Table of Contents:
Tour Overview:
Being able to see the Northern Lights has been on my bucket list for awhile and was the inspiration behind my vacation to Alaska. I’ve seen so many pictures of green, swirling lights dancing across the sky and was determined to see them in person.
After doing some research, I decided that Fairbanks, Alaska would be the best place for me to try to see the lights. I found the tour company called Incredible Aurora Viewing Adventure, which had a lot of great features, including:
A guarantee of seeing the lights (otherwise they would issue a refund)
They would pick a location best for that day’s Aurora forecast
Take free pictures of your group
Provide free beverages and snacks
What more could you ask for?!
My advice would be to pick a tour that doesn’t have a fixed location so the tour can adjust based on the Aurora forecast. Murphy’s Dome and Chena Hot Springs are popular viewing locations, but if there is cloud coverage over those sites, having a tour company that is flexible and will drive you to a different location will ensure you get the best possible views.
Remember, the Aurora is weather dependent. You will need to watch the forecast for a high Kp index and low cloud coverage. Kp index indicates the expected geomagnetic activity, the higher the better for your chances to see Aurora.
How to book:
I decided to book online directly through the tour provider, Aurora in Alaska LLC. Their tours were also available through Viator but had a slight markup. I also thought it would be easier to deal directly with the tour provider if we needed to reschedule or get a refund if the lights weren’t visible on the night of our tour.
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What to Expect:
The tour is advertised to run between 10pm and 3am. The morning of my tour I received a text message from the tour provider confirming it was going to be a good night night to view the Aurora Borealis. Pickup at my hotel was scheduled for between 9pm - 10pm I got a second message around 8pm with my specific pickup time which they were very prompt for. This was very helpful as part of my group wanted to nap before the tour so it helped everyone plan their night accordingly.
The tour operates with several sprinter vans that transports you to the viewing locations. That night there were 2 vans with approximately 10-15 people on the tour. The tour was run by two drivers and two photographers, so there was always someone available to answer questions or help take pictures.
That night, our viewing site was Olnes Pond Campground, which is about 30 minutes outside of Fairbanks. The area was very secluded and we were the only group at that site so it was easy to setup our camera gear and not worry about people getting in the way. The pond also added a cool element as you could see the reflection of the lights in it.
The team set up a drink station with water, coffee, hot chocolate and some hard seltzers. They also had reindeer hot dogs that you could roast over the fire pits. The team did a great job with their setup as there were plenty of drinks and snacks to entertain the group for the night. The vans were also running if you wanted to sit down and warm up.
Just to be clear on expectations for the tour, you will be standing outside after 10pm in a pitch black campground. When I was there in mid-September the temperature was about 20 degrees that night, which is probably warm for Alaska. You will need to bundle up to stay warm as you’ll be outside for several hours.
I would also suggest having a headlamp or be prepared to use the flashlight on your phone for extended periods of time as it’s hard to see while you are walking around. You do need to be careful with your light usage, as it needs to be dark to take pictures of Aurora. Therefore, you don’t want to have your flashlight on while others are trying to take pictures.
The lights started to become visible around 11pm with a faint grey/green band forming across the sky. A second band formed shortly thereafter with the green intensifying and some patches of red becoming visible. The two bands looked almost like a rainbow. From there we got an absolutely amazing show as the Aurora started to swirl across the sky for the next two hours.
To capture the best pictures I would recommend having a tripod even if you are taking pictures with your phone. I would suggest doing some online research on your camera settings and practicing before you go on the tour. That night we had a mirrorless dslr camera and my iPhone 11 Pro. Below are pictures with the mirrorless dslr camera.
I was actually impressed with some of the pictures I got with my iPhone. I set my iPhone up on a tripod and set it to night mode with a 30 second exposure. Pictures below are taken from my iPhone in the native Camera app.
There was a professional photographer on the tour with us, Tim Bank, who took amazing
pictures of the group. Make sure you follow him on Instagram or Facebook to see some of his other work. A pro tip that Tim used was having us hold a lantern so we could be lit in the picture. Without the light you will just be a dark figure in the picture.
The other photographer on the tour would shine her flashlight on you for a few seconds and then turn it off during the photo’s exposure. Those pictures were ok, but Tim’s method produced better portraits.
Remember to also take a break from your camera and just enjoy the show!
By 1A.M. the lights started to dim and most of the people were sitting in the vans trying to stay warm, so the tour providers started to pack up. Although the tour is scheduled to run from 10pm - 3am, I greatly appreciated the tour wrapping up early as most of us were tired and cold at that point.
This is such a once in a lifetime experience that you don’t want to miss out on. The tour company did a great job of making sure we were in a high visibility area and had everything we needed to be comfortable for the night.
While there is no guarantee you will be able to see the lights, there is a saying that if you spend at least 3 nights in Fairbanks there is a 90% chance you will see them. If seeing Aurora Borealis is important to you, make sure you leave the appropriate amount of time in your travel itinerary as it’s totally worth it.
Crushed it!
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