Borealis Basecamp

3 Days at Borealis Basecamp!

How to get there?

We flew directly into Fairbanks, Alaska after connecting in Seattle.  Our flight got in late (which is apparently the norm), so we got a hotel for our first night there and as well as on our last night there because our return flight departed in the late evening/early morning hours.  We stayed at the SpringHill Suites, and, given the fact that there are not a lot of options in Fairbanks for hotels, it was more than fine.  When you are booking, I would just go with whatever is most convenient as it relates to what your plans are for the next day (and beyond), because, after a long day of travel, you will most likely just want to go to sleep.  Also, I would absolutely not rent a car unless you are going during summer months and wanting to explore or really have experience driving in icy conditions.

When to visit Alaska?

We really wanted to go mainly to see the Northern Lights & experience Alaska in the winter.  That’s why we picked February.  The winter months are really the only time to experience the Northern Lights because there just aren’t enough hours of darkness during those months to see them.  I have heard from numerous people that summers are a truly wonderful time to go, especially since the weather is actually very pleasant and it is basically light outside all day.  During December, for example, Alaskans only get a few hours of sunlight a day, and there are less hours the further North you travel in the state.  Days were definitely getting longer by the end of February, and we learned that led to the sunrises and sunsets lasting longer and being truly magical while we were there!  It is important to note that Borealis Basecamp is only open during the winter months though, so, if you want to stay there, you will need to make sure to check their schedule and, of course, brave the cold!

Traveling During COVID

There are no current requirements on traveling to Alaska.  While they suggest you get a COVID-19 test or vaccination before traveling, it is not required.  They asked us a series of questions when we arrived at the airport, but, as you can probably imagine, things have changed a lot (thankfully) over the last four months. 

All about Borealis

What a magical place to stay!  They have 15 igloos on property, and all of them are completely insulated with very efficient heating and air units.  This place is designed specifically with viewing the Northern Lights as a primary goal.  I mean the name is Borealis Basecamp and the Northern Lights are also called Aurora Borealis, so there ya go!  All the igloos are equipped with a see-through enclosure (basically, a curved window) on the front that allows for and amazing view of the Northern Lights from your very own bed!  During the day, you also have a great view of the valley and the mountains in the distance! The beds were extremely comfortable, which surprised me!  They also have a well equipped bathroom, especially for being so far out in the middle of nowhere, with a shower and a very interesting toilet.  Basically, the toilet has a motorized silver bag that ties itself into knots each time it flushes.  Once it is full, one of the Borealis staff will come change out your toilet.  LOL, I know it sounds wild but it was actually pretty genius and definitely an experience.  One of the added touches that I thought was brilliant was that they have little alarms in the room that alert you when the Northern Lights are visible, so you are not up all night waiting to see them and losing sleep.  From our experience, they were SO visible it was ridiculous.  Our first night the lights were dancing all night and we just watched in amazement from the warm comfort of our bed.  When we went to Iceland in 2019, they were not nearly that visible to give you a comparison.  We chased Northern Lights for hours and didn’t see them as clear as we did in Alaska.  The people that worked at the Basecamp said they are usually pretty good and clear up there most nights.  Absolutely beautiful!  I have never seen anything like it in my life.  Talk about a dream bucket list item crossed off the list.  I would recommend booking all tours ahead of time just in case they get sold out.  The staff was extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and just great overall!!  We thoroughly enjoyed getting to know everyone that worked there and their interesting stories.  Alyssa was one of the managers there and we loved her.  She was so helpful and so friendly.

Latitude 65

This is the only restaurant onsite at Borealis.  It was actually really good too.  I enjoyed all my meals there.  They had an excellent chef onsite.  We had great seafood, soup, Thai noodle bowls, steaks, and really never had a complaint.  Every morning they provided breakfast and we really enjoyed it as well. We had a breakfast burrito with fresh muffins and fruit!  The lounge there is also open 24 hours, so I was happy because it allowed me to get my coffee no matter how early I woke up every morning.

DAY 1 @ Basecamp!

They picked us up from our hotel in Fairbanks town and the Basecamp was only a short hour drive away. Important note*** Borealis Basecamp does not currently have a liquor license, but you are permitted to bring as much alcohol as you like with you to keep in your igloo.  We ended up bringing a suitcase of wine from home because we had an extra free checked bag flying with Delta.  All this to say make sure you bring enough for your stay.  Lol!  You can also ask your driver that is taking you to Borealis to stop at the store to buy wine, liquor, beer, or whatever!  We arrived at about 2pm, got checked in and settled, had a nice lunch, and, then, did some sledding and tubing down the hill and hung around the Basecamp.  I would spend day 1 checking out the place and everything they have to offer and take a bunch of pictures of your cute little igloo. They also have a few activities you can do on your own, like sledding, tubing, snowshoeing and snowbiking, that are worth checking out.

Day 2 @ Basecamp!

We went dog sledding mid-morning and it was such a dream.  P.S. make sure you bundle up!  It was cold…like -25 degrees cold!  Basecamp also offers clothes to ensure you are well prepared for any tours. Trust me, you don’t want to be on one of the tours without enough clothing.  COMFORT over FASHION is a must…which is saying a lot for me. LOL.  We booked the dog sledding tour through Basecamp and it was about an hour long.  So fun!!  Highly recommended tour.  I loved the dogs!  They were so cute and so friendly.  We also enjoyed our dog mushing guide, Ron!  He was a blast, we loved getting to know him, and it was obvious that he loved his job and thought of those dogs like his kids!  Next up was the helicopter tour!  WOW is all I have to say!  Seeing Alaska from above was like nothing I could have imagined!  We had Steven as our pilot, and he was great!  We brought Phil, one of the resident photographers, along to take pictures too.  We even saw a moose from above!  Steven took us to a mountain where we landed and had a very cold experience, but so beautiful!!  Our helicopter ride was also about an hour long.  We also did a short walking tour in the forest with Alyssa that day! Great second day!

Day 3 @ Borealis

We went on an all-day snow mobile tour!  It was fun!!!!  We had an absolute blast!!!  Again, they will provide clothes and gear, and I would absolutely not pass up on what they have to offer.  You do not want to be cold, and it was really, really cold speeding through those trails! Also, ladies make sure to bring waterproof mascara.  Your eyelashes basically freeze every time you walk outside, and I wish someone would have told me to bring some!!  I basically had mascara everywhere for days lol.  The snow machine tour was so beautiful and fun, and we were able to see so much during our ride!  We stopped at lunch at an arctic tent they have set up even further out in the middle of nowhere where we had a great lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.  The food was cooked by our guide on a fire he built at the camp while we sat in the nice warm tent.  The soup was especially delicious.  I am pretty sure I had it everyday I was at the camp!  We had a beautiful view for our lunch spot as well.

Recommendations for things close by the basecamp!

If you have time go to Chena Hot Springs for the day, I would do it!  We had time on our way back into Fairbanks town because our flight wasn’t until 1:30AM.  We hopped in the hot springs for nice relaxing dip and went to the ice museum located right next to it.  Make sure to get a strong Appletini at the Ice Museum bar.  They come in these awesome chalices made out of ice.  Then, when you leave, you throw your ice glass into the sign outside for good luck!  It also goes without saying that you can’t miss taking a pictures in front of the ice museum or while in the hot springs!  

Photography

There is a guy that is the designated person for taking pictures of the Northern Lights.  I would ask the front desk for more information.  His name is Nathan Cox with Electric Moose Studios.  We used Nathan one night for our Northern Lights pictures and he was great!  It is obvious that he knows what he is doing, especially when it comes to the techniques needed to properly capture the lights in the photos.  Also, if you really are into wanting some good photos for daytime tours or whatever onsite pictures you need, make sure to ask for Phil (if he is still there).  He was absolutely great.  I hired him because I wanted good pictures while I was in Alaska.  Such a nice guy.  We thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him!! Most of the photos you seen are captured by him!