1st Alaska Outdoor School - Fairbanks, Alaska

CheeryChums A.

1st Review: Yurt Aurora Viewing Tour~
The tour was Awesome with our guide Paul, he was able to find best spots for our aurora viewings, even before heading to the yurt, turned out it was a very rare and super amazing aurora experience!!! And when we were in the yurt waiting Paul kept us entertained with lots of poems and history telling, and even set up a campfire outside to keep us warm!!
Thanks Paul for the extra steps you’ve taken for us and we really appreciate it so very much!! 5-stars❤️

2nd Review: Arctic Circle/Pipeline/Yukon Tour~
Really have to give Elijah a 5 stars review, sorry it’s a little late but he really deserves some great comments!!
For that super long trip to Arctic Circle, 16 hrs, we never felt unsafe, bored nor exhausted with his driving and entertainment, he would try his utmost best to make us feel great and warm. He took extra steps to find the auroras when we were coming back in the morning, since that night aurora showed up in the southern sky, not his fault… even though he still went above and beyond to let us see some nice ones, really appreciate it a whole lot!!
We still couldn’t believe that we’ve been to the very northern pole of the earth once!!! Thanks again Elijah for making us safe back the whole trip!! That night was an event that would stay in our hearts for long long time!!!🥰

Maria A.

Colleen and Ash were great guides, and excellent drivers. I learned a lot about the Tundra and Borealis forest. Thank you for answering ALL of my questions. It was an amazing 16hr trip. We were blessed to have seen the Northern Lights, thank you for not rushing us to leave so that we can take it all in 💜.
Side note: It is a long bumpy drive, but it's worth it!

Prateeksha S.

We got to interact with multiple 1st Alaska guides over our 3-day first trip to Fairbanks, and every one of them was special.

We had a wonderful first night with Cedar waiting for the lights over a fire by the yurt, where she told us about having guided people to bears, glaciers and the wilderness. Wendy was our very knowledgeable Fairbanks highlights guide, and shared stories of the all the places we visited with the context her experience as a teacher in a remote Eskimo village as well as her life in Fairbanks. Elijah, our Chena Aurora viewing guide, was super entertaining throughout the trip and made sure we got all the pictures we wanted at the ice museum and the lights, and also chased the lights even on our journey back when we had already seen them, to get us some amazing pictures.

It was a memorable experience, and we couldn’t recommend them more.

Thank you team 1st Alaska.

James T.

Good overall tour and experience. We didn't get to see the Aurora because of heavy cloud cover sadly, but our tour otherwise was great. Josh is a great tour guide. Very knowledgeable and kind spirited.
The Yurts made for a nice, secluded spot to enjoy a relaxing evening with good company.

Arvindh S. S.

We had read beforehand that Aurora was a very hit or miss experience as it ultimately comes down to Mother Nature. However, when a visitor is making a trip with nervousness that they may not see what they came for, it is the experience that counts. Even if you do see the lights, experience provided by a professional tour operator just takes it to a different level.

Right from the booking and making the reservation, we had a very nice experience. The lady was very informative, and suggested days when Aurora could be highly probable. The hotel pickup was sharp on time, if not a few minutes early. Our guide Ryan was incredibly knowledgeable about Alaska in general and was just incredible to listen to so many informational tidbits that are quintessential to the Alaskan culture and way of life that always leaves you longing for more..

The dog sled ride was also beyond incredible. We were initially nervous about making this sled ride at night, but our dog mushers were so friendly and informative that we were at ease from the get go, and had such an unforgettable experience. At the end of the ride, when our fingers and toes needed some warmth, we were welcomed with warm drinks and delicious dinner. We were skeptical of the vegetarian dinner options initially, but the hot food prepared by the host were really yummy and absolutely delicious.

Aurora for us showed up only at the end of our tour, towards 1:30 am and it was absolutely mesmerizing.

Would recommend 1st Alaska Tours for an unforgettable experience !

J P.

Josh was exceptional in his ability to lead a tour! We booked this tour the last minute since the one we had booked cancelled on us the day before. Josh was punctual for the hotel pickup and he took us and explained all the places that were listed in the tour overview. He was very knowledgeable about all the places we visited and even gave some of his local knowledge concerning each place we visited. Highly recommend!

KJ G.

3 Sept 2025 - My experience with1st Alaska tours was nothing short of exceptional, Josh was respectful considerate and professional. I have been a little bewildered as to some of the feedback which seemed to focus on the comfort level of the vehicles…. Um well you are in wilderness country people’s!! Josh’s knowledge, enthusiasm and adaptability to his clients was impressive and very much appreciated. As a solo traveller, I could not recommend a tour company high enough than I do 1st Alaskan Tours. Thanks Josh…… Kate (Sydney-Australia)

Gary T.

Very easy to communicate with, great tours excellent guides. We did a Dog Sled tour with Elijah, and an Aurora tour with Paul. We've been with a few tour companies in Alaska and these two guides made these tours the best two activities in the Fairbanks/Chena hot springs area that we tried