I am needing advice from RVers who have taken an Arctic Circle tour from Fairbanks. We would prefer to be picked at a campground for the tour, if possible. What tour provider do you think is the best considering the cost and service? Thanks for any information you can provide us.
While I haven't been on any of the organized "circle" tours, I have seen a few.
Alaska Airlines runs one to Barrow, both up and back the same day and one that overnights in Barrow at the Top of the World Hotel.
They also run a tour to Nome but it isn't north of the Arctic Circle. They used to run one from Anchorage/Fairbanks to Nome, overnight and then go on to Kotzebue for another overnight stay, then return to urban Alaska which did get a passenger north of the Circle.
One fun one, from previous comments on this form, is the one run by Larry's Flying service in Fairbanks. Larry's run several but the "mail plane" one gets a person out to see some of the "real" villages, Fort Yukon which sits about on the Arctic Circle or close to it. Then the mail planes go on up to some of the villages north of there, which are above the Circle.
Northern Arctic Tours or something close to that, runs the ride in a van one way and fly the other, over the Haul Road to Prudhoe Bay area. One of their vans also goes up to the Arctic Circle on the Haul Road, has lunch, photos and then returns to Fairbanks that night late. I have seen their vans picking up passengers at the River's Edge Campground in Fairbanks. Plus you could call a taxi and have them pick you up at most/any of the campgrounds in town.
I believe NAT also runs one tour to do a day trip to Anaktuvuk Pass, a neat village, that I have flown my own plane to in the past while living in Alaska. Another van tour goes to the old mining community of Wiseman and returns to Fairbanks.
Probably lots of info on google, or in the Milepost, then give a call to the different companies. Alaska Airlines did own their hotel in Nome when I lived there back in the mid 1960s.
joe b.
Stuart Florida
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What does the tour consist of? If its just a trip to the Artic Circle and a few pictures, you can do it on your own at no great expense. If your going all the way north then it's another deal. Think you have to be on a tour to see the area up north. Travel safe
Depends on what you call up north? You can buy a plane ticket and fly to Barrow, just like the residents of the town do to get home. You can also buy a ticket to places like Point Hope but where are you going to stay once you get there till the next days plane arrives?
If you are talking about going to the end of the Haul Road at Prudhoe Bay, then yes, you have to be on a tour and have cleared Homeland Security to go stick your toe in the ocean. But that is because you have to pass through the active oil fields to get to the water and it is a secure facility.
On the drive and fly tour to Prudhoe Bay/Deadhorse, you are driven in a passenger van up the haul road, fed, stops for photos, a certificate of crossing the Arctic Circle, some tours remain over night at the hotel in Deadhorse and then you fly back to Fairbanks the next day. The people that flew up, get in the van you just got out of and they ride it back to Fairbanks. Every one I have talked to has really enjoyed the trip. Easier on your vehicle and you can decide whether or not you want to do the drive yourself next time.
On Larry's mail plane tour, you just ride along with the mail as it is delivered to the different villages on the route. Might be at a village for no more than half an hour or so as they unload the mail to the local postmaster. The Fort Yukon stop tends to be longer as it is the hub for flying in that area. There was a local tour being run in Fort Yukon by a resident so you can learn more about the village. The kid (man that runs the tour) I knew his family when he was about 12 years of age, living in Galena. His father was from Fort Yukon and was an employee (station manager) for Wien Airlines till his retirement. Of course the 12 year old is now over 50. LOL
Most of the overnight tours will have hotel arrangements made, transportation from the plane to the hotel, evening entertainment usually by one of the local Alaska Native groups, dancing, singing, etc. Meals will be provided, chances to do some shopping will be provided and you get a chance to see how "real" rural people live, much the same as they have for thousands of years, except for the cell phones, TVs, snow machines, cars/trucks, ATVs, airplanes, etc. LOL
If you book your tour through Rivers Edge Campground, they will deliver you to the airport and pick you up on your return. We're taking the Barrow trip that way this year. (I'm a little spooked on smaller planes, or I'd LOVE to do that mail run - may be I'll get brave enough next trip!)
In 2008 we used the Northern AK Tour Co. & were very pleased. We considered driving, but on the advice of many folks on this forum, because of gravel road conditions decided against it. After seeing the condition of our tour bus on return it was a wise choice.
The tour bus (15 people) left at 6:30 AM & returned at 10:30 PM. We had stops at the Artic Circle Trading Co., Yukon River & Arctic Tundra where we picked wild blueberries.
We reached the Circle at Noon & stopped for dinner at the Yukon R. on return.
The driver was very informative & showed videos on the return trip.
They did not provide pick up svc.
I would highly recommend them. Good luck on your trip. I hope you enjoy the trip as much as we did.
Kotzebue is neat place I spent a lot of time there when I worked for the state, here is a picture of me fishing in the ocean(chukchi sea of the Arctic Ocean) in 2002, which was my first trip to Kotz. They actually made fun of my fisihng pole because it was so small....I later discvered why, most of the sheefish that come out of there are huge, they told me to throw back the baby 5 pound fish I caught, I ate it anyway it was good. In 2004 I got a 42 inch sheefish ice fishing that thing was a monster and I caught it with a jig tied to a nylon rope that was tied to a stick....who needs a fancy pole for ice fishing....I lost all my 2003-2004 pictures when my hard drive croaked a few years ago. Red Dog mine is a neat place as well but I don't think you can just go there for a visit.
The best part of a circle trip is watching the sun do the freaky around the sky circle without ever going down,but you would need to stay up there all night to see that happen.
In '08 we flew to Ft. Yukon with Warbelow's. Great evening tour - included bus tour around the village. Check out http://www.warbelows.com/summer_tours.htm - and joe b. knows the bus driver! ST
Two and a hound in a 2003 Roadtrek 190P and a pair of Limmers... First 50 done, working on the second pass!
j37642 wrote: I am needing advice from RVers who have taken an Arctic Circle tour from Fairbanks. We would prefer to be picked at a campground for the tour, if possible. What tour provider do you think is the best considering the cost and service? Thanks for any information you can provide us.
We also are going to take the Arctic Circle tour this summer. We are going to do the drive one as I DO NOT like flying, much less in small planes. We have reservations at Rivers Edge campground and will use the company that picks us up from there. When will you be going ?
Trixie47 wrote: We also are going to take the Arctic Circle tour this summer. We are going to do the drive one as I DO NOT like flying, much less in small planes. We have reservations at Rivers Edge campground and will use the company that picks us up from there. When will you be going ?
We plan to leave eastern TN in late May. Our Arctic Circle tour would be by land based vehicle also. Looks like it is going to be early in our trip as we plan to be at Fairbanks soon after we get to Alaska. I am not making campground reservations for that part of the trip unless I must. When will you be there? Do you think campground reservations are needed? I don't want to make reservations unless I absolutly must. I already made them at Denali. I hope we see you along the way.
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