My 23 year old son and I went on the tour. It was -30 out! But with layers you don't feel it much. However even though the van was heated it did get a bit chilly at times, with all the door opening and closing. The tour guides were super fun and were obviously good friends, they felt like a talk show host and a sidekick, ha! Lots of great info and very entertaining, it's obvious they enjoy their jobs which is awesome!
Good aurora activity was forecast and the skies were totally clear (thanks to the super cold weather), but it ended up being way less activity than was forecast. We only saw one aurora the whole night, for about 20 minutes, but I was grateful we saw that. Apparently there was spectacular aurora activity the night before. The auroras are a true crapshoot. The guides have an app that tracks potential aurora activity to the minute, like cool stormchaser stuff, but even they can be wrong. So resign yourself to going with the flow! Because the skies were still clear and good aurora activity was forecast again, I splurged on another aurora tour the next night with a company that also goes to Chena Hot Springs (Alaska Wildlife Guide LLC), which I wanted to see as well. And there was a TON of spectacular aurora activity that night! So you really never know. Try not to put all your aurora viewing eggs in one basket, and go out multiple nights if the weather is clear.
The reindeer sausage was yummy (and seconds are okay!). The beverages were good but a bit hard to maneuver with gloves on in -30 weather, ha! We only went to one location, because there were no auroras on the way back. The free pictures were a great bonus, and well done! No need to purchase the touched up ones in my opinion, the raw ones are great. The campfire was fun and most welcome, but apparently I got too close to it, because some of the embers burned holes in my ski pants! (found out the next day) I guess ski clothing isn't fireproof, for obvious reasons I suppose.
Great company, highly recommended!
Odpowiedź od gospodarza
Mar 2025
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us! We're thrilled to hear that you and your son enjoyed the tour, despite the chilly -30 degree weather. It's great to know that you found our guides entertaining and informative, and that they brought some fun and warmth to the cold evening. Their passion for their job really does make a difference!
We're glad you managed to see the aurora, even if it was just a glimpse. As you mentioned, aurora activity can be unpredictable, but it sounds like you made the most of your time under the Alaskan skies. Your advice to be flexible and consider multiple nights of aurora chasing is spot on.
It's wonderful to hear you enjoyed the reindeer sausage and the beverages, even if they were a bit tricky to handle with gloves on. We're also pleased that you appreciated the free photos—capturing those moments is important to us, and we're glad you found them satisfactory.
We apologize for the mishap with the campfire and your ski pants. We'll make sure to remind future guests about keeping a safe distance from the fire to avoid similar issues.
Thank you for your kind words and recommendation. We hope you have many more adventures and, perhaps, join us again for another aurora hunt! Safe travels and warm wishes from all of us at Aurora in Alaska!