Top Things to Do in Fairbanks, Alaska
For Thanksgiving weekend, my boyfriend Rolando and I decided to go to Fairbanks, Alaska to spend six days in subzero weather doing snow activities and of course, chasing the Aurora Borealis. Seeing the northern lights has always been on the top of my bucket list and we wanted to try out our luck.
Flights, Hotel, and Car Rental
We booked our flight, hotel, and car rental with Costco Travel. I compared their package price versus booking separately and I found that they have the best deal. The entire package costs roughly $3300. I have the executive membership at Costco so I’m also getting 2% cashback and another 2% back in my Citi card.
Flights
We flew with Alaska Airlines. We’ve flown with them before and we’ve always had a good experience. I suggest finding a flight that has only one stop (Seattle) instead of two (Seattle and Anchorage). The layover in Seattle is always around 50mins and some delays in the flight or getting off the plane would force you to run to the train shuttle that would take you to your connecting flight.
Hotel
We stayed at Hampton Inn & Suites Fairbanks. It was renovated in 2020 so the entire hotel looks clean and new. We booked a King Bedroom. It was spacious and clean. It had lots of storage space and a big bathroom. It had a microwave and a mini-fridge as well. Our check-in time was supposed to be 3:00PM but we arrived at Fairbanks at 6:00AM. Once we landed, I called the front desk to ask how early we can check-in and they let us check-in right away. They also serve hot breakfast which was very convenient to us so we wouldn’t have to go out of our way to get breakfast. The housekeeping staff cleaned our room more than three times and the entire staff were very attentive to our needs. It’s close to everything— restaurants, grocery stores, Costco, clothing stores, downtown Fairbanks, and many more.
Car Rental
We picked up our 2021 Ford F150 4WD rental from Enterprise at the airport by the luggage carousels. We purchased all sorts of insurance and roadside assistance for it because we were cautious of the driving conditions in Fairbanks and the places we wanted to go were 2hrs+ away. We had to pay an additional $335 for those. The pickup was very clean and new. My boyfriend had a blast driving it. It also had a lot of USB-A and USB-C ports, and power outlets. It drove very well in snow and ice.
What to Do in Fairbanks (and around it)
1. Book a Snow Machining Tour
We booked a snowmachining tour at Chena Hot Springs Resort. We also booked four other activities there that I will mention below. This activity was soooo fun! The snowmobiles (or machines, as they call it in Alaska) were easy to drive. The guide was very nice and he also initiated to take photos of us.
$65/adult, Chena Hot Springs Resort
2. Book a Dog Sledding Tour
We went to two dog sledding places: Paws for Adventure and Chena Hot Springs Resort. There wasn’t enough snow on the ground, so Paws for Adventure alerted us that they’re switching ours to a Fall Cart Ride. We rode in an ATV with Jessica who’s been doing dog mushing for 20 years. The dogs were given treats after the ride.
We also did dog sledding in Chena Hot Springs. Originally, we were only able to book for one person because the time slot was already fully booked. That’s also the reason why we booked with Paws for Adventure. However, when we got there to the Dog Yard at Chena, we told them about the situation and they let me ride for free! It was honestly better than the first one only because it was an actual dog sled compared to an ATV.
Paws for Adventure: $80/person for 20mins
Chena Hot Springs: $60/person for 20mins
3. Visit the Aurora Ice Museum
Also found at Chena Hot Springs Resort is the Aurora Ice Museum that’s definitely a must-see in Fairbanks! Completed in January 2005, it features several ice sculptures and a really cool (like literally) ice bar. The whole place stays at 25°F (-7°C) to keep the ice sculptures intact. I also purchased an appletini with my ticket that the bartender prepared in an ice sculpted martini glass. If you go in the summer and forget to bring a parka, they will let you borrow one of theirs!
$15/adult
$30/adult with an appletini
$10/child
Chena Hot Springs Resort
4. Dip in Chena Hot Springs
Believed to have healing capabilities, this natural hot spring contains minerals and is at a temperature of 105°F. We went there when the weather was at -29°F so the walk from the lockers to the hot spring was painfully cold but once we dipped in the water, it was very relaxing. Note that you’d need two quarter coins to use the lockers so if you’d need two lockers for your bulky parkas, make sure to bring extra change. You can only open the locker once and if you’d want to close it again, you’d have to pay another 50 cents. Also note that they don’t have shampoo, conditioner, and soap there so make sure to bring your own. They do have hairdryers. We wanted to stay there for hours but we had to get ready for our next activity.
Pool House and Hot Spring Day Pass: $20/person
Towel Service: $5/person
5. Book an Aurora Viewing Tour
We originally didn’t book an aurora tour because we were thinking we could do it ourselves (we researched some good viewing spots around Fairbanks). After we did the dog sledding, a lovely couple from Louisiana showed us their photos of the aurora the night before (it was cloudy in Fairbanks so we didn’t see them) that they captured from their aurora tour with Chena. We decided to book one right away for that night. We rode military-style SUSV (Small Unit Support Vehicle) for 30mins to get to Charlie Dome. We were then escorted to a big yurt with a lot of folding chairs and two space heaters. Chena also provided hot cocoa, tea, cup noodles, and other snacks to keep us warm and full while waiting for the aurora to show up. The entire tour was from 10:30PM to 3:00AM. At 1:30AM, we finally saw the first bright show of the aurora. It was breathtaking and just spectacular. It continued to show for a whole hour in different bands and shapes, and degrees of brightness. It was beautiful! It was -33°F so it was definitely freezing. A big tip is to bring a tripod for your phone or your camera to keep them steady because you would want long exposures to capture the aurora.
$75/person, Chena Hot Springs Resort
6. Hike to the Castner Glacier
This was probably the best tour we’ve had on the trip based on the quality of the tour, the actual glacier, and the photographs. We were running on 2hrs of sleep that day because we had the aurora viewing tour the night before, so right off the bat we were exhausted. We booked the tour with Steven Miley Photography. We originally booked a hike to Canwell Glacier but since we’re exhausted and didn’t sleep much, we opted for Castner instead for a much shorter hike. The hike was a total of 2.6mi (1.3mi each way). Our tour guide Steven met us in a strip mall at the Delta Junction where the last of civilization was. On our way to the start of the hike, we stopped by the side of the road to see caribous and beautiful sceneries. When we got to the beginning of the trail, Steven helped us get into the snowshoes he brought with him to help us hike through the snow. It’s very important to hire a tour guide because the entire area was covered in snow. There is a creek along the trail that branches off to different smaller creeks the further you go so it’s important that someone local takes you hiking. Steven’s very knowledgeable about the area and he knew exactly where to go. We stopped a couple of times to catch our breaths and he told us some fun facts about the area. Mind you, the creek was also covered in snow and not entirely frozen so if you accidentally step on the creek, you will definitely fall and get your lower body wet. Make sure to bring extra socks and clothes in case this happens. Better yet, hire a tour guide!
The glacier itself was stunning. It’s definitely something you’d want to see at least once in your life. You can go further in the cave, depending on the condition of the ground. Make sure to bring headlamps to be able to see further into the cave. Our tour guide is also a photographer and we paid extra to get our photos professionally taken. He was very patient with us and he’s very creative. He also made us climb the side of the glacier so he could take some candid shots. I’m extremely afraid of heights so this was a struggle for me, but he was helping and cheering me the entire time until I finally made it up there. My boyfriend patiently waited for me and we slid down the side of the glacier. It was actually fun and exhilarating! Steven offers many other tours all-year long and I 100% recommend him. We will definitely book more of his tours next time we’re in Alaska.
$300 (1 person), $350 (2 people), $450 (3 people) | Each extra person $75
Max Group Size: 10 Steven Miley Photography
7. Shop at Santa Claus House (and take a photo with Santa)
Just 20mins southeast of Fairbanks is North Pole, Alaska. Yes— it’s a town named North Pole! The streets have really cute names like Snowman Lane, Kris Kringle, Mistletoe, Blitzen, Donner, Saint Nicholas Drive, and North Star Drive. Of course, it wouldn’t be complete without the Santa Claus House! It’s one of the cutest souvenir stores around selling mainly Christmas ornaments and decorations. You can also take a picture with Santa at no cost (with your own phone). We went there at around 4:30PM so there wasn’t any light anymore but there’s a reindeer farm next door if you arrive early in the day.
8. Stroll in Downtown Fairbanks
Downtown Fairbanks is a cute little old downtown with local shops and restaurants. The conditions of the buildings are old but very charming. You can find all sorts of souvenirs and certified art pieces made by Native Alaskans. Make sure to look for the stamp/sticker where it says that it’s made by a native.
9. See the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System
The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System is one of the largest pipeline systems in the world. It spans 800.3mi long and it carries an average of 1.8 million barrels of oil a day.
10. Drink Water from the Fox Water Station
The Friends of Fox Spring, a nonprofit organization, privately funds this water facility that provides potable water to around 2000 Fairbanks residents. Our tour guide gave us paper cups to try the water out and it tasted really fresh! We saw a couple of cars parked close to the water station with big jugs of water to fill.
11. See the Arctic Circle
By “see”, I’m saying it pretty loosely here. We took a 14-hr tour to see the Arctic Circle. While I think this would be more worth it during the summer, we still tried getting to the Arctic Circle. It was definitely completely dark the entire ride 196mi north of Fairbanks. There were nine passengers in the van of our tour but the windows were completely covered in ice so we couldn’t see the views from the inside. Our tour guide, however, was very nice and she’s such a great driver. The condition of the Dalton Highway was pretty rough, but she was able to drive safely. We made a couple of stops to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, Fox Water Station, bathrooms, and a small store in the middle of nowhere. I honestly would recommend this tour in the summer and not in the winter because once you get to the Arctic Circle sign, all you could really do is take photos and that’s it.
$225/person, Viator
12. Visit the Museum of the North
The Museum of the North is located inside University of Alaska. It’s a small museum with a beautiful exterior and neat interior.
Adult (ages 13+ yrs) $16
Senior (ages 65+) & Veteran (with ID) $14
Local (with valid Alaska ID) $12
Alaska Active Duty Military $10
Youth (ages 5 - 12) $9
UA Staff, Faculty, & Students Free
Children (ages 4 and Under) Free
Museum of the North
In Conclusion
Fairbanks is beautiful! It’s definitely a must-visit city that offers so much. It’s one of the best places to see the aurora borealis. Spotting wildlife (caribous, moose, red fox, flying squirrels, and a variety of birds) is very exciting. The mountains and alps are scenic. Denali National Park would keep you in awe. Chena Hot Springs Resort offers a lot of snow activities and their hot springs is the most relaxing places to be at. Seeing the beautiful glaciers after a long hike would give you a sense of content. We can’t wait to visit Fairbanks in the summer to enjoy activities under the sun!
