Commonly Asked Questions
Q: Where do you go?
A: Great question! We actually choose the location each day based off of the weather, cloud coverage and aurora forecasts. Our guides look for the best areas for each individual night. Of course some locations tend to be our favorites, but that’s only because the geographic location provides advantages for clearer skies. No matter where we go it’s good to know that we go up to 60 miles outside the the Fairbanks city limits, this allows us to get out of the light pollution from the city and freedom to find that prefect spot for you.
Q: Where do we go for pick up?
A: We actually pick up at most locations that are within 5 miles of Fairbanks city center. Most hotels fall into this category. If you have any questions just let us know the address of your hotel, airbnb or home and we are more than happy to see if we can pick you up from your location. If you do happen to be at a location we cannot pick up at, we meet at the Walmart parking lot. This lot is in a central location, easy to get to, well lit and there’s only one Walmart.
Q: What happens if we choose a bad night?
A: We understand the worry about nature getting in the way. Don’t worry we have your back. If you end up on a night that has bad cloud coverage or weather that gets in the way of your viewing, we give you the option to get a:
- Full refund
- Reschedule for a better day
- Go without a guarantee and trust that our guides will get you to the best location possible.
Our goal is to help create memories that last a lifetime.
Q: Where are my photos?
A: Don’t worry, we are excited to get these out to you. It can take about a week or so to get them ready to upload, edited and create a link to share with you. All unedited photos are free for your use. We want you to be able to remember your adventure and this is just a small thank you for booking with us. Edited photos can be purchased on the link provided.
Q: Should we tip employees?
A: It is not required, but our guides, photographers, and driver do enjoy the reward. We love keeping our employees happy. So if you feel the need, go for it! They also accept their names mentioned on a positive review.
Q: What if I had a bad experience?
A: Please let us know. We are human too and learning from our mistakes allows us to improve your experience and prevent it from happening to others. Call, text, or email us so that we can make things better.
Q: What about Bathrooms?
A: We understand that most of our guests are used to the modern bathrooms. Unfortunately, due to the nature of Aurora chasing we do not have control over bathrooms. We do our best to go to locations with a restroom, but cannot guarantee bathrooms on our adventures. We do our best to stop before and after main locations to allow guests to use the modern bathroom. Please don’t hesitate to let your guides know if you need additional restrooms. We understand our Alaskan ways a new to many and want our guests as comfortable as possible.
Q: How long do refunds take?
A: This can be a frustrating wait. We understand that it’s not fun waiting. Any booking directly through us via phone or our website are the easiest for us to control. These typically take 3-5 business days.
Third party bookings (such as AirBnB experiences, TripAdvisor or Viator) take longer. Expect these to take 10-15 business days since they are having to be processed twice. Sometimes they do get delayed, so please reach out and let us know. We don’t want you to wait any longer if we can help it. A quick call, text or email asking us to check in on a refund it always welcome.
Pro tips for booking with us:
We want you to have a successful tour. Reach out and let us know if you are in town multiple days and we will help you to chose the best day.
Are you travel with family or friends? Let us know! This allows us to put you in the same van. Friends and family should get to experience the tour together.
Have other questions? Don’t worry we are happy to answer. Whether about your tour, the auroras or what to do while in town. Feel free to send an email, text or call. We can’t plan your whole trip but we are happy to give you suggestions.
Some common places to look for more information while in town are:
Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center located at 101 Dunkel St.
A great online source for more information is explorefairbanks.com
Magic 101 (one of our local radio stations) put together a 101 Things To Do list and can be found at https://101magic.iheart.com/content/2020-11-30-101-things-to-do/
Some favorite local places to visit include:
Pioneer Park
Creamer’s Field
Museum of the North
Fountainhead Auto museum
The Santa Claus House
Knotty* Shop -knotty pine (type of local tree) gift shop
Chena Hot Springs
Consider us your long lost friends from the Golden Heart of Alaska. If in doubt, just reach out.
