How we plan our 4-day Fairbanks, Alaska adventure - February 2025

November 2024, my son casually mentioned that his dream was to see the northern light with his own eyes. Four months later, we made his dream come true!

In this article, I will share our action-packed Fairbanks's AK itinerary day-by-day. This plan is designed with family with young children in mind.

Why Fairbanks, AK?

There are many places to see the Northern Light, such as Yellow Knife, Canada, Iceland, Norway, or Sweden, etc. However, we settled at Fairbanks because:

1. Less Jetlag. Fairbanks is only 3 hours behind central time so it is easier to adjust.

2. Same currency (U.S) and we know the culture already.

3. Easier to get to, you can fly right into Fairbanks, instead of traveling for hours after flights.

4. Costs: As it is domestic, we were able to secure flights with miles.

5. Not a coastal city, it means less cloud and better chance for northern light.

   
   

The best time to visit Fairbanks to chase the northern light is between September and March, when the nights are long and dark. We went in February because we had a four-day break from school and was able to get some really cheap flights. February is also a good time because the annual World Ice Championship is also happening.

Here is a summary of our itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival

AM: Work/school

Evening: We took a 7 pm flight from Houston and landed at Fairbanks, AK at 2:20 AM.

Stay: Pikes' Waterfront Lodge. This hotel has a free shuttle that picks you up from the airport.

Cost: We were able to secure a last minute deal for $130 a night via Chase travel. Note that this hotel usually costs $250+ a night. Please see below for a longer review.

Day 2: Museum of the North and Northern Light

9 AM: We started our day with the complementary hot breakfast at the hotel. We then explored the hotel amenities, such as the sledding hill (free sled rental from the hotel), looking at the reindeers on site, and learned about the northern light at the on-property aurora borealis learning center.

11 AM: We picked up our rental car from Alaska Auto Rental (located at the hotel). We drove to the Museum of the North. (10 mins away)

• The Museum of the North is a treasure trove of Alaskan art, history, and wildlife, with over 1.5 million artifacts that highlight the region's cultural diversity. The museum particularly excels at showcasing the art of local Alaska Native cultures, making your visit both educational and memorable.

2 PM: North Pole, AK (25 mins) to visit Santa Clause House.

3 PM: Drove to out next hotel

4 PM: Explored the area, hot pot dinner, and watched the Northern Light from our room.

Stay: Artic Igloo Resort (Please see below for review)

Cost: Roughly $1,500 per night plus dinner (hotel has complimentary breakfast)

Glass ceiling of the room

The view from inside our room around 1 am

Day 3: Chena Hot Spring and Ice Alaska Championship

10 AM: We slept in because I was up until 3 am watching the northern light danced.

11 - 2 PM: Chena Hot Spring

• This resort has a day-pass option which allows you to access the natural hot spring and the pool area.

  
  

3:30 PM: Ice Alaska

• Ice Alaska is the annual international ice craving championship. More than many world-class ice sculptures, this event has a fairground such as ping pong on ice, sledding hills, and various ice games.

  
  

5 PM: Dinner at Turtle Club. Our tour guide recommended this fine-dining restaurant to us and she was right! This is the best place to get Alaska King Crab Legs in Fairbanks.

Stay: Hyatt House Fairbanks

Cost: 12,000 Hyatt point per night (The cash price per night is over $220)

Day 4: Castner Ice Glacier and Ice Fishing/Aurora Tour

7:30 AM - 3 PM: On our final day, we started our day by driving to Delta Junction to meet our tour guide Steven. The Drive to Delta Junction took us about two hours on ideal road condition.

• As a tourist, we think it is best to hire a guide to take you to the glacier. It is really easy to get lost in the snow as there is no path to follow. Steven is very knowledgably and made our hike really fun. We definitely recommend signing up for his tour!

  
  

5:00 PM: Dinner at Fairbanks. We went with one of the many Thai restaurant.

8: 15 PM - 2 AM: We joined the Aurora Ice Fishing and Dinner Tour. I opted for the shuttle service as I did not want to drive during the middle of the night on icy roads. The tour took us to a heated cabin on Chena Lake to fish while waiting for the Borealis to show up. We love the location! We started our night with star gazing until we got too cold. We went inside to the 85-degree cabins and started fishing. My wife caught many King Salmons and I caught nothing....The tour guide gathered all the fishes we caught and turned them into a yummy dinner for our group. The dinner came with a salad and potato. Around11 pm, the northern light started to appear. Being able to watch the northern light from a lake without any obstructions was breath-taking.

Day 5: Fly back to Houston

Things to know about planning for Fairbanks:

1. Driving condition: Before we got to Fairbanks, we thought the roads would be icy and extremely difficult to drive on. I was very nervous and rented a truck from Alaska Auto Rental to make sure that I have snow tires and a truck that handles well in snowy conditions. However, the road crew in Fairbanks does a fantastic job and there was virtually no ice on most of the major freeway. As long as you are slow and steady, you will be ok.

   
   

2. Winter gears: We purchased some thermal underwear form Costco hoping that we won't freeze in sub-zero temperature. We also brought large snow jackets (Amazon and Costco) but was nervous that they won't keep us warm in Alaska. We found out that as coats from Amazon are warm enough. I only need a short-sleeve shirt and my snow coat most of the time.

   
   

Hotel Review:

1. Pike's Waterfront Lodge - We love staying there! Located only 4 mins form the airport (with free shuttle) and a rental car company onsite, I feel like it is the ideal first stop of the trip. The hotel is decorated with Alaska charm and has everything you need. The hotel comes with free breakfast and has a sledding hill, aurora borealis education center, reindeers, and a small library. If you are there as a tourist, it has everything you need to keep yourself busy to wait for the northern light to show up.

   
   

2. Artic Igloo Resort - I get it, this hotel is very expensive. We think it is worth the money because it is located in an ideal location, modern, warm, and we were able to watch the northern light on your bed. You just have to open your eyes and look up.

   - Space: The room was cozy. Equipped with a King size bed, 3 space heaters, a small tables, a bathroom, and an entry way, it offers plenty of space for a family of three.

   - Bathroom: The bathroom has heated floor and a stand up shower. The hotel offers high quality towels and toiletries.

   - Cleanliness: the hotel was very clean, we literally saw the host carpet cleaning the next room when we arrived. As we stayed on valentine day, the room was decorated with roses and there was a champagne in the room waiting for us.

   - Dining: The room comes with two water bottles and plenty of free snacks. The complex has an on-site restaurant which hot-pot for dinner. Nothing is better than having hot-pot in a remote area, sub-zero temperature, and watching the northern light while you eat. (The northern light briefly appeared around 7:30 PM)

   - Service: The host was very communicative. She texted me to follow up on our stay, texted us when the northern light appeared, and provided detailed instruction on how to find the resort. We will definitely here again if we come back to Fairbanks!

   
   

   

   
   

Final Thoughts

As we wrap up our four-day adventure in Fairbanks, Alaska, we carried home a heart full of unforgettable moments. From soothing in the hot springs at Chena to ice fishing, Fairbanks has something for everyone. However, my son does not want to go back because it was too cold for him! He had 5 layers of clothing on him at all times and not sure how comfortable it was...

I hope this article will help you plan your unforgettable story in the heart of Alaska!