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: 0%
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 Park and Ultimate Whale Watch Combo
4.8 (972)
5 hours From £151.25
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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Mendenhall Glacier Waterfall and Whale Watching Tour
4.8 (251)
5 hours 30 minutes From £151.25
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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SkyChase™ | Northern Lights Experience - Free Photography & More
4.8 (811)
5 hours From £254.61
The Northern Lights don't come with a fixed address, so neither does SkyChase™. Before every night, our guides compare forecast models, satellite views and live sky cameras, then head for the clearest skies we can reach, with insight from SkyCommand, our in-house sky intelligence system. Once we arrive, the night is yours: ask for as many photos as you like, including individual and family portraits under the aurora, delivered unedited. Between displays, warm up by the fire with Borealis Brew hot drinks and Alaska reindeer sausages (vegan option), or step into our Mobile Lodge, which comes with us most nights. When activity builds, we call you out for it. Aurora Guarantee: if conditions look very challenging, we'll explain what we're seeing and let you cancel for a full refund, reschedule (subject to availability), or go ahead without the guarantee. It's guest protection, not a promise that the Northern Lights will appear.
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Ultimate Juneau Whale Watch
4.9 (1206)
3 hours From £118.57
Your 3 hour whale watching adventure begins when you board a coach bus that departs downtown Juneau from the Mt. Roberts Tram parking lot. A 25 minute journey through the picturesque landscape of Southeast Alaska will take you to Auke Bay Harbor. “All aboard!” and you’re off for Alaska waters and the ultimate whale watching experience. The star of the tour is the humpback whale, but we are always looking out for sea lions, bald eagles, or the playful orca. The whales are here to feed in our abundant Alaskan waters. Our naturalist guides you on a 2 hour whale watching tour. With our experienced captains and Juneau being one of the best ports for whale watching in Alaska, this tour will be an unforgettable experience. A light snack and refreshments will be provided.
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Alaska Whale Watching with bonus Drone viewing of Whales
5.0 (516)
3 hours From £190.01
Whale watching in the wild and pristine waters of Icy Strait, where Humpback whales are abundant and sighted on every trip! Otter and Steller Sea Lions are also very common, with Orcas, Brown Bears, and other wildlife frequently sighted! Owned and designed by Captain Josh, he or his capable crew will be your personal guides as they navigates the wilderness waters of Icy strait. What makes these tours special is the energy and passion that our crews have and the creative ways they find to show you our beloved wildlife, so that you can really see and appreciate these creatures! His 14 and 18 passenger vessels are designed specifically for whale watching on Alaska's waters, and will provide a safe and stable viewing platform for you. This is also the one truly Drone-integrated whale watching tour in the world, providing you with views and videos of wildlife that are truly unique, and at the end of it, you get to take the footage from your tour home!
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Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching
5.0 (9574)
3 hours 30 minutes From £134.87
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!
Other countries to explore
CanadaFaroe IslandsFinlandGreenlandIcelandNorwayShetlandSvalbardSweden