Fairbanks Day Tours & Attractions
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The waterways of Interior Alaska brought the first modern settlers to Fairbanks and remain just as important as roads and skyways in transporting goods and people across the state. They’re also one of the most popular options for recreation and adventure.
Hop aboard a watercraft to experience Fairbanks from the riverbed. Choose Riverboat Discovery to learn all about local history, dog mushing, and native culture.
To continue lessons in local history, try your luck at Gold Dredge 8 and get a feel for what it was like to be an early pioneer hoping to strike it rich in such a harsh and remote environment.
The best way to glimpse the “real Alaska” of northern wilderness and bush villages is to book a trip with an operator of daily tours above the Arctic Circle. with Northern Alaska Tour Company. They offer tours for every schedule and interest, including rides on bush mail flights and multi-day excursions. Embark on an arctic tour and you are guaranteed to return home with more than a few Alaskan stories.
Like to be a “do-it-yourself” traveler? Rent a car and take to the Dalton Highway, the “haul road” which runs straight north between Fairbanks and Deadhorse and became the stuff of legend through the hit TV show “Ice Road Truckers” on the History Channel. Fairbanks is the only access point to this road trip, which is the farthest north in the country.
If you are traveling to Fairbanks in the winter, try an authentic Dog Sledding experience or view the Northern Lights!
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Fairbanks
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Gold Panning Tours
Dog Mushing
Photography Tours
Riverboat Tours
Arctic Tours
Winter Sightseeing Tours
Dog Sledding
Jeep / ATV Tours
Wildlife Parks
Polar Bear Viewing
Snowmobiling Tours
Northern Lights Tours
City Sightseeing Tours
Guided Hiking
Museums & Cultural Centers
Visitor Information Centers
Walking Tours
Fairs & Festivals
Points of Interest
Gardens & Arboretums
Gold Panning Tours View All
Learn about Fairbanks gold rush history • hands-on gold panning
Gold Daughters provides a fun, hands-on way to learn about Fairbanks’ gold rush history, and get a glimpse of the same thrill that brought so many people to Alaska in the first place. Your entrance fee provides you with a poke of paydirt with guaranteed gold and lets you pan all day.
Hop aboard a narrow-gauge train and get ready to stake your claim to gold on this two-hour tour of Gold Dredge 8. Learn all about how 100,000 gold rushers fought the permafrost in their quest to get rich. Then grab some gold of your own!
Dog Mushing View All
Take part in the thrill of winter and fall dog sledding out of Fairbanks. You’ll experience the sport with one of Alaska’s longest-running dog tour companies. Go for a ride, attend mushing school, or go on a multi-day adventure to the historic Tolovana Roadhouse.
Glide over the snow on a sled that’s being pulled by a team of dogs — many of whom have run the Iditarod, Yukon Quest, or other races. Go with Rod’s Alaskan Guide Service and experience the thrill of dog sledding with dogs that love to run and passionate mushers who will offer a deeper understanding of this unique sport.
Plenty of people come to Fairbanks to look at the sky — for northern lights, or to bask in the midnight sun. But this dog-mushing experience outside of Fairbanks is proof that there’s plenty more of Fairbanks to be seen at eye — or even paw — level. May through October, take a a trail ride with 16 dogs hitched up to an ATV. November through April, take a mushing tour through the snow!
Visit the world’s oldest Siberian Husky kennel any time of the year with tour options ranging from a couple of hours in the summer to multi-day winter adventures exploring Fairbanks.
This family-owned, fly-in luxury wilderness lodge is 200 miles north of Fairbanks and 60 miles above the Arctic Circle. Stays are all-inclusive and exclusive — they only accept one group at a time. Go dogsledding, snowshoeing, or scan the skies for the northern lights. The lodge’s huge picture windows make it easy to keep a lookout for the aurora from a warm, comfortable interior.
Photography Tours View All
Single: $4,695; Double*: $3,795 each
7 Days / 7 Nights
Visits: Anchorage, Fairbanks, Delta Junction
Land Package Type: Photography Tours
Riverboat Tours View All
Authentic sternwheeler riverboat tour
Climb on board an authentic Alaskan sternwheeler, the Riverboat Discovery, and take a journey back in time along the Chena and Tanana rivers. Sternwheeler boats transport you out into the Alaskan wilderness, and also back to a time when Gold Rush fever was sweeping across the state. The Discovery II and Discovery III offer fully narrated three-and-a-half-hour tour. But all your time isn’t spent on the boat. You’ll make an unforgettable one-hour ...more
Arctic Tours View All
Travel above the Arctic Circle • Fly, drive, or combination
This family-owned, fly-in luxury wilderness lodge is 200 miles north of Fairbanks and 60 miles above the Arctic Circle. Stays are all-inclusive and exclusive — they only accept one group at a time. Go dogsledding, snowshoeing, or scan the skies for the northern lights. The lodge’s huge picture windows make it easy to keep a lookout for the aurora from a warm, comfortable interior.
Visit the world’s oldest Siberian Husky kennel any time of the year with tour options ranging from a couple of hours in the summer to multi-day winter adventures exploring Fairbanks.
Fly from Fairbanks and travel 80 miles above the across the Arctic Circle on a scenic and historic adventure. Departing in the evening, you’ll pass over the stark terrain of northern Alaska and land at the Athabascan village of Fort Yukon. Then, with your guide, you’ll spend an hour learning all about this fascinating area — the history, how people take care of themselves in a punishing environment, and some of the characters who have called this ...more
Northern Alaska Tour Company offers several tours that transport visitors to the Arctic Circle. You can fly, drive, or do a combination of the two, depending on your travel preference and how much time you have. The most popular tour is the fly-and-drive excursion, which gives you incredible views from the air and a tour of the town of Coldfoot, followed by a drive back to Fairbanks.
The folks at Arctic Outfitters are travel specialists, and they’ll work hard to help you plan a trip to fit your needs. Arctic Outfitters rents reliable, stable vehicles that are specially equipped for remote travel.
Winter Sightseeing Tours View All
Northern lights tours • Aurora Winter Train • Snowshoeing
Winter in Alaska is a magical time, with fewer visitors and a serene, snow-covered landscape. If you’re here from mid-September to mid-May, you can take it in from the comfort of the Aurora Winter Train, which runs between Anchorage and Fairbanks. It’s an easy and memorable way to travel north and experience the aurora borealis, or even do a weekend getaway to Talkeetna.
Join Alaska Wildlife Guide in exploring one of Alaska’s most desired attractions, Chena Hot Springs Resort. From visiting the most northern Ice Museum, soaking in the all-natural hot springs to viewing the breathtaking Northern Lights dance across the sky, this tour will be a highlight of your Alaskan experience.
A guided day trip out of Fairbanks reveals the quiet winter landscape of the Tanana Valley and Denali National Park. Walk or snowshoe on picturesque trails through the boreal forest, deep in the heart of the Alaska range.
Sample a variety of Alaskan activities year-round through this organization that’s all about showcasing the community of Two Rivers. The signature Taste of Two Rivers Tour includes a dog sled demonstration, gold panning, and an opportunity to meet & pet reindeer. Other summer tours include hikes with reindeer and visiting a peony farm. In winter, go dog sledding (day or multi-day expedition) and view the northern lights.
Dog Sledding View All
Summer Kennel Tours • Winter Tours
Take part in the thrill of winter and fall dog sledding out of Fairbanks. You’ll experience the sport with one of Alaska’s longest-running dog tour companies. Go for a ride, attend mushing school, or go on a multi-day adventure to the historic Tolovana Roadhouse.
Glide over the snow on a sled that’s being pulled by a team of dogs — many of whom have run the Iditarod, Yukon Quest, or other races. Go with Rod’s Alaskan Guide Service and experience the thrill of dog sledding with dogs that love to run and passionate mushers who will offer a deeper understanding of this unique sport.
This family-owned, fly-in luxury wilderness lodge is 200 miles north of Fairbanks and 60 miles above the Arctic Circle. Stays are all-inclusive and exclusive — they only accept one group at a time. Go dogsledding, snowshoeing, or scan the skies for the northern lights. The lodge’s huge picture windows make it easy to keep a lookout for the aurora from a warm, comfortable interior.
Plenty of people come to Fairbanks to look at the sky — for northern lights, or to bask in the midnight sun. But this dog-mushing experience outside of Fairbanks is proof that there’s plenty more of Fairbanks to be seen at eye — or even paw — level. May through October, take a a trail ride with 16 dogs hitched up to an ATV. November through April, take a mushing tour through the snow!
Visit the world’s oldest Siberian Husky kennel any time of the year with tour options ranging from a couple of hours in the summer to multi-day winter adventures exploring Fairbanks.
Jeep / ATV Tours
Pilot your own ATV through the rugged Alaskan wilderness outside Fairbanks. Choose from morning or evening tours driving an ATV — a 2021 Can-Am Trail Maverick side-by-side in Fairbanks with Midnight Sun ATV tours.
Wildlife Parks View All
Meet some reindeer • See birds, foxes, moose at wildlife sanctuary
You may think of reindeer as flying creatures of the imagination, but here in Alaska they’re very real. And this unique tour gives you the opportunity to get up close and personal with these magnificent animals. Walk among them and pet them — it’s truly a moment made for Instagram.
Sample a variety of Alaskan activities year-round through this organization that’s all about showcasing the community of Two Rivers. The signature Taste of Two Rivers Tour includes a dog sled demonstration, gold panning, and an opportunity to meet & pet reindeer. Other summer tours include hikes with reindeer and visiting a peony farm. In winter, go dog sledding (day or multi-day expedition) and view the northern lights.
Come visit and you might see up to 15 different kinds of mammals — from beavers to red foxes, flying squirrels, snowshoe hares, and even moose — and several species of birds. Throughout the Sanctuary’s trail system there are 14 interpretive signs, so you can learn how the birds, fish, frogs, and mammals survive in interior Alaska’s tough climate.
Polar Bear Viewing View All
Snowmobiling Tours View All
Safe snowmobiling tours for first-timers • Winter wildlife viewing
Plunge into a winter wonderland of spruce forests, wide open spaces and wildlife. This snowmobile tour in North Pole (just outside of Fairbanks) offers an unparalleled peek at Alaska’s interior and a serious thrill, whether you take a first-timer’s tour or embark on an overnight adventure.
Join Alaska Wildlife Guide on a once in a lifetime adventure as you snowmobile through forests, over frozen lakes, view various wildlife, listen to fascinating stories and meet the world-famous Bison, Cowie.
Northern Lights Tours View All
Warm up by a fire and look at stars as you wait for the Northern Lights
Stand out on the Arctic tundra under the northern lights, experiencing their eerie glow on a one-day tour you won’t soon forget. From October to April, you’ll depart from Fairbanks on this one-day adventure and get a majestic flightseeing trip to the remote town of Coldfoot, above the Arctic Circle. Explore this fascinating town and look for the mysterious lights overhead. Then drive south and get a close up of all the terrain in between, seeing ...more
Seeing the Northern Lights is an unforgettable wintertime experience. Of course, you never know quite when (or even if) Mother Nature is going to unleash the display into the night sky. So while you wait, you’ll be trying your hand at another activity that’s unique to the Alaskan winter: ice fishing!
Spend some time above the Arctic Circle under the mysterious, eerie northern lights. From mid-September to late April, when you have the best chance of witnessing phenomenon of the aurora borealis, you’ll fly from Fairbanks to the remote village of Coldfoot, in the Brooks Mountain Range. After the spectacular flightseeing experience, you’ll have either 3 days/2 nights or 4 days/3 nights to explore this rugged, fascinating landscape, with ...more
Located on a quiet ridgeline outside of Fairbanks, the Borealis Basecamp offers 20 elegant igloos and a new village with 5 aurora-viewing cubes, including a family suite custom-designed and specifically positioned to maximize your viewing of the Northern Lights. You’ll also have the chance to take advantage of the camps many winter activities like dogsledding, snowmachining, snowshoeing, and fat-tire biking.
Join Alaska Wildlife Guide in exploring one of Alaska’s most desired attractions, Chena Hot Springs Resort. From visiting the most northern Ice Museum, soaking in the all-natural hot springs to viewing the breathtaking Northern Lights dance across the sky, this tour will be a highlight of your Alaskan experience.
This family-owned, fly-in luxury wilderness lodge is 200 miles north of Fairbanks and 60 miles above the Arctic Circle. Stays are all-inclusive and exclusive — they only accept one group at a time. Go dogsledding, snowshoeing, or scan the skies for the northern lights. The lodge’s huge picture windows make it easy to keep a lookout for the aurora from a warm, comfortable interior.
Just a short 15-minute drive from downtown Fairbanks, wait for the northern lights to appear in a warm, inviting space. Cozy up to the fire, sip on cocoa and coffee, and step outside when mother nature puts on a show. Although the center is a short distance from town, it is far enough away so that you won’t have to worry about light pollution interrupting your view as you stand gazing under the vast, starlit sky.
Wondering how folks up here deal with Alaska’s long winter days? It’s easy when the inky night sky comes alive with an amazing light show like the aurora borealis. Braving the cold is nothing if you get a chance to see the lights dancing and waving overhead. Combine your aurora viewing trip with a few other highlights planned out by Salmon Berry Tours, and you’ll experience the best of winter in Alaska.
City Sightseeing Tours View All
Visit Reindeer • Sightsee from the Alaska Railroad • Sample spirits at a local Distillery
Drive through Alaska with an audio tour guiding you along iconic routes. Audio Tour Alaska gives you an insider’s take on everything from points of interest to history, wildlife, and culture, along with captivating stories. Guides to popular routes include Anchorage to Talkeetna; Talkeetna to Denali National Park; Denali to Fairbanks; Anchorage to Seward; Tern Lake to Homer; and the Denali Park Entrance area and the Denali Park road.
Ursa Major was one of the first distilleries in Alaska and the first legal distillery in Fairbanks. Today they’re dedicated to the fine craft of small-batch spirits, and you can enjoy their akavit, rum, vodka, gin, canned cocktails, and seasonal releases of whiskey. Visit the tasting room, join a tour, or take a mixology class!
This train travels through the forested areas north of Anchorage into the boreal forest, and eventually into the tundra regions further north. On a clear day the train will slow down to allow you to see beautiful vistas of Denali. You may also spot wildlife along the way. Day Trip from Anchorage: Talkeetna Day Trip from Fairbanks: Denali Multi-Day Trip from Anchorage: Talkeetna, Denali National Park, and / or Fairbanks Multi-Day Trip ...more
Join Alaska Wildlife Guide in experiencing one of Alaska’s most desired attractions, Chena Hot Springs Resort. From visiting the most northern Ice Museum, soaking in the all-natural hot springs to learning more about geothermal energy and visiting reindeers, this tour will be a highlight of your Alaska experience.
Sample a variety of Alaskan activities year-round through this organization that’s all about showcasing the community of Two Rivers. The signature Taste of Two Rivers Tour includes a dog sled demonstration, gold panning, and an opportunity to meet & pet reindeer. Other summer tours include hikes with reindeer and visiting a peony farm. In winter, go dog sledding (day or multi-day expedition) and view the northern lights.
You may think of reindeer as flying creatures of the imagination, but here in Alaska they’re very real. And this unique tour gives you the opportunity to get up close and personal with these magnificent animals. Walk among them and pet them — it’s truly a moment made for Instagram.
Guided Hiking View All
Connect with the amazing sled dogs and go on a 2- to 3-mile hike geared for all ages!
Sample a variety of Alaskan activities year-round through this organization that’s all about showcasing the community of Two Rivers. The signature Taste of Two Rivers Tour includes a dog sled demonstration, gold panning, and an opportunity to meet & pet reindeer. Other summer tours include hikes with reindeer and visiting a peony farm. In winter, go dog sledding (day or multi-day expedition) and view the northern lights.
Visit the world’s oldest Siberian Husky kennel any time of the year with tour options ranging from a couple of hours in the summer to multi-day winter adventures exploring Fairbanks.
Museums & Cultural Centers View All
Fairbanks history • Alaska Native art • Antique automobiles
Experience the interior of Alaska 100 years ago! Pioneer Park is a historic village that features original buildings moved from downtown Fairbanks, as well as museums, and the Gold Rush. Come enjoy the carousel and train that runs the perimeter of the park, an array of local shops, and rustic cabin restaurants. Stay for a couple of hours or spend a full day; Pioneer Park offers fun for the whole family.
Alaska’s road to modernization a century ago was a dramatic journey, and the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum explores that journey in fun, vivid detail. On the grounds of Wedgewood Resort — a member of the city’s premier, locally owned hotel group — the museum showcases dozens of historically significant pre-World War II automobiles, and offers visitors a trip back to Alaska’s rugged and exciting formative years.
The Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center in downtown Fairbanks has brochures, maps, free WiFi and telephone, daily lodging availability, and local walking and driving tours. Serving as the regional visitor facility, the friendly and knowledgeable staff have answers to all your questions.
Visitor Information Centers View All
Information on lodging, tours, maps and more
Take a deep breath and explore Fairbanks! With the midnight summer sun shining nearly 24 hours a day, Fairbanks is bursting with energy and things to do. Explore Fairbanks is headquartered at the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center which is also the hub of year-round staffed visitor information and services.
The Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center in downtown Fairbanks has brochures, maps, free WiFi and telephone, daily lodging availability, and local walking and driving tours. Serving as the regional visitor facility, the friendly and knowledgeable staff have answers to all your questions.
Walking Tours View All
Fairs & Festivals View All
Points of Interest View All
Chena River • Hot Springs • Denali Viewpoints
The Chena Riverwalk makes for a relaxing self-paced stroll along the Chena River and through the most scenic parks and plazas of historic downtown. It’s best when flowers are in full bloom (July-August). The path stretches approximately 3.5 miles between Pioneer Park and Airport Way, with longer options available. Or — park at Immaculate Conception Church or in the Downtown Transportation Center for a shorter jaunt.
Ursa Major was one of the first distilleries in Alaska and the first legal distillery in Fairbanks. Today they’re dedicated to the fine craft of small-batch spirits, and you can enjoy their akavit, rum, vodka, gin, canned cocktails, and seasonal releases of whiskey. Visit the tasting room, join a tour, or take a mixology class!
Get a close-up look at one of the world’s engineering marvels. Here you will find informational displays about the pipeline and an example of a pig, the device used to clean and inspect the inside of the pipeline.
In Summer (May — September), The Denali Star Train services Anchorage, Wasilla, Talkeetna, Denali and Fairbanks. In Winter (October — April) the Aurora Winter Train operates as a flag top train between Anchorage and Fairbanks. It stops here heading North on Saturday, and South on Sunday.
Wildlife viewing opportunities in Alaska’s second largest city. Look for migratory birds, moose, salmon & more.
It’s Christmas year-round in North Pole, Alaska at the Santa Claus House, just 20 minutes from Fairbanks. The Santa Claus House is a frontier general store and post office turned holiday shop. The postal tradition lives on — official letters from Santa are postmarked from the North Pole and stamped with an official Santa seal. The store also has live reindeer, a coffee shop, holiday gift items, the world’s largest Santa statue and, in summer ...more