Which Arctic Circle Tour?

For a first Arctic Circle trip from Fairbanks between late August and April, book the Northern Lights & Arctic Circle Tour. Every other answer depends on what you want from the day, so below is one pick per goal, each with the reason and a link to our full review. All of these tours drive the Dalton Highway to the Arctic Circle sign and back, about 400 miles in 12 to 18 hours.

Pick this tour if…

You want the best all-round winter experience

Book the Northern Lights & Arctic Circle Tour by Alaska Wild Lights. It crosses the Arctic Circle by day and watches for the aurora on the dark drive home, so one long day covers both reasons most people come north. It has 989 reviews, more than any other Arctic Circle tour in our catalogue, with a 4.6 rating. Vans carry eight guests at most, pickup is from Fairbanks hotels, and the tour runs 12 to 14 hours from $363 per person. Read our review.

You want daylight and scenery

Book the Arctic Circle Day Tour. It is the same operator and the same eight-guest vans without the aurora hunt, which keeps the day to 13 hours. You get a walk on the tundra, snacks and water on board, and lunch for purchase at Yukon River Camp. At 4.7 from 731 reviews it is the highest-rated of the two Alaska Wild Lights tours, from $335 per person. Read our review.

You care most about the Dalton Highway itself

Book the Original Arctic Circle Drive by Northern Alaska Tour Company, which has run Arctic Circle van tours since 1987. The 16-hour day adds the Arctic Circle Trading Post to the pipeline, the Yukon River and the sign, and the company’s coaches have a restroom on board. You make your own way to its East Ramp office for a 5:45 a.m. check-in. It rates 4.8 from 226 reviews, from $289 per person. Read our review.

You would rather book on GetYourGuide

Book the Arctic Circle Northern Lights Full-Day Trip by 1st Alaska Tours. It leaves Fairbanks at 1:00 p.m., stops at the pipeline, the Yukon River and Finger Mountain, and searches for the aurora on the way back, reaching town around 3:00 a.m. Sandwiches, snacks and hot drinks are included, and you can cancel for free up to 24 hours ahead. It rates 4.5 from 172 reviews, from $330 per person. Read our review.

You want the cheaper option

Book the Arctic Circle Adventure – Full-Day Guided Tour, a summer-season tour from $260 per person, the lowest starting price on this site. It has no departures before May 15, 2027, so it suits a summer trip only. Pickup is between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m., you take a short walk on Finger Mountain, and you are back around 10:00 p.m. Water and a certificate are included; food is not. Read our review.

You want aurora photos included

Book the 1 Day Shared Tour Arctic Circle and Aurora Viewing by Alaska Safari Sultan Tours. The guide chases the aurora by vehicle and the price includes aurora photos, taken for you. Dinner is not included: you buy it during a 50-minute stop at Yukon River Camp. Groups go up to 14 guests, the day lasts 12.5 hours, and free cancellation applies. The operator says the northern lights cannot be seen in May, June and July. Read our review.

You want the smallest group

Book the Arctic Circle & Northern Lights – Dalton Highway Tour by Midnight Sky Adventures. Groups are capped at six guests in an 11-passenger van, so every guest gets a guaranteed window seat. Pickup runs from 11:15 a.m. to noon, from hotels and Airbnbs in Fairbanks and North Pole, and the guide uses live aurora forecasts to time the stops on the 13 to 14 hour day. Guests must be 15 or older. It rates 4.9 from 15 reviews, from $379 per person. Read our review.

You are visiting in summer for the midnight sun

Book the Midnight Sun Arctic Circle Drive Adventure by Northern Alaska Tour Company, a 16-hour summer drive from $269 per person. It makes the most of the long light: Fairbanks gets almost 22 hours of daylight at the June solstice. At the Arctic Circle itself the sun stays up all night only on and around June 21. Check-in is at 9:00 a.m. at the East Ramp office. Read our review, or compare all summer Arctic Circle tours.

Know before you book

These are long days. Every tour here lasts 12 to 18 hours, and you spend most of that time seated in a van or coach. The Arctic Circle sign is about 200 miles from Fairbanks by road, and the BLM plans for five hours of driving each way under good conditions. Most of the Dalton Highway is gravel, with dust, mud and potholes, so the ride is not smooth. The how long is an Arctic Circle tour guide breaks down the hours.

The aurora is never guaranteed. The aurora season runs from August 21 to April 21, and even then you need dark, clear skies. Alaska Wild Lights, 1st Alaska Tours and Midnight Sky Adventures all state that there is no refund if the lights do not appear or the sky is cloudy.

Several tours are not free cancellation. The Northern Lights & Arctic Circle Tour and the Arctic Circle Day Tour refund in full only up to 7 days before. All four Northern Alaska Tour Company tours on Viator, including the Original Arctic Circle Drive, the Winter Drive, the Midnight Sun Drive and the Aurora Drive, are all sales final. If a tour is cancelled for dangerous weather or road conditions, the operators offer another date or a refund.

Pickup is from Fairbanks only. Tours with pickup collect you from hotels inside the Fairbanks city limits; Midnight Sky Adventures also covers North Pole and Airbnbs, while 1st Alaska Tours does not pick up from Airbnbs or private homes. Northern Alaska Tour Company has no pickup at all, and its office charges a parking fee.

Check the age limits. Midnight Sky Adventures takes guests aged 15 and over. Alaska Wild Lights does not recommend its tours for children under 10. 1st Alaska Tours does not accept children under 5. Northern Alaska Tour Company’s listings give no minimum age. Our Arctic Circle tour with kids guide covers the rest.

For every tour side by side, see the Arctic Circle tours comparison, and dress for the season with our what to wear guide. When you are ready, check availability.