You expect freezing cold and get a heatwave instead. That’s exactly what happened to us in Fairbanks. This isn’t just any ordinary city — it’s one of the best places to discover the best things to do in Fairbanks Alaska. A rugged corner of the world just 195 miles from the Arctic Circle, where winter temperatures plummet far below freezing and summer brings endless daylight with the sun refusing to dip below the horizon.
Lukáš and I fell head over heels for this place, mainly because of one magical show in the sky. Fairbanks sits directly beneath the auroral oval, making it simply one of the best spots on Earth for chasing the northern lights. We’ve put together 12 must-see places and experiences that we wouldn’t dream of leaving without. And yes, I’ll get to the bit about bringing flip-flops for the showers too. 😅
TL;DR
- Best time for northern lights: The aurora season opens from late August to mid-April, but the absolute peak is from December to March.
- Summer midnight sun: If you visit in June or July, you won’t see the northern lights due to the endless daylight, but you’ll enjoy fantastic nature and river cruises.
- Where to stay: For full service and river views, go for Pike’s Waterfront Lodge; for a more reasonable budget, we recommend Wedgewood Resort.
- Top experience: Soaking in the outdoor rock lake at Chena Hot Springs when it’s -22 °F outside and your wet hair freezes solid on your head.
- Getting around: You simply can’t manage without a rental car here — distances are enormous and public transport is so infrequent we didn’t spot a single bus all week.
When to Fly to Alaska and How to Get to Fairbanks
Planning a trip to Alaska takes a bit of strategic thinking, because the climate here can seriously test your limits. Fairbanks holds the official title of the coldest city in the US, with winter temperatures routinely hitting minus 40. If your main goal is the northern lights, you need to visit between late August and April. The sun only shines for a few hours a day in winter, and the long dark nights provide the perfect canvas for the celestial show. We regularly spend freezing nights outdoors here, so seriously — don’t underestimate the importance of quality layered clothing.
Summer is a completely different world. From May to August the city comes alive, temperatures can climb close to 90 °F, and around the solstice the sun shines for 22 hours a day. It’s the ideal time to explore national parks and try gold panning, but you simply won’t see the aurora because it never gets dark enough. Definitely avoid April and early May though. Locals call this period “breakup season,” when the river ice cracks, the snow melts, mud is everywhere, and most tourist attractions are still closed.
As for getting there, from the UK you’ll most commonly fly via Seattle or Chicago, or catch a domestic flight from Anchorage. Look for affordable flights on comparison sites — we love using aggregators for complex itineraries. Once you land, head straight to the car rental desk. Lukáš and I have had consistently great experiences with Booking.com for accommodation, and a solid SUV with good tyres is absolutely essential up here — without one, you won’t get far.
Where to Stay and How Much Fairbanks Costs
Budgeting for Alaska is often a painful conversation, because neither accommodation nor food comes cheap. Fairbanks offers everything from classic hostels to luxury glass igloos, but always expect to pay a premium for a location at the edge of the world. Standard hotel prices range from around $150 to $300 (roughly £120–£240) per night for two. A restaurant meal will set you back at least $30 per person, and once you add organised excursions, a week-long stay can add up to quite a hefty sum.
If you’re after comfort and excellent service, have a look at Pike’s Waterfront Lodge. It sits right on the banks of the Chena River near the airport and, besides gorgeous views, boasts a highly regarded restaurant. We often head here when we want a dependable base after a gruelling day in sub-zero temperatures.
If you prefer a city-centre location and don’t mind larger hotels, Westmark Fairbanks Hotel is a classic choice frequently used by major tour operators. For families or travellers who need more space, the sprawling Wedgewood Resort is an excellent option. And if you’re travelling on a shoestring and crave a communal atmosphere, Billie’s Backpackers Hostel is a legendary stop for every independent adventurer.
12 Best Things to See and Do in Fairbanks, Alaska
Right then, where to begin? Our notebooks are overflowing, but we’ve narrowed it down to twelve experiences that would make it impossible to drag us away from Fairbanks. This little city blends untamed wilderness with a fascinating gold rush history, and we guarantee you won’t be bored for a single minute.
1. Chase the Northern Lights from Murphy Dome
Murphy Dome is an absolute legend among local aurora hunters. It’s a former US Air Force radar station located just over 20 miles from the city. At an elevation of 2,884 feet, it’s the highest accessible point in the wider area, which means a perfect 360-degree view with absolutely zero light pollution from town. Entry is completely free, so all you need to do is fill up the tank, brew a thermos of hot tea, and hit the road.
I do need to give you an honest warning about the drive, though. The road up can be unforgiving in winter, and quality winter tyres are an absolute must. It’s also frequently windy at the top, so the wind chill makes it feel far colder than down in town. But when the sky above you suddenly ignites with green ribbons dancing from horizon to horizon above the snow-covered spruce tops, you instantly forget that you can’t feel your toes. ☺️
2. Warm Up at Chena Hot Springs (With Eyes Half-Closed)
About an hour and a half’s drive northeast of Fairbanks, you’ll find the famous Chena Hot Springs resort. The journey takes you through beautifully desolate scenery, and at the end of it awaits an outdoor rock lake filled with natural thermal water at a blissful 106 °F. Soaking in hot water while snow falls on your head and your hair turns into frozen icicles is an absolutely iconic Alaskan experience you simply cannot miss. The resort operates year-round, and in winter it’s also a brilliant spot for stargazing and aurora viewing.
Now for the less romantic bit that guidebooks tend to gloss over. The resort has seen better days. The changing rooms and indoor pool aren’t exactly shining examples of pristine cleanliness, and I’d strongly recommend bringing your own flip-flops for the showers. The outdoor rock lake itself, however, is fantastic. You can also pay to visit the Aurora Ice Museum for around $25 (about £20). Just be very careful on the drive back to Fairbanks at night — after a long hot soak, exhaustion hits hard, and driving through a dark, snowy landscape demands your full concentration.
3. Walk with Reindeer at Running Reindeer Ranch
About 25 minutes from the centre lies Running Reindeer Ranch, and it’s no sad zoo — it’s a genuine family project where the reindeer simply walk alongside you. During the hour-long visit, you’ll stroll through an enchanting birch forest with free-roaming reindeer by your side. They’re not penned in; they just amble next to you, occasionally stopping to nibble on twigs, and the whole time they feel more like very large, very fluffy pets.
The owners have tremendous respect for their animals, and their stories are packed with fascinating insights into life in the tundra. The experience costs between $85 and $120 (roughly £70–£95) per adult depending on the season, and it wraps up with a cosy sit-down indoors over homemade biscuits and tea.
4. Museum of the North and Mammoth Skulls
On the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus, there’s a building with strikingly modern architecture that houses the Museum of the North. Even if you’re not typically a museum person, this place will genuinely captivate you. It brings together the most valuable treasures of the entire North. It helped us understand what we’d actually been looking at during all those days outdoors — far better than wandering through the landscape completely clueless. Admission is $22 (about £17) for adults and you’ll need roughly two hours.
The star of the “Gallery of Alaska” exhibition is an enormous mounted brown bear that truly drives home the sheer size of these animals. The woolly mammoth skull is equally awe-inspiring, as is a perfectly preserved mummified bison from the Ice Age. They also have brilliant displays explaining the physics of the northern lights — well worth understanding before you head out into the middle of the night to hunt for them yourself.
5. Sternwheeler Cruise on Riverboat Discovery
During the summer months, a cruise along the Chena and Tanana rivers aboard the historic sternwheeler Riverboat Discovery is probably the most popular activity in town. The three-hour trip costs $106 (about £85) and runs roughly from late May to early September. This is no boring sightseeing cruise — the entire voyage is packed with action and demonstrations of local life from start to finish.
During the cruise, a small floatplane — a “bush plane” without which life in Alaska simply wouldn’t function — lands on the water right beside your boat and takes off again. You’ll watch a sled dog training demonstration at the kennel of a famous Iditarod champion, and at the end you’ll disembark at a carefully constructed replica of a Native Alaskan village. There, locals show you the traditional way of life of the Athabascan people, including traditional fish smoking techniques for salmon.
6. Gold Panning and History at Gold Dredge 8
Fairbanks probably wouldn’t exist at all if it weren’t for the gold rush at the turn of the twentieth century. The excursion to Gold Dredge 8 takes you back in time and shows you the staggering history of industrial gold mining. The trip begins with a ride on a replica of the narrow-gauge Tanana Valley Railroad and costs $76 (about £60) per adult. Along the way, you’ll also get a close-up look at a section of the famous Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which we’ll cover in the next tip.
The highlight of the tour is exploring the enormous rusting dredge that once devoured the landscape and spat out precious gold. At the end of the excursion, every visitor receives their own pan filled with gravel and gets to try traditional gold panning. Finding gold flakes is practically guaranteed, and the staff will weigh your haul on the spot and value it at the current market rate. 😁
7. Luxury Borealis Basecamp for the Discerning Traveller
If you want to experience the northern lights in maximum luxury and aren’t afraid of splashing some serious cash, Borealis Basecamp is the place for you. This resort sits north of the city, well beyond the reach of any light pollution, and its main draw is its modern glass igloos. Imagine lying in an enormous warm bed while green ribbons dance across the sky directly above you.
I do need to add a small note about the price, though. A night here starts at a minimum of $625 (around £500) per person, and stays are usually sold as two-night packages. Locals sometimes chuckle and shake their heads at tourists paying that much for something they see for free from their car window on a hilltop. That said, if you’re planning a proposal or an unforgettable honeymoon, this is a sure-fire winner.
8. Stress-Free Fun with an Organised Aurora Tour
Not everyone fancies driving frozen roads at night and searching for deserted pull-offs in the dark. That’s precisely why Fairbanks has countless agencies ready to take you on an organised aurora hunt. We can personally recommend Greatland Adventures, which offers eight-hour trips for around $345 per person. The big advantage is that the guides know exactly where to go based on real-time weather and cloud cover.
The price includes comfortable heated transport, hot drinks, and — most importantly — professional photography. Capturing the aurora on an ordinary phone is often disappointing, and the guides will take stunning portraits of you right under the glowing sky. They even offer a money-back guarantee if the weather doesn’t cooperate, which you’ll genuinely appreciate in unpredictable Alaska. Our guide told us about the time his engine froze solid at -49 °F and he had to wait for rescue in a sleeping bag in the boot of his car. That story properly got me.
9. Engineering Marvel: The Trans-Alaska Pipeline
You might wonder why on earth you’d drive out to admire a giant pipe, but the Trans-Alaska Pipeline is an engineering marvel that essentially shaped the modern history of the state. I’ll admit I originally wanted to drive right past it without stopping, but Lukáš talked me into it. And I have to say, when you see it up close, the sheer scale of it just hits you. Over 800 miles of pipeline transporting oil from the Arctic Ocean all the way south.
The official Trans-Alaska Pipeline Viewpoint is just north of the city, right off the Steese Highway, and it’s completely free. You can get up close to the enormous pipe — over three feet in diameter — and read the information boards explaining how engineers had to solve problems with permafrost (permanently frozen ground) and earthquakes. It’s a quick stop, but absolutely essential for understanding the Alaskan economy.
10. Skiland and Views from Cleary Summit
About 20 miles north of Fairbanks lies the Cleary Summit ridge, which opens up some of the most breathtaking views across the Tanana River valley and the distant peaks of the White Mountains. In summer, it’s a gorgeous spot for a short outing with stunning panoramas; in winter, the entire area transforms into another strategic location for aurora viewing.
This is where you’ll find Skiland, which boasts the northernmost operating chairlift in all of North America. Don’t expect an Alpine mega-resort with endless runs — it’s more of an intimate, local affair — but it has enormous charm. The resort also operates as a special Aurora Viewing Lodge during winter, so you can duck inside for warmth with a mug of hot chocolate while it’s bitterly cold outside.
11. Dog Sledding and the Spirit of the Iditarod
Alaska and dog sledding go together like fish and chips. The legendary Iditarod race usually starts down in Anchorage, but when the area lacks snow, organisers move the official restart straight to Fairbanks. Mushing is taken deadly seriously here, and mushers are huge local celebrities.
Even if you don’t time your visit for race day, there are several fantastic kennels around the city where you can go for a ride. We recommend Black Spruce Dog Sledding. Gliding through a silent, snow-covered forest where the only sounds are the dogs’ breathing and the runners hissing over the snow is pure magic. You’ll typically pay between $100 and $250, and you get to help harness the dogs and reward them with a proper fuss afterwards.
12. Say Hello to Santa in the Town of North Pole
Alright, this one’s a bit kitsch, but when you’re this close you simply have to stop. Southeast of Fairbanks lies a town called North Pole, where Christmas clearly never ends. Streets here go by names like Snowman Lane and Kris Kringle Drive, and the lamp posts are shaped like giant candy canes. The main attraction is the enormous Santa Claus House shop.
Entry is of course free. You can buy just about every Christmas ornament known to humankind, and you might even bump into the official Santa himself. What Lukáš and I enjoyed the most, though, was the local post office. You can send a postcard to anyone back home and it’ll arrive stamped with the official North Pole postmark. For family or friends, it makes a wonderfully thoughtful souvenir. 😉
Where to Eat Well in Fairbanks
Let’s be honest — Alaska isn’t exactly a foodie destination. Most things are flown in from the Lower 48, which you’ll realise the moment you open a menu and your jaw hits the floor. But a few places genuinely surprised us.
For a romantic dinner, definitely head to The Pump House Restaurant & Saloon. This iconic restaurant is built in a stunning gold rush-era style and specialises in local seafood and fantastic steaks from premium beef. Expect to pay around $45 for a main course, but the local fillet with fresh halibut and a crème brûlée to finish is absolutely worth it. Another excellent, slightly more upscale option right in the city centre is Lavelle’s Bistro.
If you’re after something more relaxed and budget-friendly during the day, try The Crepery in downtown Fairbanks, where they make excellent savoury and sweet crêpes priced from $10 to $18. For a hearty, massive Alaskan breakfast, you must visit Sam’s Sourdough Cafe. They make legendary sourdough pancakes from a starter that allegedly dates back to the very first gold prospectors.
FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions About Fairbanks
I’ve gathered the most common questions readers send me when planning a trip to Fairbanks. If there’s anything I’ve missed, don’t hesitate to drop me a message.
Kdy letět na Aljašku do Fairbanks?
Záleží na tom, co chcete vidět. Pokud jedete primárně za polární září, musíte letět v zimě, ideálně mezi prosincem a březnem, kdy je nejdelší tma a velká šance na jasné oblohy. Pokud chcete obdivovat přírodu, národní parky a rýžovat zlato, ideální je léto od června do srpna.
Jak je draho na Aljašce?
Na rovinu, Aljaška patří k těm dražším státům USA, protože se většina věcí musí dovážet z „nižších 48“ států. Za ubytování ve střední třídě dáte zhruba 150–300 USD za noc a jídlo v normální restauraci vyjde okolo 30–50 USD na osobu. Pronájem auta a benzín si ukousnou další velkou část rozpočtu.
Jak se dostat na Aljašku?
Nejrychlejší cestou z Evropy je letecké spojení s jedním nebo dvěma přestupy. Obvykle poletíte přes větší americké huby, jako jsou Seattle nebo Chicago, odkud létají přímé spoje přímo do Fairbanks nebo na mezinárodní letiště v Anchorage.
Jak dlouho se letí na Aljašku?
Z Prahy počítejte s 15 až 20 hodinami na cestě, což je dost na to, abyste po příletu vypadali jako zombíci. Doporučuji proto jet aspoň na týden, jinak se vám ta aklimatizace prostě nevyplatí.
Jaká je šance, že uvidím polární záři?
Překvapivě vysoká! Fairbanks leží přímo pod aurorálním oválem. Oficiální statistiky uvádějí, že pokud tu během zimní sezóny strávíte minimálně tři noci za sebou a budete aktivně pozorovat noční oblohu, vaše šance na spatření polární záře přesahuje 80 %.
Potřebuji ve Fairbanks auto?
Rozhodně ano. Americká města nejsou stavěná pro chodce a na Aljašce to platí dvojnásob. Vzdálenosti mezi památkami, hotely a místy pro pozorování aurory jsou obrovské. Veřejná doprava tu mimo nejužší centrum prakticky neexistuje, takže kvalitní SUV z půjčovny je základ.
Kdy je „breakup season“ a proč se jí vyhnout?
Breakup season je období zhruba od poloviny dubna do poloviny května, kdy zima střídá jaro. Sníh rychle taje, led na řekách hlasitě praská a všechno se mění v obrovské moře bahna. Polární záře už kvůli dlouhému dni není vidět a letní atrakce mají ještě zavřeno. Je to jednoznačně nejhorší čas pro návštěvu.
Tips and Tricks for Your Vacation
Don’t Overpay for Flights
Search for flights on Kayak. It’s our favorite search engine because it scans the websites of all airlines and always finds the cheapest connection.
Book Your Accommodation Smartly
The best experiences we’ve had when looking for accommodation (from Alaska to Morocco) are with Booking.com, where hotels, apartments, and entire houses are usually the cheapest and most widely available.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Good travel insurance will protect you against illness, accidents, theft, or flight cancellations. We’ve had a few hospital visits abroad, so we know how important it is to have proper insurance arranged.
Where we insure ourselves: SafetyWing (best for everyone) and TrueTraveller (for extra-long trips).
Why don’t we recommend any Czech insurance company? Because they have too many restrictions. They set limits on the number of days abroad, travel insurance via a credit card often requires you to pay medical expenses only with that card, and they frequently limit the number of returns to the Czech Republic.
Find the Best Experiences
Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can book guided walks, trips, skip-the-line tickets, tours, and much more. We always find some extra fun there!
