Arctic Circle Certificate in Alaska
Who issues the Arctic Circle certificate in Alaska, which Fairbanks tours include one, and where self-drivers can pick one up in downtown Fairbanks.
The Arctic Circle certificate in Alaska comes from the tour company that drives you there: most guided day trips from Fairbanks hand one to every guest at or after the Arctic Circle sign on the Dalton Highway, and if you drive yourself, Explore Fairbanks says you can pick up an official certificate at the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center in downtown Fairbanks. It is a souvenir, not a permit or a government document, so nobody checks it and no single office issues it. Of the twelve Arctic Circle tours from Fairbanks we cover, nine mention a certificate in their own listing, and three do not.
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Original Arctic Circle Drive from Fairbanks
- 4.8/5 (226 reviews)
- About 16 hours
- Operated by Northern Alaska Tour Company
Includes Driver-guide with live commentary throughout the day · Official Arctic Circle Adventure Certificate · All taxes, fees …
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Who issues the Arctic Circle certificate
There is no official state or federal certificate. The paper you take home is printed by whoever organized your crossing, and each company designs its own.
Northern Alaska Tour Company, which has run Arctic Circle drives out of Fairbanks since 1987, calls theirs the Official Arctic Circle Adventure Certificate and presents it as part of a small crossing ceremony. Alaska Wild Lights lists a personalized Arctic Circle Certificate on both its day tour and its northern lights tour. 1st Alaska Tours hands out a “Cross-the-Circle” certificate, and its night tour adds an aurora certificate as well. Alaska Arctic Expeditions and Arctic Night Tours also name a certificate in their listings.
The Bureau of Land Management, which manages the Arctic Circle Wayside at the sign, describes the stop as a place to photograph proof of reaching the Arctic Circle and receive a certificate. It does not say the BLM itself issues one, and neither of the BLM’s pages for the Arctic Interagency Visitor Center in Coldfoot mentions certificates. If you are already in Coldfoot, ask at the desk, but do not plan your trip around it.
Which Fairbanks tours include a certificate
This is what each tour’s own listing says. Where a listing is silent, that does not prove you will leave empty-handed, but it is the only promise you can hold the operator to. Prices are the starting price per person.
| Tour | Operator | Certificate in the listing | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Lights & Arctic Circle Tour | Alaska Wild Lights | ✓ Personalized certificate | $363 |
| Arctic Circle Day Tour | Alaska Wild Lights | ✓ Personalized certificate | $335 |
| Original Arctic Circle Drive | Northern Alaska Tour Company | ✓ Arctic Circle Adventure Certificate | $289 |
| Arctic Circle Winter Drive Adventure | Northern Alaska Tour Company | ✓ Arctic Circle Adventure Certificate | $309 |
| Arctic Circle Aurora Drive Adventure | Northern Alaska Tour Company | ✓ Arctic Circle Adventure Certificate | $369 |
| Midnight Sun Arctic Circle Drive Adventure | Northern Alaska Tour Company | Not mentioned | $269 |
| Arctic Circle Northern Lights Full-Day Trip | 1st Alaska Tours | ✓ Arctic Circle and aurora certificates | $330 |
| Arctic Circle Adventure Full-Day Tour | 1st Alaska Tours | ✓ Cross-the-Circle certificate | $260 |
| Arctic Circle Day Tour Adventure | Alaska Arctic Expeditions | ✓ Arctic Circle Certificate | $300 |
| Arctic Circle with Aurora and Free Photos | Arctic Night Tours | ✓ Original Arctic Circle Certificate | $350 |
| 1 Day Shared Tour Arctic Circle and Aurora Viewing | Alaska Safari Sultan Tours | Not mentioned (aurora photos included) | $329 |
| Arctic Circle & Northern Lights Dalton Highway Tour | Midnight Sky Adventures | Not mentioned | $379 |
If the certificate matters to you, the safe picks are the ones that list it among the inclusions: the Arctic Circle Day Tour, the summer-season Arctic Circle Adventure Full-Day Tour or the Arctic Circle Northern Lights Full-Day Trip. Northern Alaska Tour Company names the certificate in the description of its Original Arctic Circle Drive, and in its winter and aurora drives too. For the Midnight Sun drive, Midnight Sky Adventures or Alaska Safari Sultan Tours, message the operator before you book and ask.
Other Experiences
Other experiences you might enjoy
More ways to cross the line from Fairbanks: Dalton Highway day drives past the Yukon River and Finger Mountain, and aurora tours that reach the Arctic Circle sign after dark.
Getting a certificate if you drive yourself
You can drive the Dalton Highway to the sign in a suitable rental, and you still get your certificate. Explore Fairbanks tells travelers to return to the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center, 101 Dunkel Street in downtown Fairbanks, to “pick up an official Arctic Circle Certificate” after the trip. The center is open year-round and admission is free.
Bring the trip home in a photo too: almost everyone stops for a picture at the sign. The sign sits at Dalton Highway milepost 115, a short side road off the highway, with a wooden viewing deck and interpretive panels. There is no cell reception at the wayside, so the photo waits until you are back in range to be shared. Our Arctic Circle sign guide covers the stop itself, and our self-drive comparison explains what the drive involves, from rental agreements to the long gap between fuel stops.
What the certificate looks like and how you receive it
Each company designs its own, so there is no standard look. Alaska Wild Lights and Northern Alaska Tour Company both describe theirs as personal keepsakes: Wild Lights calls its version personalized, and Northern Alaska Tour Company makes the handover part of a crossing ceremony at the circle. The other operators simply list the certificate as an inclusion without describing the handover.
A few practical points:
- Keep it flat. Many of these tours return to Fairbanks late at night or after midnight, and a certificate stuffed into a parka pocket on a 13-hour van day does not survive well. A slim folder in your daypack helps.
- The certificate is the same whatever the weather. A cloudy day at the sign still counts as a crossing.
- Aurora certificates are separate. 1st Alaska Tours lists one on its night trip, but no operator can promise the lights themselves. Our Arctic Circle and northern lights guide explains the odds.
Can you get an Arctic Circle certificate online?
Search results for “Arctic Circle certificate online” are mostly about Norway, Finland and Canada. For Alaska, the two documented ways to get one are on a tour that includes it, or in person at the Morris Thompson Center after you have made the trip. A certificate printed at home without the journey is just a piece of paper.
Frequently asked questions
Do all Arctic Circle tours from Fairbanks include a certificate?
No. Nine of the twelve tours we cover mention a certificate in their listing. The Midnight Sun Arctic Circle Drive Adventure, Midnight Sky Adventures’ Dalton Highway tour and Alaska Safari Sultan Tours’ shared tour do not, so ask the operator before booking if it matters.
Is the Arctic Circle certificate official?
It is official only in the sense that the tour company issues it. There is no government certificate for crossing the Arctic Circle in Alaska, and it carries no legal weight. It is a keepsake marking the day you reached 66°33′ North.
Does the BLM visitor center in Coldfoot issue certificates?
None of the BLM’s own pages say so. The BLM describes the Arctic Circle sign as a place to receive a certificate without naming who issues it. If you drive yourself, the Morris Thompson Center in Fairbanks is the documented pickup point.
Do children get their own certificate?
On the personalized certificates, every booked traveler gets one with their name on it. Alaska Wild Lights charges adult prices for everyone, so a child has a full seat and a full certificate. See our Arctic Circle tour with kids guide for age limits.
Do I need to prove I reached the Arctic Circle?
Tour guests receive the certificate from their operator, so being on the tour is the proof. Explore Fairbanks simply invites self-drivers to pick one up at the Morris Thompson Center after the trip, and a photo at the sign is the souvenir most people want anyway.
Ready to book?
If you want the certificate with the least planning, choose a tour that lists it. Compare all of them on the Arctic Circle day tours page, read our review of the Original Arctic Circle Drive, or check dates for the featured tour.
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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