Alaska Winter Family Holiday

Welcome to Alaska! Fairbanks lies almost at the heart of Alaska, and you're free to relax in your comfortable hotel or explore the wintery downtown before an important welcome meeting this evening at 5pm, where you'll meet your leader and group. Get used to the common phenomenon of icefog here – it can get as cold as -50° Fahrenheit! Today’s highlight is a journey to chase and hopefully photograph the Aurora Borealis around Fairbanks. The Northern Lights are one of the world’s most amazing and memorable natural wonders, and your guides will use innovative technology to predict the best Aurora viewing conditions and find the best place to try and spot it. You might be holed up in a rustic cabin or hop in a van to escape the clouds and find the Aurora. The colours of the lights are more vibrant through a camera, so your guides will give everyone tips on how to take the perfect photo.

This morning take the family for a relaxing soak in the natural waters of the nearby Chena Hot Springs resort. Chena’s water is used by people throughout Alaska, the Lower 48 states, and international visitors and dignitaries from every corner of the globe. The hot springs’ recorded history dates to the early 1900s, but there’s evidence indigenous people used the water before that as well. The resort was officially formed back during the gold rush, when weary gold miners discovered that soaking in the warm waters helped their aching bodies after a day of digging. This afternoon you’ll visit the Aurora Ice Museum, which was created using over 1000 tons of ice and snow, all harvested at Chena. The museum is filled with ice sculptures, a polar bear bedroom and even a snowball fight area, and stays a cool 25° Fahrenheit (-7° Celsius) inside all year-round. Depending on the conditions today and your success yesterday, there’ll be another chance to wrap up warm and view the Northern Lights, with your guide helping the kids understand this amazing phenomenon.

Today is no normal day, because straight after breakfast you’ll be driving up to the local North Pole to visit Santa Claus’s house! Here it’s Christmas every day, so let the kids experience the magic of the holiday in this festive fairyland, with the chance to see inside Santa’s house, complete with an incredible range of Christmas decorations and toys. But that’s not all the Christmas miracles – just like the song, next it’s time to join in some reindeer games with a reindeer walk through the birch forest! Led by a native Alaskan you’ll walk alongside your new furry friends, while learning about the adaptations that make reindeer ideal for Arctic living. After the hour-long walk, head inside to learn a bit more about reindeer while enjoying homemade cookies and drinks. Return to Fairbanks and have the rest of the day at your leisure. Your leader will be able to provide recommendations on what to do and where you could eat, so be sure to ask them.

Today you’ll take part in an iconic Alaskan sport – dog sledding. Yes, you heard right! You’ll ride – or as the sledders call it, ‘mush’ – on real racing trails north of Anchorage and meet real Iditarod racing dogs. Keep an ear out for your local guide explaining how to train and steer the dogs, plus some fun stories along the trail. The kids will love it and it’s a way to enjoy the quiet of the Alaskan winter wilderness landscape that you only get on a dog sled. When you arrive back at the kennel, see the great facilities provided for your furry friends, and perhaps even meet some adorable husky puppies! Tonight, celebrate the end of this winter wonder by sharing magical stories from your time at the North Pole and racing through the wilderness with huskies, then maybe get together for one final group dinner.

With no activities planned for the family today, you are free to say your goodbyes to your group leader and family friends and leave the accommodation, either continuing your own Alaskan adventure or beginning your homebound journey. If you would like to spend more time in Fairbanks, we’ll be happy to organise additional accommodation (subject to availability).