Fairbanks Sightseeing Tours: Top 5 Reviewed

Planning a trip up to Fairbanks, Alaska, is actually rather like getting ready for an experience that just could be transformative, yet maybe that’s only how it feels to me, anyway. The Golden Heart City calls to those who have this love for wild, sprawling nature, amazing history, and experiences that might just stick with you, so booking yourself on a good sightseeing tour is something of a must. Let’s get into, more or less, five of the very best sightseeing tours in Fairbanks, full of those insights and, of course, personal-feeling recommendations so that you get to see and really feel all that Fairbanks offers.

1. Fairbanks City Highlights Tour

First off, this kinda popular tour will introduce you to the basics of Fairbanks in such a way, anyway, that it kinda feels like you’re hanging out with a super-knowledgeable local, in some respects. As a matter of fact, that tour usually starts with spots that, seemingly, everybody has got to see. I mean, there’s the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, the actual very pulse of the state’s oil industry, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) campus, so prepare to enjoy views all around. These spots just happen to provide more context than you’d expect, actually.

Then, actually, there’s Pioneer Park, a place which seems to take you back to the Gold Rush days and where, arguably, history starts to feel rather alive, like your visiting history! It is also common for such excursions to incorporate views over the Chena River, and depending when you visit, in some respects, you might even see it bustling, in a way, or frozen in time, pretty much. During my tour, actually, it was the historical bits that stuck out, like the stories from the Gold Rush that gave you a certain feeling, or perhaps it was just that feeling of walking through the old-timey buildings. If it’s your initial visit here, then maybe consider beginning here, too, as it’s a decent launch point.

2. Arctic Circle Day Trip from Fairbanks

Okay, so brace yourself as a matter of fact because this adventure is such that you are looking at traveling into that area above the Arctic Circle, and actually that means something of a full day – so, literally a *very* long day – usually by van or bus, so you get views of how everything morphs so the closer that you get to the Arctic. Basically, you’re heading deep into the interior of Alaska, that will also see you pass along the Dalton Highway – so an engineering work of art! That will also have you traversing landscapes you will only get to see if you venture to this region; more or less.

Plus, actually, keep those eyes open for wildlife too it’s almost like if nature intends, very very slightly, that you see caribou or Arctic fox that scamper by. You even cross the Arctic Circle itself and just may get that photo that you might be looking for; and you get something of an official certificate, which feels sort of touristy, yet fun! But you, very very slightly, aren’t only in it for snapshots of nature are you, actually? Getting to stand there at a spot in the planet where just that few venture out and taking in the absolute vastness and that remoteness; that truly made this rather more than merely just taking a tour, in fact so give it a try when here.

3. Chena Hot Springs Aurora Viewing Tour

Now that northern lights chase? Well, if it sounds that kinda classic, that it really does feel right out of those storybooks about Alaska, doesn’t it actually? This actually rather frequently goes combined with a nice soothing dip inside those Chena Hot Springs. Imagine just sitting, being warm inside mineral waters, then maybe getting the look at the aurora borealis putting on one great lights show up there above. Chena is more or less distant away from Fairbanks, which, as a matter of fact, allows that darker sky needed just so those auroras could pop more – they dance a little if there’s luck too!

The Ice Museum also there – now it may feel somewhat tourist-y; I would actually still really recommend this! You can almost think about that artist’s skills that crafted and literally brought those frozen scenes to become more animated to have that drink – Apple Martini I remember well as it really went well as you toasted below this cool lit sculptures actually Chena also holds additional excitement there.

4. Riverboat Discovery Cruise

This now makes the river feel truly alive because if anything Alaska has such a link and historical significance; the boat kind of comes by that family-operated Sternwheeler Discovery where so much gets actually shown right onboard this. The guides very usually pass across knowledge regarding so many indigenous communities that really just connect you up way beyond reading on anything that can come in any typical guidebook. They show you how those sled dog demos happen even there; something actually very touching; these wonderful dogs do show some great speed!

They will, I guess, talk something on the fishwheel’s history for it played roles, so there’s almost so many Alaskan rivers out here still being somewhat actively used in keeping and supplying peoples. And, of course, then perhaps the banks come to that life as you look by as they call out various wildlife like eagles; and almost every single little story they just show feels truly unique so it feels almost something to cherish if at all interested too. I got truly to think and view that history a touch different just from learning something fresh; about our own state, when just experiencing any journey cruising onboard down rivers almost.

5. Gold Dredge 8 Tour

Now how does someone explore those gold history in the gold location so very famous and rich already; like one can pan literally in their bare own palms with a Gold Dredge 8! Basically, it still offers what’s the true gold experiences where one can go with that kind old train down near one restored dredge that makes things feel even alive while having gold’s story unfolding too actually. Then you, like your finding pieces on gold by panning personally might simply make things real there in terms literally!

Learning ways this giant type thing functioned plus knowing every hardship made into finding something truly shines makes people kinda respect how Alaska literally evolved throughout; by mining itself maybe so and, who may actually simply just grab that fever there? These gold experiences come both educational- or actually rewarding; where perhaps you have like your stories regarding this place from early panning; like tales you know from any relative basically so join Gold Dredge 8 today. I got something awesome in how gold just impacted not simply an economic reason, anyway, but made this state that stands at Alaska almost, as the same kind state, if looking that far there honestly!