SkyChase™ | Northern Lights Experience - Free Photography & More
Description
We don’t just take you to the Northern Lights — we chase them. At Aurora In Alaska™, our exclusive SkyChase™ Northern Lights Experience uses our Lights-for-Life™ Formula to track weather, clouds, and solar activity in real time to take you to the clearest skies, at the best time. Travel in a heated, winterized Mercedes Sprinter van, relax at our mobile Aurora lodge, enjoy a twilight campfire meal, and sip drinks from our Borealis Brew Bar. Receive unlimited Aurora portraits from our pro photographers, plus night-lapse video and tripod rentals. We’re the only tour with an Aurora Guarantee: If no Aurora is visible to the eye or camera on a “guaranteed night,” you get a 50% refund or free rebooking. Disclaimer: A guaranteed night is based on real-time conditions. If any Aurora is visible by eye or camera, the night is considered fulfilled.
Tour Options
Itinerary
As our home base, Fairbanks is one of the best locations in the world for Northern Lights viewing — located directly under the Aurora Oval. Each night, our SkyChase™ tour departs from Fairbanks and uses the Lights-for-Life™ Formula to determine the optimal location outside the city for clear skies and strong activity.
Murphy Dome is one of the highest accessible points in the Fairbanks area and occasionally used on clear-sky nights for its panoramic views and low light pollution. It’s a prime example of the remote high-elevation locations our team accesses while chasing the Aurora.
While not our final destination, North Pole, Alaska is located along our route and adds charm to the adventure. Guests love passing Santa Claus House and seeing this quirky, festive town en route to darker skies.
Chena Hot Springs region is often considered when skies to the east are favorable. These peaceful, forested areas offer a quiet backdrop for Northern Lights viewing with excellent visibility when cloud trends push us in that direction.
c, northeast of Fairbanks, is one of the elevated points we use on select Aurora nights. When conditions are right, it offers excellent visibility and sweeping skies, especially during high activity nights.
While not a nightly destination, Denali National Park is visible on rare clear-sky nights from certain elevated viewpoints. Guests occasionally glimpse the Alaska Range from afar, especially during strong Aurora activity. This region highlights the vast scope of Alaska’s night sky and our commitment to chasing the most breathtaking views whenever possible.
This historical stop marks the first major gold discovery in Alaska and is located along one of the routes we sometimes take while chasing clear skies. Though we typically pass by, it showcases our access to remote, scenic locations far from city lights. It’s a meaningful part of the Alaskan landscape and history.
The Chena area is one of many regions we travel toward when skies are favorable. It offers forested backdrops, river reflections, and lower light pollution — making it a frequent route on strong Aurora nights. This region represents one of many weather-based destination options included in our flexible SkyChase™ route strategy.
One of many high-elevation stops that we utilize on clear-sky nights for its vast visibility and iconic Alaska scenery. Our flexible route often includes this point or others nearby when it offers cloud-free conditions and great Aurora potential. We use dozens of pre-approved locations in all directions based on real-time sky data.
The Two Rivers and Pleasant Valley region is often considered when skies to the east are favorable. These peaceful, forested areas offer a quiet backdrop for Northern Lights viewing with excellent visibility when cloud trends push us in that direction.
Ester Dome is a frequent direction for clear-sky nights. Its elevation, low light pollution, and distance from city glow make it a strong candidate in our flexible SkyChase™ route system.
On nights with clearing trends to the west, we may head toward the Nenana Hills region, exploring lesser-known sites that deliver expansive skies and beautiful terrain far from city lights.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Tours begin right at your Fairbanks hotel, so you don’t need to plan how to get to us and you will save additional taxi costs. Free guest pickup from 9pm to 10pm. Your guide will call/text when they are 10 min away from pick up.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- No more than 1 backpack per guest
- All persons joining are required to purchase a ticket, despite their age.
- Please visit our website for a full cancellation policy and information
Reviews(776)
Perfect service and amazing visit World Pass Tour made the whole experience very easy. Fast ticket delivery and helpful support. The Louvre is huge but starting with a smooth entry made a big difference. Would definitely book again.
There is a lot of driving to find the lights if it is cloudy. Overall it was a good experience on a partly cloudy evening. It has been over 3 weeks and we are still waiting for our pictures to arrive via email.
My time in Alaska was coming to an end without seeing the Lights despite various efforts. The kp index dropped to 2 and opportunity seemed null. But, these guys said, "Hold my beer!" The communication was great and tracking told me when to expect them at the hotel. We were picked up and on a mission! Our guide was entertaining and informational during the drive. We arrived at their lodge setup with campfire and hot beverages. Within minutes, someone waved a wand and shouted, "Aloaurora!", unlocking a green wave of energy. Bucket list checked! Our cameras clicking away at the beautiful sight! Kudos also to the lodge crew for maintaining camp and helping with camera settings. I hope it's not a once in a lifetime event. But if it is, it was a great experience I could capture and had professional back up if my pics missed the mark. Highly recommend!!!
I absolutely love it! They were great and the experience was very nice!
This was easily one of the best experiences of my life. I almost didn’t go because of possible fog/cancellation, and that would’ve been a huge mistake. The guide Tony was awesome—you can tell right away he genuinely loves doing this. Super knowledgeable, great attitude, and he made the whole night fun instead of just “another tour.” They had a fire going, reindeer sausages, and both hot and cold drinks, which made it even better while waiting for the lights. And somehow… we ended up with a straight up 10/10 northern lights show. Unreal. Tony put us in the perfect spot and it absolutely paid off. If you’re thinking about booking SkyChase, just do it. Totally worth it.
A friend told us that her photos she took were mostly black and recommended going with a skilled photographer. We took her advice and went on this tour. The photos we were sent post-tour were amazing! It was so nice to be able to enjoy the view knowing a pro was capturing the view for us. The bus was comfortable and the amenities at the site were great. A bathroom, warm-up room complete with cookies, complementary hot drinks, and a campfire with chairs. We also went to the bus a few times to get warmed up as it was kept running and warm. The pick-up was on time, great communication, and enjoyable. I recommend this to anyone wanting great aurora pictures and a comfortable way to view it.
It goes until 2-3 am even if you see the Aurora early on in the evening! Everything is included and they could not make it more comfortable!
We had an unforgettable aurora trip with Skychase. Our guide, Hunter is punctual, kind and made sure we had what we needed throughout the entire trip! The van that we rode is very comfortable, keeping us warm the entire night. The crews are also very welcoming, organized and took great photos of us! Most importantly, having reindeer sausages was one of the highlights!
Professional, kind, provided snacks and hot drinks, wonderful experience!! Definitely a must do !!!!!!!!!
Literally chased the lights! Had a night of full clouds so had to reschedule for next night. Great set up and they were all about making the experience amazing!
