Alaska Northern Lights Tours

The aurora borealis can dominate the sky over Alaska with dazzling, magical displays unsurpassed anywhere in the world. Given the right conditions and viewing locale, these dancing bars of light might shimmer right over head, ranging from subtle green columns to vast red curtains that fill the entire sky. Thousands of people travel to Alaska every winter to see and photograph this otherworldly polar phenomena. Here’s how to join the quest.

When is the best time to see the Aurora?

The viewing season lasts almost seven months, so the best time to seek the aurora really depends upon what else you want to do during your visit. Depending upon cloud cover and weather, Alaska nights can be dark enough to highlight great auroras between mid-August through mid-April. It’s a myth that you must travel to the state only during the deep winter, when darkness can last 16-18 hours per day. Sometimes the season’s most spectacular auroras occur during September or October, or during March and April.

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Are you interested in winter sports—dog mushing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling? January through March will be your prime time. Holiday oriented? Try weeks during November and December. Want to drive the road system, do some hiking and maybe even visit Denali National Park while the road’s still open or the Kenai Fjords on a boat tour? August through mid-September can deliver fabulous aurora viewing too.

The aurora doesn’t care about the date—as long as it’s dark at night!

Where Can I See the Aurora?

Try Fairbanks first. While the aurora can appear over every part of Alaska, from Barrow to Ketchikan, the chances improve with latitude. The main auroral band usually crosses the state in an arc north of the Alaska Range. So this interior city and the surrounding area (including Chena Hot Springs) is probably the state’s sweet spot for northern lights viewing. It’s where the frequency of bright displays dovetails with ease of accommodations and travel logistics. You can fly into Fairbanks and be at a world-class aurora viewing venue in less than an hour.

Auroras may occur even more often in and beyond the Brooks Range—Bettles, Coldfoot, Wiseman, Fort Yukon, Deadhorse (Prudhoe Bay) and Utqiaġvik (formerly known as Barrow.) But travel can be much more involved, and the weather can be cloudier.

But don’t count out southern Alaska! Southcentral Alaska—Anchorage, the Mat-Su valleys and the Kenai—all experience nights with terrific auroral displays. Just not as often as Fairbanks and parts north. In a natural paradox, nights will be slightly longer in Southcentral than in the Interior during the weeks just before and after the equinoxes, slightly improving the prospects for August-September and March-April. See our Anchorage aurora guide.

Southeast Alaska locales also experience auroras, but the frequency falls off as you go further south. Add in the cloudiness of the region’s rain forest climate, and you should not travel to these areas primarily to see auroras.

What Does an Aurora Vacation Look Like?

• First, think of it as a quest. You are trying to witness one of the grandest spectacles in nature, but one that can be fickle and shy, somewhat like a wild animal. Just as brown bears loom unpredictably during a photo safari into Denali, or killer whale pods might not surface during the first hours of a cruise, the aurora can be elusive and must be pursued. It’s an adventure! (With a huge payoff.)
• Most people spend about five to seven days start-to-finish, which gives time to wait out cloudy weather or less-than-prime forecasts. It can work as three- or four-day trip centered on a weekend, but then you will need to be more focused.
• Dedicate at least three nights to viewing the aurora. Finding a venue or a situation where you can comfortably stay up between 10 pm and 3 am increases your chances and adds to the fun. When prospects are good, the aurora can erupt at any moment.
• Fill your days with other activities. Every community beneath the aurora offers many options for outdoor adventures and indoor attractions all season long. What exactly you do will depend upon the date you arrive. For ideas, start with three of our advice pages—Things to Do in Alaska, Winter Vacation Tips and Alaska Travel Tips.
• The aurora’s seven-month season spans from late summer to early spring, with possible night-time temperatures ranging from the summery 60s to subzero cold. We have detailed advice on picking the right clothing to be comfortable during your stay.
• Variety. Aurora viewing has inspired a whole support industry, especially in Fairbanks and surrounding communities. You can book a package or combine a variety of experiences. It’s possible to ride a van to the Arctic Circle one night, hunker down inside a cozy lodge or special aurora watching facility with webcams (and hot chocolate) on the second, then go night-time ice fishing or soak in the hot springs on the third. These options will include expert guides to maximize your chances and explain what you see.
   

Check out our Alaska aurora tips and Kory’s Fairbanks Aurora Advice.