If you’re visiting Alaska to see or photograph the aurora and you’re also interested in daytime adventures including hiking, snowshoeing, or landscape photography, you can save money and improve your chances of seeing the aurora by booking a 3-Night/2-Day Aurora & Adventure Package. During the day, select from guided landscape & wildlife photography expeditions or hiking & snowshoeing adventures, or do a little bit of both. By night, search out scenic vantage points for viewing and photographing the aurora. Like all my tours, these packages are private, so you can tailor everything to your personal interests, fitness level, and schedule. Packages are limited to four people maximum, but if you have a larger group please inquire. By default, the booking calendar assumes you are choosing consecutive nights & days for the package starting with Night 1 (followed by Day 1, Night 2, Day 2, Night 3), but if you want to reorder your activities please contact me. Please note there are no partial refunds if aurora viewing is impossible on one or more nights due to cloudy weather. The pricing of these packages has been set assuming you will have at least one successful night of viewing for the 3-night/2-day package, but with modest luck you may have successful viewing on additional nights. On average, about 50% of nights will feature what I consider “good” viewing conditions, though sometimes customers have to settle for “fair” viewing conditions only and an unlucky few may catch only a minor glimpse of the aurora through heavy clouds or nothing at all. I cannot guarantee a “good” aurora sighting during your package, but I will do everything possible to make it happen. I also advise customers when & where to find the aurora on their own if they are staying additional nights in Alaska, and some that have disappointing conditions during their packages are still able to catch a good sighting at some other point in their trip, while others who do experience good conditions during their package feel more confident photographing on their own later in their trips. Guided aurora tours can be quite expensive and the weather & aurora don’t always cooperate. Booking an Aurora & Adventure Package ensures you’ll have multiple chances to catch the aurora with an aurora photography expert by your side while also guaranteeing you’ll have other memorable experiences and great photos to show for your money in case the aurora disappoints.

Packages are only available for customers staying in the Delta Junction area or the Lodge at Black Rapids due to the lack of spectacular mountain scenery near Fairbanks. For lodging recommendations, see my Aurora Borealis Photography Tours FAQ. Delta Junction is a small, rural Alaska town with a limited number of restaurants and entertainment options, but you can still find other activities to try during your stay here with other tour operators including dog sledding (Crazy Dog Kennels), flightseeing (Golden Eagle Outfitters), and ice fishing (Delta Outdoor Adventures). Note that in mid-winter from late November through late January, there is limited daylight to schedule additional activities during the day. Most of my package customers are photographers, hikers, or nature enthusiasts who welcome a quieter atmosphere and don’t mind spending a few days in a more rustic place. Landscape photography is generally conducted in or near the Alaska Range along the Richardson Highway between Donnelly Dome and Summit Lake, depending on your interests. The available hiking & snowshoe tour routes are the same as my Black Rapids Tours offerings. Many customers will opt for a hike to an ice cave one day and a scenic landscape & wildlife viewing tour the other day, while very fit customers may opt for multiple days of hiking. Some photographers may opt for guided photo outings each day, and I’m happy to schedule these to catch sunrise or sunset. I always recommend staying flexible for the weather and aurora when it comes to daytime activities, and you can always switch activities during the package. Daytime excursions are typically 4-6 hours in length with plenty of time to eat dinner and take a nap before aurora tours in the evening, which typically run from 10pm to 2am (or 11pm to 3am during Daylight Saving Time), though these times vary based on aurora activity, weather, and your need for sleep. Many customers find it difficult to handle multiple consecutive nights of aurora viewing while also engaging in daytime activities. I always try to balance rest & activities so customers don’t suffer from exhaustion during a package. Some customers who experience one good night of aurora viewing early in their package may forego aurora viewing on subsequent nights so they can get enough sleep to enjoy daytime activities or prepare for travel, while others may opt for light activities during the day so they can get enough sleep to stay up for the aurora each night. Quite often, cloudy weather will force at least one night of rest during the package, but should you encounter great weather throughout your package and you would rather sleep on the plane or when you’re dead, then I’m happy to oblige.

Packages are available during all of aurora season, which lasts from late August through mid-April in Interior Alaska. For avid hikers and photographers interested in fall colors or wildlife, I recommend booking a package in late August through early October, though near Delta Junction you can often find large groups of moose or caribou into December. For those interested in exploring a glacier or ice cave, or for those who love snow, I recommend late February through early April when the winter days are longer and typically warmer. In late October, early November, early December, and mid-January through mid-February, customers may find better prices on airfare, lodging, rental vehicles, and even other tour experiences in Fairbanks, along with better availability for each. My calendar tends to fill up several months in advance for September, late February, March, and the holiday seasons, so I recommend booking early if you are considering visiting at one of those times. Customers have a great chance of seeing the aurora during a package booked anytime during aurora season with only marginal statistical variations in weather and aurora activity based on the time of year. Incredible aurora shows can and do happen at any time, and sometimes the dates which are statistically the most likely to see clear weather end up being cloudy. Many customers experience anxiety locking in their dates no matter when they visit; the weather and aurora are natural phenomena that cannot be controlled, so it is best to approach your visit with the attitude that you will have fun on the other portions of your trip, regardless of the aurora. The only ways to increase your odds of a successful aurora viewing are to schedule additional nights in your trip, travel last minute when you know the conditions will be good, or plan to visit Alaska (or Canada, Iceland, Norway, etc.) again in the future if you are unsuccessful. I do not offer packages longer than three nights anymore, but if you are interested in reserving additional nights for aurora you can do so by booking an additional flexible 3-Night Aurora Borealis Photography Tour or back-to-back 3-Night/2-Day packages.

Transportation during your daily & nightly activities is included in the package price with pickup directly from your lodging, but optional round-trip transportation from Fairbanks to your lodging may also be available for an additional cost (starting at $500 total for singles or couples) if you don’t wish to drive yourself to the area from Fairbanks. Please inquire first before booking if you need transportation! Depending on the number of people in your group and how much luggage you need to transport along with your schedule, I may need to make special arrangements to transport you. I highly recommend customers rent their own vehicle if they are staying in Delta Junction to a) save money and b) have freedom to visit restaurants, shop, look for moose, etc., on their own time. Customers who require transportation from Fairbanks to Delta Junction will be provided stops for groceries and take-out food options in town in conjunction with daily activities, but these cannot be offered on demand. (I need to rest and take care of personal needs at some point!) Alaska Country Inn located in the middle of town is a short walk across the street to the grocery store and a couple restaurant options, and there are several lodging options in town that offer personal kitchens or serve breakfast. The Interior Alaska Bus Line operates a shuttle between Fairbanks and Delta Junction, but the schedule is limited so you would need to plan your travel carefully and arrange your own transportation to the pickup and dropoff locations if you utilize that option. (Alaska Country Inn is probably the best place to stay if you take the shuttle, though some B&B or Airbnb hosts might offer rides if you inquire.) The Lodge at Black Rapids has an on-site restaurant and is located in a remote area in the mountains, so customers staying there may not benefit as much from renting their own vehicle. The Lodge also has the capability to transport customers (inquire with them for availability and rates) so they may still be able to transport you if my schedule doesn’t permit. Please understand that customers frequently arrive and depart on red eye flights when traveling through Fairbanks International Airport and that transportation cannot always be scheduled when it might be most convenient for your flight schedule. In general, pickup and drop off outside 8am to 8pm may not be possible.

You can also add professional adventure portraits to your package!

RATES & BOOKING

3-Night, 2-Day Aurora & Adventure Package
Rate: $1200 (1 person); additional people $125 each up to a maximum of 4
Full payment required to reserve. (Installments available on request.)
Cancellation Policy: 95% refund if canceled at least 60 days in advance; 75% refund if canceled less than 60 days but at least 10 days in advance; no refund for cancellations made less than 10 days in advance. Any forfeited balance may be applied to a future booking and customers may reschedule to avoid cancellation fees.
Available August 27 through April 13.