Take advantage of your northern latitude during your stay in Fairbanks and venture even farther toward the pole on this adventure to the Arctic Circle. Soak up the scenery during the drive, enter the Arctic, and admire breathtaking nighttime views of the Northern Lights dancing over the waters of the Yukon River.
Leave Fairbanks in the early afternoon, getting picked up at your hotel in a comfortable van for the drive north. Cruise along the James Dalton Highway, made famous in the TV series “Ice Road Truckers,” as you begin your 400-mile or 644km circuit. Watch for moose, lynx, and fox in the natural habitat as you crisscross the tundra, and learn about the engineering of the Trans-Alaska-Pipeline as you get up close to this massive oil-transporting system.
After about 6 hours of driving, arrive at the Arctic Circle. Pose for photos in front of the landmark sign, and pick up your souvenir certificate before beginning the drive back south. Cross over the Yukon River and get out to stretch your legs alongside this storied waterway, watching the shimmering waves and luminous curtains of the aurora borealis prancing overhead. Continue your starlit journey south for an early morning arrival back in Fairbanks.
