Alaska in the winter seems a bit crazy. If I could only take one trip a year, it probably wouldn’t be the highest on my list of desirable locations during the winter. My perspective has shifted since I heard a few things about this prospect. We even tried to go, see post, but were foiled by a snowstorm. I think winter in Alaska would be a magical and adventurous experience, and I hope our next attempt at this trip will be successful. I would love to see the Aurora Borealis, go dog mushing, eat some fresh seafood, and cozy up in a warm hotel room afterwards. With inclement weather likely up north in the winter, have a backup plan just in case! When we encountered that last, we made it into a Seattle/Oregon Coast trip. It ended up being great and also cheaper than the same trip during the high season!

Transportation

Rent a Car

• Best to reserve in advance
• Gas is expensive and gas stations can be sparse in wilderness areas
• Road trips highly discouraged in winter
• Some roads are off limits in certain rental contracts
• Ask if the car has winter tires, 4 wheel drive vehicle could be advisable depending on your comfort level driving in winter conditions
• I’ve seen recommendations to plug in the car so it doesn’t freeze, ask the rental company

Train

(While I’d still recommend a rental car when in your destination, the train could be an option to get to Fairbanks from Anchorage.)

• Limited availability, best to book in advance
• Expensive

Plane

• Taking Alaska Air between Anchorage and Fairbanks is far cheaper than the train

Anchorage (ANC), Alaska

It is generally easier to fly into Anchorage, so I have compiled some activities here as a backup in the event that getting to Fairbanks doesn’t work out as planned or if you would like to spend a day in Anchorage on the way to Fairbanks.

Activities

• Tubing
• Snowshoeing $22 rental per day
• Zoo $20
• Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center $20
• Snow Mobile tour $275+
• Matanuska Tour $350
• Cross country skiing $38 rental
• Northern lights possible, but less likely than in Fairbanks
• Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise $229 per adult
• Bring a game of cards or something to play when getting warmed up inside

Lodging

Hotels

With it being the winter and me being a creature of comfort, I’d want a cozy place to relax and escape the cold. The off-season is also much more affordable, so if budget is your primary concern, hotels will be cheaper than in the summer.

• $118 The Lakefront Anchorage (For example, would be $450 in the summer!), only hotel on the lake, close to the airport, free 24 hour airport shuttle
• $200 Alaska Glacier Lodge, wood cabins with fireplaces, dogsled tours available, shuttles to Anchorage for a fee, helicopter tours available

In addition to hotels, I think it would be cozy to get a vacation rental with a hot tub to relax in. As a Wisconsinite, I have first-hand experience with how amazing a hot tub is on a frigid day. I typically choose hotels over vacation rentals because I’ve had a few undesirable experiences and I think they can be problematic to the local real estate environment. Problems I’ve had in vacation rentals include cleanliness, false advertising, poor communication, being right next to the owner, and excessive rules and cleaning fees. On AirBnB, I would generally only stay at a superhost as a result. I don’t have personal experience with booking on VRBO yet. Make sure to scour all of the reviews before committing. I get the sense that some reviews are kinder than the truth, perhaps because guests are nervous since the hosts also review them.

Vacation Rentals

• $177 per night, Flake Inn, looks good but not many reviews
• $152 per night, Crow Creek
• $249 per night, Moose Times Lodge
• $122 per night, Tim’s Cabin
• $137 per night, Aloha Eagle River
• $146 per night, Alaska Cozy Cottage

Eats

Restaurants

• Kinley’s $$$
• Haute Quarter Grill $$
• Glacier Brewhouse $$-$$$
• The Crow’s Nest $$$$
• Moose’s Tooth Pizzeria $-$$
• Arctic Roadrunner $

If you’re staying at a vacation rental with a kitchen and want quality seafood for less than restaurant prices:

• 10th and M Seafood
• Alaska’s sausage and seafood

Food To Try

(The seafood is partially what makes me excited about the prospect of Alaska)

• Reindeer Sausage
• Salmon
• Fish and Chips
• King Crab
• Halibut

Fairbanks (FAI)

Activities

• Dog mushing (having a fear of dogs, especially huskies, maybe I’m crazy for wanting to do this, but I assume they’re incredibly well trained and good mannered and it could be a way to face a fear) $89
• Aurora Borealis, there are tours available but I’m not sure why you’d spend a couple hundred dollars on something you can see for free, ideally stay 3 nights for the best likelihood of seeing it, best to view away from light pollution
• Snowmobiling $155
• Ice Museum $15
• Ice Art Park $15 Dates TBD
• World Ice Art Championships Dates TBD
• Hot Springs $20 for the hot springs, $15-$20 for the ice museum, ice fishing $140, sunset tour $30-$60, dog sled tour $32-$65, kennel tour $15-$25 (bring some water shoes or flip flops and quarters for a locker at the hot springs)
• North Pole, might be a bit of a tourist trap, Santa Claus House

Lodging

Hotels

• $180 a night, Chena Hot Springs Resort, hot springs included with room
• Borealis Basecamp $1,043 for 2 nights 3 days, includes transport from Fairbanks, snowmobile experience, sled dog experience, fat tire bikes (optional add ons), igloo you can see northern lights in (pricey)
• $229 per night, Alaska Grizzly Lodge, breakfast, northern lights viewing at private terrace, wakeup call for lights
• $249 per night Pike’s Lodge, steam room, sauna, robe to keep, aurora conservatory, aurora themed gifts, fire pit, breakfast, lights wakeup service (internet special)
• $149 per night Northern Sky Lounge, rustic style, snow shoes, trails, breakfast, no TV in room
• $169 per night, Wedgewood Resort, wakeup calls for northern lights, headlamps, free shuttle
• $205 per night, Hampton Inn, breakfast, free airport shuttle

Vacation Rentals

• $210 per night House, jacuzzi, optional add on services
• $95 per night apartment, hot tub, private access but this might mean the host lives nearby
• $119 per night, Moose Tracks Cabin, hot tub
• $249 per night treehouse, shared hot tub (saw about 2 more treehouses so check for these also, listed on AirBnB with more reviews)
• $113 per night apartment, piano, hot tub

Eats

• Lavelle’s Bistro $$$$
• Chatanika Lodge (prices unknown)
• Soba $$-$$$ (Moldovan cuisine)
• Pump House Restaurant & Saloon $$$-$$$$
• Pita Place $
• DW Grill $

If you’re staying at a vacation rental with a kitchen and want quality seafood for less than restaurant prices:

• Interior Alaska Fish Processors

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