Entry No. 57 — the Anchorage file — filed under: history

Alaska Photo Treks — Anchorage Aurora Quest

A professional-photographer-led aurora chase that U.S. News & World Report has flagged among the best northern-lights tours in Alaska. The guide reads the forecast each night and drives a small high-top van to one to three dark spots within about 100 miles of town, only running when conditions look good (roughly Kp1+ and under 50% cloud). They coach you on manual camera settings in the field, lend tripods, rent cameras, and shoot complimentary portraits of you under the lights.

The move: Get picked up at your hotel near midnight and let a photographer guide you to a dark pullout to shoot each other framed by the aurora.

📍 Before you go Operates nightly Aug 17-Apr 24 only, and only runs when the aurora/cloud forecast cooperates; pickup is 9-11 p.m. and the trip runs 6-7 hours. Not available in mid-summer due to the midnight sun.

• 📍 Anchorage (departs hotels; roams up to ~100mi)
• 💸 $
• ⚡ Low-key
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: Hotel pickup, Anchorage, AK

Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3

last checked: 2026-06-23