Northern Lights tour Fairbanks: SkyChase with Aurora Guarantee

Five hours chasing clear skies instead of waiting in one spot

SkyChase is a Northern Lights tour from Fairbanks that uses real-time weather and solar tracking to move you to the clearest skies each night. You travel in a heated Mercedes Sprinter van, stop at high-elevation viewpoints like Murphy Dome and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, and stay warm at a mobile Aurora lodge with a campfire meal and Borealis Brew bar. Professional photographers capture unlimited images and time-lapse video. If no Aurora is visible to the eye or camera on a guaranteed night, you get 50% back or a free rebook.

Step-by-step itinerary

Northern Lights chase from Fairbanks

• Depart from Fairbanks base
• Travel in heated Mercedes Sprinter van
• Pass Santa Claus House in North Pole
• Visit Murphy Dome for panoramic views
• Explore Chena Hot Springs region
• Consider Two Rivers and Pleasant Valley area
• Check Ester Dome for clear skies
• Optionally head to Nenana Hills region
• Relax at mobile Aurora lodge
• Enjoy twilight campfire meal
• Sip drinks at Borealis Brew Bar
• Receive unlimited Aurora portraits
• Use tripod rental and night-lapse video

The experience

Five hours is the window, but the route changes every night. Your Auro-meteorologist reads solar activity, cloud cover and weather patterns in real time, then directs the van toward whichever of the pre-approved locations (Murphy Dome, Ester Dome, Chena Hot Springs region, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Viewpoint) has the clearest skies that evening. You're not sitting in a parking lot hoping the clouds break. You're moving toward the Aurora instead of waiting for it to find you.

The van is heated and winterized, and most nights a mobile Aurora lodge follows behind so you can step out of the cold between viewing windows. A twilight campfire meal (Alaskan reindeer sausage or vegan option) happens early in the evening, and the Borealis Brew Bar keeps hot and cold drinks flowing throughout. You get a Solo Stove fire pit on most nights, tripod rentals if you want them, and hands-on camera support from the guide. Hotel or B&B pickup within five miles of downtown Fairbanks is included, so the logistics stop at the van door.

The professional photographers on board capture unlimited Aurora portraits, a 360° time-lapse video of the night, and downloadable images you keep. If the Aurora doesn't show on a night marked as guaranteed, you walk away with a 50% refund or a free rebooking: the only tour in Fairbanks with that promise. A guaranteed night is based on real-time conditions. If any Aurora is visible by eye or camera, the night counts as fulfilled.

What’s included

• Hotel or B&B pickup and drop-off within five miles of downtown Fairbanks.
• heated, winterized Mercedes Sprinter van.
• mobile Aurora lodge on most nights.
• twilight campfire meal with Alaskan reindeer sausage or vegan option.
• Borealis Brew Bar with 8+ hot and cold drinks.
• unlimited professional Aurora photography and downloadable images.
• 360° time-lapse video of the night.
• tripod rentals and hands-on camera support.
• real-time Aurora tracking with the Lights-for-Life Formula.
• a personal Auro-meteorologist who predicts visibility by blending Aurora and weather data.
• Solo Stove fire pits on most nights.
• live English-speaking guide.
• Aurora Guarantee: 50% refund or free rebooking if no Aurora is visible on a guaranteed night.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 22:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (under 3)

GroupUp to 60

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 33 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcome

Operated by Aurora In Alaska

Is this one for you?The tour runs five hours with movement between multiple high-elevation locations each night, so you're on your feet getting in and out of the van and standing outside in Alaskan winter cold. Book this if you want the Aurora tracked and chased in real time instead of waiting at a fixed viewpoint, and if the professional photography and the Aurora Guarantee matter more than a private van or a smaller group.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (under 3).

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.

What does the SkyChase tour actually do differently from other Northern Lights tours in Fairbanks?

SkyChase uses the Lights-for-Life Formula to track weather, clouds and solar activity in real time, then moves the van to whichever high-elevation location has the clearest skies that night instead of staying in one spot. Most other tours depart to a fixed location. This one chases the Aurora to wherever conditions are best.

What happens if I don't see the Northern Lights on the night I book?

If no Aurora is visible to the eye or camera on a night marked as guaranteed, you receive either a 50% refund or a free rebooking. A guaranteed night is based on real-time conditions at the time of booking. If any Aurora is visible by eye or camera, the night is considered fulfilled.

What's included in the price, and what do I need to bring?

The tour includes hotel or B&B pickup within five miles of downtown Fairbanks, a heated van, a mobile Aurora lodge on most nights, a twilight campfire meal with Alaskan reindeer sausage or vegan option, drinks from the Borealis Brew Bar, unlimited professional Aurora photography and a 360° time-lapse video, tripod rentals, and hands-on camera support from a live guide. Bring one backpack per person. All guests, regardless of age, require a ticket.

How long is the tour, and what time does it depart?

The tour runs five hours each night. Departure time is set based on real-time Aurora and weather conditions. Your guide will confirm the exact pickup time when you book.

Which locations might we visit during the tour?

The van travels to whichever pre-approved locations offer the clearest skies that night. Common stops include Murphy Dome and Ester Dome for their elevation and low light pollution, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Viewpoint, Chena Hot Springs region, and areas around North Pole, Alaska. On rare clear-sky nights, you may glimpse the Alaska Range from elevated viewpoints.

What's the group size, and will I have a private van?

The heated Mercedes Sprinter van holds up to 14 guests per departure, so you're sharing the ride and the experience with other Aurora chasers. This keeps costs down and means you're not the only one celebrating when the lights appear.