Alaska is one of the world’s best places to catch the northern lights, with scenic destinations, exhilarating tours, cruises and even hotels offering unique experiences for seeing the natural phenomenon.
Read on to learn more about the variety of options for viewing the northern lights in Alaska, as well as the best time to visit.
— The best time to see the northern lights in Alaska
— Northern lights forecast for Alaska
— Where to see the northern lights in Alaska
— Northern lights Alaska cruises
— Alaska northern lights tours
The best time to see the northern lights in Alaska
According to the Alaska Travel Industry Association, the best time to see the northern lights is from Aug. 21 to April 21, also known as the Aurora Season. While the aurora can appear at any time of night, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. are the prime viewing hours.
The winter solstice — which is the shortest day of the year, typically falling between Dec. 20 and 23 — is a particularly good time to be in Alaska for the northern lights. This day affords less daylight and more time to spot the aurora. In parts of Alaska, the amount of daylight during the winter solstice can range from around six hours in Anchorage to less than four further north in Fairbanks. Up in remote Utqiagvik (formerly called Barrow), about 320 miles north of the Arctic Circle, there are roughly 67 days of darkness from Nov. 18 to Jan. 23, resulting in even more opportunities to spot the northern lights.
Northern lights forecast for Alaska
Experts say these are the best northern lights forecasting resources to reference ahead of and during your trip:
— Aurora Tracker: Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced aurora chaser, you’ll appreciate Explore Fairbanks’ real-time Aurora Tracker. This online reference shows up-to-the-minute information on the temperature, weather and likelihood of catching the northern lights in Fairbanks. Much of the data comes from one of the world’s foremost aurora research centers, the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska–Fairbanks. To further assist in your search, you can also download the My Aurora Forecast & Alerts app on your smartphone.
— Aurora Forecast: For other parts of the state, the Geophysical Institute website’s Aurora Forecast has daily forecasts of geomagnetic activity up to three days in advance and taken at three-hour intervals. There’s also a summation on the webpage of whether the aurora will be active — or not — and where you’ll find the best visibility in Alaska.
Where to see the northern lights in Alaska
Below are the top destinations to consider when deciding where to see the northern lights in Alaska.
Fairbanks
Fairbanks, known as the Golden Heart of Alaska, sits at 65 degrees north latitude, making it an excellent choice for aurora hunters, especially first-timers. It’s easily accessible and offers plenty of accommodations, restaurants and other unique attractions. You can also be outside of Fairbanks within minutes to find excellent northern lights viewing locales.
Your chances of seeing the aurora display are excellent as the city sits where the activity of the polar lights is concentrated — under the ring-shaped zone known as the auroral oval. Local experts say that on clear evenings when the sky is very dark, you should be able to witness the skies light up on an average of four out of five nights in Fairbanks.
Where to stay:
— Aurora Villa: Located on the outskirts of Fairbanks, Aurora Villa offers luxurious guest rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows for viewing the northern lights in a cozy private space. The modern wooden cabin sits on 10 acres surrounded by forested hills, yet it’s close enough to the city (less than 15 miles northeast) to explore all that Fairbanks has to offer.
— Pike’s Waterfront Lodge: Located along the Chena River in Fairbanks, just minutes from Fairbanks International Airport, this property offers 180 rooms and 28 cabins for aurora-hunting adventurers. As a guest of the lodge, you can request that the front desk alert you when the northern lights appear — no matter the time of day or night. Pike’s Waterfront Lodge also offers amenities to keep guests warm while viewing the light show outdoors.
Talkeetna
Talkeetna sits about 115 miles north of Anchorage in south-central Alaska, at the base of Denali, the tallest mountain peak in North America. With its old clapboard buildings, log cabins and roadhouse dating back to 1917, this historic town offers a lot of outdoor fun beyond chasing the aurora. Main Street is filled with galleries, shops, restaurants and a brewery. The quirky village, once a former mining town, was the inspiration for the imaginary borough of Cicely in the TV show “Northern Exposure.”
If you visit in December, check out the festivities at the monthlong Winterfest. This event features a parade of lights, a tree lighting ceremony and the Taste of Talkeetna food festival, plus entertaining events like the Bachelor Auction and the Wilderness Woman Competition.
When it’s time to look up in the sky for the lights, local aurora hunters recommend heading out of town to Christiansen Lake or past the airport on Beaver Road. If you prefer to stay close by, look north into the sky toward Denali from Talkeetna Riverfront Park.
Where to stay:
— Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge: Book a Mountain View room for views of Denali and the Alaskan Range. The cozy lodge offers multiple dining venues, including the award-winning Foraker Restaurant.
— Talkeetna Lakeside Cabins: These cabins provide peace and quiet on a private lake just 12 miles from Talkeetna.
Denali National Park
Denali National Park is another spectacular place to view the northern lights in Alaska — not to mention one of the top tourist attractions in the U.S. The National Park Service says almost everywhere within the park is free from city light pollution, so if the conditions are right (meaning that’s it’s clear and dark enough), you should be able to see the aurora borealis, especially when looking toward the northern horizon.
However, when wintertime rolls around — from September or October through April — it’s more difficult to access parts of the park, even though it’s open year-round. Keep in mind, too, that the lodges closest to the park are typically closed from mid-September to mid-May.
Where to stay: Located less than 15 miles from the Denali National Park entrance, the Aurora Denali Lodge offers year-round accommodations equipped with queen-sized beds, smart TVs and private bathrooms. Rates at the lodge include a continental breakfast, free Wi-Fi, free parking and complimentary hot drinks. What’s more, the property says visitors can expect plenty of wildlife sightings, such as bears, moose, lynxes, owls and snowshoe hares, just outside your door.
Coldfoot Camp
Coldfoot Camp is situated above the Arctic Circle in the Brooks Mountain Range, near the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The remote wilderness destination is ideal for aurora viewing since it sits directly under the auroral oval. It’s also the perfect locale for backcountry snowshoeing, wildlife viewing and dog mushing.
Where to stay:The Inn at Coldfoot Camp offers rustic accommodations located in trailers that once housed Alaskan pipeline workers. The rooms include two twin beds and a private bathroom and shower. Guests can dine at the on-site Trucker’s Cafe, which offers breakfast and dinner buffets in the summer months and all-day a la carte dining in the winter. When you’re ready for a cold one at the end of the day, check out the Frozen Foot Saloon and order an Alaska-brewed beer.
If you prefer camping and have your own gear, you can camp free of charge on the property during the summer months. Coldfoot Camp also hosts a selection of year-round Arctic adventures and excursions, including a trip to the nearby village of Wiseman for aurora viewing.
Wiseman
This remote wilderness retreat has just 13 full-time residents. Wiseman is located in Alaska’s Brooks Range, about 15 miles north of Coldfoot Camp, 60 miles north of the Arctic Circle and 270 miles from Fairbanks. The community sits directly under the auroral oval, making it one of the best places in Alaska to view the northern lights. You can expect to see the spectacle in the sky in Wiseman about 250 nights a year, especially between late August and mid-April.
Where to stay:
— Arctic Hive: Arctic Hive has the distinction of being the northernmost yoga studio in the U.S. A common fiberglass lodge allows guests to gather for cooking and meals, and meditation, educational gatherings and other activities are hosted in a geodesic dome. Arctic Hive also offers retreats that include northern lights viewing opportunities in February and March.
— Arctic Getaway: This bed-and-breakfast sits between the middle fork of the Koyukuk River and Wiseman Creek, offering three cabins. While here, you can learn what it’s like to homestead in Alaska above the Arctic Circle and enjoy outdoor activities like dog sled rides across the vast wilderness, cross-country skiing, pack rafting and flightseeing by bush plane.
— Boreal Lodging: Reachable by vehicle, Boreal Lodging has several rental options, ranging from lodge rooms to larger cabins with living areas and kitchens.
Nome
Located in western Alaska overlooking the Norton Sound of the Bering Sea, Nome is the ending point for the more than 1,000-mile, 51-year-old Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race in March. Once the most populated city in Alaska, Nome had almost 20,000 residents and an average of 1,000 new people arriving daily during the height of the gold rush in 1899. Nome is a little quieter now, with a population of less than 4,000 residents.
Where to stay: Some of the best spots for viewing the aurora are at the end of town, where the 52-room Aurora Inn & Suites is located. The hotel conveniently offers car rentals on-site.
Utqiagvik
Situated on the banks of the Arctic Ocean, Utqiagvik is the northernmost city in the U.S. The town, formerly known as Barrow, changed its name in 2016 back to Utqiagvik, its traditional Inupiaq name. Utqiagvik is only accessible by plane: Alaska Airlines and other regional carriers offer service from both Anchorage and Fairbanks.
Where to stay: For accommodations, make reservations at a hotel named for its location — the Top of the World Hotel. The property’s comfortable rooms offer views of the Arctic Ocean, and the on-site restaurant, Niggivikput (meaning “our place to eat”), serves traditional local dishes like reindeer soup. While you may be there for aurora hunting, don’t miss the excellent wildlife-viewing opportunities: You may see polar bears, caribou, foxes, bearded seals, whales, walruses, migratory birds and the great snowy owl on the tundra.
Borealis Basecamp
One of the best glamping destinations in the U.S., Borealis Basecamp is a remote 100-acre property that sits within a boreal forest 25 miles north of Fairbanks. The property features 20 individual igloos, resembling those you’d find at Arctic research stations and on polar expeditions, as well as five glass cubes. All accommodations allow guests to gaze up at the aurora and the starry night sky while snuggled up in bed. You’ll also enjoy many amenities you’d find in a hotel, including full bathrooms with toiletries and a selection of coffee, hot cocoa and tea.
Choose from a variety of packages that include accommodations and activities like dog-sledding, UTV tours, helicopter sightseeing experiences and more.
Northern lights Alaska cruises
One of the best times to cruise to Alaska is during the aurora season. Aurora season sailings will be available with the following cruise lines during these months in 2024:
— Celebrity Cruises: August and September 2024
— Carnival Cruise Line: April, August and September 2024
— Holland America Line: April, August and September 2024
— Lindblad Expeditions: August and September 2024
— Norwegian Cruise Line: April and August through October 2024
— Princess Cruises: April, August and September 2024
— Regent Seven Seas Cruises: August and September 2024
— Royal Caribbean International: August and September 2024
— Silversea Cruises: August and September 2024
If you’re interested in excursions for aurora viewing, look for a line that offers cruisetours, such as Holland America. These tours offer the best of both worlds, giving you time on land and at sea to view the dancing night sky. Holland America’s cruisetours range from overnight stays just 2 miles from Denali National Park at the McKinley Chalet Resort to a domed luxury train ride through Alaska’s backcountry on the McKinley Explorer. On a Tundra Wilderness Tour in Denali, look for Alaska’s “Big Five”: grizzly bears, moose, caribou, Dall sheep and wolves.
Just keep in mind that none of the above cruise lines can guarantee you’ll see the northern lights during your journey.
The best northern lights tours in Alaska
If you want to experience the aurora borealis by joining a tour group, you’ll find a variety of options led by expert guides and granting you easier access to many of the state’s remote destinations, often with other activities included. (Just be aware that, on any tour or excursion, there’s no way to guarantee that the aurora will be visible.) These are some of the best northern lights tours in Alaska:
Arctic Dog Adventure Co.: Aurora Overnight Tour
Dog-sledding is one of the top winter activities in Alaska, and you can choose to do it by day or night. If you want to experience an Alaska dog-sledding adventure while chasing the aurora, then book a once-in-a-lifetime experience with Arctic Dog’s Aurora Overnight Tour. Highlights of this two-day, one-night excursion — which starts in Fairbanks — are dog mushing your own sled team and glamping in a heated tent under an aurora-filled sky. Other features of the tour include cold weather gear, a photography lesson and Alaska-inspired meals.
View & Book Tickets: Arctic Dog Adventure Co.
Alaska Wildlife Guide: Northern Lights & Murphy Dome Tour
Located around 20 miles northwest of the city, Murphy Dome is regarded as one of the best places to watch the northern lights in Fairbanks at nearly 3,000 feet above sea level. This location, once home to Murphy Dome Air Force Station with as many as 250 personnel stationed at the base, now houses a long-range radar station that detects military air threats from overseas.
Alaska Wildlife Guide leads 5.5-hour northern lights tours to Murphy Dome, typically from late August to early April — you can check with the company for day-to-day tour availability. Excursion prices include round-trip transportation from Fairbanks, 360-degree views of the north-facing sky, hot beverages and bottled water — in addition to (hopefully) hours of memorable aurora viewing.
View & Book Tickets: Viator | Alaska Wildlife Guide
Alaska Wildlife Guide: Northern Lights & Arctic Circle Tour
This full-day (14-hour) excursion, also offered by Alaska Wildlife Guide, begins in Fairbanks and crosses the Arctic Circle into Alaska’s vast and remote wilderness. The tour includes a drive along the more than 800-mile Trans-Alaskan Pipeline and a half-mile walk along the loop at Finger Mountain with views overlooking the Kanuti Flats (depending on the season). Your guide will also stop along the riverbank after crossing the Yukon River Bridge.
During the tour, you’ll learn about the history of the pipeline and hear narratives around the other included stops. A snack and warm beverage are included; then, if conditions are just right, you’ll have the chance to see the brilliant light show dance across the dark, clear skies before you arrive back in Fairbanks at dawn.
View & Book Tickets: Viator | Alaska Wildlife Guide
Alaska Journey Tours: Northern Lights (Aurora) Chasing Tour
Get picked up at your Fairbanks hotel (or meet at the Hyatt Place Fairbanks) for this three-hour northern lights tour in a heated SUV. Guides take photos of tourgoers as well as their own photos of the night sky, which are later shared with the group. Recent travelers praise this tour, and appreciate that the guides are always determined to give them the best northern lights viewing experience.
View & Book Tickets: Viator | Alaska Journey Tours
Alaska Tours: Bettles Lodge Winter Adventure
Hosted by Alaska Tours, the Bettles Lodge Winter Adventure is available January to March and August to December. This excursion includes two, three or four nights at this wilderness lodge about 35 miles north of the Arctic Circle. During the winter days, enjoy outdoor Arctic sports such as snowshoeing and cross-country skiing or stay warm indoors chatting with other guests at the Aurora Lodge. In the evenings, you can bundle up and head outside at one of the best places in Alaska to see the spectacle in the sky.
Prices include round-trip airfare between Fairbanks and Bettles, accommodations at the lodge, meals, a village tour and complimentary use of the Arctic gear (in season).
View & Book Tickets: Alaska Tours
Alaska Photo Treks: Anchorage Aurora Quest
Alaska Photo Treks offers one of the best ways to see the northern lights in Anchorage — and you’ll even learn how best to photograph the aurora, which can be a challenge to capture digitally or on film. This experience, the Anchorage Aurora Quest, is available nightly (when conditions are right), typically from mid-August to mid-April. The approximately six-hour guided tour with a professional photographer explains the science behind the northern lights and provides photo tips for budding aurora photographers in a small-group format. Tourgoers are picked up from their hotel by the guide at about 10 p.m. and return around 4 a.m., though that time can vary based on the aurora forecast.
On the Alaska Photo Treks website, you’ll find a list of recommended camera equipment to bring. If you’re using a smartphone, the tour group suggests downloading an aurora app and bringing a tripod. The company also advises that you’ll be outdoors for about two hours, so you need to dress appropriately for the weather. For the best aurora viewing, the guides usually travel between one to three locations within a 70-mile radius of Anchorage. If you’re in town for an extended stay, Alaska Photo Treks also offers a four-day pass for even more nocturnal viewing of the auroral activity.
View & Book Tickets:Alaska Photo Treks
Alaska Tours: Chena Hot Springs and Northern Lights
Chena Hot Springs Resort is known for its therapeutic waters and aurora-viewing opportunities. If you prefer to head out with a guide rather than on your own, book the Chena Hot Springs and Northern Lights tour with Alaska Tours. This package includes a four- to five-hour Aurora Expedition tour, four nights of accommodations, and access to resort amenities including cross-country skiing and snow machine tours.
View & Book Tickets:Alaska Tours
Alaska Wildlife Guide: Northern Lights and Chena Hot Springs
Daytrips are also an option for those who’d like to enjoy the resort amenities and a chance at seeing the northern lights from Chena Hot Springs. This tour offered by Alaska Wildlife Guide include admission to the hot springs and Aurora Ice Museum as well as pickup from local hotels. Recent travelers say the tour guides are top-notch.
View & Book Tickets:Viator | GetYourGuide | Alaska Wildlife Guide
John Hall’s Alaska: Alaska’s Winter Wonders
For an extended land tour to chase the aurora — and experience Alaska’s magical winter wonderland ? book this bucket list eight-day adventure with John Hall’s Alaska. The company’s Alaska’s Winter Wonders tour is offered in February and March; it features up to seven nights of northern lights viewing, as well as adventure-filled days with skiing, snowmobiling and snowshoeing. You’ll also take an awe-inspiring flightseeing bush plane ride over Denali National Park, which includes a fly-by of the Foraker, Silverthorne, Hunter and Moose’s Tooth peaks before landing on the Great Gorge of Ruth Glacier — the deepest in the world.
If that’s not enough adventure, test your skills at dog mushing and curling or take an aerial tram ride. Travelers can also check out the local breweries or just sit back, relax and enjoy the spectacular views. Additional highlights include spending two evenings under the dancing night sky in one of the domed igloos at Borealis Basecamp, as well as aurora borealis photography lessons.
All-inclusive pricing covers accommodations, meals, luxury land and small plane transportation, fully guided service, gratuities, and baggage handling — plus a black subzero jacket to keep you warm during your Alaska adventure.
View & Book Tickets:John Hall’s Alaska
Why Trust U.S. News Travel
Gwen Pratesi is an avid travel adventurer who fell in love with Alaska on her first visit to the state many years ago. She’s returned several times on land trips and by ship for year-round outdoor adventure and to chase the northern lights in one of the best places on the planet to view them. She writes about the travel and culinary industries for a variety of major publications.
You might also be interested in:
— The Top Things to Do in Alaska
— The Top Places to See the Northern Lights
— How to See the Northern Lights in Iceland
— The Best Travel Insurance Companies
More from U.S. News
The 18 Best Places to See the Northern Lights
The Northern Lights in Iceland: How to See Them in 2023
The Northern Lights in Alaska: How to See Them in 2024 originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 07/07/23: This article was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
