Fairbanks Aurora Tour: Professional Aurora Portraiture and Alaska Adventure with Hot Pizza
4.9
99 Ratings
Experience the Fairbanks Aurora Tour with professional portrait photographer Nathan. Get high-quality aurora portraits and explore Alaska with an expert guide. Book now!
Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • 93QJ42XR+4R4 - We only book 8 guests per tour to ensure a personal experience. This ain’t your grandmothers overcrowded Princess Cruse! ;) We’ll trek out on a photography adventure like no other and stay toasty warm as we enter a winter wonderland under the northern lights. The tour is a magical journey through the sparkling frozen tundra, chasing the colorful swirls of aurora borealis overhead. We’ll learn the basic science behind the phenomenon and how to photograph it using your own camera plus you’ll get landscapes and portraits, all included. The trek is a 6-8 hour tour, we drive 40 miles north of Fairbanks to a TRAILHEAD with a gentle slopped 20 min HIKE to a spot with 360 degree mountain top views and large rock formations. At the top we have a cozy heated warming shelter for you. We also offer complimentary gourmet pizzas, hot out of our 930 degree stone fired pizza oven. Also, hot cocoa, coffee and Chai Tea. This adventure always delivers a memorable experience with lots of fun and extras to do while we wait on the aurora to appear. Get an authentic experience, come see how the locals adventure with your Alaskan guide, Nathan, 36 years old with 23 years of Alaskan outdoor experience!
What's Included
  • Private transportation
  • Complimentary digital photo album - landscapes and portraits
  • Access to heated warming shelter
  • Experience with flying Chinese lanterns (included)
  • Headlamps provided
  • Tea and coffee available
  • Bottled water included
  • Insulated over boots for warmth
  • Crampons included for better traction on ice
  • Snacks provided
  • Complimentary hand/toe warmers
Additional Information

Nathan isn’t just your usual tour guide in the Fairbanks region of Aurora; he’s also a skilled portrait photographer - a rarity among the other tours. While others may provide “free portraits”, none can match the depth of expertise that Nathan brings to the table. With meticulous control over supplementary studio lighting, his shots boast incomparable clarity and quality, honed over seven years of dedicated aurora portraiture. Along with this, we ensure you’re equipped with the necessary gear such as insulated footwear, hand/toe warmers, headlamps, ice crampons for grip, water bottles and more, maintaining your comfort and safety. However, the focus is always the terrific photos! The aim is to bag some superlative photos uniquely yours. Besides, having Nathan as your guide will be an added advantage, as he brings to the table over two decades of survival skills in the Alaskan backcountry arctic, providing invaluable advice for your Alaskan adventure.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(99 Ratings)
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Katkhor
Apr 14, 2024
Worth Every Penny! - First off, I know this tour is a bit pricey, but it was so worth it for the pictures alone! Nathan was great - he used to be a wedding photographer, but then discovered a passion for capturing Auroras. We really appreciated his expertise - our 1 week stay yielded mostly cloudy evenings. Our group was worried we wouldn't be able to see the Aurora before we left. But Nathan came in clutch! He monitored the weather and cloud cover so he could take us to the perfect spot and we finally had success! It was below 0°F that night and the heated tent was so nice. He monitored the sky through a video feed so if there was bursts of activity, we could go back outside. While cooking the pizzas, he gave us detailed explanations on what causes the Auroras. The pizza was super tasty and the warm drinks were definitely appreciated. Overall, this was a great experience and we highly recommend it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Booyah2019
Apr 11, 2024
Amazing Aurora Show - Nathan was amazing. He does not take you to a specific spot. Nathan monitors the weather patterns throughout the day, Follows the BZ value thorughout the evening and takes you to the best viewing spot for that night. The pop-up heated tent gives him / you this luxury. His knowledge about photography and auroras make him the unique person to go with. He will take some photos of the aurora itself, as well as, portraits of you with the aurora. So you will get some great shots, even if your nightime photography skills are lacking. Our group was small, so he had a little time to give me tips for my photos of the aurora. This is most likely a once in a lifetime activity, so don't let the price scare you away. Nathan is worth it. I would have added some photos he took. However, the nightime photos were too large for Tripadvisor's rules. Trust me they are worderful.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Addie_d
Apr 7, 2024
Best.Tour.Ever!! Look no further, book this experience! - This was the most INCREDIBLE experience we have ever had! We got lucky and the skies opened up and the lights gave us a show! The tour itself is awesome, it’s a small group and a perfect setting. Nathan sets up a pizza oven and we get to enjoy hot pizza in the heated tent while we wait for the show to start! He talks about the science behind the aurora and then sets up his professional photography equipment and starts taking pictures. He will take as many as you want with your family, individually, etc and even gets some of the sky too. The best part is he sends you the link for free!!! I see that some tours take pictures but then you have to pay for them, which sucks since you’ve just paid $$$ for the tour itself! We had an extra family on our trip bc the night before the lights didn’t happen, so they were trying again. He offers you the opportunity to come back and do the tour again for up to 2 years! How cool is that?! So…..Stop looking at other tours, just book this one, I promise you, you won’t be disappointed and you’ll be supporting local! He isn’t a big tour company, he’s just a professional doing what he loves and providing an amazing experience!
Review provided by Viator
585addiew
Apr 7, 2024
Absolutely AMAZING tour - lots of extras set this tour apart from others- just book it! You won’t be disappointed!! - This was the most INCREDIBLE experience we have ever had! We got lucky and the skies opened up and the lights gave us a show! The tour itself is awesome, it’s a small group and a perfect setting. Nathan sets up a pizza oven and we get to enjoy hot pizza in the heated tent while we wait for the show to start! He talks about the science behind the aurora and then sets up his professional photography equipment and starts taking pictures. He will take as many as you want with your family, individually, etc and even gets some of the sky too. The best part is he sends you the link for free!!! I see that some tours take pictures but then you have to pay for them, which sucks since you’ve just paid $$$ for the tour itself! We had an extra family on our trip bc the night before the lights didn’t happen, so they were trying again. He offers you the opportunity to come back and do the tour again for up to 2 years! How cool is that?! So…..Stop looking at other tours, just book this one, I promise you, you won’t be disappointed!! Oh and you’ll be supporting local! He isn’t a big tour company, he’s just a professional doing what he loves and providing an amazing experience! If I could give it 10 stars I would! Book already!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Robert_f
Apr 6, 2024
Winning combination - Pizza and 'Lights! - Thoroughly enjoyed Nathan and his efforts to help us to see the Lights. Very successful outcome. The pizza and cocoa were extra-special! Unfortunately, the pics taken of us were just OK. All in all, however, a great experience. Highly recommend it!
Review provided by Viator
Nived_m
Apr 6, 2024
Worth every penny - It was one of the best tour experience . The guide was very friendly and well informed. He took lots of good portrait of us and pizzas tasted so in the warm tent . Hands down one of the best aurora experiences.
Review provided by Viator
Daphne
Apr 6, 2024
Bucket List Tour! - Best tour booked for our family with 2 boys age 10 & 16 for spring break in hopes of experiencing the Northern Lights for the first time! Nathan our kind & knowledgeable guide & experienced photographer made the whole trip seamless, carefree & fun- from pick up/drop off at our hotel to setting up a warm refuge in his cozy tent to preparing delicious gourmet pizza & hot drinks while we waited for the aurora to appear. Once it did, he set up his camera to take professional pictures for all of us throughout the night so we could experience it fully in the moment. He then sent a digital photo album a few days later so we could capture this magical moment/night. He even went above & beyond when the aurora did not appear the 1st night & guaranteed a free 2nd tour within 2 years (space permitting). We got lucky & were able to book the following night where we had a great show! It is clear Nathan cares about his guests having a genuinely great experience & is a wonderful host! Highly recommend to all!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J2304pvsarahb
Apr 5, 2024
Amazing tour from all angles! - Seeing the Northern Lights was our entire hope and reason for our trip, and Nathan did not disappoint! Everything was so well executed and kept toasty warm from pick-up to location choice, set-up, pizzas, pictures, and the drop-off home. We traveled with a 12 and 10 year old, so staying warm for the show was crucial. Pizzas were great, and made for a good time chatting with other travelers. The photographs Nathan took and sent in a follow-up were phenomenal. Nathan was knowledgeable and provided next level service the entire night. My husband’s glasses took a detour in the van somehow when we were loading up, and Nathan went the extra mile to drop them back to us at the hotel after he’d found them. This is absolutely the best tour to choose.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sarah_b
Apr 5, 2024
Amazing tour from all angles! - Seeing the Northern Lights was our entire hope and reason for our trip, and Nathan did not disappoint! Everything was so well executed and kept toasty warm from pick-up to location choice, set-up, pizzas, pictures, and the drop-off home. We traveled with a 12 and 10 year old, so staying warm for the show was crucial. Pizzas were great, and made for a good time chatting with other travelers. The photographs Nathan took and sent in a follow-up were phenomenal. Nathan was knowledgeable and provided next level service the entire night. My husband’s glasses took a detour in the van somehow when we were loading up, and Nathan went the extra mile to drop them back to us at the hotel after he’d found them. This is absolutely the best tour to choose.
Review provided by Viator
228lynnetteg
Apr 2, 2024
Wonderfully Memorable Experience - The Aurora view was so-so for most of the evening , which we expected due to the cloud cover, but photos were great, and because the light show didn’t really begin until about 2:00 pm, Nathan was an amazing host as he stayed past our scheduled departure time by an additional hour and a half. We were the first party picked up and the last to be dropped off, so we were very late getting to bed, but it was totally worth it for the experience. Nathan supplied us with hot oven baked gourmet styled pizza 🍕 and plenty of hot varied drinks as well as cold water. Nathan was the ultimate professional with the “clients come first” attitude and his photography came to us all prior to the expected time frame. Photos were great and they included all 12 of the guests in the entire party. Fun times, and we would do it all again with or without the dancing lights.
Review provided by Tripadvisor