Northern Lights Cleary Summit: Glass House Photography

Stand beneath the aurora’s glow in a cozy glass house with panoramic views

This activity takes you to the Aurora Glass House at Cleary Summit, a remote cabin with floor-to-ceiling windows built for Northern Lights viewing and photography. A guide leads the outing, which runs about five hours and includes hot cocoa, coffee, snacks and aurora portrait photography when conditions allow. The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon and cannot be guaranteed. Weather changes fast in Alaska, so the operator typically does not cancel due to shifting conditions.

The experience

You head to Cleary Summit in an air-conditioned vehicle with your guide, arriving at the 270° Aurora Glass House: a cabin designed entirely around watching the sky. The windows wrap the space so thoroughly that you can track the lights without stepping outside, but the door is always open: when the aurora moves or intensifies, you walk straight out into the dark to stand beneath it. Between arrivals, there's hot cocoa, coffee and snacks inside, so the waiting is not a hardship.

The glass house sits far enough from city lights that the aurora has room to show itself. If the lights appear, the guide handles aurora portrait photography, capturing you against the glow so you have proof of the night beyond what your phone can catch. The activity runs five hours, which is the window aurora typically needs to develop: sometimes it arrives early, sometimes late, and sometimes the clouds win. The operator does not cancel for weather shifts, which is how a five-hour window becomes a real chance instead of a gamble against the forecast.

You can book this two ways: self-drive to Cleary Summit on your own, or include transportation from your hotel or pickup point. Either way, the glass house, the guide, the hot cocoa and the photography services are the same. Children from age two are welcome, and the activity suits all fitness levels since most of the night happens indoors or standing still outside.

What’s included

• Guided transfer to the Aurora Glass House at Cleary Summit (when you choose the transportation option).
• a cozy cabin with floor-to-ceiling windows.
• hot cocoa, coffee and snacks.
• aurora portrait photography when the lights are visible.
• air-conditioned vehicle for the drive.

Options for this experience

2 options

Self-Drive (No Transportation)Guide in English · Available from 15 Jan 2027Duration: 4 hours. Meet on site, transportation not included, 10:00 pm to 2:00 am. Tea, coffee, hot cocoa and snacks. Pick-up and drop-off not included. Pickup is included

Photography-inclusive 5-hour Aurora lodge viewing, with transportationGuide in English · 21:30Pickup is included

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Information

Lasts 5h, runs every day at 21:30, from US$ 99 per person, with a live guide in English and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 21:30Another time? ›

GroupUp to 30

Live guideEnglishOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 20 pickup points.

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (17 to 64 years) · Senior (65 to 88 years) · Youth (6 to 16 years) · Child (2 to 5 years)

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by Amazing Aurora Tour

Is this one for you?Book the transportation option if you want to arrive rested and let the guide handle the route, or choose self-drive if you have a rental car and prefer to control your own timing. Either way, the five-hour window and the glass house setup give the aurora real time to develop. This is not a quick drive-by, but a full night of waiting and watching in a place built for it.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (6 to 16 years); Child (2 to 5 years).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

Can you really see the Northern Lights from inside the glass house?

Yes, the 270° windows let you watch the aurora without leaving the warmth of the cabin. You can also step outside anytime for a closer view or better photography, so you choose whether to stay inside or venture into the cold.

What happens if the Northern Lights don't show up?

The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon and cannot be guaranteed. The operator does not typically cancel due to weather changes, so you spend the five hours at the glass house waiting and watching, but there is no refund if the lights do not appear.

Is the aurora portrait photography included?

Yes, when the lights are visible, the guide provides aurora portrait photography so you have images of yourself against the glow. If the lights do not appear, this service is not applicable.

How long does the whole activity take?

The outing runs about five hours, which is the typical window the Northern Lights need to develop. This includes travel time to Cleary Summit, time at the glass house, and the wait for the aurora to appear.

Do I need to drive myself, or is transportation included?

You have two options at checkout: self-drive to Cleary Summit on your own, or book the five-hour experience with guided transportation from your hotel or pickup point. Both include the glass house, guide, refreshments and photography services.