Guest standing at the Arctic Circle sign on the Dalton Highway in Alaska at latitude 66 degrees 33 minutes north, on a Midnight Sky Adventures tour

Quick facts:

  • $379 per person
  • 14 hours, and close to 200 road miles of the Dalton Highway
  • Pickup 11:30 AM to noon, back in Fairbanks by about 2:00 AM
  • Maximum 6 guests in winter, 7 in summer
  • All-wheel-drive van, guaranteed window seat
  • Pickup and dropoff from Fairbanks-area accommodations
  • Ages 15 and up
  • Snacks, bottled water, and hot drinks included
  • Restrooms at the Yukon River stop and at the Arctic Circle wayside
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A snow-covered curve of the Dalton Highway running through frost-covered forest on the drive to the Arctic Circle

What to expect:

  1. Pickup from your hotel or Airbnb in Fairbanks or North Pole between 11:30 AM and noon, with a grocery stop in town before you head north
  2. Drive up the Dalton Highway, with a stop at the trans-Alaska pipeline
  3. Dinner break at the Yukon River Camp around 5:00 PM, with restrooms and a warm place to sit
  4. Short stops in the higher tundra country, around Finger Mountain and the nearby ridges, for views over the surrounding rivers
  5. Reach the Arctic Circle wayside at latitude 66°33' north, and get your photo at the sign
  6. Drive back south after dark, stopping wherever the aurora looks best. Back in Fairbanks by about 2:00 AM

The drive north happens in daylight or twilight, so the Arctic Circle half of the trip is about the road, the pipeline, and the country north of Fairbanks. The aurora half happens on the way home. That is a long day, but it's worth it for this unique experience.

Dinner is not included in the tour price, which is why the grocery stop in Fairbanks comes first. Grab what you want for the day before you leave town.

If you still have questions after reading the FAQ below, send me a message and I will help you out.

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What makes this tour different?

  • Ron watches real-time aurora data

    Most Arctic Circle tours are daytime trips that happen to drive home in the dark. Ron built this one so the drive back is with the aurora. Your guide follows the real-time solar wind and aurora data on the way south and stops at safe pullouts based on what is happening, rather than stopping at a set place at a set time.

    That matters because the aurora tends to arrive in bursts called substorms, where activity ramps up quickly and then fades again. Somebody who is paying attention to the data can park you in the right place when a substorm starts.

  • Six guests, and everyone gets a window

    Ron caps the winter tours at 6 guests in an all-wheel-drive van, and every seat is a window seat. The Dalton Highway is a working haul road with no shoulder in a lot of places, so the vehicle and the driver matter more here than they do on a tour that stays near Fairbanks.

    Of course, there is nothing wrong with a larger group tour, and some people prefer them. It just comes down to what kind of day you want. On a 14-hour drive, in my opinion, a smaller group is worth a lot.

  • The Arctic Circle trip I point people to

    I get asked about Arctic Circle tours constantly. For a long time I sent people to Greatland Adventures, but Greatland stopped running their Arctic Circle tours in 2026, and I did not have anyone to recommend after that.

    Ron reached out to me in the summer of 2026. I looked at his reviews, his approach, and how he runs the night, and I partnered with Midnight Sky Adventures so that I would have a real answer for people again. The tour is rated 5.0 on Viator, Google, and Tripadvisor.
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Photos from the road north

Aurora over the Dalton Highway on a Midnight Sky Adventures tour 1 The Midnight Sky Adventures touring van parked under a green auroral arc on the Dalton Highway north of Fairbanks, Alaska 2 The trans-Alaska pipeline crossing snowy ground at a tour stop on the Dalton Highway north of Fairbanks 3 Midnight Sky Adventures all-wheel-drive van on the Dalton Highway 4 Snow-covered spruce trees against a pink and purple winter sunset along the Dalton Highway, Alaska 5 Two tour guests in winter parkas walking on snow near a highway bridge over a frozen river on the Dalton Highway, Alaska 6 Winter twilight over snow-covered spruce and distant hills along the Dalton Highway in Interior Alaska 7 Open snow-covered tundra and rock outcrops along the Dalton Highway near the Arctic Circle in Alaska 8 The Dalton Highway curving through snow-covered boreal forest on the winter drive north from Fairbanks, Alaska 9 Midnight Sky Adventures Arctic Circle and northern lights tour 10

Why the Arctic Circle is worth it

The Arctic Circle is the line at latitude 66°33' north where the sun stays down for at least one full day in winter and stays up for at least one full day in summer. Standing at the sign on the Dalton Highway is the easiest way to actually cross it in Alaska, and it is a genuine bucket list item for a lot of the people who write to me.

Driving north also puts you further underneath the auroral oval. Fairbanks already sits underneath it, but heading up the Dalton Highway takes you to a place where the aurora is nearly guaranteed to be overhead while getting you away from the lights of town.

5.0 stars on Google, Viator, and Tripadvisor

  • Jon Oler

    ★★★★★

    "You aren't going to find better service for a tour than what you get with Midnight Sky Adventures. Ron, the owner and guide, is friendly, sociable, professional, and genuinely informative."

    Google review

  • Daniel Doose

    ★★★★★

    "The tour to the Arctic Circle was the HIGHLIGHT of my trip to Alaska. Ron does a great job. You can tell every minute that he loves his job."

    Google review

  • Dustin Ramaekers

    ★★★★★

    "We had an incredible experience on Midnight Sky's Arctic Circle & Northern Lights Tour, easily a 5-star outing from start to finish."

    Google review

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Arctic Circle and northern lights tour

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this tour,?

About 14 hours. Pickup is between 11:30 AM and noon, and you are usually back in Fairbanks by around 2:00 AM. The tour covers close to 200 road miles of the Dalton Highway each way, so a large part of the day is spent in the van between stops.

Plan on sleeping in the next morning, and do not schedule anything early the following day.

Where does pickup and drop-off happen?

Ron picks up from hotels and Airbnbs in Fairbanks and North Pole between 11:30 AM and noon. There is a grocery stop in Fairbanks before the van heads north, so you can pick up food and anything else you want for the day.

Will I see the aurora on this tour?

Nobody can promise you the aurora, and you should be careful with anyone who does. What a tour can do is improve your odds, and this one improves them in two ways. Driving north takes you further under the auroral oval, which is the band of latitudes where the northern lights appear most nights, and the drive home happens in the dark rather than ending before the sky gets good.

Clouds decide the outcome of more nights than solar activity does, so some of this comes down to weather you cannot control. Again, the goal is maximizing your chances, not guaranteeing anything. If you want to understand what you are looking at while you wait, have a look through my aurora chasing FAQ.

What is included, and is dinner included?

Snacks, bottled water, and hot drinks are included in the $379. Dinner is not included. There is a grocery stop in Fairbanks before departure, and a cooler in the van for anything that needs to stay cold.

The dinner break is at the Yukon River Camp around 5:00 PM. They have plates, bowls, utensils, condiments, and microwaves you can use, so bringing something from town works well.

What should I bring and wear?

Dress for standing still outside in Interior Alaska in winter, which is colder than almost anywhere you have probably been. Layer up, and bring a warm hat, insulated gloves or mittens, insulated boots, a heavy jacket, and warm pants. You will be getting in and out of a warm van repeatedly, so layers you can add and remove work well.

If you are bringing a camera, bring a sturdy tripod and spare batteries. Cold drains camera batteries fast, so keep the spares in an inside pocket close to your body. If you do not own cold weather gear, renting it in Fairbanks is a reasonable option and there are several local outfitters that do it.

One thing to be aware of: this tour is not recommended if you have serious back, neck, or mobility issues. You need to be able to get in and out of a van with limited help and walk short distances on snow and ice.

Is there an age minimum?

Yes, the minimum age is 15. This is a long day on a remote highway, which is why the minimum is higher than it is on some other Fairbanks area aurora tours I recommend.

Can I do this and a regular aurora tour on the same night?

No. This tour functions as both an aurora and Arctic Circle tour. You will be out on the Dalton Highway until the early hours of the morning, so do not book a Fairbanks aurora tour for the same evening.

This is one of the reasons I tell people to plan a minimum of three nights in Fairbanks, and four to seven if you can manage it. Give the Arctic Circle its own day, and keep other nights free for aurora tours closer to town which have the option to stay out later if needed.

What is the cancellation policy?

Full refund if you cancel at least 1 day ahead, and booking closes 4 hours before departure. Booking and cancellation are handled through Ron's booking system, so the terms shown at checkout are the ones that apply.

Two things worth knowing. If road or weather conditions are unsafe, the tour may be cancelled or rescheduled, and you are offered another date or a full refund. But there is no refund if the aurora simply does not show up, which is standard for most aurora tours.

Will you be on the tour?

No. I am not on this tour and I am not employed by Midnight Sky Adventures. Ron Brown owns the company and runs the trips himself. I am just partnered with him.

I only partner with operators I would send a friend or family member to. If you have a question about the tour that is not answered here, send me a message and I will help you outr.