewing Tour | Aurora Chasing | No food served | See listing | Fairbanks, Alaska area | from $335 | ★ 5.0789 reviews | Check availability |
| Small-Group Aurora Chase | Aurora Chasing | No food served | See listing | Fairbanks, Alaska area | from $215 | ★ 5.0557 reviews | Check availability |
| Budget Hilltop, Murphy Dome | Lodges & Hilltops | No food served | See listing | Fairbanks, Alaska area | from $99 | ★ 4.5317 reviews | Check availability |
| Guided Lodge Viewing, Commentary | Lodges & Hilltops | No food served | See listing | Fairbanks, Alaska area | from $200 | ★ 4.5286 reviews | Check availability |
| Photo Lessons and Portraits Included | Photography | No food served | See listing | Fairbanks, Alaska area | from $385 | ★ 5.0245 reviews | Check availability |
| Full-Day Arctic Circle Sign Trip | Arctic Circle | No food served | full day (return aurora hunt ~3am) | Fairbanks, Alaska area | from $330 | ★ 4.5171 reviews | Check availability |
| Dog Sled, Salmon Dinner, Yurt | Dog Sledding | Food included | See listing | Fairbanks, Alaska area | from $320 | ★ 4.5140 reviews | Check availability |
| Ice Fishing and Aurora Combo | Aurora Chasing | No food served | See listing | Fairbanks, Alaska area | from $239 | ★ 5.0121 reviews | Check availability |
| 270-Degree Glass House, Hot Drinks | Lodges & Hilltops | No food served | See listing | Fairbanks, Alaska area | from $179 | ★ 4.438 reviews | Check availability |
| Lodge and Yurt Aurora Viewing | Lodges & Hilltops | No food served | See listing | Fairbanks, Alaska area | from $160 | ★ 4.534 reviews | Check availability |
| Private Tour, Hotel Pickup | Aurora Chasing | No food served | See listing | Fairbanks, Alaska area | from $160 | ★ 4.418 reviews | Check availability |
| Electric Moose, Pizza and ShelterElectric Moose Studios | Photography | Food included | 5-6 hours | Fairbanks, Alaska area | from $300 | ★ 5.014 reviews | Check availability |
| Nothing on the Fairbanks list fits both filters at once. Clear one of them and the full set of aurora tours returns to view. | |||||||
| Aurora season | Late August through late April, while the sky is dark enough for the lights. Operators build their nightly calendars around cloud cover and forecast. |
|---|---|
| Peak months | Guides tend to name the equinox months and the deep-winter stretch around the solstice as the darkest, highest-odds windows; the live booking page for each tour lists the exact dates it runs. |
| Summer | Near-continuous summer daylight shuts the season down, so tours pause until the sky darkens again toward late August. |
The format changes what the night feels like. A lodge or glass-house tour keeps you warm indoors while you watch, a chasing tour drives the group by van toward clearer sky, and a photography tour pairs the drive with camera instruction and portraits. Some options add a dogsled run, ice fishing or a soak at Chena Hot Springs. Every listing spells out its own format, what gear or food it provides, and how long you are out.
Each operator sets its own meeting point or hotel pickup window; the listing states the exact address or timing before you book.
★★★★★
“Awesome night! Lots of fish caught and lady aurora showed up! 10/10 recommend! Trevor was super friendly and knowledgeable!”
Danielle_S, operator-listing review of Ice Fishing and Aurora Combo
★★★★★
“This tour was great. The tour guide was excellent. He knew where was a good spot. We also enjoyed hot pizza and hot beverages to keep us warm when we enjoyed the beautiful aurora.”
Gavin_L, operator-listing review of Photo Lessons and Portraits Included
★★★★★
“Just book this tour. Our guides were amazing, they provided snacks, water and warmers. They even gave us dessert to go after the tour. We saw the aurora for the first time and also got to really enjoy it. We got to enjoy it because you don't have to worry about taking photos because they will do it for you. I would recommend this tour.”
Tiffany_W, operator-listing review of Small-Group Aurora Chase
★★★★★
“Our tour guide, Blake, was fantastic! He is incredibly knowledgeable about the Fairbanks area and knew exactly where to find the best aurora viewing spots. The van was comfortable, and we felt very safe with his driving throughout the night. Chena Hot Springs was a highlight, the Ice Museum is a neat stop, and dinner at the restaurant was delicious. Soaking in the hot springs is an absolute must-do experience, and it's a prime location for the lights. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Alaska!”
Chriselda_D, operator-listing review of Hot Springs Combo, Chena Resort
★★★★★
“Gina, our tour guide was awesome! She took great care of us, kept us warm and alerted us when the Aurora was about to appear. Highly recommend this tour.”
Robert_T, operator-listing review of Budget Hilltop, Murphy Dome
★★★★★
“Bring hand warmers, and dress to stay outdoors. Excellent northern view, large deck. Informative, knowledgeable host.”
Ernest_W, operator-listing review of Guided Lodge Viewing, Commentary
★★★★★
“The guide was very knowledgeable and helpful. The smores were geeat.”
Brenda, United States, operator-listing review of Lodge and Yurt Aurora Viewing
★★★★★
“Tanner and Ash were great! We had a great time dog sledding and seeing the northern lights!”
Annabelle, United States, operator-listing review of Dog Sled, Salmon Dinner, Yurt
These are real traveler quotes from the operators' own booking listings, word for word. We only chose which ones to show here; we do not write, edit or remove reviews on those listings.
56.5 Mile Chena Hot Springs Rd, Fairbanks, AK 99712, about 60 miles / 1.5 hours northeast of downtown Fairbanks
A dark-sky wilderness resort built around its own natural hot springs, with the Aurora Ice Museum on site; several of the site's own aurora and hot-springs combo tours (including the Northern Lights & Chena Hot Springs Tour) depart to or through this exact property, so staying here puts guests inside the viewing location itself rather than just riding a van to it.
Check rates1850 Hoselton Rd, Fairbanks, AK 99709, on the Chena River near Fairbanks International Airport
A free roundtrip airport shuttle and a riverside setting a couple of minutes from the airport make this an easy, no-rental-car base for guests being picked up for an evening aurora tour; it is one of the most frequently named airport-area lodges for Fairbanks northern-lights travelers.
Check rates4920 Dale Rd, Fairbanks, AK 99709, about 0.5 miles from Fairbanks International Airport
The closest of the three picks to the airport itself, with a free 24-hour airport shuttle and free breakfast, useful for guests flying in for a short aurora-tour trip who want the shortest possible transfer before an evening pickup.
Check rates
Guide
How Fairbanks' eight-month aurora season compares month by month, from equinox activity to midwinter cold.
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Guided lodge, yurt and glass house aurora tours from Fairbanks, compared on price, warmth and cancellation.
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Lodges and hilltop cabins, chasing vans, photography trips, Chena Hot Springs, the Arctic Circle and a dogsled night: thirteen tours across six categories, with starting prices from $99 to $385.