Alaska Tours (alaskatours.com) · Rail package

Aurora Train Travel in Fall and Winter

Small group Alaska Railroad trip, Anchorage to Fairbanks, chasing the northern lights

Aurora Train Travel in Fall and Winter, a rail journey with Alaska Tours (alaskatours.com)

Alaska Tours runs this 5-day, 4-night rail package between Anchorage and Fairbanks, timed for fall and winter departures when the northern lights can be seen. The trip starts in Anchorage, where Day 2 is a small group guided tour along Turnagain Arm on the Seward Highway to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, home to moose, elk, caribou, and owls. On Day 3, travelers make their own way to the Anchorage train station and board the Alaska Railroad's Winter Train for the daytime ride to Fairbanks, passing the Alaska Range and, weather permitting, Denali. Fairbanks days bring a narrated tour of the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitor Center, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, and the Museum of the North, followed by a late-evening guided drive to an aurora viewing cabin outside the city. The trip suits travelers who want a short, guided sampler of Alaska rail travel, wildlife, and the northern lights, with meals and transfers arranged on their own.

What to know before you look closer

  • Transfers in Anchorage and Fairbanks are not included, aside from a possible hotel courtesy shuttle in Fairbanks; travelers get themselves to the Anchorage train station on Day 3.
  • Meals and guide gratuities are not included in the price.
  • The Day 2 tour is shorter for packages starting between October 1 and December 10 (a 4-hour Wildlife Tour without the Alyeska tram or lunch) than for other date ranges, which include a 6-hour Turnagain Turnaround Tour with the tram and lunch.
  • Views of the Alaska Range, Denali, and the northern lights depend on weather; the evidence notes Denali is visible only "weather permitting."

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Anchorage

    Anchorage Arrival

    Anchorage is Alaska's largest city, nestled between the Chugach Mountains and Cook Inlet. Depending on arrival time, optional tours such as a local photo tour may be available.

  2. Day 2overnight: Anchorage

    Anchorage

    Small group guided tour along Turnagain Arm via the Seward Highway, visiting the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (moose, elk, caribou, owls and more). Depending on the season, may also travel to Girdwood and Mt. Alyeska for an aerial tram ride. Package start dates between Oct 1 and Dec 10 include only a 4-hour Wildlife Tour (no Girdwood, tram closed).

  3. Day 3railovernight: Fairbanks

    Anchorage to Fairbanks

    Transfer to the Anchorage train station on own. Board the Alaska Railroad in the morning and travel through Alaska's winter landscape to Fairbanks, with views of the Alaska Range and possibly Denali (weather permitting). Arrive in Fairbanks in the evening and transfer to the hotel via courtesy shuttle.

  4. Day 4overnight: Fairbanks

    Fairbanks

    Narrated tour of Fairbanks highlights: the Morris Thompson Cultural Center, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, and the Museum of the North (or Antique Auto Museum when closed), plus the Santa Claus House in North Pole. Late evening (typically 9:30-10pm) pickup for an aurora viewing tour, approximately a 45-minute drive to an aurora viewing cabin with hot beverages and bathroom/outhouse facilities; return to hotel around 2:30am.

  5. Day 5

    Fairbanks Departure

    Time this morning to explore on your own before meeting a hotel shuttle to the airport for your departing flight.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2A small group guided tour travels along Turnagain Arm on the Seward Highway to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, home to moose, elk, caribou, and owls.
  • Day 3The Alaska Railroad's Winter Train travels from Anchorage to Fairbanks through Alaska's winter landscape, with views of the Alaska Range and, weather permitting, Denali.
  • Day 4A narrated tour of Fairbanks visits the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitor Center, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, and the Museum of the North.
  • Day 4A local guide leads a late-evening drive to an aurora viewing cabin outside Fairbanks to look for the northern lights.

Included

  • 4 nights accommodation
  • Alaska Railroad Winter Train Anchorage to Fairbanks
  • Turnagain Arm Tour or Wildlife Tour on Day 2: for packages starting Sep 17 - Sep 24, 2026 and Dec 17, 2026 - Mar 25, 2027, a 6-hour Turnagain Turnaround Tour is included with entrance to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Alyeska tram ticket, and lunch; for packages starting Oct 1 - Dec 10, 2026, a 4-hour Wildlife Tour is included with admission to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center only
  • Fairbanks City Tour on Day 4
  • Northern Lights Tour on Day 4
  • All taxes and fees

Not included

  • Transfers in Anchorage and Fairbanks (a hotel courtesy shuttle might be available in Fairbanks)
  • Meals
  • Guide gratuities

Questions travellers ask

Is the train travel included?
Yes. The Alaska Railroad's Winter Train from Anchorage to Fairbanks on Day 3 is included in the package.
Is this trip guided?
Guided tours are included on Day 2 (Turnagain Arm and the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center) and Day 4 (a Fairbanks city tour and an evening northern lights viewing tour); arrival, the free day in Anchorage, and departure are on your own.
Which train is used?
The Alaska Railroad's Winter Train, traveling from Anchorage to Fairbanks.
When does this trip run?
The evidence lists package start dates of September 17 to September 24, 2026, October 1 to December 10, 2026, and December 17, 2026 to March 25, 2027.
What is not included?
Transfers in Anchorage and Fairbanks (aside from a possible Fairbanks hotel shuttle), meals, and guide gratuities are not included.

Similar journeys, different answers