Back in mid-October of 2020 my then boyfriend and I went off to Alaska for the trip of a lifetime. I, of course, was ecstatic to finally visit the best places in Alaska and scratch it off my to do list. I was looking forward to visiting Fairbanks to check out some of the winter activities like witnessing the Aurora lights in person and exploring Alaska’s hikes; along with many other things to do in the Alaska winter. Alex, on the other hand, had very different intentions of which I was completely oblivious to.
The state of Alaska required all travelers to arrive with a negative COVID-19 test. As a result, this made us feel comfortable in traveling to the state. As of today the state still requires this so make sure and check out the state’s website for more information.
It wasn’t too long before we realized we were exploring during the “off-season,” which is Alaska’s winter season. A lot of what we wanted to do was closed so we had to adjust accordingly. The list below will help anyone interested in visiting Alaska during the winter time. Rest assured it’s still an adventure!
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Best Places to Visit in Fairbanks
We had a top down approach when exploring Alaska and flew into Fairbanks to start off our adventures. Keep in mind once you arrive at the airport the state verifies your negative COVID-19 test. Make sure you have that taken care of before arrival. I wanted to make sure I made the most of my time in Alaska and check out as many of the winter activities Fairbanks had to offer.
Santa Clause House
To start off our adventures we decided to visit Santa Clause’s house at the North Pole! Yes, it’s real, but not how you think. It’s a theme gift shop with a Santa clause statue located at the front of the store, and offers an opportunity to meet with Santa. This is about 20 minutes from the airport. Not only is this is a great place for families, but it’s also perfect to pick up unique gift shops from the North Pole made in Alaska. They’re typically open from 10am- 6pm Monday through Sunday. Don’t forget to check out Santa Clause’s workshop, this is like the top winter activity to do in Fairbanks! (map)
Antler Academy
After you visit the shop make sure to visit Santa’s Reindeers at the Antler Academy, which is right next door. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the opportunity to visit the Antler Academy since it usually open during the Alaska winters. The academy is only open for tours from mid-May through mid-September. We were only able to see the reindeer through the safety fence since we had visited in mid-October. Tour Admission is typically $7.95 for kids and $12.95 for Adults. Along with visiting Santa Clause’s house this would be the second things to do in Fairbanks (map). It’s so in theme!
North Pole Welcome Sign
Ok, I lied this is the top winter activity to do in Fairbanks! About five minutes from Santa Claus’ house, you can actually find the North Pole sign across AK-2E. This is perfect if you want to take a picture at the sign and have it as proof for your children and be the coolest parents ever. Pictures are a must! (map)
North Pole Crepery
This crepery is located in downtown Fairbanks and it’s the perfect place to try delicious, sweet crepes. We had their strawberry cheesecake crepe and it was so delicious my mouth is starting to get watery just from thinking about it. Outside of this crepery they have a beautiful Fairbanks art mural (map). This place is located in downtown Fairbanks so you can find many more things to do in the area.
Chena Hot Springs Resort
I’ll start by telling you where Chena Hot Springs is located. After that, I’ll tell you why you should definitely check this place out. Chena is about an hour north of the North Pole and is best known for their hot springs, world’s largest ice museum, great aurora viewing and an endless amount of other year-round activities. This makes for a great day trip! (map)
Aurora Ice Museum
Here you’ll want to make sure to check out their Aurora Ice Museum tour, their largest ice museum tour made out of tons of ice and snow. The group tour takes about 45 minutes to go through, but honestly it goes by way too fast. Your tour guide will take you through the building and talk about the hotel rooms, chapel and iconic ice sculptures along with interesting facts before letting you free roam and take pictures of the place.
If you’re over the age of 21 make sure to check out their bar where you can enjoy an Appletini served in an ice glass, which you can keep. Ticket Prices: Adults (12+) $15 , children $10 (6-11), $30 Adults w/ “Appletini” Beverage (21+ with ID)
ATV Tour Rides
To start off our day at Chena we went on an ATV ride with a tour guide, which was epic! We enjoyed the adrenaline rush we got from exploring the trails along with the gorgeous scenery around us. Imagine a winter wonderland during the Alaska winter, if you will. This was the epitome when it came to winter activities to do while we were in Fairbanks.
This took about 45 minutes to complete, but I honestly didn’t want it to end. Prices start at $70/ person. Another lesson learned, please make sure to have some warm, thick gloves or else your fingers will freeze like mine did.
Hot Springs
Towards the end we made sure to dip ourselves in the hot spring and relax. For this you will need their Hot Springs Lake All Day Pass, which includes access to the hot springs lake (18+), indoor heated pool, locker area and shower facilities. If you have a room booked with the resort your passes and towel service are included. If not, it’s $15 for adults (18-59) and $5 for towel service for each guest.
Also, the resort does have lockers, but you will have to ensure you have change as they only take coins ($0.50) per locker. If you’re on a tight budget I would recommend bringing towels from your AirBnB, along with sandals. If not feel free to purchase them at the resort.
Aurora Lights
Lastly we had to make sure to end our last day in Fairbanks by checking out the Aurora lights! This is another great winter activity you can do at Fairbanks. Because you wouldn’t want to warm up during a cold, snowy day? Chena offers a Northern Lights tour where the resort takes you on a 60 mile ride in one of their shuttles and allows you to soak in a natural hot springs water while you await for the auroras to show.
Unfortunately, for us, this tour only takes place between mid-August through mid-April. It wasn’t in the stars for us since the Kp index for the lights was a 2 on our last day. The bright side is this gives us a great excuse to come back! If everything had gone according to plan this would have been, hands down, my favorite winter activity to do in Fairbanks. However, since that wasn’t the case riding ATVs in the snow was a close second.
Best Places to Visit in Anchorage
Snow City Café
The morning after we arrived in Anchorage we made sure to check out the Snow City Café for some brunch. This diner was perfect for some delicious breakfast before heading out for the day. Snow City Café is compliant with COVID-19 regulations, which can help you feel more relaxed while you enjoy your food (map).
- If you enjoy planning your meals before hand here is the diner’s menu
49th State Brewing Company
This place was the bomb dot com! Honestly, I didn’t think I would be too fond of it since we came here with the intention of trying elk and yak. Learn from me and go in with an open mind and try their Yak-a-dilla, Elk lasagna and their world famous yak burger, you won’t be disappointed (map)
Kaladi Brothers
Kaladi Brothers began as an espresso cart on Anchroage’s 4th ave in the spring of 1986 and is now Alaska’s premier coffee roaster. Their coffee is done well with every sip, this coming from a non coffee connoisseur. Make sure to check them out at their many locations all over the city where you will also find some delicious pastries.
Point Woronzof Park
After our morning coffee, we stopped by Point Woronzo Park in hopes to do two things, walk off the baked goods we had just consumed, and most importantly to see some Moose! The park is well visited and has various trails to run, bike, and hike (map). Here’s a list of some of the trails the park has to offer:
- Point Woronzof Trail (2.5mi, easy)
- Tony Knowles Coastal Path (19.7 mi, easy)- this trail provides extraordinary views of downtown Anchorage, the Chugach Mountains, Denali (Mt. McKinley), Mount Susitna (sleeping Lady), and Fire Island.
Even though this is a popular place for Moose sighting we weren’t so lucky, but hopefully you have better luck just remember to keep your eyes peeled and maintain a safe distance.
Portage Pass Trail
The number one thing I wanted to do in Alaska was to see as many glaciers as I could, and of course hike! If I could have combined the two it would have been a win-win. Luckily for me, I found a trail that did just that, Portage Pass Trail (map).
This is a 4.2 mile roundtrip trail best used between March and October. This trail offers an amazing front row view of Portage Glacier and scenic views of Whitier. It is ranked moderate, but for someone who hadn’t done cardio for the few months leading up to this trip it was a bit challenging. My advice, prepare yourself, but remember you got this!
Now, to get to the trail head of Portage Pass or if you’d like to visit Whittier, you’ll need to go through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, which costs $13 for a roundtrip ticket. The cool thing about this tunnel is that it goes through a mountain as a single lane. So if you’re claustrophobic and you’re not driving here’s your heads up to close your eyes for the entire car ride.
Whittier
Along with Portage Pass Trail, Whittier also has a 3.3-mile lightly trafficked trail fit for all skill levels called Emerald Cove (map). This scenic trail can take anywhere from half a day to a full day.
Best Places to Visit in Seward
Seward Scenic Highway
This breathtaking scenic highway is one of my favorites I like to drive on. It has unbelievable views of the ocean, mountains all while offering the possibility of seeing whales off in the distance. How can it not be a top contender?
The route begins in Anchorage and heads south for about 127 miles until it hits the harbor of Resurrection Bay. There are many points of interest along the highway to stop and check out, like Chugach State Park, Girdwood, Mount Alyeska, and Moose Pass amongst many others. Take your time taking it all in.
Exit Glacier Trail
Alright, so my recommendation for Exit Glacier trail might be a bit biased. Remember when I mentioned my then boyfriend had different intentions for visiting Alaska? Well, it’s because he intended to propose on this hike and boy did he do an amazing job, but that’s for another day.
This hike is about 2.3-mile trafficked loop trail located in Kenai Fjords National Park near Seward, which features a river and gorgeous views of a beautiful glacier (map). This hike is great for all skills levels, consequently this is perfect for families with little ones. It also has year markers, which is part of the glacier’s timeline retreat throughout the years. The trail and overlook is breathtaking, therefore how could I not include in my list as one of the best places to visit in Alaska?
If you’re looking for more of a challenge, I suggest you take on the Harding ice-field trail (map). The 8.2-mile roundtrip hike makes for an amazing day hike. Unfortunately, my fiancé and I weren’t able to do this hike since we didn’t have our ice cleats. In short, you’ll definitely need ice cleats for when you get to the top portion of the hike, which is covered in snow. This hike is ranked as difficult due to the elevation gain, so please prepare accordingly and be safe of any avalanches. As we were making our way back to our car we heard the ice cracking. Scary, but cool!
Resurrect Art Coffee House
Other than the hike where we got engaged this place has got to be one of the best places to visit in Alaska; It’s Seward’s hidden gem. One thing you should know about me is that I am a sucker for good coffee and local shops. Therefore, I had to check this place out especially when the recommendation came from a local. On top of the delicious coffee and baked goods this place offers some amazing views of the nearby mountains right from this cozy and warm resurrected church. That’s right, this coffee house is now a refurbished church (map).
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
If you’re like me you’ll want to check out the conservation center to see the wildlife. During the winter hikers don’t tend see a lot of wildlife on the trails, which is a good thing depending on who you ask, but I wanted to see some Moose, from a safe distance of course.
As a result, we checked out the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, which is a sanctuary dedicated to preserving Alaska’s wildlife. Here you’ll meet a lot of the locals, Moose, both Brown and Black bears, Bison, Reindeer and so on. This place is great for families and animal enthusiasts. The conservation admission ranges from $15-$17 per person and is open between 10am through 3pm during the winter.
If you enjoy the great outdoors make sure and check out my Ultimate Utah National Parks Road Trip guide!
Map of Attractions
Start Planning!
Everything you have read thus far is what I wish I had known beforehand to better optimize my trip. My only hope is that the tips I have presented here will aide you in checking out the best places to visit in Alaska and best winter activities to check out in Fairbanks. Alaska was everything I had hoped it would be, and I can’t wait for you to start exploring its beauty.
