Think You Shouldn’t Travel to Alaska in January? Think Again.

Traveling To Fairbanks, Alaska In -20 Degree Weather Turned Out To Be A Much Better Idea Than I Thought It Was Going To Be

When my friends invited me on the Alaskan vacation they were planning, my first thought was “Alaska? In January? Have you met me???” I wear knit caps when the thermometer drops below 60 and only grudgingly put up with the cold when I ski because I realize it is kind of necessary for snow.

But there was no skiing planned for this trip, only an idea for a group of friends (15 in total) to go on an expedition to see the Northern Lights. And that’s what sold me–a chance to see the Aurora Borealis. A chance to check off an elusive bucket list item. That’s what got me on a cross-country plane flight to Fairbanks, Alaska hauling a suitcase stuffed with all my warm clothing.

Truth to tell, the Northern Lights were absolutely as cool as everyone says and absolutely worth the trek. I was kind of expecting that though. What I did not expect was that the other trip activities would turn out to be such fun, despite the frigid cold. Or sometimes even because of it.

The dog-sledding, the snowmobiling, the hiking, and even just the driving around in the snow covered landscape were blasts. I finally lived my Bill Nye dreams and threw boiling water in the air and watched it freeze into ice droplets instantly. I loved all of it.

If you are thinking of going to Alaska in the winter, don’t let the sub-zero temperatures put you off. If I can do it, anybody can.

3 Reasons Why You Should Go To Alaska In January

1. The Northern Lights

Since the sun sets around 5pm and rises around 9am, there is ample time to catch a glimpse of the lights in January. The skies also tend to be clearer in winter than late fall. And Fairbanks is one of the best places on Earth to view the Northern Lights. You have about a 90% chance of seeing them if you are here for 3 nights or more. That’s some good odds.

2. It Is Cheaper Than Other Times Of The Year

Everyone else is waiting for warmer weather so you can get great off-season deals on hotels and flights in January. It is also easier to book snowmobile tours, dog sleds, etc.

March is the height of Aurora Borealis season and not nearly as cold– important stuff when you are talking about spending hours outside looking up. But prices jump accordingly so January and February start looking really good in comparison for the budget minded.

3. The Light, Period

It may only be daylight for about 7 hours or so, but the sun makes the most of it. The sunrise takes about 2 hours, creating a slow parade of changing oranges and blues that I dare you to take only one picture of. Same goes for the 2 hour sunset. Even at mid-day, the sun is barely over the treetops.

You might think it would be dark at night but the snow reflects so much light that it never is completely dark, especially as we were lucky to catch an almost full moon while we were there. You could easily hike at night without a head lamp.

I think the changing light might be my biggest surprise of the trip and one of the things I enjoyed most. 

What You Should Do When You Travel To Fairbanks, Alaska In January

*Plan on doing only 1-2 activities per day given the short amount of daylight and because you might be up all night seeing some spectacular light shows.

1. See The Northern Lights

These shots below show a little bit of what we saw, despite being taken with a poorly working DSLR camera (it hated the cold) and a cheap cell phone (that also hated the cold). So you can imagine what it looked like in real life. It was breathtaking.

It is possible to see the northern lights anytime it is dark, which is about 6pm to 8am in January in Fairbanks. The most common time to see them though, is 11pm- 2am, although we did see the lights at 4am one night.

This NOAA site has good predictions based on current solar activity, just subtract 9 hours from the Universal Time (UT) shown at the top right to get the time when you should be looking out your window in Alaska. We saw some lights all 4 nights we were there and one night we had a really good show. 

The best way to make sure you see the lights is to set up a watch. We had a large group so it was relatively easy to give everyone a 30 minute shift from midnight to 7am. If you are not so lucky to be traveling with 14 other people then you need to prioritize.

Look at the predicting sites and make your best guess. The lights usually last around 30 minutes so try to check outside every 10-15 minutes during the predicted active periods.

This website also has some good tips for predicting the lights. Plan on staying up until at least midnight or 1am every night to be sure though. After all, the lights are probably why you are here in the first place.

If seeing the lights is the most important thing to you, which I am guessing is probably true for most of the people coming to Fairbanks in January, then you might want to stay outside of town a little bit to get rid of the light pollution. You don’t have to go too far, though- Fairbanks only has 32,000 people so by 20 minutes outside of downtown, you are pretty good.

2. Dog Sledding

I was ambivalent about dog sledding before going. I was sure I would be too cold to really enjoy it, and I worried about the dogs. I don’t have any problem with working animals but I find I don’t enjoy myself if I feel they are being exploited simply for making money off tourists.

No worries there with Alaska’s Trail King Adventures. Owner Mike King really loves his dogs, and he is a fantastic storyteller to boot. He has done the 1000 mile Yukon Quest 4 times so yeah, the man has some stories and he will happily tell them to you. Some of them are even true.

Mike brought his dogs to the Aurora Nights Inn where we stayed (more on that below in Where To Stay). That meant we could take turns doing 30 or 60 minute rides on the trails around the house while the non- riders hung out with the dogs or talked to his assistant, who also had some stories. (It is a requirement that if you move to Alaska that you must have a very interesting life tale?)

I signed up for the 30 minute ride (which covered 4 miles and was $100) and was kicking myself afterwards for not going for the 60 minute ride. It was -20 degrees when we started out but nobody complained of the cold once. That’s how awesome it was. 

You can drive the sled or ride in the bucket (the bucket was my personal choice as it was nice and toasty in there) and Mike will stop at the halfway point to switch if you want. There isn’t an age limit per se, but I think around 13- 14 years old is a ballpark minimum for driving if your child is reasonably level-headed. 

It’s fairly straight forward to drive (a brake, some leaning, where to put your feet) and the dogs basically just follow Mike on the lead sled. The dogs do get very excited though, especially on the first run, and will take off unexpectedly fast which can be scary to newbies.

We split into 3 groups and by the time the last group was headed off, the dogs had settled down into a nice, easy pace. This would have been a perfect time to let younger kids try their hand at driving (if we had had any with us).

As far as riding in the bucket, I think kids aged 3 and up would be okay, especially if you ride with them. I would double check with Mike about weight if that is your plan though.

The ride is incredibly smooth–we even had a pregnant member of the group participate on the 30 minute ride without issue. And, I am pretty sure every kid I know would absolutely love this adventure. All the adults did. 

3. Snowmobiling

I was hesitant to do this because, again, I was afraid of the cold and, again, I shouldn’t have worried.

Heated helmets with defrostable visors and heated handlebars on the snowmobiles made it very comfortable. We also borrowed some amazing boots from our guide. Nicknamed “bunny boots” because they are white, these are the bomb. There is a reason why you see all the locals wearing them. Borrow them if you can from whatever guide service you use.

We used Rod’s Alaskan Guide Service for our tour and loved it. He was based in North Pole and we went to his shop to meet and took the tours on the trails near there.

The first group saw moose but, alas, my group did not. We still had a blast on the trails however, even without a moose sighting, and I would highly recommend the excursion for anyone, even for children. Drivers need to be 14 but anyone over the age of 4 can be a passenger.

Cost was $125 for the first hour and $100 every additional hour for singles ($175 and $150 for doubles) so it isn’t the cheapest activity but another that I felt was well worth the money.

* Note- The sleds had governors that limited you to 40 mph which was sad for some in our group, but probably a wise decision on Rod’s part.

Click on images below to enlarge

Snow covered woods don’t get much better than this

Driving along the Alaskan pipeline

There are miles of trails behind Rod’s property, And yes, it still looks like the sunrise at 1030am.

4. Hiking

Yet another activity that I never thought I would do in sub-zero temperatures and yet another time I was wrong. It was a theme on this trip for sure.

We hiked just about 3 miles in the trails behind the Aurora Nights Inn braving the -15 degree weather. I loved the crunching snow and overwhelming quiet.

You can also find trails in Fairbanks on the University of Alaska’s campus (description and maps) as well at Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge which is 5 min north of Fairbanks. The Refuge grooms trails for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking in the winter and has some short and flat loops, perfect for a quick walkabout. Both of these places are free and always open.

*A word about snowshoeing. It is super fun and super tiring after about 30 minutes in deep snow. The novelty wears off quickly. If you are walking on a groomed trail with decent shoes, you won’t need snowshoes so don’t bother unless you really feel a need to try it.  

5. Driving Around

We looked at driving to Denali National Park one day but decided it would be too far from Salcha, where we were staying. We opted to head south to Isabel Pass in another part of the Alaska Range mountains instead. A local told us that it was a great drive.

We followed the Tanana River down Richardson Highway to Delta Junction where we turned around due to time constraints and road conditions. It is 64 miles between Salcha and Delta Junction and the drive would take you 60 minutes in any other season but winter. It took us 90 minutes in the icy conditions.

Isabel Pass was another 67 miles beyond Delta Junction and we realized we would run out of daylight on the way back, something nobody wanted to take our chances on.

So we never quite made it to the mountains, but it was a beautiful drive nonetheless and we saw 4 moose along the way. Another item checked off the Alaska to-do list: moose.

If you are staying in Fairbanks, then Denali National Park is a reasonable option for a day trip. Keep in mind it will take you at least 2 hours each way if the roads are in decent condition. 

And you are definitely going to want to check conditions before you set off on the road anywhere in Alaska, even to the grocery store. And make sure you have supplies in case something happens.

I don’t think AAA comes out to some of these places if you get a flat. Even if they do come out, you could freeze before they get there is you don’t have blankets, gloves, hats, warmers, etc always stocked in your car.

*** Even though the snowplows/salt trucks are going constantly, the roads are still icy, as seen in the picture. We were told to aim for about 45-50 mph as our max, so it takes longer to get anywhere than you you think it will (or Google tells you). Stick a blanket or comforter from your lodgings in the backseat, it really helps to keep you warm on long drives. 

7. Chena Hot Springs

I did not personally go to the Hot Springs but 5 of my group did, and it was recommended to us by many locals. My friends thought it was great.

You start indoors, walk outside under a covered walkway with heat lamps, and sprint the last 10 feet to the man made lake that the hot spring flows into. Once in, my friends said the water was fantastic and incredibly warm, too hot in fact near the source.

They had great pictures of ice crystals in their hair from the steam and they thoroughly enjoyed it. Prices were reasonable as well, $15 for adults (unlimited time) and $12 for kids (they can only go in the indoor pool and small hot tub outside, not the manmade lake that is the main attraction).

I am not sure if you would be able to see the northern lights from the lake as my friends said the steam obscured everything beyond 10-15 feet. If you like hot tubs and don’t have any kids under 18 (they are not allowed in the lake), this would be a great way to beat the cold.

There is also an Ice Sculpture Museum on site (complete with an ice bar where you can sit and enjoy an appletini). The museum costs additional (of course). Chena Hot Springs.

*Bonus Adventure- Mythbuster Stunt You Should Totally Try While In Alaska

Throw a pot of boiling water in the air and watch it freeze. 

I mean if it’s going to be this cold, you might as well have fun with it, right?

Where To Stay Near Fairbanks In Winter

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Fairbanks obviously has the most to do and you’ll find the most lodgings choices there, especially big chain hotels. It is a great option for those who want more to do than just seeing the northern lights.

You will want to be outside of the city center to see the northern lights the most clearly but some people stay in the hotels downtown and drive out somewhere away from the city lights for a couple of hours to keep watch.

Other options include, a vacation rental just outside of Fairbanks itself, especially if the northern lights is the most important thing to you. Or a quiet vacation in some very snowy woods.

North Pole (25 min SE of Fairbanks) is also a good place to look as you can find a large grocery store, liquor store, and a few restaurant choices in town without having to drive to Fairbanks. Go for some really good Chinese food at the Pagoda Restaurant or excellent diner fare and 50’s kitsch at Little Richard’s Family Diner. There are lots of vacation rentals along the Chena River in this area.

Where To Stay

Best Western Plus Chena River Lodge. We stayed here the first night and mainly picked it because of its proximity to the airport since we were arriving late (11pm). It was a great little place, not fancy, but nice enough considering its inexpensive price.

We moved the next day to an inn in Salcha, AK, 45 minutes outside of Fairbanks, because we wanted less light pollution for the northern lights and we wanted a place where all 15 of us could stay together.

Aurora Nights Inn in Salcha has 5 bedrooms that can be rented separately or you can rent the entire place as we did with our group of 15. There is also an additional 3 BR cabin on the property.

The best selling point of the Aurora Nights Inn is the surrounding 5 acres that has lots of trails for hiking and dog-sledding. The musher came right to the house to take us out. There is a huge open area around the house as well, making for great northern lights viewing. 

Springhill Suites by Marriott is right on the Chena River and is walking distance to restaurants and museums in downtown Fairbanks. We stayed here on a summer trip. The hotel is nice and the rooms are modern.

We like the Springhill Suites in general because you get a bedroom area and a living area with a pullout sofa. Nice for kids being able to split up. We walked to Bobby’s Downtown, our favorite restaurant in Fairbanks (the owner Bobby is a trip!).

If you want more in depth reviews of hotels and vacation rentals, head to “Where To Stay When Visiting Fairbanks In Winter”

Tips to Know For Traveling In Alaska In Winter

(Especially If You Are A Southerner Like Us!)

You must plug your car battery in.

You will need to plug your car into to a wall outlet if you are going to leave it for more than 3- 4 hours in sub -zero temperatures. Your rental car will come with an extension cord and every hotel or Airbnb should have outlets for you to use. Even some of the shopping centers have plugs for each parking spot. Use them!

All batteries, not just car batteries, hate the cold

My DSLR camera worked outside for about 15 minutes the first day and then opted to sit out the rest of the trip. She is apparently a beach kind of gal. GoPros and cell phones also had a limited working time although we found you could prolong a cellphone’s life by keeping it in a jacket pocket with at least two hand warmers around it and whipping it out for short periods only.

Car tires can freeze in a flattened position after being parked overnight

This was the funniest discovery to us. We drove off one morning and it felt as if we were the Flintstones, driving on square tires. It took a few miles but they did eventually warm up enough to become round and smooth again.

Ice will form on the INSIDE of the car windows

This is the first time I have ever had to use an ice scraper on the inside of a car window. Granted it was -27 outside. The faster you drive, the faster the ice reforms.

Front seat windows were okay as they caught some of the windshield defrost but backseat windows were terrible. Credit cards or driver’s licenses as makeshift ice scrapers work best if you want to actually see all the moose you drive by.

There are gear rental places if you don’t own snow stuff already

If you don’t want to pay to check a suitcase or don’t want to buy something just for this trip, you can try Alaska Outdoor Gear Rental in Fairbanks.

Many snowmobile and dog sledding places will also offer gear to their clients. Avail yourself of it, especially the boots. Can’t say enough about those “bunny boots”.

Your car emergency gear needs to include cold weather survival

If you are driving anywhere, you should take all your cold weather gear just in case. Flat tires or dead batteries can be life- threatening in -20 degree weather. We threw our ski bibs, extra gloves, and hand warmers in the back anytime we got in the car. Plus, blankets and extra cell phone chargers too.

Wear your bottom layers to bed so you can get dressed quickly if the northern lights are happening

Sleep in your Under Armour leggings and turtleneck so you can pop up quickly and throw on your bibs and boots if the northern lights are happening. The lights may only last a few minutes so you don’t want to miss them while taking off your pj’s and struggling with your leggings.

Inside Activities In Fairbanks

( aka- things to do that in places that have heat)

Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center. A well-reviewed visitors center and mini-museum showcasing Alaska in the 4 seasons. A great place to stop in and ask questions about driving to Denali, best places to view the northern lights, etc. It also has movies about Denali and the northern lights. All free, so it is a fun and cheap way to beat the cold for an hour or two. Open 8am-5pm in the winter. 

University of Alaska Museum of the North. Another well-reviewed museum that has exhibits on the wildlife, people, and history of Alaska. Stuffed polar bears and seals are pretty cool but the intact 36,000 year old mummified bison looks to be a show stopper. They also have Bus 142, the bus from Into The Wild, which is currently in the Engineering Building undergoing renovation. You can see the bus from the building’s atrium from 8-8. Entrance fee is $14 adult and $8 kids and the museum is open 10-530, 7 days a week in the winter. Tickets are $16 adults/ $9 kids.

Breweries and Distilleries To Visit

We were a kid-free trip this time but many of these places were kid-friendly

Hoarfrost Distilling, Ursa Major Distilling, HooDoo Brewing Co., and Silver Gulch Brewery all have tasting rooms open generally from 4-8ish. Some are closed on Mondays, so check websites before you go. Silver Gulch also has an associated restaurant.

We tried Lavelle’s Taphouse which carried a good selection of Alaskan beer and let you order pizza delivered to the taphouse. It is family friendly too.