Advertisement
Fairbanks Tours
Chena Hot Springs Tour
5

Chena Hot Springs Tour

By Alaska Wildlife Guide LLC
Recommended by 96% of travelers
96% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 1-99, max of 14 per group
Duration: 8h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More


  • Driver/guide
  • Hotel drop-off
  • Hotel pick-up
  • Admission to the Ice museum and Hot Springs
  • Transportation to/from Chena Hot Springs
  • Entry/Admission - Chena Hot Springs Resort
  • Entry/Admission - Aurora Ice Museum
What's not included
  • Gratuities
  • Food and drinks (restaurant and cafe/snack bar is available at the location.


Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.
    Pickup details
    • Pick up occurs between 8:45 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. We will contact you the day before your tour with your exact pickup time. We can only pick up from hotels within the Fairbanks or North Pole city limits. We do not pick up from the airport. If you are staying at an Air BnB, please contact the office for the closest pick up location. If you are staying outside the city limits, we can pick you up at Walmart or another hotel location. Please call our office to discuss what options are available.
    Hotel pickup offered
    During checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.
      End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

        • Not wheelchair accessible
        • Stroller accessible
        If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5957P9

        • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
        • Most travelers can participate
        • If going in the hot springs, you will need a bathing suit. You may also wish to bring rubber shoes and a towel. Towels are available at a cost of $5.
        • Lockers are available and take 2 quarters (50 cents). A change machine is on-site if required.
        • Photo ID is required to purchase an Appletini in the Ice Museum or other alcoholic beverages in the restaurant/bar.
        • Children under 18 and pregnant guests are not allowed in the outdoor rock pool, but may use the indoor pools.
        • Our vans are not wheelchair accessible. However, we have enough room for a foldable one and the Hot Springs are wheelchair accessible. Please contact us before booking.
        • Children must be accompanied by an adult.
        • Cancellation for a full refund is possible if the minimum capacity is not reached or due to dangerous road conditions.
        • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
        • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers

        • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

        If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5957P9

        From
        $210.00
        per adult
        Select date and travelers

        Similar experiences

        Itinerary
        • 1
        • 2
        About the operator
        Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
        • Alaska Wildlife Guide LLC
          4,416
          North Pole, Alaska
          Joined in October 2012
        • Safari66110804363
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          A Magical Adventure
          First of all KUDOS to Jessica for being an outstanding tour guide. She made my trip to The Arctic Circle the best time ever! Jessica was by far the most knowledgeable person to take me on this fantastic journey. She made every stop along the way so interesting! She answered every question I had in such great detail. She even stop along the way back to my hotel to check out the sky with the hope of seeing the Northern Lights. It didn’t work out but that was okay. Jessica made this trip magical. She’s a top notch driver on the Dalton Highway too. You are truly in the right profession Jessica. Ask for Jessica when you book your tour with Alaska Wildlife Guide, LLC. . You won’t be sorry!!! Thank you Jessica for making this adventure so exciting.
          Written December 4, 2024
        • saramT9190PL
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Great experience
          We had a great experience! It was the first time for me to ride the snowmobile. But with experience with ATVs the was no problem for me. We have a great tour guide named Kathy!
          Written December 4, 2024
        • keannettep2024
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Wonderful Tour!
          Excellent tour! Booked the same morning and had a wonderful time! Definitely recommend. Kathy was our tour guide and was great!!
          Written December 4, 2024
        • varshama2024
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Awesome tour and guide!
          We had a great time with Jean! She had wonderful stories for the ride and knows a lot about Alaskan culture. She tried to maximize our chances to see the Auroras. The ice museum was unique and the dinner at the resort was amazing. Hot springs were well kept. We got to see Aurora during our dinner, and at the hot springs!
          Written December 4, 2024
        • Quest787611
          0 contributions
          4.0 of 5 bubbles
          Good tour but freezing van ride.
          Jordan was an excellent guide. He checked in on us at several points during the tou and gave clear instructions on meeting times (he forgot to tell us that we needed to pay for our ice museum appletinis before the tour, but we were lucky enough to have cash on hand. Other people weren’t as lucky. . The food at Chena was great. The biggest issue of the night was the heater in the van. Yes, the temps were unusually cold that night but if the heater was not equipped to handle that temp, either another van should have been used or the company needs to upgrade the heating system. As it was, it was a miserable 90-120 minute drive back to the hotel with cold air blowing through the heating system.
          Written December 3, 2024
        • 425hemilg
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Amazing will come again
          Awesome, Kathy Larson was our instructor. She was great and amazing. Tour was fun , I will come again and bring my family.
          Written December 3, 2024
        • 60apurvas
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Amazing experience
          Loved the experience. Kathy was amazing. She helped us ease into driving the bike and then the lake experience was great.
          Written December 2, 2024
        • 555walkyriav
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          it’s fantastic!!!!!
          This is my favorite thing about Fairbanks, the view is amazing and Kathy is the best. Love I had never had a snow experience before, let alone on motorcycles and it is the best and I recommend it 1000!
          Written December 2, 2024
        • V8055MEandresa
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Crazy experience!
          Views were great and Gavin our tourist guide was very knowledgeable and friendly the entire time… if you are over 6 foot tall though, the mini van might not be too comfy for you as there’s limited space for such a long ride but views were just worth it.
          Written December 1, 2024
        • 660colleenf
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Great guide
          Well worth it. It was cold but guide was very knowledgeable. Would like to go back in sept and actually see more of the trip. It was dark.
          Written December 1, 2024
        • 212natarajanr
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Amazing aurora trip
          Very well organized and the guide, Greg was very helpful with tips and background about Fairbanks, the hot springs and best places to view northern lights. He was safe and took us patiently to get nice views. Greatly recommended
          Written November 29, 2024
        • J7484FQerike
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Hot Springs and the Aurora Borealis
          The ice museum and the hot springs were awesome, but the highlight of the trip was the northern lights. A true wonder of the natural world if I ever saw one. Our guide was super helpful and knowledgeable as well.
          Written November 29, 2024
        • Footprints786336
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Great Tour!
          Kathy was a wonderful guide! Very knowledgeable and friendly. We had a small group and it was a great option for solo female travelers like I was! She took us to the cultural center, museum of the north, Alaskan pipeline, and the North Pole. It was the perfect amount of time and was a mixture of education and fun! Definitely a more relaxing excursion.
          Written November 27, 2024
        • mayelaalejandraa2022
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Amazing!
          It was awesome! Greg was very knowledgeable and kind, tour was very fun! Full of fun facts. I recommend this tour for families, couples and solo :)
          Written November 27, 2024
        • shealtielw
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Amazing time
          Greg was amazing!! He was so knowledgeable and friendly. I enjoyed my time and I would recommend this service to friends.
          Written November 27, 2024
        See all 4,416 reviews
        These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

        Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

        Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

        Popular mentions

        5.0
        5.0 of 5 bubbles174 reviews
        Excellent
        156
        Very good
        12
        Average
        1
        Poor
        3
        Terrible
        2

        Annely H
        7 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Aug 2022 • Friends
        8/19/22 Enjoyed this greatly. Make sure to take a swimsuit, extra change of clothes, quarters, if you are planning to shower after (I recommend) take shampoo etc if you are going to the ice museum take gloves and a hat! when we went we were able to visit the ice museum first roam around the resort visit the gift shop grabbed a coffee at the cafe and went on the geothermal tour. During that tour it did start raining. We were lucky and brought good jackets with hoods. After that we hopped in the hot springs. Gave ourselves around 30mins to get out and get ready and be back in the van by 4 to head home. On the way home our tour operator was very sweet! She would point out any wildlife or plants she knew and told us stories about living in Alaska. Overall definitely a great way to spend a day.
        Written August 24, 2022
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

        Sarina R
        Brooklyn, NY81 contributions
        2.0 of 5 bubbles
        This experience was as advertised
        Transportation was provided from Fairbanks and it did take about an hour. The driver barely said a word entire trip, and was very unclear when we got here. They wanted to charge $15 for an apple teeny to drink inside the ice museum.

        you did get to go into the ice museum, there was a parka, but it took all of 10 minutes.

        The second part was to go into a hot spring. The facilities were low class at best.

        The Hot Spring is man made , the floor made of cement. To spend $180 for this was a total and complete rip off.

        I would ask for my money back but it was advertised. I just didn’t expect it to be so low class and cheesy
        Written May 31, 2022
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
        We are sorry to hear that you did not have a stellar experience with us on your tour. Communication between our staff and our guests is of great importance to us. When our office staff confirms tours, we make every effort to relay the itinerary as well as inform guests as to the cost of drinks at the ice museum. Our tour guides are to inform guests of the itinerary as well prior to arriving at the resort. We are sorry to hear that our office staff and guide did not communicate clearly as to the itinerary of the whole trip. We will speak with all of our staff so that issues like this do not happen in the future. Chena Hot Springs Resort is a highly traveled spot while visitors to Alaska are in town. While we do provide tours to the resort, we are not responsible for the upkeep and care of the grounds. We will forward your review to management of the resort in hopes that they can rectify some of the issues. If you would like to discuss your experience further, please reach out to the office during normal business hours. Again we are sorry that you did not enjoy your tour with us and would hope that if you do visit Alaska again you give us another chance to show you a 5 star worthy experience.
        Written May 31, 2022
        This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

        Andrea K
        1 contribution
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Mar 2020 • Friends
        We were picked up in a comfy passenger van by our tour guide Dan. He entertained us with stories and Alaska facts for the trip up to Chena. He drove safely on the snowy roads & would pull over when we saw moose to let us get a better view. My friend & I lucked out & were the only ones booked that day so we got a lot of cool personal attention, tips & help from Dan. He tried his best to find good spots to watch the Northern Lights, but nature doesn't play by any rules! Chena Hot Springs are phenomenal at night with the stars. Highly recommend booking with this company for a worry free & organized trip there.
        Written March 6, 2020
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
        Yes, we love Dan, too! Glad you enjoyed your Tour.
        Written May 4, 2020
        This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

        jac1802
        Adelaide, South Australia, Australia32 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Feb 2020 • Couples
        Our driver Bryan, arrived promply and was helpful and interesting throughout the trip. Our fellow passengers were lovely, happy to share travel stories and pictures.
        We spotted Moose on the way there!
        We arrived at Chena, Bryan sorted out passes and dinner reservations.
        First stop the ice museum, amazing, plenty of time to look round and then sit at the ice bar to enjoy an apple martini in an ice glass, yum.
        Dinner, good menu, tasty food and great service.
        Next the hot springs......we were worried about the 40ft walk outside from the changing rooms to the springs, it was an experience but easily done and oh so worth it. The springs were hot,dark, misty, my hair had frozen droplets from the steam rising and hitting the cold air. So relaxing.
        We were aiming to get to the Aurora viewing room by 11pm, the lights, if they show, would happen after midnight. As we arrived Bryan told us to get outside to view quickly as they had arrived early. What a sight, what an amazing experience. We were treated to 2 hours of the lights in all of there glory. Beautiful.
        The journey back was quiet, we were exhausted but all agreed that the trip was perfect.
        Craig and I thank all those involved in making this trip so special. If we had not been lucky enough to see the lights the museum and springs would of been enough, we may have been slightly disappointed but you cant predict or control the elements. Luck was on our side and we will never forget the spectacular Aureole Borealis viewed at Chena.
        Written February 27, 2020
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
        Glad you enjoyed your "Perfect" Tour. Thanks.
        Written May 4, 2020
        This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

        Annt
        Moreno Valley, CA41 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Before going to the hot springs, I read all the reviews and saw tons of people complaining about how old and dirty this place is. I’m glad my family and I still decided to go. We had rented a car and decided to take the drive up without pre booking. It was a good hour drive, beautiful scenery. The first mile or so on chena hotsprings drive was unpaved due to construction (repaving) , but any car can drive through it. Once we arrived, you can see the ice museum and the large plane to the right. We walked to the activity center and decided to book the ice museum tour. It was $15 dollars for admission and $15 dollars more for an apple martini. I would recommend to bring gloves, a beanie and warm clothes and jacket. They offer parkas to wear which were a little damp and dirty but worked well. The apple martini glass was made of ice. The martini was vodka and an apple pucker type of liquor. It was ok. I don’t think I would want more than one as it was freezing in the museum. It was a good experience. After that, we went to the hot springs. Before going I highly recommend bringing slides or sandals as some people get grossed out with a wet floor. They sell water, bathing suits, trunks, sandals and have towels for rent. My group of 6 bought waters which were life savers! There are lockers for purchase (quarters) in the locker room. The water is very warm when you go in and has very very hot spots in certain areas. You will get hot! I started perspiring. Very important to hydrate. Make sure you do not drink alcohol or are dehydrated before entering as it can be very dangerous. The peacefullness of the springs and the warm spa like waters was such a great experience. I’m so happy we ignored the rude and negative comments about this place. It isn’t a 5 star resort- it’s Alaska and you are in the middle of the forest … what do you expect?!?!? The drive back was great and we saw a couple moose on the chena river! Such an awesome day trip!
        Written September 1, 2021
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

        Q2730ARjanek
        Marshfield, WI24 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        My cousin and I took the tour today with Grace. It was amazing, we seen moose. Even a baby and mother. A golden and bald eagle. Different water fowl, beautiful birds. We had a drink in the ice museum at the Chena hot springs in glasses made of ice. A fantastic meal at the restaurant there. We were the only 2 on the tour, so we were treated extra special by our guide Grace. She was amazing and very interesting with knowledge of Alaska. It was a truly an exceptional tour.
        Written July 14, 2020
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
        So glad you enjoyed Chena Hot Springs and Grace our star guide! Thank you for your kind remarks.
        Written July 15, 2020
        This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

        Kalyanaraman B K
        2 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Jun 2022 • Family
        It was a 1.5 hour trip from Fairbanks to the Chena hot springs resort. A very unique experience that combined a cold tour of an ice museum with beautiful ice sculptures (they do give you a jacket but suggest bringing your own) followed by a relaxing time in the chena hot springs. Note that children are not allowed into the hot spring and instead there is a pool and spa dedicated for them. The water was just right and all aches and pains left the body. This was followed by a nice hot lunch at the local restaurant (which also had vegetarian options) and a tour of the greenhouses and thermal power plant. On the way back we stopped for Moose spotting and saw a mother moose and her baby. Our guide Leticia was very kind and like all of Alaska very warm towards us as well as the flora and fauna. A bird had been struck by a vehicle on the road and she stopped the vehicle to help the other small birds off the road to safety. We exchanged a lot of stories en route. Highly recommend.
        Written June 29, 2022
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

        Ann Marie E
        2 contributions
        2.0 of 5 bubbles
        Nov 2022
        I have to agree with the other poor review -if you wish to experience the Hot Springs, just drive there yourself. This tour in November advertises Northern Lights Viewing which is the main reason most of the people took the tour. One major complaint we had was not being able to contact our driver to connect and we almost missed the ride entirely. While the hot springs were great, the changing room was nasty (be sure to bring sandals), the restaurant was average at best (and the cost of the tour does not include dinner), and the Ice Museum was ok. After the hot springs we went to the activity room to (possibly) see the aurora. No hot drink or snacks were available. We did not see the aurora. Of course, a cloudy sky was not the fault of the guide however, the guide could have been provided MANY more tools to seek out the aurora. We literally sat in a parking area along the road for 20 minutes "hoping" the clouds would move. Doing this tour in the winter only makes sense if you want someone else to drive you to the 50 miles to the hot springs. Save your money.
        Written November 28, 2022
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
        We are sorry that you had a bad experience on your tour with us. In regards to not being able to contact your tour guide. Our policy is we do not give out our guide's telephone numbers to our guests. You were contacted by the office to inform you that the guide was running late but that your guide would be there to pick you up at your designated location for pick up. All of our guests have the office number, to which all voicemails after hours are checked regularly, so that they can reach out if their guide does not show up. On the night you took this tour there were no voicemails that came through. We are sorry that you felt that the ground of Chena Hot Springs Resort were not better taken care of. Because we are just guests there at Chena Hot Springs Resort and are not in control of the upkeep of the grounds and facilities, we will forward your review to management at the resort in hopes that they will rectify these matters quickly. While we do advertise that this tour is a Northern Lights tour, we do not guarantee seeing the northern lights on any of our tours. They are acts of nature and we do not have any control over them just like the weather. Our tour guides are provided with many tools to seek out the aurora. They also make every effort to provide the best opportunities for guests to see the northern lights if they do make an appearance. We are sorry that the weather and the lights did not cooperate that night and you did not get to see them on your tour. If you feel that you would like to discuss this matter further, please feel free to call our office directly and speak to a member of our management team during normal business hours.
        Written November 29, 2022
        This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

        nfitzgerald10
        Phoenix, AZ23 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        We had a great time; our guide, Cole, was a natural. He was fun and shared lots of local information. He was experienced in planning our trip to the Chena Hot Springs, knew which guides were the best, helped with any logistics, and overall maximized our enjoyment of the trip. We highly recommend this tour company and this excursion.
        Written June 8, 2022
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

        Cynthia S
        7 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        We really enjoyed our Chena Hot Springs and Northern lights tour. There is nothing fancy here, but the hot springs were great, the ice museum and Appletini better than we expected and our meal in the restaurant was DELICIOUS. Nate our guide was awesome and found us the perfect spot to view the Northern lights. For the hot springs, I strongly recommend bringing your own towel and a wet sack to throw in the van after your soak.
        Written August 29, 2021
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

        Showing results 1-10 of 168
        *Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

        Chena Hot Springs Tour provided by Alaska Wildlife Guide LLC

        All Fairbanks HotelsFairbanks Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Fairbanks
        All things to do in Fairbanks
        Day Trips in Fairbanks
        RestaurantsFlightsVacation RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars