Borealis Basecamp

I was not looking forward to fly from sunny warm So Cal to freezing cold Fairbanks. The northern lights were on the bucket list so we flew out there to enjoy this spectacle. The shuttle van picked us up on time and we were there within an hour. Quick and easy check in - we booked an igloo. It was roomy and had all the amenities we would need especially a good heater and hot water. When the northern lights appear they have an alarm in your room to wake you up.

Just got back from a great 5 night stay in the igloos. We did a lot of research and was helped tremendously by the reviews left by others. We want to share our experience to help others and will focus on information that might be new. Igloos have much better views than the cubes and while not spacious, they are plenty large for two adults. Plenty of heat and it was useful to have shorts & tee shirts when we were relaxing in the igloo. The 4-6 hour snowmobiling tour was fun even for first-timers but it gets cold by the end of the tour so take all the clothing they offer you. We wished we had mittens instead of finger gloves because the hand warmers we brought were more effective in the mittens. We brought winter caps that had a built in headlamp and that was really handy. If you’re going in the winter time, you will likely be walking to breakfast and dinner in the dark. It’s nice not to have to deal with a separate headlamp. Breakfast was hearty with a made to order omelet station and they now also offer a lower-priced pub menu which is open for lunch and dinner. Dinner at Latitude 65 was good but expensive. To keep costs low, we brought dehydrated camp food which worked out great because sometimes we didn’t want to leave the igloo. It was a great trip and highly recommend Basecamp!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ We had an incredible 3-night stay at Borealis Basecamp in one of the cozy cubes—highly recommend! The cube was warm, comfortable, and we were lucky to have one in the first row with great privacy. Watching the northern lights from our cube was an unforgettable experience, and their aurora alarm ensured we didn’t miss the magic! We packed our days with amazing activities: a 6-hour snow machine tour, a breathtaking helicopter ride that landed on a mountainside, dog sledding, and a reindeer walk. Every experience felt unique and authentic, not touristy like our visit to Chena Hot Springs. A few tips for future guests: bring some games for the evenings as there aren’t too many provided. Also, check which cube you’re assigned—some are less private, especially those in the second row. For Borealis, a couple of suggestions: adding reflective glass to the less private cubes would be great, and written reminders in the rooms to turn off lights at night could help prevent disruptions (we had to knock on a neighbor’s door when the lights came out). Overall, an unforgettable adventure and a perfect place to experience Alaska’s beauty. Highly recommend!

While the guides and experiences were awesome. The communication regarding the time between activities was non existent and the shuttle service was lacking. We were left with a 3 hours before our shuttle could take us back AND then we were dropping off people at the airport. A long day made even longer. Would advise you to seek your own transportation !!!!

The entire experience was fantastic! All of the activities and staff were phenomenal and super helpful. Special shoutout to Amber, we bonded over a book and she actually went and got me another book in the series! She deserves a massive raise!

My dad, my husband, and I spent 4 nights at basecamp and one in Fairbanks. Here’s my observations about the whole trip, not just the basecamp. 1. Fairbanks airport has no public wifi. Airport is small, but the whole travel process there was efficient and painless. 2. Not super impressed with Alaska Airlines. Out of 4 flights, 3 of them were delayed. BUT, the actual plane and flight was no more or less uncomfortable than any other flight. And flight attendants were nice. 3. At the very beginning and throughout my planning process for this trip, about a year before we went, I had lots of questions and emailed back and forth with them extensively. They were very helpful and responsive, which I appreciated! 4. Wifi at basecamp was fine, though sometimes a little slow when texting. My dad has a basic galaxy phone and uses AT&T – his phone worked great everywhere. Hubby and I have nice new galaxy phones and use Tello, which piggybacks off of T-mobile – our phones were basically useless everywhere! No google maps, no cell service, no phone calls. 5. We were in igloos. Heater is under the bed and blows out from there. It’s LOUD. Also, the person who sleeps hot should sleep on the side closest to the edge of the igloo, away from heater blowing. The person who sleeps cold should sleep on the other side. Heating the room is a balancing process and quite often you are either a little too hot or a little too chilly. 6. The bed is SOFT. As in soft, squishy, and you sink into it. My husband has back issues and hated it. I like a medium bed so I was a little more ok with it. The bed and bedding is nice and warm, which we appreciated! 7. The bathroom had a real toilet, not a dry flush. They must have updated since some of the older reviews. The bathroom was nice – good towels, plenty of hot water (though they encourage shorter showers and not wasting water), I liked the dispensers in the shower. There was even a little lotion and chapstick, which was much appreciated. As Floridians we are used to hot and humid, so dry and cold left my skin in constant need of moisture and protection. 8. The room has a tea kettle for hot water and a fridge. It’s stocked with teas and hot chocolate packs and you can ask for more. 9. Apparently, two weeks before our arrival they got an unseasonable early snowstorm which dumped a foot of snow. Then a week later they got a more typical 5-6 inches of snow. We rented a car because we wanted to go back and forth to Fairbanks for some sightseeing and dinners. Well, those roads were pretty nerve-wracking! If you aren’t comfortable driving on snow and ice, and you go when that’s likely, just use their shuttle and stay put. Thankfully, my husband was ok with it, but I was a nervous wreck. We did go into Fairbanks twice, but always made sure to be back before dark… and it’s important to note when that is for the time of year you are visiting. 10. We paid for a “professional” photograph of us with the Aurora lights. If you are at all handy