Arctic Circle and Northern Lights: Is the Combo Tour Worth It?
A combo tour crosses the Arctic Circle by day and watches for aurora on the dark drive home, 21 August to 21 April. Never guaranteed, no refund for clouds.
An Arctic Circle and northern lights combo tour is a sensible buy between 21 August and 21 April if you want both on one trip, because the long return drive from the circle to Fairbanks already runs through the dark hours, far from town lights, when the aurora is most often seen. The catch is that the aurora is never guaranteed, clouds can hide it all night, and the operators do not refund you if it stays away. Our Arctic Circle tours comparison shows every combo next to the daytime trips.
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Same tour, also on Viator
From $330 per person · ★ 4.6 from 183 Viator reviews
Each platform sets its own price and collects its own reviews, so compare both before you book on GetYourGuide.
Why the combo makes sense
The Arctic Circle sign is 199 road miles from Fairbanks, about 5 hours each way under good conditions. Any trip there is a long day, and in the aurora season the drive home falls in the evening and night. The combo tours simply use those hours. Instead of dozing in the van, you stop at dark pullouts on the Elliott or Dalton Highway and watch the sky.
The timing works because the aurora is a late-night show. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute says the best viewing is the three or four hours centered on midnight, and that 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. is when spectacular displays are most likely over interior Alaska in winter. The Arctic Circle Northern Lights Full-Day Trip, for example, leaves Fairbanks at 1 p.m. and gets back around 3 a.m., so its whole return sits inside that window.
Fairbanks also sits under the auroral oval. Explore Fairbanks says the aurora is visible on an average of four out of five nights when the sky is clear and dark enough. “Clear and dark enough” is the important part.
What can go wrong
Clouds are the main problem. You need at least partly clear skies to see the aurora, and a cloudy night on the Dalton looks the same as a cloudy night anywhere. Forecasts use the Kp scale from 0 to 9, where Kp 5 and above is a geomagnetic storm, but a strong forecast under solid cloud still shows you nothing.
The operators are plain about it. Alaska Wild Lights says the northern lights “cannot be guaranteed! (no refund possible)”, and 1st Alaska Tours says there is no refund if the aurora cannot be seen. Book a combo for the Arctic Circle day, with the aurora as a good possibility on a clear night.
The other cost is sleep. These trips run 12 to 18 hours depending on the version, mostly in a van, much of it on gravel, and the aurora versions finish in the small hours. Do not plan an early start the next morning.
Other Experiences
Other experiences you might enjoy
Other aurora and Arctic Circle trips from Fairbanks: combo tours that cross the circle on the Dalton Highway and watch the sky on the way back past the Yukon River, plus daytime drives to Finger Mountain.
When the aurora season runs
The aurora season in Fairbanks runs from 21 August to 21 April, the dates Explore Fairbanks and Northern Alaska Tour Company both use. Outside it, the sky never gets dark enough: Fairbanks has 70 days of continuous light from about 17 May to 27 July, and one combo operator states plainly that the lights cannot be seen in May, June and July.
Within the season the character changes. Explore Fairbanks describes August to October as the time of aurora reflected in unfrozen lakes and mild temperatures, late October to late March as snowy landscapes and the coldest nights, and late March to April as milder air under indigo skies. Our best time to visit guide puts the months side by side, and winter vs summer compares the two kinds of trip.
Which tours include an aurora watch
| Tour | Network | From (per person) | Rating | Length | Free cancellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Lights & Arctic Circle Tour (Alaska Wild Lights) | Viator | $363 | 4.6 (989) | 12–14 h | No (full refund up to 7 days before) |
| Arctic Circle Northern Lights Full-Day Trip (1st Alaska Tours) | GetYourGuide | $330 | 4.5 (172) | about 14 h | Yes, 24 h |
| 1 Day Shared Tour Arctic Circle and Aurora Viewing (aurora photos included) | Viator | $329 | 4.5 (78) | 12.5 h | Yes |
| Arctic Circle Aurora Drive Adventure (Northern Alaska Tour Co.) | Viator | $369 | 4.6 (33) | 17–18 h | No (all sales final) |
| Arctic Circle with Aurora and Free Photos | Viator | $350 | 4.6 (21) | 14–17 h | Yes |
| Arctic Circle & Northern Lights – Dalton Highway Tour | GetYourGuide | $379 | 4.9 (15) | 13–14 h | Yes, 24 h |
The Arctic Circle Northern Lights Full-Day Trip is a solid all-round pick: from $330 per person, rated 4.5 from 172 reviews, with hotel pickup in town, sandwiches and hot drinks, an Arctic Circle certificate and an aurora certificate, and free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. Children under 5 are not permitted (our review).
The Northern Lights & Arctic Circle Tour has by far the most reviews in our catalogue, 989 at 4.6, from $363 per person, but it refunds in full only up to 7 days before. For a smaller group, the Arctic Circle & Northern Lights – Dalton Highway Tour takes at most six guests, each with a window seat, and times its return for prime aurora hours using live forecasts; it is newer, with 15 reviews. The longest is Northern Alaska Tour Company’s Arctic Circle Aurora Drive Adventure at 17 to 18 hours, with its aurora stop at the Arctic Circle Trading Post in Joy.
The full shortlist, with notes on each, is on our Arctic Circle northern lights tours page.
Frequently asked questions
Can you see the northern lights at the Arctic Circle?
Yes, in the aurora season. The BLM notes the northern lights are viewable from the Arctic Circle Wayside in winter, and the Dalton is far from city light.
Can you see the northern lights in Fairbanks in summer?
Not from about May to July. The sky stays light through the night, and the season starts again on 21 August.
How often can you see the northern lights in Fairbanks?
On an average of four out of five nights when the sky is clear and dark enough, per Explore Fairbanks. Three nights out late raise your odds above 90 percent.
Is the combo better than an aurora night near Fairbanks?
If you want the Arctic Circle anyway, the combo covers both. If the aurora is your only goal, shorter aurora nights near town give you more chances; see is the tour worth it.
Do I get a refund if the aurora does not appear?
No. The combo operators on this site state that the aurora cannot be guaranteed and that clouds are not grounds for a refund.
Ready to book?
Pick a night with a good forecast window and check dates on the northern lights tours page, or use the homepage availability box.
Cross the Arctic Circle This Season
The Dalton Highway by day, the 66°33′ sign by evening and an aurora watch on the drive back to Fairbanks.
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