As the gateway to the Arctic, Fairbanks is one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights/aurora borealis, so we’re spending a week in Fairbanks trying to chase the lights! Although we didn’t have the midnight sun here in September, we were in the midst of Aurora season, which is even better to me.
About Fairbanks
Fairbanks is the capital of Alaska, as well as the largest city in interior Alaska. It sits along the Chena River and is a little under 200 miles south of the Arctic Circle, making it the ideal gateway to the Arctic.
There are endless things to do from dog sledding to journeying to the Arctic Circle to chasing the aurora borealis, and more!
Things to Know Before You Go
When to visit?
Unlike southern Alaska, it’s actually great to visit Fairbanks during multiple seasons.
- Summer (June through August): Summer has the midnight sun in which there are 24 hours of daylight between May through July. That’s why blackout curtains exist!
- Winter (December through March): As a global premier destination for seeing the Northern Lights, winter is the best time to see them. However, depending on when you go, there may be only 3-4 hours of sunlight each day!
Will it be dark all day?
No, it won’t ever be completely dark 24 hours of the day. During the summer months (late April to late August), Fairbanks is the land of the midnight sun in which the sun only goes down for a few hours each night. It can definitely be disorienting to have it be the middle of the night and for it to be bright outside!
Where to stay?
We split up our time in Fairbanks between staying in downtown Fairbanks and North Pole and both were great! Only 15 minutes apart from each out, North Pole allowed us easy access to Northern Lights dark sky viewing locations while downtown Fairbanks allowed us to walk the town easily without a car.
Northern Lights / Aurora Borealis
Fairbanks is arguably one of the top, if not top destinations, to see the Northern Lights and it’s even easier to see by yourself!
Aurora season is between August and April. Weather does take a major effect in visibility of the lights (especially if it’s cloudy), so plan to stay at least three nights in Fairbanks to try to see them. You don’t need a solar flare or storm to see the lights as they’re pretty much there every single night. You just have to be lucky to have a clear sky!
Since our first Airbnb was closer to North Pole, our main go-to Northern Lights viewpoint we went to multiple nights was Nordale Road and it definitely did not disappoint. We did try Chena Lake Recreation Center for our first night, but there were a lot of trees around that made it harder to see the open sky.
A great tool that we utilized often is the aurora forecast provided by the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Article for how to see the Northern Lights in Fairbanks by yourself coming soon!
Downtown Fairbanks
Situated along the Chena River, the downtown isn’t too large and is easily walkable in its four blocks. It’s a very small-town feel, with historic buildings that date back to the gold rush days, museums, shops, cultural centers, contemporary art, and more!
They also host events like the Winter Carnival in March, the Midnight Sun Festival in June, and Golden Days in July.
Chena Hot Springs
If you’re looking to escape the cold of Fairbanks, then visit Chena Hot Sprints Resort! They offer numerous tours and activities, but the main reason we visited was because for their natural geothermal hot springs. Their outdoor hot springs lake is the most popular but then you can head indoors to the Chena Hot Springs Pool House for heated pools and hot tubs. An all day pass is $20 for adults, $17 for children, $18 for seniors, and they are open daily year-round.
The resort also offers an aurora viewing tour, electric snowmobile, ATV tours, dog ATV tours, horseback riding, ice fishing, dog sledding, and more! Most notably, they also have the Aurora Ice Museum tour, which we decided to do before our soak in the hot springs.
Just a warningāChena Hot Springs Resort is a little over an hour away from Fairbanks, so try not to get too sleepy after a cozy soak in the hot springs!
Aurora Ice Museum
While a little touristy, visiting an ice bar inside of an ice museum is a quintessential Alaska attraction. The Aurora Ice Museum at Chena Hot Springs Resort is the world’s largest year-round ice museum containing illuminated ice sculptures, an ice bar, and drinks in a hand-carved ice glass.
The tour is 45 minutes and $20 for adults / $15 for children. They provide you with a free parka, but you can also bring a hat and gloves if you’re worried about getting cold. With the 45 minutes, the guide walks you around the ice sculptures, provides facts, and then gives you time to explore the four ice hotel rooms, ice chapel, and more. There are also ice carving demos!
We got the appletini in their handmade ice glasses, and what is even more fun is when you finish your drink, you can go outside to throw the ice glass on the ground! The appletini is a $20 add-on.
The guides also told us about Japanese cherry blossom
Santa Claus House
I’m here to confirm that the North Pole is a real place! To no surprise, the Santa Claus House is located in North Pole, Alaska! North Pole is about 15 minutes south of Fairbanks, so it makes for an easy visit when you’re in Fairbanks.
The Santa Claus House is a year-round Christmas-themed general store that opened in 1952 as a local trading post. It gained popularity as one of the owners dressed as Santa for nearby village children, which is how it evolved into a holiday destination today. You can’t miss the shop when they have the World’s Largest Santa out front (nearly 50 feet tall)!
One of its main attractions is sending letters from Santa in which visitors can order official, personalized letters from Santa postmarked with a special seal and labeled with a postmark that comes directly from the North Pole to your home.
We visited during off season/should season, so we missed it, but during summer months and holiday seasons, Santa is frequently there to greet visitors and for photos, as well as live reindeer in an outdoor enclosure. Whether you’re sampling homemade fudge, taking pictures in their sleigh, or just perusing all the holiday decor, it’s Christmas every day at the Santa Claus House.
Trans-Alaska Pipeline Viewpoint
The Trans-Alaska Pipeline runs 800 miles across Alaska. from Prudhoe Bay through Fairbanks all the way to Valdez Marine Terminal. It crosses 3 mountain ranges and more than 500 rivers and streams. Construction finishing in 1977 after 2 years, it cost $8 billion to build! At this viewpoint outside of Fairbanks, there are informational displays, an example of a pig (device used to clean and inspect the inside of the pipeline), and the elevated pipeline itself.
Food & Drink
Pagoda Restaurant
This Chinese Restaurant is a favorite amongst locals and it did not disappoint. We got a takeout dinner combo with the Mongolian beef, pork fried rice, egg roll, and soup.
It was also featured on Guy Fieriās “Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives” and “Guy’s Grocery Games”!
Hoodoo Brewing
Taste some fresh brews from Fairbanks at this microbrewery. We visited right before Oktoberfest, so they had all of their decorations up! They also have food trucks on site each day.
Denali National Park
Only a 2 hour drive from Fairbanks, Denali National Park is a great getaway from the small town. We visited in both summer and fall: we hiked to some stunning panoramic views, took a flightseeing tour through the mountain range, saw endless amounts of wildlife, and saw the vibrant fall foliage!
You can read more about visiting Denali in the summer HERE and visiting in the fall HERE.
Things We Missed
As always, it’s hard to see everything when we’re only visiting a place for a short period of time.
- University of Alaska Museum of the North: Learn about Alaska’s cultures, art, and natural history. It also features a 36,000 year old blue bison mummy!
- Running Reindeer Ranch: Take a guided walk through the boreal forest with the reindeer, local musicians, and even a yoga flow with the reindeer.
- China River – Riverboat Discovery: Sail on a steamboat along Chena River to view the historic landmarks, witness a live bush pilot demonstration, see sled dogs, and experience the traditional lifestyle of early Athabascan people.
- Pioneer Park: A 44-acre historical park that commemorating Alaskan history and the Gold Rush
- Dog Sledding: Whether in summer in a wheeled cart or in snowy winter in a sled, you can immerse yourself in the world of mushing and dog sledding at various tour companies in Fairbanks
- Gold Panning Tours: Sift and search for gold while learning about the history of the gold rush at Gold Dredge 8 or Gold Daughters
- Arctic Tours: Depart by flight or drive or a combination of the two to the Arctic Circle to experience the vast wilderness of the north
Gallery
As always, I’m better with photos than I am with words! I hope to go back to Alaska soon with more than just an iPhone and capture the vibrance of the lights better š
Where to Next?
Sadly, Fairbanks concludes our trip in Alaska. š¦ We’re heading back home to Chicago through the Alaska Highway, Yukon, Banff, and Canada after this. But on the bright side, we’re spending a few days repacking our things before we head out of the country and continue our travels to Iceland!
Thanks for reading my little blog! š Have you been to Fairbanks or planning a trip there? Send me your thoughts about what you loved the most or are most excited about! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment.
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