Dog sledding in Fairbanks
Fairbanks has genuine working kennels, not tourist operations dressed up in mushers' gear. Tours run from Two Rivers, roughly 20 minutes east of town, with teams that compete in the Iditarod and the Open North American Championship. You stand on the runners, call the commands, feel the dogs dig in. On a cold morning, their breath rises in plumes against the spruce.
The full logistics are on the Fairbanks dog sledding tour page: which kennels are operating this season, current prices, and how to book. Tours run November through April, typically 2-4 hours. Book at least two weeks out in December and January.
In early March, the Open North American Championship runs through downtown Fairbanks. Checkpoints are free to watch and the crowd runs to locals rather than tourists.
What to expect on the sled
Most tours accommodate beginners and families with children over roughly age 5. Mushers explain dog commands and handling before departure. You ride in the basket first, then switch to the runners once you're comfortable. The movement is smoother than most people expect, and quiet except for the runners on snow and the dogs' breathing.
Dress in your warmest layers under whatever the outfitter provides. Wind chill at -20°F in a moving sled can drop the effective temperature well below -30°F.
Chena Hot Springs Resort
The resort sits 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks[1], about an hour on paved road. That drive turns it from a quick activity into a full-day commitment, and most visitors treat it as exactly that: arrive mid-morning, stay through dinner, drive back after dark or book a room and stay.
The outdoor geothermal spring runs at 109°F[2], rock-lined, set in a clearing surrounded by snow-covered spruce. Soaking there in sub-zero air, steam rising around you, is the experience most people come for. Day visitors pay $20 for adults (18-59), $18 for seniors (60+), or $17 for children (6-17); kids under 6 get in free, and the pricing holds year-round[7]; resort guests get access included.
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Fairbanks Northern Lights
Fairbanks sits directly under the auroral oval at 64.8°N. Aurora season runs Aug 21–Apr 21, peaking Feb–Mar, with roughly 90% odds if you stay 3+ nights.
Beyond soaking, the property has snowmobile trails, guided ice fishing, cross-country ski rentals, kennel tours, and snowshoeing. Most visitors pick two or three activities and use the springs as a warm-up station between them. The on-site restaurant handles lunch and dinner without any need to drive back to town.
A visitor soaking in the steaming outdoor geothermal pool at Chena Hot Springs Resort surrounded by snow-covered boreal forest in winter, one of the top things to do in Fairbanks in winter
The resort runs on its own geothermal energy, which puts it well away from Fairbanks city lights. Some visitors book 2-3 nights on-site rather than commuting daily. The Chena Hot Springs Resort page has full lodge options and current rates.
Aurora viewing from the resort
Chena's remote location means genuinely dark skies. The resort offers aurora wake-up calls for guests, notifying you when activity picks up overnight. Several lodge buildings have unobstructed northern views. For dedicated aurora watching without the hour drive back to town, a night or two on-site is the practical move. If you'd rather book a single guided evening instead of staying over, the aurora and hot springs combo tour from Fairbanks covers exactly that.
Aurora Ice Museum at Chena Hot Springs
The Aurora Ice Museum occupies a dedicated building inside the resort, kept at a constant 25°F year-round[3]. Every surface inside is carved from ice: walls, bar, sculptures, furniture, even the glasses for the bar.
Admission is $20 per person[4] for a guided 45-minute tour. For an extra $20[6], you can order an appletini served in a carved ice glass. That's the thing most visitors do once and talk about afterward.
25°F
Operating hours run Monday through Friday, 11 AM to 7 PM, with seasonal variation. Call the resort before making the hour drive specifically for the museum; the schedule can shift, and confirming takes two minutes.
The best photos come early in the tour, before the group spreads out. The entrance corridor, with its carved archway and LED lighting, is more interesting compositionally than the ice bar. The ice throne at the back of the main hall is the obvious shot, but approach it from the side rather than straight on.
Combining the museum with the hot springs
Most visitors see the museum as part of a Chena day trip rather than driving out specifically for it. That's the practical approach: a morning at the hot springs, an hour in the museum before lunch, then another activity in the afternoon. The combination makes the hour-each-way drive worthwhile.
Fairbanks museums for short days
Near the solstice, Fairbanks gets roughly 3 hours and 40 minutes of daylight. Both museums below run during those hours and can anchor a half-day without much advance planning. Neither caters primarily to tourists; both are places locals actually visit.
University of Alaska Museum of the North
UAM-North is the city's most substantive indoor space. The building's organic shape, designed to suggest Alaska's terrain, makes it recognizable from the road. Inside: wildlife dioramas for species you're unlikely to see in the wild, Indigenous Alaska cultural objects and oral history materials, ice-age paleontology specimens unearthed by placer gold-mining operations in the Fairbanks area, and rotating art exhibitions.
Plan 3-4 hours. The museum keeps full hours through winter without seasonal restrictions, which matters when short days compress your schedule.
Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum
Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum historically ran limited winter hours: Sundays and Wednesdays from 12:00 to 4:00 PM, with extended daily hours through March[5]. The museum relocated in 2026; verify the current location and hours with Explore Fairbanks before visiting.
The collection covers rare early American automobiles in museum condition. A serious collection in an unlikely setting, and a useful afternoon option when the weather makes outdoor activities impractical.
World Ice Art Championships
Each winter, sculptors from around the world arrive in Fairbanks to carve ice harvested from local lakes. The World Ice Art Championships typically runs late February through March, with single-block and multi-block competitions on overlapping schedules.
The Fairbanks Ice Park opens to the public throughout the championship period. Entry is free. You can walk between sculptures several meters tall, in temperatures that may drop below -20°F, and the work holds its precision regardless. Ice skating is available on-site during the event.
The timing overlaps with peak aurora season, which makes it a natural fit for an aurora trip. The park illuminates the ice after dark, creating a secondary viewing experience while you wait for the Kp index to rise. Read the best time to see northern lights in Fairbanks guide if you want to align a championships visit with a strong aurora window.
Open North American Championship sled dog race
The Open North American Championship runs downtown in early March and is one of the longer-running sled dog races in North America. Checkpoints are free to watch. The atmosphere stays local rather than tourist-facing, which is part of the appeal. If you're in Fairbanks for the ice sculptures, the race runs on a similar schedule and the combination makes early March a particularly active week in the city.
Snowmobiling, ice fishing, and skiing
Snowmobiling is called snow machining in Alaska. Guided tours run from Chena Hot Springs Resort and several operators in Fairbanks, ranging from 2-hour trail rides to full-day trips. Shorter tours cost noticeably less than full-day excursions, with exact rates varying by operator and season. No experience required; guides handle safety briefing and navigation before departure.
Ice fishing on Fairbanks-area lakes requires a valid Alaska fishing license, available at sporting goods stores in town or online through the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. December through late February is the reliable window when inland ice is stable. Going with a guide for a first trip removes the guesswork on ice conditions and fish location.
Cross-country skiing rentals are available at the resort's Activity Center; check current rates when booking. The trails are maintained winter paths rather than groomed Nordic tracks, ranging from easy loops near the resort to longer backcountry routes.
| Activity | Typical price | License required | Experience needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowmobiling | $150–200 for a 2-hr tour | No | None — guided |
| Ice fishing | Varies by guide | Alaska fishing license | None with a guide |
| Cross-country skiing | Check current rates at resort | No | Basic fitness |
If you want to add something genuinely different to the itinerary, the Arctic Circle day trip from Fairbanks puts you above the Arctic Circle itself, in conditions that make Fairbanks look temperate.