Chena Hot Springs: Northern Lights Experience

80 Ratings

Chena Hot Springs

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Experience the Northern Lights and relax in Chena Hot Springs. Capture breathtaking photos with expert guides. Join us for an unforgettable adventure.

Duration: 10 hours

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Chena Hot Springs Resort - Friendly guides will pick up guests from their hotel or B&B and return them at the end of the excursion.
Journey: Enjoy a picturesque 1.5-hour drive to Chena Hot Springs Resort.
Hot Springs Experience:
Relax in the soothing hot springs.
Admire the starry sky and, with luck, the northern lights.
Ice Museum Access:…

Chena Hot Springs Resort - Friendly guides will pick up guests from their hotel or B&B and return them at the end of the excursion.
Journey: Enjoy a picturesque 1.5-hour drive to Chena Hot Springs Resort.

Hot Springs Experience:

Relax in the soothing hot springs.
Admire the starry sky and, with luck, the northern lights.

Ice Museum Access:

Discover the renowned Ice Museum with its stunning ice sculptures.
Capture unforgettable photos.

Dining Option:

Enjoy an authentic Alaskan dining experience at the on-site restaurant (meal not included).
The gift shop offers keepsakes and smaller snack portions.

Join us for a memorable evening filled with relaxation and exploration!

Chena Hot Springs Resort - Upon arrival at the resort, guests will receive tickets for admission to the spectacular Ice Museum—an experience not to be missed! Curated by renowned ice sculptors, this enchanting museum showcases breathtaking artistry crafted entirely from ice.
Your guided tour of the Ice Museum lasts approximately 45 minutes, and admission is included in your tour package. As you explore, you’ll be captivated by the intricate sculptures and the mesmerizing atmosphere.
Don’t forget to visit the unique Ice Bar, where you can enjoy a refreshing Appletini. Be sure to purchase your beverages at the activity center before heading over to the museum for an unforgettable experience. Remember to bring your ID if you intend to buy drinks.
Chena Hot Springs Resort - After exploring the Ice Museum, it’s time to indulge in the rejuvenating experience of the Hot Springs swimming area. Here, you can immerse yourself in the natural hot springs, known for their therapeutic benefits, while also enjoying access to both indoor and outdoor hot tubs and a refreshing indoor pool. It’s the perfect setting for a truly relaxing Alaskan escape!

For your visit, please remember to bring a towel, appropriate swimwear, and shower shoes for the locker room. If you happen to forget any of these essentials, don’t worry—convenient rental and purchase options are available at the resort.

Pro Tip: You’ll need 2 quarters for the lockers in the changing area if you wish to lock up your belongings. Your guide will provide quarters if needed.

Fairbanks - After exploring the Ice Museum, relaxing in the refreshing hot springs, and dining on some amazing Alaskan cuisine, the rest of the evening will be centered around finding the best vantage points to experience the northern lights.

What's Included

50 cents for your locker
Bottled water
Entry to the Hot Springs swimming area
Admission to the Ice Museum

What's Not Included

Dinner
Gratuities

Additional Information

Explore the Chena Hot Springs Resort with our knowledgeable guides who will make sure you experience all the incredible amenities safely. Should the northern lights appear, our guides will take you to the prime spots for capturing stunning photos. You won’t miss a thing—our guides will photograph the aurora’s splendor and provide you with those…

Location

Chena Hot Springs Resort

56.5 Mile Chena Hot Springs Road,

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.9

(80 Ratings)

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Jeffrey_r

Mar 29, 2026

Thanks Chris!! - Chris was a great guide! He seems like a very caring person to everyone around him. He was very informative about Alaskan culture, Alaskan flora/fauna, the auroras, the museum, and especially about food. He also had a great attitude and sense of humor. We loved hearing his stories. Thanks again Chris for taking us on the tour!

Review provided by Viator

128renur

Mar 29, 2026

Comfortable and Insightful Chena Hot Springs Experience - Great guide who shared valuable insights into Alaskan life and how local communities support each other while living in such extreme weather. It was interesting to learn about the tight-knit nature of Fairbanks and Alaska in general, especially coming from a big city. Our tour was very comfortable throughout. The guide was helpful and supportive, providing clear instructions for each activity and being present before the start of every step to ensure everything went smoothly. On the way back, we also stopped at multiple locations to view the northern lights and continued until everyone in the group was satisfied. Overall, a great experience—especially if you’re unable to drive to Chena Hot Springs yourself in winter or simply prefer a guided and hassle-free visit.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Sunny_r

Mar 27, 2026

Live the The Alaskan way - This is a group tour to Chena Hot springs which includes the hot springs and the ice museum. On the way back, depending on the night, you’ll make a couple of stops to see the Aurora. Overall, Christopher was an informative and entertaining operator throughout. We got a great sense of Alaskan life and I appreciated him sharing it vulnerably. Definitely recommend this tour for people who haven’t visited Chena Hot Springs before.

Review provided by Viator

Caitlin_t

Mar 21, 2026

Bucket list, absolutely... - Bucket list, absolutely magical experience. From the tour guide, to the ice museum, to the incredible farm to fork dinner, to the hot springs, and of course the northern lights! I highly recommend this experience to anyone and everyone.

Review provided by Viator

Sarar2449

Mar 17, 2026

Wonderful family event!! - Guide was very friendly and personable! The hot springs were amazing!!! And Tony really made sure we saw the aurora in spectacular fashion!!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Jill_s

Mar 14, 2026

Amazing tour to Chena springs to view the Aurora! - Anthony was absolutely amazing shared quite a bit about local knowledge, kept the group very engaged on the drive. Educated about Alaskan life. Van was very comfortable. He was very attentive to the entire group making sure that we were all comfortable and let us know the activities along the way. he gave absolutely amazing instructions on what to expect and where to head. We could all stick together or go off on our own. He would let us know where to meet back up, but he kept an eye on us the entire time. We did not feel rushed, and he gave great instructions. The food at the restaurant was absolutely amazing. We all sat and dined as a group and had a wonderful experience in the ice museum. He made multiple stops on the way home to make sure that we got a great opportunity to try to see the Aurora lights. He was a very cautious and attentive driver, making sure to keep an eye out for others on the road and explain how to drive on ice. we feel like Anthony went above and beyond to ensure we had an amazing experience.

Review provided by Viator

Janillev2024

Mar 11, 2026

If you're looking for a Chena Hot Springs guide, Tony is your man! - At the beginning of our tour Tony was honest and let us know that it'd be difficult to see the Northern Lights because of the cloud coverage, which was a bummer, but his insight on not only Alaska, but life in general made up for it. It was just our group of three and our guide, so I thought it was going to be an awkward experience, but we chatted and joked the whole car ride through. Before we explored the Chena Hot Springs area, Tony gave us a rundown and little tricks to make our time there go smoothly. The Ice Museum didn't have any Apple Martinis (another bummer), but again Tony was honest and said they might be out, so we were prepared and just left early to eat at the restaurant. Tony was very friendly with the workers there and made it feel like we were regulars as well. Tony recommended what to eat and it was absolutely delicious. The scallops were the best thing we ate on the trip. After eating we were free to hang out at the hot springs; Tony gave us change for the lockers and gave us little tips for our time there which were helpful. The hot springs were so relaxing, we stayed for about an hour and a half until we met up with Tony again to leave back to Fairbanks. Tony still attempted to take us some spots for northern lights viewing, but there wasn't enough luck in my pinky toe I guess. We did spot a moose on the way back and Tony was kind enough to pull a 9-point turn right on the highway to get a better view of it but it ran off at approximately 35mph (bummer). The tour ended a little earlier for us since the skies were cloudy, but we managed to add another 10 minutes by Tony taking us to the gas station to grab a cooler for some smoked salmon we picked up which was super nice. Despite the minor bummers which are out of Tony's control, my group had a great time! We dropped by to eat at this Moldovan spot Tony recommended before we left back to California and it was also delicious. Thanks so much to Tony for one of the best interactions we had in Alaska, would book with him again. Well, actually maybe we'll request to book with his brother/son instead.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Michael_p

Feb 17, 2026

Tour was great, Tony the tour guy made it a lot of fun! - This was a lot of fun! Tony picked us up and he shared living in Alaska. Gave us the residential knowledge of the place and talked about the cool ways that Alaska takes care of its people and how community plays a big part in living in Alaska. Tony had us cracking up from time to time. He’s a great dude. The ice castle and sculptures were nice to see. Definitely nice to experience. The hot springs were awesome too! Tony’s food recommendations were top tier! On the way back we were super lucky that the clouds opened up and the aurora came out. Tony stopped a could times and got some REALLY amazing photos of us under the Aurora! Tony was freakin amazing! Knowledgable, friendly, patient, no awkward silence with Tony! It was like visiting an uncle who showed us cool stuff.

Review provided by Viator

Sunilkumar_m

Feb 17, 2026

Tony was kind, courteous... - Tony was kind, courteous and prompt in picking up from the hotel, providing entertainment along the way, planning the activities, customizing for each individual group; tried his best to give us a complete experience of the aurora lights which we couldn't see unfortunately..

Review provided by Viator

Srihari_p

Feb 23, 2026

Chena hot springs - must do - This tour was great, largely thanks to our guide, an Alaskan local who was humorous and shared wonderful stories. The trip itself had some highlights and some "mid" portions; the hot springs are a must-do and were easily one of the best parts, though the ice museum was a bit boring and the viewing area at Chena was also just average. We didn't get a good view of the Northern Lights at Chena due to a KP2 rating, but our guide really pulled through by driving us to some secluded, cool spots without light pollution where we got great views. I’d recommend this trip for the guide's expertise and the hot springs.

Review provided by Viator

Check Availability

From $246

up to 14 guests

1 - Adult

Select a date

March 2026

Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).

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