Things to do in Fairbanks
The unmissables
Most booked
Snowmobile Ride Fairbanks Alaska: 60 Minutes Frozen Backcountry★ 4.97 (1,727) · 1h 30m
Top rated
North Pole: Dog Sledding Tour & Alaskan Huskies Meet★ 4.96 (1,613) · 30m
Best value
Fairbanks: Riverboat Discovery Cruise & Chena Village Tour★ 4.64 (1,533) · 3h
Recommended (7)
Fairbanks: Northern Lights & Chena Hot Springs with Ice Museum★ 4.61 (1,344) · 10hUS$ 275View ›
Fairbanks: Arctic Circle & Northern Lights with Dalton Highway★ 4.62 (984) · 12h–14hUS$ 363View ›
Guided Snowmobile Tour near Fairbanks: Alaska Pipeline & Wildlife★ 4.93 (853) · 1hUS$ 179View ›
Fairbanks: Northern Lights Chase & Mobile Aurora Lodge Tour★ 4.84 (789) · 5hUS$ 335View ›
Fairbanks: Arctic Circle Day Tour & Dalton Highway★ 4.70 (730) · 13hUS$ 335View ›
Fairbanks: Northern Lights Aurora Tour with Free Photography★ 4.90 (557) · 8h–12hUS$ 225View ›
Fairbanks & North Pole: Heritage Sights, Museum & Santa Stop★ 4.81 (529) · 5h 30mUS$ 185View ›Top rated (10)
Fairbanks: Private Dog Sledding Yukon Quest Trail & YurtYou’ll bundle up in Fairbanks’ deep winter, meet each husky by name, then glide along the historic Yukon Quest trail wrapped in furs under open sky. Expect laughter over tangled boots, warm moments inside a Mongolian yurt, and quiet awe when you pause on a frozen pond with your dog team.
Aurora Photography Tour Fairbanks: Professional Portraits & PizzaThis is a small-group aurora photography tour in Fairbanks led by Nathan, a professional portrait photographer with over 7 years of aurora experience and 25 years of Alaskan wilderness skills. You'll drive 15–40 miles north of the city to a viewing location, learn to photograph the northern lights with your own camera, receive free professional portraits lit with studio techniques, and spend the waiting hours in a heated shelter with wood-fired pizza and hot drinks. The tour runs 6 hours and includes a timelapse video, digital photo album, and an aurora guarantee: if you don't capture aurora photos, you're eligible for a free second tour within 2 years.Is it for me?The 6-hour commitment means you're out for the full night when aurora activity peaks, which is what makes the professional portraits and the pizza breaks possible—you're not rushing through a shorter tour trying to fit everything in. If you have the evening free and want to come home with photos of yourself under the northern lights, not just snapshots of the sky, this is the tour built for that.
Fairbanks Northern Lights: Private Lodge & Aurora ChaseYou spend the full night in a private wilderness lodge with a fireplace and panoramic windows, watching the aurora from a dark-sky location in Alaska's interior. If clouds move in, your guide chases clear skies by van instead of staying at one spot and hoping. Hotel pickup, hot drinks, camera help, and group portraits are all included, and the group never exceeds ten people.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see the aurora without the roadside-pullout crowds and without losing the night to clouds that settle over one spot—the lodge and the van give you both comfort and the flexibility to chase clear skies.
Fairbanks: Ice Fishing Cabin Cookout & Fresh Fish GrillingYou’ll settle into a heated cabin over a frozen lake near Fairbanks for real Alaskan ice fishing with a local guide. Try your luck through holes in the floor while sipping cocoa, then grill your own fresh catch alongside reindeer sausage. There’s laughter, warmth, and that feeling of doing something you never thought you’d try—right out on the ice.
Fairbanks: Aurora Borealis & Ice Fishing Cabin NightYou’ll wait for the aurora borealis in a warm Fairbanks fishing cabin with a local guide, sipping cocoa as you try ice fishing. When the northern lights appear, step outside for photos before returning to grill your own catch and enjoy reindeer sausage by the fire.
Fairbanks: Arctic Circle Drive & Dalton Highway Winter TourYou drive 200 miles north on the Dalton Highway with a professional guide, stop at the Yukon River twice, see the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, and reach the Arctic Circle Monument at Milepost 115 where you receive an official certificate. The day includes guide commentary and a lunch stop, with the return journey happening mostly in darkness during winter months. Dress for cold and variable weather, and arrive by 9:15 AM for check-in.Is it for me?This works well if you want to reach the Arctic Circle without arranging your own vehicle or navigation on the Dalton Highway — the guide handles the drive and the stops, and the fixed schedule gets you to the monument and back to Fairbanks in one day. Winter darkness and remote terrain are part of the experience, not obstacles.
Ice Fishing at Chena Lake: Learn from Local GuidesYou’ll meet your guide right at Chena Lake for a real Alaskan ice fishing day — drilling your own hole, warming up in cozy shelters with hot drinks, and grilling your catch for supper. There’s plenty of help if you’re new (like I was), plus all the gear is ready for you. It’s less about big catches and more about sharing laughs and stories in the crisp winter air.Is it for me?Learn ice fishing from year-round professional guides in heated shelters, then grill and eat your own catch—a genuine Alaskan tradition made accessible and comfortable.
Fairbanks: Northern Lights Chasing & Free Photography PickupYou’ll ride out from Fairbanks with a local guide chasing the northern lights across dark Alaskan roads. There’s no fixed stop—just you, real-time aurora hunting, and free photography so you can actually remember what you saw (even if your hands are shaking). Expect cold air, laughter in the dark, and maybe a little wonder you weren’t expecting.
Fairbanks City Tour: Pipeline, Museum & Santa Claus HouseYou visit four distinct Fairbanks landmarks in one day: the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Viewpoint for the engineering story, the Morris Thompson Cultural Center for local history, the Museum of the North for Alaska's cultures and wildlife, and the Santa Claus House in North Pole. Hotel pickup and guide commentary are included, so you don't arrange transport or timing yourself.Is it for me?Choose this tour if you want Fairbanks' main landmarks covered in one day without arranging your own transport or timing between stops — the fixed itinerary and included pickup mean you show up and the rest is handled.
Dogsled ride in Fairbanks: Sled through boreal forestA dogsled tour in Fairbanks takes you on a 45-minute ride through snow-covered boreal forest with a guide from Howling Bay Kennel, a small family operation that runs only two departures daily. You'll meet the dogs before and after the run, pet the puppies, and finish with hot chocolate in a heated dome. Small groups and solo travelers are welcome; the kennel accommodates families and can arrange double bookings for guests over the weight limit.Is it for me?Book the 11am departure if you're arriving in Fairbanks in the morning and want to spend your first afternoon on the runners rather than adjusting to the cold from inside. The small group size and owner-led format mean you get the dogs' full attention and the kennel's own knowledge of the forest and the history behind it, not a scripted route.
Lowest price (10)
Fairbanks Dog Sledding: Husky Sled Ride & Training RunYou meet the dogs and a musher at the kennel, learn how sled dog racing works, then ride 2 miles through snow fields and possibly a frozen river with a trained team. The kennel provides extra winter gear if you need it, and the experience is built around the dogs' actual training schedule, not a tourist loop. Book this if you want to see how dog sledding actually happens in Alaska without arranging your own transport or timing.Is it for me?Book this if you want to ride with working sled dogs on their actual training route rather than a tourist circuit, and you're comfortable sitting in a moving sled in cold weather. The kennel's location near the airport makes it easy to fit into a Fairbanks visit without arranging separate transport.
Fairbanks Northern Lights Viewing Cabin 360° AuroraThis is a Northern Lights viewing activity at a professional-grade mountaintop cabin near Fairbanks, where you watch the aurora from indoors or a 10-acre open yard with 360° unobstructed sightlines. A live guide monitors aurora activity using a camera feed and helps you photograph the lights throughout the night. The cabin stays warm with complimentary tea, coffee, hot chocolate and snacks while you wait for peak viewing moments.Is it for me?Choose the transfer option if you're arriving at the airport or staying in town and don't want to navigate to a mountaintop location in the dark; choose self-drive if you have a rental car and prefer to arrive on your own schedule. Either way, the cabin's size and open sightlines mean you're not competing with other groups for viewing space or jostling for a spot at the window—the whole point is room to move and sky in every direction.
Fairbanks: Aurora Glass House Night & Northern Lights PhotosYou’ll ride out from Fairbanks to a glass house perched on Cleary Summit, where floor-to-ceiling windows let you watch for the Northern Lights in warmth or step outside under Alaska’s sky. There’s hot cocoa, snacks, help with aurora photography, and a local guide who makes even waiting feel special. You might leave with cold toes but a head full of color.
Fairbanks city tour: Morris Thompson, Museum & PipelineA guided city tour of Fairbanks takes you through the Morris Thompson Cultural Center and Museum of the North, then to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Viewpoint and Santa Claus House, with museum admission and hotel pickup included. The tour runs four to five hours with a live English-speaking guide; children are welcome from age 10. The itinerary moves between interactive displays of local heritage, in-depth cultural artifacts, and the pipeline's role in Alaska's growth.Is it for me?This is a shared, guided tour with a set itinerary and fixed stops, so it suits travelers who want structure and don't want to navigate Fairbanks' attractions on their own. If you prefer to move at your own pace or skip a stop, a self-guided option would work better.
Fairbanks Aurora Viewing: Northern Lights from Husky LodgeYou're picked up from your Fairbanks hotel and driven to a ridge cabin overlooking the Alaska Range. You spend four hours in a warm, rustic space with hot drinks and snacks, stepping outside to watch the dark sky. The lodge doesn't cancel for light snow or clear skies — the idea is that conditions change — so you're there if the aurora appears. Arrival is around 10:30 PM, departure at 2 AM.Is it for me?Book this if you're in Fairbanks during aurora season and want to spend the night in the right place without arranging transport, timing, or a separate accommodation — the pickup and the cabin handle all of that, leaving you free to watch.
Fairbanks city tour: Santa Claus House & Museum of the NorthA 5.5-hour Fairbanks city tour with driver/guide visits the Museum of the North, Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center, Trans-Alaska Pipeline Viewpoint and Santa Claus House in North Pole, with hotel pickup and drop-off included. Santa's hours and availability change seasonally, so a sighting is not guaranteed. The museum is closed Christmas and New Year's Day.Is it for me?Book this tour if you want Fairbanks' main cultural and historical sites in one afternoon without arranging separate transport or entry tickets—the fixed route and timing mean everything connects without gaps or backtracking.
Fairbanks Highlights Tour: Pioneer Park & MuseumsThis five-hour Fairbanks city tour visits four distinct stops—Pioneer Park with its preserved Gold Rush-era buildings and the historic SS Nenana sternwheeler, the University of Alaska Museum of the North (home to Blue Babe, a 36,000-year-old mummified bison), the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center showcasing Interior Alaska's indigenous cultures, and the Santa Claus House in North Pole with its year-round Christmas experience. A local guide leads small groups and shares insider stories and lesser-known details most visitors miss. Hotel pickup is included, along with bottled water, museum entry, and an air-conditioned vehicle for the full route.Is it for me?Five hours is long enough to move through four distinct stops without rushing, but short enough to leave the afternoon open for other activities or rest. The small-group format and local guide mean you hear details and stories that a larger tour or self-guided visit would miss, which matters if you want to understand the Gold Rush history and indigenous cultures beyond what the signs alone convey.
Fairbanks City Highlights: Golden Heart Tour with Museum EntryThis half-day guided tour of Fairbanks covers three major attractions—the University of Alaska Museum of the North, the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center, and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Viewpoint—plus a stop at Santa's North Pole shop, all in an air-conditioned vehicle with a live English-speaking guide. Admission to the museums is included; pickup is arranged before the tour departs.Is it for me?The five-and-a-half-hour commitment means you can fit this into a morning or early afternoon and still have the rest of your day free—it's built for first-time visitors who want the main Fairbanks stops without spending the whole day on a single tour.
Fairbanks Dog Sledding: 2.5-Hour Tour & Free Hotel PickupYou get picked up at your Fairbanks hotel, driven to a trail chosen for that day's conditions, and spend 20–30 minutes on a dog sled pulled by Alaskan Huskies across 2–5 miles of snow. Afterward you pet the dogs and have photos taken by the guide—all included, all uploaded free within three days. The whole outing is 2.5 hours, or 1.5 if the trail is close to town.Is it for me?Book this if you want the core dog sledding experience without arranging your own transport or worrying about winter road conditions; the free pickup solves both problems and keeps the total time under three hours.
Fairbanks: Aurora Lodge Viewing Night with Pickup & Cozy StayYou’ll watch the Northern Lights dance across Alaska’s sky from a cozy lodge near Fairbanks, with plenty of warmth between outdoor viewings. Your local guide shares stories and tips while you wait for the aurora in comfort—no shivering outside unless you want to. Hotel pickup and drop-off make it easy to just focus on the sky and that feeling of wonder.
