Arctic Adventure to the Edge of the Earth
to view the Northern Lights


Itinerary


Day 1: Anchorage: Arrive in Anchorage and transfer to the Hotel. The rest of the day is free to wander around and explore this pleasant city and its shops. Located only ten minutes from downtown Anchorage, the Hotel provides complementary shuttles to the downtown shopping area.


Day 2: Anchorage to Fairbanks: At 8:30 am you will rail to Fairbanks aboard the Alaska Railroad. Traveling on the Alaska Railroad in the winter offers one of a kind serene experience like you have never seen before. The snow covered wilderness reveals spectacular, pristine scenery. Enjoy a pleasant dinner in the dinning car viewing scenery along this route that is about as breathtaking as it gets. You will arrive in Fairbanks at around 7:30 pm. We will drive from the Fairbanks train depot to the hotel.


Day 3: Fairbanks: After breakfast, we will take a city tour of Fairbanks. We will visit the University of Alaska Fairbanks Museum. Situated on a ridge overlooking Fairbanks and the Alaska Range, UAF has the best view in town! Here you will marvel at the natural and cultural history of Alaska, the science behind the Northern Lights, view a 36,000 year old Steppe bison mummy, see the state's largest gold display, and also learn about the trans-Alaska pipeline. Other stops along our tour include Alaska oil pipeline viewing station, and the Alaska Native Art Gallery. This afternoon, we will travel to view the ice sculptures of the World Ice Art Championship, which is held in Fairbanks every year. While there are other ice sculpting competitions in the northern hemisphere, none are like the World Ice Art Championships. International ice sculptors carve blocks of ice and with the mixture of pure water and cold temperatures, the ice forms quickly and densely, giving it a glacial blue tint. It is so clear that a person can read a newspaper through a four foot block of ice. The sculptors have pronounced Fairbanks' ice as the best in the world for sculpting. At night, the carvings glow with colored theatrical lights, enticing visitors to come back at 8 or 9 pm to view the carvings a second time. The pass allows re-entry.

Day 4 - 6: Fairbanks: We will spend most of our time traveling to various locations around Fairbanks to photograph the Northern Lights from the best locations. There will be extensive photographic instruction during this time.


Day 7: Fairbanks to Anchorage: We will be returning to Anchorage aboard the Alaska Railroad. After dinner, we bid farewell to our trip leader and fellow travelers as we head our separate ways for the journey back home. You will overnight at an Anchorage Hotel.


Travel Information
Note: Adventure travel is exactly is as its name implies, an adventure! Although every attempt is made to adhere to these itineraries, participants need to acknowledge and willingly accept the unexpected route and itinerary changes due to factors beyond our control. Aurora viewing is subject to weather conditions and solar activity.
Some activities are subject to change when temperatures are below -30°F.

Tour includes: Round-trip transportation between Anchorage and Fairbanks via Alaska Railroad, lodging, transfers and baggage handling and meals as indicated on the itinerary. All rates are per person in U.S. dollars based on shared occupancy. Tour does not include Alaska Sales tax, air transportation to and from Anchorage or any optional tours, liquor, items of personal nature or purchases made onboard the vessels. Dates and prices subject to change without notice.


Tour Dates: March 2nd - 8th, 2009

Tour Cost: $5,895 per person
(based on double occupancy)

When to see them:
The best months are March and September; that's when there are:
1) frequent displays, 2) clear skies, and 3) generally mild weather.

Best Time of Day:
Peak auroral activity is between 10pm and 2am solar time. Solar time is 2.5 hours after clock time during daylight savings time (April through October) and 1.5 hours after during standard daylight time (November through March). That means the best time for seeing the aurora during winter is 11:30 pm-3:30 am with the peak at 1:30am. During March, the best time is 12:30am-4:30am, with the peak falling at 2:30am.

The Right Conditions:
If it's clear and dark enough to see stars, there's a chance you'll be able to see the aurora. Get away from city lights and hope for a clear night-if there's a heavy overcast, you won't be able to see it. Partly cloudy skies? You have a chance, but it needs to be a strong aurora for you to see it. But even if the sky is crystal clear, auroral activity varies greatly from night to night.

Where to See the Northern Lights:
The Fairbanks area is the most likely place to see them from on any given night. Just north of Anchorage, away from the city lights, is a good place too. In Alaska, they can be seen as far south as Ketchikan.


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