Overall we had an enjoyable tour, and appreciated how the guide followed covid precautions and sanitation practices meticulously. We were picked up at 2:30pm and as we started the tour, the sun was starting to set which made the snow covered landscape look magical. It was a small group as there were only 4 people and the guide on the tour. We stopped at the pipeline and then at a truck stop to get fuel and some delicious pie. Unfortunately, as the evening progressed the windows in the van got extremely foggy and icy, so it was not really possible to enjoy the scenery during what seemed to be a glorious sunset. We were disappointed the guide didn't find a place to stop to take in the view, but she provided ice scrapers and offered sanitizer to clean the windows, which didn't really work. After the sunset it was several hours of riding on the dark bumpy highway, then we stopped by the Yukon river, but it was too dark to appreciate any scenery. The stop had a restaurant and gift shop
which was very quiet and empty due to decline in travel. The guide offered the opportunity for us go sledding, but it was very dark and cold, so we all declined. We reached the arctic sign around 8ish and took some pictures. There is not much else to do as the sign is in the middle of nowhere, so we got into the van for the drive back. On the way the guide made several stops to check for aurora, but unfortunately we didn't see any activity. We were back in our hotel at 12:30am so the tour ended earlier than what we expected. We were fine with this though because we felt like we had spent the day riding roller coasters and were exhausted from the long ride.
This tour was quite the experience and we're glad we took it. That said, we probably wouldn't go on it in the winter again, but perhaps in the day time to truly appreciate the scenery.