USA
Alaska is America’s aurora destination. The state’s interior, particularly around Fairbanks at 65°N, sits directly beneath the auroral oval and offers some of the most reliable Northern Lights viewing in the world. Alaska’s dry, cold interior climate produces frequent clear skies in winter, and the vast, sparsely populated landscape means dark-sky viewing locations are easy to find.
Fairbanks is the most popular base, with aurora-specific lodges, Chena Hot Springs and the Geophysical Institute’s aurora forecast. Healy, at the entrance to Denali National Park, offers aurora viewing beneath North America’s tallest peak. Anchorage, the state’s largest city, is further south but serves as the main gateway, with dramatic mountain scenery and dark-sky spots within a short drive.
Alaska’s aurora season runs from late August through to April, one of the longest anywhere. Dog mushing, snowmobile tours, ice fishing, glacier excursions and wildlife viewing (moose, caribou, eagles) complement the Northern Lights experience. The state’s sheer scale and wild character make aurora viewing here feel like a genuine frontier adventure.
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Anchorage
61°13'3"N, 149°53'58"W
Aurora probability in Anchorage: 0%
Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, sits between the Cook Inlet and the Chugach Mountains. While further south than Fairbanks, the surrounding wilderness offers good aurora viewing during strong displays, and the city is an excellent base for exploring wider Alaska.
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Fairbanks
64°50'24"N, 147°43'11"W
Aurora probability in Fairbanks: 1%
Fairbanks, in interior Alaska at 65°N, sits directly beneath the auroral oval and is one of the best aurora viewing locations in North America. Clear inland skies and flat terrain provide excellent conditions on the majority of clear nights during the season.
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Healy
63°54'24"N, 149°0'15"W
Aurora probability in Healy: 0%
Healy sits at the northern entrance to Denali National Park in interior Alaska. Its remote location, dark skies and open terrain along the Nenana River valley make it an excellent base for aurora viewing away from urban light pollution.
Book an amazing adventure in the USA
Explore this selection of tours and activities to make the most of your visit to the USA.
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Mendenhall Glacier Waterfall and Whale Watching Tour
4.8 (234)
5 hours 30 minutes From £151.45
Although we are the original whale-watching company in Juneau (operating since 1994), we are still small and family-owned and operated! We want you to feel like part of the family, and we pride ourselves on prioritizing local hires in order to give back to our community and give you the best possible tour experience. We want our guides to love Juneau as much as you do! This tour offers an additional hour at the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area. This gives you an hour and forty-five minutes to two hours to look at salmon, visit the Visitor's Center, and make the hike to Nugget Falls! Our fleet consists of only mammal-friendly jet boats, and the small size and intimate setting will make you feel right at home with the whales. We pride ourselves on our quick transfers between vehicles! We don't want you to wait any longer than you absolutely have to!
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Mendenhall Glacier Park and Ultimate Whale Watch Combo
4.8 (953)
5 hours From £151.45
Join us for Whale Watching in our cool Alaskan waters and then view one of 38 glaciers from the Juneau Ice Fields - the spectacular Mendenhall Glacier. We guide you on a 2 hour whale watching tour, spotting Humpback whales and other wildlife. Then off to the Mendenhall Glacier to spend some time hiking, watching fish spawn at Steep Creek or enjoy an outstanding view from the Visitor Center. You get 1.5 hours at the park, but don't worry! That is the perfect amount of time to walk to nugget falls and take in the displays at the visitor center.
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Kenai Fjords and Resurrection Bay Half-Day Wildlife Cruise
4.8 (1463)
4 hours From £126.28
Search for whales, sea otters, Steller sea lions, Dall’s porpoises, harbor seals, bald eagles, puffins, and many other types of marine birds as you cruise the the protected waters of Resurrection Bay on this 4 hour cruise. Rather than following a set route, this cruise travels to the best whale and wildlife viewing areas that day based on reports from other vessels. The experienced captains will explore the area’s wildlife hot spots to maximize your chances of viewing whales and other wildlife. You'll experience up-close encounters with wildlife as the boat cruises by massive bird rookeries and sea lion colonies, stopping along the route to view passing whales and otters. Peak season for whale watching is June through mid-August.
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Kenai Fjords National Park Glacier & Wildlife Cruise
4.9 (2171)
6 hours From £201.85
This 6-hour cruise explores Kenai Fjords National Park and visits an actively calving tidewater glacier in beautiful Aialik Bay. Our experienced captains will narrate your cruise and point out wildlife such as whales, sea otters, sea lions, puffins, and more. Stop at the mighty Holgate or Aialik Glacier and float among the icebergs as you watch for calving, where giant chunks of ice break off and crash into the ocean. Onboard captain narration and complimentary deli lunch included.
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Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching
5.0 (9426)
3 hours 30 minutes From £135.05
Whale watching wildlife viewing at it's finest! Come aboard with us as we search the pristine waters of Juneau, Alaska for majestic Humpback Whales and other water wildlife we may find along the way. Your expert captains and naturalists are so familiar with these amazing creatures that we can actually guarantee you will see whales in their natural habitat from a safe distance. Your state of the art boats are equipped with restrooms and heated cabins to make this journey extra comfortable. Your fleet of fast jet boats all have plenty of outdoor deck space so you can choose to watch the wildlife in the open air or from the comfort of the cabin. This is an Alaskan adventure you won't want to miss!
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Kenai Fjords National Park Glacier and Wildlife Tour from Seward
4.7 (1223)
6 hours From £175.24
Hop aboard one of Alaska’s most popular wildlife and glacier cruises, and take an extraordinary six-hour journey through Kenai Fjords National Park. This must-do tour from Seward offers the chance to view whales, birds and other wildlife as you cruise past alpine and tidewater glaciers among the fjords. You’ll visit seabird rookeries in the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge and enjoy lunch as you listen to onboard commentary from the captain!
Other countries to explore
Canada•Faroe Islands•Finland•Greenland•Iceland•Norway•Shetland•Svalbard•Sweden