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Anchorage Aurora Tour and Northern Lights Photo

Name: Anchorage Aurora Tour and Northern Lights Photo
Brand: Alaska Photo Treks
SKU: 9299P8
Price: 315.00 USD
Rating: 4.5 (113 reviews)

Badge of ExcellenceAnchorage, USA

Anchorage Aurora Quest Northern Lights Photo Tour

6 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Set out on a nocturnal adventure to see the Northern Lights with this photography-focused tour departing from Anchorage. Get picked up at your hotel and go in search of Aurora Borealis, or the Northern Lights, with a small-group tour. Learn new photography skills and try your hand at capturing the dazzling light show of the Northern Lights with your camera.

Discover the beauty of the Northern Lights in Alaska
Witness one of nature’s most dazzling displays
Get personalized advice for new photography skills
Round-trip transportation is included

What's Included

Coffee and/or Tea
Snacks
Tripod
State park admission fees
Professional photographer guide
Blanket
Aurora portraits

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

10:00 PM

Pickup details

We pick up at hotels within the city of Anchorage. We also may possibly pick up at an Airbnb if it is not too far off our typical route within Anchorage. To be clear, we DO NOT pick up at the Alyeska Resort or any other lodging in Girdwood. We also cannot guarantee pick up in Eagle River. Travelers staying in those areas will be directed to meet at a designated location in Anchorage. Timing of pick up will depend upon how many travelers are on the tour that evening, and how cloud cover affects our tour route for the night. A schedule is sent out the day of the tour with times and locations for pick up. Pick up times for this tour have varied from 8:00 p.m. to midnight.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps

No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Most travelers can participate
Not recommended for small children
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

113 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 113 reviews

Disappointed in Anchorage

Ohseeyah, Apr 2024

Well I wish I had a story to tell. Our excursion was cancelled due to weather visibility. Those are the chances you take I guess. We onlu had a short window of time to witness the aurora borealis. We travelled to Anchorage to provide free dental treatment to the underserved. We were hoping to get the chance to see it the night before we prepare for the 12 hour marathon on Saturday, that begins at 6:00am. We are more disappointed about the weather and not the group. Using the word terrible only expresses our disappointment and not our experience.

Our guide Ben, was...

Lauren_W, Mar 2024

Our guide Ben, was fantastic. He made this trip what I was wishing for. The Aurora/Birthday Gods were kind. We had lights!!!

Great experience

Jiayi_S, Mar 2024

Love the experience! Our guide was great and helped us took a lot of pictures. We didn’t see much light but it was totally unforgettable.

Greatest trip every

Colette_J, Mar 2024

Ben was wonderful. He took us to all the perfect spots. He was knowledgeable about the northern lights and this made a lasting impact!

Great time even with minimal lights.

Erik_F, Jan 2024

Our guide was awesome. He had a lot of knowledge and was happy to share. Only problem was the lights didn’t really come out that much. Hoping on the pics he took we will see something. AND it was -26 degrees for the entire night!!?!?! Not on them though. Had fun and would do it again. Thank you!

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Hi. Thank you so much for letting us know you enjoyed the tour despite the cold, and that Ben took such good care of you. On the next night, our tour experienced -34. We've had a solid week or so of really cold weather! We hope to see you again on another aurora-chasing adventure!

Sad we didn’t see the aurora

Qiaoran_L, Jan 2024

During our tour, we missed visiting two “potential” stops mentioned in the description, and unfortunately, we didn't witness the aurora. It seems Anchorage might not be the best location for aurora viewing, which was a key interest for us. However, the hot cocoa and cider provided were enjoyable.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Hi. We are sad you did not see the northern lights, either. Anchorage can be a good location; we have an 80% success rate in seeing the northern lights during our tours through the whole season. January, however, is one of the lowest months for aurora activity (based on a study of 75 years of aurora activity). That said, we also do not know which night you went (as your profile name does not match our records). The four tours that proceeded immediately prior to the date of your review were all successful in seeing the northern lights. As for the stops, we use four different routes, and where we go is dictated by the weather and aurora conditions in the field. I am glad that the guide took good care of you during the tour.

Amazing experience!

Bopha_P, Jan 2024

It was a wonderful experience! Ben, our guide, was so helpful and he had such a great energy and gave us a lot of information about the town and the lights. We weren’t expecting to see much, but we were able to see the lights and they danced around and it was amazing! I highly recommend this!!

Response from Host, Feb 2024

I am so happy you had such a good time! Ben does a great job with our guests, and we are super proud to have him on our team. Thank you so much for the feedback.

Great tour

Bridget_S, Dec 2023

Incredible tour guide! He made the experience well worth the cost and effort even in cloudy conditions.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

I am so glad that you enjoyed the experience and that your guide took such good care of you. We choose our personnel carefully to ensure that they help you enjoy the experience. Thank you for the feedback!

Amazing!

Isabel_M, Nov 2023

Our tour guides, Colin and Cory, were great! My family and I are from Texas, and they made sure we warm. It was an amazing experience being able to see the lights!

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Thank you for the feedback! I am happy that you enjoyed the experience. We hope to see you again sometime!

Amaizing trip with a wonderful guy Mr chad

Abdulrazak_A, Oct 2023

Very nice group in avery cold weather top of all this the great guide Mr chad,, spend lovely time up there , want to repeat it again

Response from Host, Oct 2023

Thanks for braving the cold to have a good time! I am glad that Chad took good care of you. We hope to see you with us again!

Breathtaking Experience of a Lifetime

Bruce_P, Sep 2023

We traveled all the way from Williamsburg, VA, as seeing the Northern Lights in Alaska was at the top of my husband’s lifetime “bucket list”. Ben was a very knowledgeable and wonderful guide. He made this excursion so much fun….this experience exceeded our expectations. Thank you Viator and Ben for a most memorable night! Bruce and Jenny ❤️

Response from Host, Sep 2023

First of all, thank you so much for taking time to provide a review. We appreciate it! I am so glad that you were able to get the experience that brought you up to Alaska. The northern lights can be unpredictable, and I am glad they cooperated on the night of your tour. Ben does a great job, and we are so happy to have him on the team. We at Alaska Photo Treks love sharing the beauty of Alaska with our guests.

Wish that we had been able to go

jeff_d, Sep 2023

Tour did not happen due to questionable weather! Very little communication before hand had to call to find out may be cancelled.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi. Yes, unfortunately, this is a weather-dependent tour. Unlike other tour operators, we will not run this tour if the weather will prevent seeing the northern lights. We provided you two specific communications in advance of the tour about weather. First, on the day before the tour, you were notified the following: "This is not a confirmation that the tour is proceeding; that is dependent upon weather. You can check the Upcoming Tour Status on the [tour page link] to see our estimate for whether the tour is proceeding." Had you clicked that link, you would have seen the status as "Tour Will Not Likely Run." Then, on the day of the tour at 3:01 p.m., you were notified through the Viator messaging system that the tour was not running due to weather and offered the chance to reschedule. You responded to that message one hour later and indicated you were not able to reschedule. Thus, you did not have to call to find out the status of the tour - we informed you in accordance with our statement the day before that you would receive a confirmation of tour status by 3:00 pm. In the next week after that, the tour ran six nights in a row with good weather conditions and visible aurora each night. We always recommend that people book the northern lights tour toward the beginning of their visit, not the end, so they have more availability to reschedule. We apologize if you found our communication lacking. When you book through Viator, we are forced to use their messaging system. We do not have the ability to email you directly.

Nirthen light

pomposoo, Sep 2023

Tour was canceled . I need to get my moneys refunded asap . Need to get refund applying back to the credit card

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi. Yes, unfortunately, this is a weather-dependent tour. Unlike other tour operators, we will not run this tour if the weather will prevent seeing the northern lights. As per our policy, all tours cancelled due to weather have been refunded. It takes Viator up to five business days to refund your tour. You were notified of this when the tour was cancelled. There was no need to leave a one-star review. Had you called us or messaged us, we would have happily provided you that information. Unfortunately, as you did not provide a real name with your review, we cannot follow up on the specifics of your refund. We suggest you contact Viator and see what the delay is. (That is, if you have not already received your refund.)

Outstanding!!

Laura_F, Sep 2023

Seeing and learning about the northern lights. It was a dream come true! Our driver and guide Ben was outstanding and made our journey very enjoyable!

Response from Host, Sep 2023

I am so happy that you were able to experience your dream of seeing the northern lights! Thank you so much for the specific feedback about Ben - he does a great job.

Awesome experience!

Julie_P, Sep 2023

Colin was great- had great knowledge of the northern lights and chased the open clouds so we could find them!

Response from Host, Sep 2023

I am so glad that you enjoyed the tour! Thank you so much for the review and the specific feedback on your guide. Colin is an avid aurora chaser, and he really works hard to make things work. We are glad we could make this happen for you.

Aurora Picture Night

Schenelle_N, Sep 2023

Colin was a great guide! He educated us on the Aurora Quest in a way we could understand, waited for us when the train into Anchorage was running late and found an awesome location to take beautiful pictures :)

Response from Host, Sep 2023

I am so glad that you enjoyed the tour! Thank you so much for the review and the specific feedback on your guide. We are glad we could make this happen for you.

So happy that we had an...

Joshua_J, Feb 2023

So happy that we had an opportunity to see the lights and capture most things on our phones!! It was an amazing experience

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Thank you so much for your review. I am glad you enjoyed the experience! We are always happy to share the beauty of our night sky with visitors.

The tour was cancelled by the operator

Aruna_J, Feb 2023

The tour operator cancelled the tour and we didnt go on the tour. Please refund my money!!! The tour was a sham!!

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Hi. The ability to see the northern lights is determined by a variety of factors. On the tour page on our website, we provide the specific parameters of moon, weather, and aurora conditions in which we will (or will not) run our tour. In the email you received notifying you of the status of the tour, we explained in great detail why the tour was canceled (In fact, we communicated to you on three separate occasions throughout the afternoon and evening that day that the tour was cancelled due to weather.) It was too cloudy and it was snowing. This makes it impossible to see the northern lights. I am sorry you feel it is a "sham" for us to cancel a tour under such conditions, but we feel it is irresponsible to run a tour when there is no chance of seeing the aurora borealis. As for your refund, it was not submitted immediately because we were waiting to hear from you. We asked you through email as to whether you would like to reschedule to another night. You never responded. You were refunded two days later, but perhaps were not aware of it when you posted this review.

Do Your Research!

AnthonyM_J, Jan 2023

The universe worked against us last night, but Ronnie did the best he could by going to spots where we could have most likely seen Northern Lights. The company did make it clear that we would be taking a risk and seeing Northern Lights is not always guaranteed. I would still recommend this tour and would most likely do it again. My one suggestion for anyone would be to do as much research as possible on your end including searching the best months to travel, which should broaden your chances of seeing Northern Lights.

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Thank you so much for your feedback. On the night of your tour, we ran "At Guest's Discretion," which means that conditions are not optimal, but there is still a chance. While we anticipated it was cloud cover that would be an issue, Ronnie found clear skies for you. The aurora did not appear because the polarity of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field was positive, or north - and that polarity will reduce or eliminate aurora activity. That is unfortunately one aspect of the aurora that cannot be anticipated. We are so happy that you would like to join us again, and we hope you find your way back to Alaska for another visit.

Didn’t see the lights

Marina_C, Jan 2023

We didn’t get lucky and didn’t see much expect a faint green glow on our tour. That said, the guide was nice and seemed to know all the good spots to check. I wish he’d been a bit less chatty in the car, since we were tired and trying to sleep during the drive.

Response from Host, Jan 2023

So, your review indicates that you did see the northern lights. From what I have seen of the photos from the tour that you were provided, the aurora was more active than a faint green glow. What you were likely expecting to see is only present during a geomagnetic storm. December is one of the months with the fewest average geomagnetic storms per month, based on a study of 75 years of aurora activity. Unfortunately, we cannot control how or when the northern lights appear. I am glad that our guide worked hard to find a location where you could have a chance to see the northern lights.