Alaska is the largest state in the United States and well known for its rugged wilderness, stunning, natural beauty, and unique culture. The two of the most popular destination in Alaska are Fairbanks and Anchorage which offer a glimpse into the state’s history, culture, and natural wonders to the visitors. We had been planning to visit Alaska for more than a year, especially to see the Northern Lights. After doing a lot of research and planning we visited Fairbanks and Anchorage in the last week of March 2023. Here is our 5-day itinerary to help you make the most of your time in Alaska.
Day1: Arrival in Fairbanks -> Northern lights -> Ice Championship -> Dog Mushing -> Chena Hot spring
One thing that we wanted to see in Alaska is the Northern Lights and therefore we decided to visit go to Fairbanks. We took off from LAX around 5 PM and reached Fairbanks at midnight, with a 1 hr layover in Seattle. We intentionally booked a flight that reached Fairbanks around midnight to maximize our chances of seeing the Northern Lights and were not disappointed at all as were able to see them even before we reached Fairbanks. We felt really lucky as we never expected to see the Auroras from the flight that too after an hour of flying from Seattle. I was sitting on the right side of the airplane and saw faint green lights towards the right. But I was not sure if I was looking at the Northern lights and asked the lady sitting next to me to look outside the window and confirm if she could see the green light too. She confirmed that what we were looking at are indeed the northern lights as she lives in Fairbanks and has seen them before many times. I quickly turned off my in-flight entertainment screen to adjust my eyes to see the auroras and started taking pictures with my phone. The green light kept on getting darker with time and soon it covered more than half of the sky such that I could clearly see the bright and beautiful green color of the auroras with the naked eye. So tip #1, take the right side of the plane while traveling from LAX/SeaTac/SFO to Alaska and on the left side while flying from Alaska to the lower 48 states.
After some time the lights disappeared and we landed in Fairbanks, but we were hopeful of seeing them again in Fairbanks as the night had just started. However, it was cloudy and the weather apps showed 99% cloud coverage over Fairbanks, so our chances of seeing the auroras tonight were extremely low which we were not happy about even slightly. We booked an Uber from Fairbanks airport to our hotel which was 12 miles away from the airport and almost outside the city. As we headed out of the city area, the clouds started clearing up and we started seeing stars quite clearly which gave us some hope of seeing the Northern Lights again. It took us about 25 minutes to reach the hotel, Alaska Grizzly Lodge, where we were staying for the first 2 nights in Fairbanks. We had already communicated with the amazing couple who runs the lodge about our late-night arrival and they provided us with the instructions to check in. As we reached the lodge and were checking in we met our amazing host Janet, who told us that the Auroras appeared a few minutes ago and we can see them from the south deck. We quickly kept our stuff in the room and headed out to the viewing area and saw one of the best and brightest shows of the Auroras. Soon we were joined by other guests staying at the lodge who received a Norther Lights call, a service provided by the lodge to inform guests when the Auroas are visible. While making reservations we deliberated about booking a hotel near the airport as that was cheaper and easier to reach after landing as compared to the Grizzly Lodge which was a bit more expensive and far from the city but away from the light pollution of the city. Now we can surely say that we made the right choice of choosing the Grizzly Lodge as we got to see a very good show of the auroras for 40-50 minutes. Not saying this to make you jealous, but pictures cannot justify what we saw with our naked eyes. This would have not been possible if we were staying at a hotel near the airport where we would see only a small portion of the sky from the window that too in the pollution of city lights. We can not thank our host, Janet, enough who informed us about the auroras and the way they designed the property as it allows us to see the sky in all directions and provide an amazing view of the northern lights. Even though we were tired after a seven-hour-long journey, we were super excited to stay up for a couple of hours for the Northern Lights. There was a green tint of lights for another hour and then fainted after which we called it a day and went straight to bed as we had a lot of things planned for our first day in Alaska.
This day was planned with some adventures that we had never tried before and we were super excited to experience the last frontier beauty and wilderness. After getting up late around 9 AM we had breakfast in the lodge itself and then we went to the ice championship as that was the last day before they close it down. Tip #2 if you’re planning your visit in the month of February and March do check out the ice championship in Fairbanks. This event draws ice sculptors from around the world to showcase their talent. The sculptures created by these talented artists are truly incredible and range from realistic animals and people do abstract designs and intricate patterns. We spent around a couple of hours here and then booked Uber for dog mushing activity with paws for adventure. During our stay in Fairbanks, we didn’t take any rentals as we had no experience driving in snow and weren’t sure how much ice will be there on the roads.
We booked a dog mushing experience with paws for adventure. Dog mushing was a traditional mode of transport in Alaska, which has now evolved into a popular recreational activity and competitive sport. It was an amazing way of exploring the wilderness with Alaskan huskies. It was 30 to 40 minutes of activity where you will be taken around by 10 Alaskan huskies over a snow-covered 5-mile trail. We really enjoyed this activity and do recommend us for anyone who is planning a trip to Fairbanks in Winters.
After this amazing activity, we headed to our hotel so that we can have some ready-to-eat lunch that we brought from home. After taking an hour, of rest and finishing lunch, we had already scheduled a shuttle to Chena Hot Springs, one of the most famous points in Fairbanks, which attracts lots of visitors throughout the year. Let’s see what we have to say about these top-rated points in Fairbanks.
They provide a shuttle in case you don’t have a rental car and that’s what we did. It was an hour right from our lodge to Chena Hot Springs. As soon as we arrive there first thing that we wanted to do was ice museum. As we already visited the ice championship and amazing sculptures in the morning it was good, but not something we have never seen. It was pretty cold and we were wearing lots of layers so we decided not to go into the Hot Spring and just enjoy from outside.
After spending some time around the lodge and experiencing nature, we decided to have lunch as we were pretty hungry and decided to have lunch in the Chena Hot Springs resort restaurant. They have limited vegetarian options, but the food was good and was worth the money so no complaints.
After this amazing activity, we headed to our hotel so that we can have some ready-to-eat lunch that we brought from home. After taking an hour, of rest and finishing lunch, we had already scheduled a shuttle to Chena Hot Springs, one of the most famous points in Fairbanks, which attracts lots of visitors throughout the year. Let’s see what we have to say about these top-rated points in Fairbanks.
They provide a shuttle in case you don’t have a rental car and that’s what we did. It was an hour right from our lodge to Chena Hot Springs. As soon as we arrive there first thing that we wanted to do was ice museum. As we already visited the ice championship and amazing sculptures in the morning it was good, but not something we have never seen. It was pretty cold and we were wearing lots of layers so we decided not to go into the Hot Spring and just enjoy from outside.
After spending some time around the lodge and experiencing nature, we decided to have lunch as we were pretty hungry and decided to have lunch in the Chena Hot Springs resort restaurant. They have limited vegetarian options, but the food was good and was worth the money so no complaints.
Tip #3 To increase your probability of watching northern lights, do stay for at least three nights in Fairbanks.
After having lunch, we spend a couple of hours, relaxing, and having tea in the resort check-in area, which was comfortable and cozy. This night we booked a Northern Lights tour with Chena Hot Springs, where the plan was to be at Charlie Dome from 10:30 AM till 3 AM hunting northern lights. The whole experience of reaching Charlie Dome was an experience as it was a 30-minute bumpy ride in an amazing heated SUV. As we reached at the top, we looked around and it was partly cloudy and no northern lights were yet out. They had heated yurt where you can relax, eat noodles and drink, hot chocolate, coffee, or tea. So while hunting for northern lights, you don’t have to be shivering all the while you can be inside and wait till the northern lights are out. But this night we were not lucky and we were not able to witness northern lights in action. There was a hint of them for around 5 to 10 minutes, but it was a gray-colored activity, the naked eye, which we were able to capture as green from the camera so not a great night, but had an amazing day. After waiting till 2:45 AM we headed back to the resort from there we had a shuttle back to our lodge.
Day2: Trip to Arctic Circle
We checked out from the Grizzly Lodge and checked in to the Best Western Plus for the last day as it was more convenient for our travels the next day, cheaper and we were not going to stay in the room for long anyways as we had a 14 hour Arctic Circle trip ahead of us. After checking in we had some time to relax, take a nap and most importantly eat.
Our trip started at 2 PM in the afternoon and were picked up by our guide, Keaton, on time from our hotel in 10 seat passenger van. After picking us up, the van made one more stop in downtown Fairbanks to pick up one last person and all 9 of us started our journey to the Arctic Circle. The trip included the hotel pick up and drop off within the city limits of Fairbanks and they also provided free, snacks, water, and sandwiches. If you have any dietary restrictions do let them know at the time of booking to accommodate the changes like we requested for vegetarian sandwiches. The seats were quite comfortable and after exiting Fairbanks we quickly reached our first stop at the Alaska Oil Pipeline. This pipeline is 800 miles long and was built in 1977 to transport oil from Prudhoe Bay in the north of Alaska to Valdez in southern Alaska. After taking some photos we continued our journey to the Arctic Circle and soon merged on the Dalton Highway which is mainly used by truckers to support the pipeline. We stopped occasionally to stretch our legs and capture memories at some of the best and most popular locations like the Dalton Highway signboard, the Yukon River, and our favorite, the enchanted forest. After traveling for 7 hours we finally reached the Arctic Circle just after sunset and clicked many photos with the Arctic Circle sign. Did you know that the Arctic Circle marks the lowest point in the Northern Hemisphere where the sun doesn’t rise at least for a day in winter and doesn’t set at least for a day in summer? We didn’t see any wildlife during our journey but people say that you are very likely to see, foxes moose, and possibly bears, Wolves, and lynxes if you are visiting in summer. After spending some time at the Arctic Circle, we started the journey back to Fairbanks while it was cloudy and snowing lightly. Our guide stopped multiple to whenever it seemed that clouds were clearing up to check for the Northern Lights but there was no sign of them. We reached the hotel around 3:30 AM and were super tired, so headed straight to bed as we had to get up early the next day for our train journey. We had a great time on this trip thanks to Keaton, our guide, who has a lot of knowledge about the Alaskan landscape, beauty, and culture and continuously shared all the information with the passengers. We learned a lot about Alaska like what is dog mushing and how big the sport is, which we had no clue about until then.
Day 3: Train from Fairbanks to Anchorage
The morning started with the missed alarm but we got ready quickly, skipped breakfast, and were finally able to catch the train in time. Thankfully, our hotel provided a shuttle service to the train station which helped us get in time. It was an amazing morning with snow flurries and after checking in at the train station we spent some time taking pictures around the station. As we missed our breakfast, we decided to have it in the train dining area. Do carry some snacks as the train journey is 12 hours long even though the train has a dining area and a cafeteria. The first three hours of the journey from Fairbanks are quite normal as the landscape is mostly flat. This could be a good time to relax and take a nap to catch up on sleep as you will not want to miss anything after that. As soon as you reach Healy station, wake up, take out your camera, and get ready as the journey from here is going to be amazing. We saw the snow-capped mountains of the Alaska Range, Susitna Valley, and Chugach Range. The train stopped at Denali station for around 15 minutes where we got a chance to step out in the snow and task some amazing shots with the snow flurries. For the next 6 to 8 hours it was a surreal experience looking at snow-covered mountains throughout the Alaska range. Another interesting thing about this train ride was witnessing wildlife in the wilderness. Train staff kept announcing as soon as they were able to find wildlife around, so it became easier for us to spot them in the wilderness. We saw multiple moose and bald eagles.
Tip #4 Do check out Alaska Railroad website as they run multiple scenic trains during winter and summer months and definitely book them in advance as these get filled in quickly.
We reached anchorage around 8:15 PM and booked an Uber to pick up a rental vehicle which was near the Anchorage airport, 10 minutes away front the rail depot. As we had short sleep last night, we drove straight to our hotel, ordered Indian food from Uber Eats, had dinner, and called it a night.
Day 4: Anchorage to Seward – Spring Cruise in Kenai Fjords National Park
After two nights, we were finally able to sleep for more than four hours, and we were all set to drive from Anchorage to Seward for a spring wildlife cruise in Kenai fjords national park. Two Hours drive from anchorage to Seward is filled with some amazing scenery so you will not realize how quickly the time will go and soon you will reach Seward. There are many different types of cruises available ranging from a half-day cruise to multi-day expeditions. Depending on the season, budget, time limitations, and desired level of adventure you can choose the cruise that suits you the best.
We visited during the end of winter so there was only one available option, the 4.5 hours spring wildlife cruise. If you have binoculars, it’s great to bring them as you will witness some amazing wildlife but the tour company also provide binoculars in case you don’t have them. Listen to your cruise guide, who will provide information about the past geology history, and wildlife. We witnessed sea otters, sea lions, bald eagles, orcas, mountain goats, porpoises, and seagulls. This cruise in Kenia fjords will definitely be on our list. Next time we come to Alaska.
Day 5: Drive from anchorage to Palmer for Matanuska Glacier
After having breakfast we drove 2hr towards Palmer where we had booked with the Matanushka glacier tour company. The drive is known for its stunning scenery with views of snowcap mountains, glaciers, and rivers. The route follows the Glenn Highway Northeast, out of anguish towards the Matanuska Susitna Valley. After taking the exit for Matanuska Glacier, we draw more than a mile on the dirt snow road to get to the check-in point of the tour company. After check-in the latest on the private road where we drove two more miles on snow to reach the starting point and meet our guides. The staff provided appropriate micro spikes to fit snow shoes and the gear as per need.
from the starting point, we were transferred to the snowmobile cards which took us into the glacier. They first transported us to the tunnels, carved in the snow. After spending a few minutes there took farther into the glacier, where we literally went through crevasses, witnessed amazing ice caves, and even saw turquoise half-frozen glacier water. The total time from check-in till the end was 3.5 to 4 hours. And the total cost was $125 per person but it was worth it.
Overall in our trip, we would say after Northern Lights this was the next amazing experience we had.
Hope to visit this amazing place again!!
Let us know if you have any feedback or suggestion for our next Alaska trip. Feel free to let us know in the comment below, what else we can include in our blog to help you all 🙂 Thanks for the read.