"Absolutely amazing experience! Our guides drove 4 hours north of Fairbanks and back just to help us see the Northern Lights. You can truly see how much they care and how hard they work, unlike other tours that never even leave Fairbanks! They had an amazing attitude, provided free snacks and water, and gave us beautiful, high-quality photos and videos for free! They even surprised us with cake at the end. Everyone was incredibly kind and welcoming. 100% recommended! If you want the best chance of seeing the auroras and an unforgettable experience, book with them!"
CHECK THE SKY
Cloud and darkness decide the night
—
Cloud over tonight’s dark hours
—
Kp forecast tonight (NOAA)
—
Moon tonight
—
Dark enough tonight
A forecast, not a promise: cloud for Fairbanks from MET Norway, Kp from NOAA SWPC · Fairbanks tours drive to domes and lodges outside town; the full-day trips go north to the Arctic Circle. · month by month · checked
Geomagnetic latitude
65.0°
Corrected geomagnetic latitude (IGRF-13) of the nearest observatory, College, Fairbanks, published by ISGI, adjusted for the distance to Fairbanks. Source, checked October 2026.
Kp that brings the oval overhead (est.)
≈ Kp 0.5 estimated
NOAA SWPC’s rule of thumb: the oval’s edge sits near 66° geomagnetic at Kp 0 and moves about 2° per Kp step. Source, checked October 2026.
Dark enough for the aurora
September to March
Months with at least 4 hours a night of the sun 12° or more below the horizon; May to July is too light. Computed with JPL DE421, checked October 2026.
Best months, on clear dark hours
December, January and February
Dark hours a night times the share of cloud-free night sky (NASA POWER, 2001–2025), checked October 2026.
Clear dark hours in December
≈ 6 h a night
An average, not a forecast: 15 h of darkness with 60% typical night cloud. Checked October 2026.
Fairbanks · Interior Alaska · USA
Northern Lights in Alaska: Fairbanks, the Arctic Circle and Anchorage
Interior Alaska is dry and cold, and in midwinter it has some of the clearest dark hours on this site. The tours leave Fairbanks for the domes, the hot springs and the Arctic Circle.
From
US$225
per person
Free cancellation
- 4.8 / 5 289+ Reviews
- 10 Aurora Destinations Compared on This Site
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Arctic Night Tours Chase Includes
Arctic Night Tours' northern lights tour with free photos, from Fairbanks.
Highlights
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- A local guide who chases the aurora away from the city
- Photos of you taken by the guide
- Snacks and drinks on longer tours
- Time to watch rather than photograph
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Aurora Lights chase
- Snacks and drinks (on longer tours)
- Guide
- Photos
How a Night Works
From booking to the lights.
Book Several Nights
Book early in your stay; more nights give more chances.
Hotel Pickup
Tours collect you from your Fairbanks hotel.
Out of Town
Guides drive to domes and dark spots; the full-day tours go north.
Watch and Photograph
The guide takes the photos so you can watch.
Photo Gallery
On the Tour
Photos from the tour's own listing.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
What the Tour Brings, and What You Bring
Arctic Night Tours includes
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Snacks and drinks (on longer tours)
- Photos
From the tour’s GetYourGuide listing, checked October 2026. Check dates for this tour →
Bring
- Layers under a windproof shell, a warm hat and gloves: you stand still for long stretches on an Arctic night
- Warm, waterproof boots with good grip on snow and ice
- A charged phone and a spare battery: cold drains batteries fast
- A head torch with a red light, so you keep your night vision
Month by month
When Fairbanks Is Dark and Clear Enough
Night cloud, hours of darkness and how often the Kp index reached 3 or more in the dark hours, month by month at Fairbanks.
| Month | Dark hours a night | Night cloud | Clear dark hours (est.) | Dark hours with Kp 3+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January best | 14.2 h | 54% | 6.5 h | 14% |
| February best | 11.8 h | 58% | 5 h | 22% |
| March | 8.5 h | 49% | 4.3 h | 22% |
| April | 3.3 h | 55% | 1.5 h | 18% |
| May | Too light | 67% | — | — |
| June | Too light | 72% | — | — |
| July | Too light | 74% | — | — |
| August | 1.6 h | 73% | 0.4 h | 15% |
| September | 7.2 h | 72% | 2 h | 24% |
| October | 10.8 h | 78% | 2.4 h | 22% |
| November | 13.6 h | 66% | 4.6 h | 20% |
| December best | 15 h | 60% | 6 h | 18% |
Night cloud: NASA POWER climatology (CLOUD_AMT_NIGHT), January 2001 to December 2025, at the Fairbanks grid cell. Darkness: computed with JPL DE421 via Skyfield (sun more than 12° below the horizon), averaged per night. Kp 3+: share of the 3-hour Kp windows from 2015-01-01 to 2025-12-31 that fell in the dark hours here, from GFZ’s Kp index (CC BY 4.0); September and March run higher, the equinox effect NOAA describes. Clear dark hours are an estimate, dark hours times the cloud-free share. Checked October 2026.
Looking north
The Sky Over Fairbanks, Facing North
Computed charts of the stars where the aurora usually appears, on a new-moon night. The aurora itself is not drawn: no chart can forecast it.
Tour or on your own?
Fairbanks on Your Own, or With a Tour?
- Do you have a car and the clothing for minus 30 degrees?
- Do you know the dark spots outside town and how to stop safely?
- Are you happy to stay out past midnight on your own?
Yes to all three
Go on your own
On a clear active night the aurora is often visible from the outskirts of Fairbanks; drive out of town away from the lights.
No to any of them
Book the tour
Hotel pickup, a guide who knows the dark spots, photos, and on the longer tours the Arctic Circle or the hot springs.
Check dates →The Top Three Side by Side
Prices as listed on GetYourGuide, October 2026.
| Feature | TOP PICK Northern Lights Tour with Free Photos … | Arctic Circle Northern Lights Full-Day Trip | Northern Lights & Chena Hot Springs Tour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From US$225/per person | From US$330 (Oct 2026) | From US$275 (Oct 2026) |
| Rating | 4.8/5 (289 reviews) | 4.5/5 (173 reviews) | 4.5/5 (178 reviews) |
| Operator | Arctic Night Tours | 1st Alaska Tours | Alaska Wild Lights |
| Free Cancellation | Yes, up to 24 hours ahead | Yes, up to 24 hours ahead | See the tour's terms |
| Check Availability | View This Tour | View This Tour |
Other Alaska Northern Lights Tours
A full day to the Arctic Circle, an evening at Chena Hot Springs, and a dog sled ride with dinner.
ARCTIC CIRCLEFrom Fairbanks: Arctic Circle Northern Lights Full-Day Trip
Experience some of Alaska’s most iconic sights on one tour
HOT SPRINGSFairbanks: Northern Lights & Chena Hot Springs Tour
Scenic drive through Alaska’s interior with chances to spot wildlife.
DOG SLEDFairbanks: Moonlight Dog Sled, Dinner & Northern Lights
Experience the magic of a moonlit dog sled ride
The Alaska Northern Lights Guide
Which Tour to Book
Nine tours compared on length, inclusions and price.
Fairbanks has some of the clearest winter sky on this site: NASA’s climatology puts typical January night cloud there near 54%, for about 6.5 clear dark hours a night in January, more than twice Tromsø’s 2.6 (estimates). At 65.0° geomagnetic latitude it sits under the oval. The tour most guests rate is Arctic Night Tours’ chase with free photos, from US$225 as of October 2026.
Check dates for the Arctic Night Tours chase →
When to go
From September to March the nights are long enough. The best months on our measure are December, January and February. Late August and September bring the first dark nights; in 2015 to 2025, 24% of September’s dark hours at Fairbanks had Kp 3 or more.
The tours compared
| Tour (operator) | From | Rating (reviews) | What stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase with free photos (Arctic Night Tours) | US$225 | 4.8 (289) | Hotel pickup, photos, snacks on longer tours |
| Arctic Circle full-day trip (1st Alaska Tours) | US$330 | 4.5 (173) | Leaves 1 pm, Arctic Circle certificate, no refund if no lights |
| Northern lights and Arctic Circle (Alaska Wild Lights) | US$363 | 4.4 (137) | Full refund up to 7 days before |
| Northern lights and Chena Hot Springs (Alaska Wild Lights) | US$275 | 4.5 (178) | Ice Museum and hot springs admission |
| Moonlight dog sled and dinner (1st Alaska Tours) | US$320 | 4.5 (140) | A salmon dinner in a yurt |
| Aurora photography tour from Anchorage (Alaska Photo Treks) | US$325 | 4.5 (46) | For Anchorage visitors |
Prices in US dollars, ratings and review counts as listed on GetYourGuide in October 2026; they change with the date you pick.
All prices in US dollars as listed on GetYourGuide in October 2026.
Do you need a tour in Fairbanks?
On a clear night the lights can show from the edge of town, and the forecast is free. A tour adds the warmth and the know-how: pickup at your hotel, a guide who knows the dark domes and pull-outs, and photos taken for you while you watch. The full-day trips add the Arctic Circle on the way. For a single page on the Fairbanks tours, fairbanksnorthernlightstour.com compares them in more detail.
Guest Reviews
What Recent Guests Say
4.8/5
from 289 verified reviews
"The BEST!! If you only have one tour agency to book for your aurora chase, I'd highly recommend Arctic Night Tours. I did two nights with them and they tried their best to find the best place to see the northern lights. On one night, we needed to drive more than 3 hours (one way) just so we can see the aurora and able to reach Fairbanks at 5AM. Elena and Ed are very knowledgeable and I really admire that they are very enthusiastic whenever the northern lights show up even though they've seen it many times already. Also, other agencies charge extra for photos/edited photos but Arctic Night Tours price already includes the photos (lots of them) and they are beautifully taken. Book it!"
"It was a perfect, magical night. Ed and Elena were incredibly attentive and kept taking photos for everyone, capturing perfect shots. The vehicle was comfortable and warm, and there was plenty of food and water. The timing, the location, and the people all came together perfectly!"
"Ed and Elena and the other tour guides were the best! We stopped a few times before the Arctic Circle sign destination because they didn’t want us to miss the aurora explosions happening. This was on the night of October 3 and the aurora was all around us, dancing above us in the sky! They were so professional and still so enthusiastic for us to see and experience the aurora sightings! My best friend and I highly recommend them! They will make sure that you’ll see the aurora wherever they might spawn. 😊"
"The tour was everything that I have hoped for. Thank you so much for a very wonderful experience and getting my bucket list checked!"
"650字元內版本： Thank you, Elena and your partner, for an unforgettable aurora chase! Despite the snow and thick clouds, you searched with us until 5 a.m. and drove to within 100 miles of Canada. We reached our hotel near 7:30 a.m., exhausted, yet Elena still gave us little farewell cakes. She used Google Translate in Chinese to explain the aurora, played aurora sounds, took photos, and introduced the scenery. Her partner drove safely, and the 10-seat van was comfortable. Our “prayer dance” lifted our spirits, and Elena encouraged us with warmth and plenty of snacks. We missed the dancing aurora, but this adventure left us very satisfied. 感謝那天追車冒險，雖然我們因為費爾班下雪又一大片雲不離開，最後我們堅持到五點才返程， 但還是沒有看到舞動的極光，到達飯店時接近七點半，導遊們和我們看起來很疲憊了但elena還給我們準備了小蛋糕作為最後的禮物 一路上elena 特地使用估狗翻譯，邊耐心地向我們介紹極光，邊播放選了我們的語言中文，還給我們聽極光摩擦的音頻， 還有elena的夥伴一路上開車載著我們就差一百英里到加拿大邊境，這大約三個小時的車程我們坐十人座的保母車，坐的很舒適，還有elena幫我們拍照和介紹風景時還好有大哥的瞻前顧後，我們才能在無人的公路上安心的欣賞山景和湖景， 當我們失落沒有極光而跳著祈禱舞苦中作樂時，elena 還很溫暖的稱讚我們，不論是心靈上的支持和安慰，還有滿滿的零食給我們補給，這段冒險讓我們很滿足"
"Absolute 5-star experience with Arctic Night Tours! We booked a two-day Aurora chase, and they completely blew us away with their dedication. On day one, the weather was tough and we couldn't spot the Northern Lights. However, our incredible guides, Ed and Elena, didn't give up. They drove us far out to give us the best chance, and even captured breathtaking photos of the Milky Way with their professional gear, making the night feel special anyway! We loved their energy so much that we rebooked for day two—and it was pure magic! They tracked conditions perfectly, took us to the right spots, and we saw so many vibrant Auroras. They clicked stunning photos and captured beautiful time-lapses for us. To top it all off, they provided snacks and handled door-to-door logistics, picking us up and dropping us off right outside our Airbnb. They truly go extra steps to look after their guests. Unforgettable tour, highly recommend booking with Ed and Elena!"
"Was really perfect this trip. The Northern Lights was amazing. The tour guide was very friendly. I am highly recommend this tour to everyone."
Read all 289 verified reviews
See All ReviewsPick a Night, See the Price
Most northern lights tours on this site cancel free up to 24 hours ahead, and several offer a free second tour or a refund if the lights do not show. Check the terms of the tour you pick before you pay. Starting from US$225 per person.
Check AvailabilityFAQ: Northern Lights in Alaska
The tours, the odds and the season, with figures checked October 2026.
Yes, Fairbanks has some of the clearest winter sky on this site. NASA's climatology puts January night cloud near 54% and Fairbanks sits under the oval at 65.0° geomagnetic latitude, checked October 2026.
Sometimes, on strong nights. Anchorage is further south than Fairbanks; Alaska Photo Treks runs an aurora photography tour from Anchorage, listed in October 2026.
Mostly no. 1st Alaska Tours says there is no refund if the aurora cannot be seen; Alaska Wild Lights offers a full refund up to 7 days before the tour, as listed in October 2026.
September to March, when the nights at Fairbanks get at least four hours of nautical darkness. Darkness, not the aurora, sets the season this far north: from May to July the sky never gets dark enough. Computed with JPL DE421 via Skyfield for the town, checked October 2026.
December, January and February, on this site's measure: the most dark hours that are also cloud-free on average. That is the night length times the share of clear nights in NASA POWER's 2001-2025 night-cloud climatology. September and March also see more Kp 3+ activity, the equinox effect NOAA describes. Checked October 2026.
About Kp 0.5 brings the edge of the auroral oval over Fairbanks, an estimate. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center puts the oval's edge near 66 degrees geomagnetic latitude at Kp 0, moving about 2 degrees per Kp step; Fairbanks sits near 65.0 degrees geomagnetic. Higher Kp means brighter, more active displays, and cloud matters more than the number on most nights.
Still have questions? Email us at info@northernlightsdestinations.com
Kp index: GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences (Matzka et al. 2021), CC BY 4.0 · Oval rule of thumb: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center · Geomagnetic pole: NOAA NCEI (WMM2025) · Night cloud: NASA POWER Project, January 2001 to December 2025 · Tonight's cloud: data from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0); Kp forecast: NOAA SWPC · Sun and moon: JPL DE421 via Skyfield · Aurora data checked October 2026.