Northern Lights And Arctic Circle Trip From Fairbanks

The earlier comments ensured we knew what to expect and brought extra food to eat. Sasha was our tour guide and driver. He knew all the answers to all our questions and allowed for detours, such as to see the Alaskian Oil Pipeline up close. The drive was long and unfortunately the weather was overcast, so we were unable to see them. Overall, it still a great adventure.

Emphasize how long the day is and how much it is worth it! There are plenty of stops for bathroom breaks and photo ops. Vista's are gorgeous and standing at the Artic Circle is a fantastic memory.

It is a very long and bumpy road , it was beautiful to see but a very long day. We got to see the lights at several stops.

We had an amazing experience. We will give it a 10/10. Our tour guide , Tanner Klaus, was funny and entertaining. He was also very patient . The trip to the Arctic Circle was quite an experience.It was our first time to travel that long, on a rough and dirt road but we had so much fun because of Tanner. Every bumps on the Dalton Highway was like a roller coaster ride LOL. He was very patient and we can tell that he really likes what he does.He also has a very good eye for the Aurora. We had 2 great sightings of it and what a way for us to cap the night. The trip was all worth it and we will recommend it to our friends. Thank you Mr. Klaus for giving us an experience of a lifetime! —-Mario and Marie

Danielle was our guide and without him we would never have got to see the best aurora of our life time. Driving through the Dalton highway, amidst all the chaotic road bumps around midnight, Danielle kept an eye out for the aurora and every time there were lights we stopped. The final dance of the northern lights happened around 1:30 am and what a dance it was. Thanks to him and 1st Alaska tours for this wonderful memory.

Out of all the excursions we did touring the Fairbanks area, this was by far the best! The photo opportunities along the way were priceless. Daniel made sure to point out noteworthy points of interest. The Northern Lights gave us a show to remember on the way back. Daniel made sure to pull over several times for different photo opportunities. We loved how he was just as excited about the tour as we were. Highly recommend!

Beautiful landscape, awesome scenery. Worth the trip! Definitely will experience “the middle of nowhere “ - not a house in sight until the Yukon River. Stopped extra times to see the aurora - total trip was 15 hours.

Tanner was an absolutely wonderful driver and escort on the various stops. Our only complaint is that the seats are not suited for the length of the trip, but designed for an airport shuttle.

Tanner was our tour guide and he was amazing. He had a lot of experience and shared a lot of wonderful stories and facts about Alaska. He made our tour really special by hunting northern lights all the way.

What an incredible experience! It was our first time in Alaska, our expectations were sky high, and this did not disappoint. The scenic views and Northern Lights were breathtaking, but what really made the trip special was our tour guide, Paul. He was knowledgeable, entertaining, and genuinely a great person. He went far above and beyond what was expected in so many ways including: finding ways to make our kids feel special, extending or making bonus stops based on our preferences, and not rushing us through the tour. We made unforgettable memories alongside our new friend, Paul, in Alaska.

This was my first time in Alaska, and I genuinely couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Paul was our guide, and he was absolutely exceptional. What stood out the most was his passion and enthusiasm. When almost everyone on the bus had fallen asleep on our way back, Paul noticed the aurora intensifying and immediately woke us up so we wouldn’t miss it. What we saw was beyond words—fast-dancing, vivid auroras that felt unreal. I honestly couldn’t believe my eyes. Even after we were almost back at the hotel, Paul made an extra stop in a random parking lot just because the aurora appeared again. That moment alone shows how much he truly cares about giving people the best possible experience, not just following a schedule. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me, and Paul played a huge role in making it unforgettable. If you’re lucky enough to have him as your guide, you’re in the best hands possible.

his was my first Alaska tour, and it was an amazing experience! I highly recommend our tour guide, Paul. He is extremely reliable and a very experienced driver, which made us feel safe the entire time. Paul truly cares about what he does, he shared so many fun and interesting facts about Alaska, and you can really feel how much love and passion he has for this place. His energy made the trip even better, and he went above and beyond to make sure we had the best experience possible. He worked hard to find the best spots to see the Northern Lights and stopped at multiple locations so we could get better photos. That effort made a huge difference and created unforgettable memories. Big thanks as well to Josh and Susan for the delicious sandwiches-they were much appreciated! Highly recommend Paul for your next trip. He made my Alaska experience so much better! Thank you!

Long day but the views were so worth it. The dome, the drunken forests, the enchanted forest and being able to say we have been to the Arctic Circle! The roads are rough but it’s an experience in itself with the real life ice road truckers flying by

We had great time to the arctic circle. During the trip, we saw many unique landscapes and the northern light. Paul explained the history of the dangerous dalton highway. Paul is the best!

Our guide Paul was amazing. He was friendly and humorous and great at taking pictures! Would definitely recommend it.

Elijah was an awesome tour guide very informative. Went above and beyond his job . Drove us very safely thru the snow . Would definitely recommend taking this trip

Kendell was the BEST! He was friendly and extremely knowledgeable about the Alaskan area, Northern Lights and what to expect. He helped us capture the photos that made our trip memorable.

Our guide was Kendal and he was awesome. Tons of information. Highly recommended. We started with The Alaska Pipeline. Then to Yukon River Camp for dinner. We crossed the Arctic Circle and stopped on our was back to see the Northern Lights. Amazing.

Be ready for a very bumpy ride and don't expect to return to your room before 4 a.m. Ash was a superior guide and a great driver. Very excited that we got to the Arctic Circle and he stopped three times to see a spectacular northern lights display.

Do it! It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. Our tour guide Ash was fantastic and we loved every minute of our trip. He was very knowledgeable and told lots of stories that made the long drive seem to go quicker. Parts of the road were very rough but that’s just part of the whole experience. The best part is we got to see the northern lights and he stopped a few times to let us take lots of pictures.

My husband and I came to Fairbanks Alaska to celebrate our retirements and 45th wedding anniversary. We really loved our tour and most especially our guide, Ash. He was an excellent story teller and guide. He went out of his way to helps us see the Northern Lights. They were gorgeous. Ash had a great sense of humor. He brought Alaskan history alive. He kept us "edutained" the entire trip up the Dalton Highway to the Artic Circle and back. I recommend booking a tour through 1st Alaska Tours .Be sure and ask for Ash!! Eleanor Hensley

Once in a lifetime experience that everyone should do. Our guide, Ash, was very knowledgeable about native cultures.

Our trip to the Arctic Circle with Ash was great. He told lots of interesting stories and was passionate about his state and it’s people’s.

Great excursion experience with Ash. I enjoyed his stories while on the road. He is knowledgeable and you can tell that he loves what he does. The only little issue was, we were picked at our hotel last so we get the left over seats ( in a van). It was a hardship for my 6 ft tall husband to get on and off the van from the back with little to no space.

What an amazing trip! This was on my bucket list and Ash and 1st Alaska Tours made it absolutely awesome! Ash was super knowledgeable about Alaska, wildlife, the aurora,etc. and answered all my questions. He took pictures and told really funny, yet informative stories! The aurora that night was unbelievable, but Ash as our tour guide made it even better. I will definitely do another Alaska tour with Ash! Tony

On 3/23 Paul, the driver has done us a big favor to helped get our SUV unstuck from snow and lead us to see Aurora best show. I have taken Trip advisor last June 2024 for the same Arctic circle tour before and were very satisfied with the other driver service as well . This time, we were on our own and happened to get stuck in snow and Trip advisor driver Paul has stopped for good deed to our rescue. Good job Trip advisor, I will continue to use your service when I travel solo. Buck

We enjoyed every second of this trip. Colleen was amazing and managed to get us a peek at the lights even though it was so cloudy and I wasn’t sure we would be seeing the lights. She drove amazingly on those really really treacherous roads. This was a dream come true trip for us. We got to see the Alaskan pipeline, the dalton highway sign and ofcourse the arctic circle sign. Ash also organized for sledding on the frozen Yukon river which was the most fun I’ve had in a while. They also provided us with lots of snacks and water and the sandwiches were delicious and filling. I wouldn’t think twice before booking this tour. Thank you guys for the amazing experience.

這裡的導遊都很友善 行程也非常的物超所值 有很多各種各樣的行程可以選擇 Paul跟 Joe導遊也很幽默 下次一定會再納入考慮的旅行社 Paul &Joe is very friendly . Paul is so humor.

Stunning views! Appreciate Ash for staying extra time to help us capture the northern lights in various ways. Couldn’t be more satisfied—highly recommend this tour!

Got a little a bit of everything Alaska on this tour. Ash was a informative and everyone enjoyed his stories....and his driving skills thru the blizzard on the way home. The skies opened up briefly to see the Aurora. The pie at a local shop and a short sledding detour was a nice little change up.

I have been in the Artic Circle before, so I wasn't as interested in that. It's really cool if you haven't been there. It was a cloudy day, so I wasn't expecting to see any lights. Ash came thru gangbusters. We saw great Northern Lights and I was thrilled. Way to go Ash.

Really have to give Elijah a 5 stars review, sorry it’s a little late but he really deserves some great comments!! For that super long trip to Arctic Circle, 16 hrs, we never felt unsafe, bored nor exhausted with his driving and entertainment, he would try his utmost best to make us feel great and warm. He took extra steps to find the auroras when we were coming back in the morning, since that night aurora showed up in the southern sky, not his fault… even though he still went above and beyond to let us see some nice ones, really appreciate it a whole lot!! That night was an event that would stay in our hearts for long long time!!!

Our guide Elijah was great/ kept the group entertained/ engaged- very informative and knowledgeable-Yukon river was crazy-saw the lights

Elijah was an excellent tour guide who made our family feel very safe for the whole tour. He also provided lots of interesting commentary. The tour lasted from 1 PM until 4 AM as we stopped several times on the way back to view the Northern Lights, which were amazing. I would bring extra snacks as you spend lots of time driving, and we wished we could have chosen our own sandwich toppings. The pictures are what made this trip unforgettable.

Tour guide Elijah was great! Long trip made fun with several good stops. Road conditions can make this a 14+ hour trip, but it's incredible

We didn’t see the lights because of the cloud cover but had a blast anyway with our guide Colleen! She did everything she could to get us to the best spots to see them but sometimes Mother Nature has other plans. Would 100% book again!

This was a wonderful tour! It is LONG - 1pm to somewhere between 2:30-5:00am, depending on road conditions and Aurora activity - but SO worth it! Riding the Dalton highway (of Ice Road Truckers fame), walking on (and sledding down to) the frozen Yukon River, seeing tundra and several different types of forests - including an area named the “enchanted forest” because moisture from the Yukon River deposits many layers of snow and ice on the trees, creating a magical-looking scene - along with glimpses of wildlife. Lots of photo ops! And the whole drive back is during the prime time to see the Aurora. Elijah, our tour guide, was wonderful - a great storyteller, very knowledgeable about the area, local traditions, etc., enthusiastic, encouraging, responsive to the needs and desires of the group - AND a competent, careful driver on the icy roads, coordinating with the truckers by CB radio to keep everyone safe. He kept us entertained for the entire 14+ hour trip. And he knows the best places to pull off the road for photos or to view the lights (not many places to do that on those roads). We had NO issues - just a lot of fun. The best part? We were far enough north that we got to see a beautiful, long Northern Lights display, even though Fairbanks itself has been overcast most of the week! I HIGHLY recommend this tour! A couple of tips: (1) Dress for the weather but in layers - it can be quite a bit warmer than Fairbanks some places and quite a bit colder than Fairbanks in others - and quite windy. Particularly your feet - standing outside watching the lights my feet got pretty cold. Dressing in layers helps handle weather changes along the way, plus riding in a heated van in between. 2) You might want to bring an extra battery for your phone. Again, this trip is LONG. 3) Try to schedule this trip when you’re not too exhausted from other touring. All of the Aurora tours are, by necessity, really late nights. But the length of this one would have been hard if we had been really tired already.

Great guide and itinerary, lots of information and kept things very entertaining Would do this tour again!

Your world-class tour guide created the most authentic Arctic Circle experience ever, We his detailed explanations and knowledge. Simply incredible!!! We love him!!!

Best one day Road trip ever! Stops along the way were all amazing and we're all relevant. Food was great and YRC was a highlight with a walk on the frozen Yukon river.

Great service and experienced guide driver. Our van had 9 people with 3 families. The entire trip was very well planned and comfortable. Highly recommended!

We are very fortunate to have Ash as our tour guide. He tells great stories and is very much fun all the way. He is an excellent driver in all the icy road condition and is a great aurora chaser.

Toured by Paul. He is really a cool guys, very friendly to us, and also very knowledgeable in Cooking! Really enjoy the stay and tour

This was a fantastic tour. Yes it's a long drive but I think we were blessed to have probably the best tour guide ever. His name is Elijah (hope I spelled that correctly). He was courteous, knowledgeable, conscientious (roads have ice and snow on them) and just an overall joy to be with. I had taken two other tours on our trip to Alaska and this tour/tour guide was the absolute best. We saw everything listed on the agenda plus a few other stops that were great. The tour provided food and snacks and we had an opportunity to purchase food at two other stops. There was hot coffee and cocoa up at the Arctic Circle. Our guide took pictures of us for us, helped us navigate our I-phones to get good Aurora photos, and pointed out great photo opportunities. Overall, I heartily recommend this tour. In fact, I would personally love to come back and do it again in the summer to see the difference in the landscape.

I make many friend and hear many story with Elaija in this tour , its a long ride, but the Elaija have very great experience riding the Van to Arctic, He is very dependable.

Awesome experience! Absolutely recommend this once in a life experience! Tour guide was great. If you are even considering this kind of adventure, then you will definitely love this amazing experience!

Our guide Jake was fantastic, he had so much knowledge and answered all our questions. He did a great job with the driving and made multiple stops looking for the northern lights and we got some great looks. Also did an impromptu rock hounding stop.

Our driver Randall was extremely helpful, kind and patient. He stopped at multiple spots for us to take pictures and was very considerate. This was a lifetime experience and it was completely worth the money! Highly recommend!!

I highly recommend this experience! Our guide, Jake, was the best!!! He was so knowledgeable about so much and was lots of fun. The Dalton Hwy was VERY rough which was surprising. Be prepared to be jostled for over 115 miles. We are in our early 70’s but did great. We were picked up at our hotel around 12:45 PM and returned to the hotel at 5:15 AM—a little longer than was advertised. The main reason for the extra long trip was due to road work where we had to sit in traffic for several minutes at least 3 times. But, we didn’t care since we were having fun. Our first stop was to see a part of the Alaska pipeline. It ran fairly parallel to the highway as we would see it every so often throughout the trip. We stopped at a convenience store and were told we should get whatever snacks and go to the bathroom as it would be awhile before there was another place for those things. We stopped at the Yukon River Camp for dinner. It was a restaurant, truck stop, souvenir shop, overnight stay. The bathrooms were very nice. Our tour included dinner so we had a delicious, huge sub sandwich, chips, various candies & bars, and 2 bottles of water. After eating, we walked along the Yukon River. Jake gave us an interesting talk about the geology of the area and some of us brought back a pocketful of rocks. Later, we stopped at Finger Mountain (there were bathrooms at the stop which was nice). We finally arrived at the Arctic Circle sign around 10:00 PM so Jake used the headlights of our tour van so we could all take pictures. He showed us where the Aurora Borealis was starting to show up on the perfectly clear night. In fact, he stopped about every hour four times and each time the sorta was more and more clear. Standing in the middle of nowhere in Alaska at 2 AM, looking up at the stars with zero light pollution was an experience I will never forget. The stars filled the sky and seemed so close. We made one more stop for the bathroom somewhere and then return to Fairbanks about 5:15 AM. Take the trip! Have the experience! Don’t think you’re too old to do it!