Travel with expert guides in comfortable transportation and relax in the famous Chena Hot Springs. Be amazed by the Fairbanks Ice Museum's handcrafted chandeliers and bars, and spend the evening gazing in awe at the mysterious Northern Lights.
Posted By : LikaCA
This was expensive and just not a good experience all around. First the bus/van that transported us from Fairbanks to Chena had no shocks absorbers. We literally bounced up out of our seats repeatedly. It was a very loud and rough ride.
Once we got to the "resort" it was apparent there is little to no effort to make the place welcoming to guests. The common areas were like downtown bus stations with hard folding chairs, dirty floors and no "decor" except an old stuffed bear in the corner. There were tables full of greenhouse seedlings and junk in the middle of the space. The "viewing room" had an old couch and a few chairs that made it look like an old college apartment and could only accommodate a few people.
Even though the tour we booked had the ice museum included in the title, when we got there it was NOT included (read the fine print - it said is was closed for renovations, but it wasn't. And I'm pretty sure we paid the same price for the tour without it.) No matter, we were willing to pay extra for it as we were looking forward to it, but apparently they only allow people in as groups and all the groups were booked. So we were just out of luck.
So we had five hours to kill up there until we were to meet back at the van which was excessive considering there was nothing to do but the hotspring and eat.
The hotspring was ok, but as in other reviews the facilities were really dirty which takes away from the experience. At one point I stepped on something like someone's clothing or a towel in the water (it was dark) which again highlighted the lack of cleanliness and upkeep.
Surprisingly, the best part of the trip was dinner at the restaurant (which I had seen negative reviews for.) The food was good, fresh and plentiful. Service was a bit slow but that worked in our favor because what else were we going to do up there? It seemed understaffed, we only saw three people who seemed to work multiple positions at once (host, server, bar tender, busser.) Those employees deserve awards and raises. They were calm, friendly, and professional and worked like a well oiled machine.
In short, unless you want to be stranded for several hours with nothing to do in dirty uncomfortable surroundings just skip this. Or get a car and drive up just for the hotsprings if that's something you're dying to do, but in my opinion they are not really worth the trouble.
No lights, that can't be helped. Perhaps that would have taken the stink off the experience if it ended with an amazing natural display. But instead, we just sat in the van for hours waiting for the end of the "tour." (I would have preferred to just cut it short but that's a problem when you're stuck in a group.) All in all a very unpleasant experience. :(
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Posted On : 2024-03-30 16:28:14 
Posted By : PapaBobs
Arriving at Chena Hot Springs at 6:45pm we were told by our driver to be back in the Van by 11:45pm. There was no guide other than 'there is the Activity Center and there is the Restaurant' and 'sign these liability releases'. The next day on a city tour Joseph was our driver and he was a fantastic guide as well. The expected Chena Hot Springs Ice Museum tour was not available (already filled up). We later found that the Ice Museum is separately booked through Chena Hot Springs and not by our tour operator. We were told the restaurant had an hour wait, with some giving up after an hour and half. The restaurant was small and there were a lot of people waiting. From other reviews we didn't miss anything by not waiting for the restaurant. The Hot Springs changing facility had seating for only a few with dozens trying to change at the same time and slippery wet floors. The Hot Springs had beautiful rock and snow around the pool but the bottom was a bit slimy and had hidden rock obstacles to be careful of. After an hour of the Hot Springs there was nothing to do for the remaining four hours. Our driver did stop to look for the Northern Lights on our return to Fairbanks. It was very cold and uncomfortable climbing in and out of the van for hours looking to the sky for the Northern Lights. The lights did not appear for us on this perfectly clear night.
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Posted On : 2024-03-25 00:39:40
Posted By : jacksonsU7610XV
We had a great experience going on the chena hot springs and northern lights tour. Aurora was dancing all night and our tour guide, Joe was so fun, friendly, and knowledgeable. Ask him about the time he faced off with a moose!
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Posted On : 2024-03-23 15:28:45
Posted By : Dr_A
Excellent experiance, this is a one place ( resort) where the bus drops, each activity is on walking distance, so chances are you do more extra activities if time permits like ice fishing, dog activity on chargeable basis.
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Posted On : 2024-03-21 13:53:20 
Posted By : Armando_B
Increíble place. The tour company and driver were very attentive and communicated at each step of the tour. Once you get to Chena is all run by the resort. Worth the experience.
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Posted On : 2024-03-15 13:22:40
Posted By : Stephanie_B
We had a wonderful time and our guide was excellent! He was very kind and informative.
The springs were very relaxing. You have to take off your shoes in the lobby, so I would suggest bringing flip flops or some type of shower shoes, or else you have to walk from the pool house lobby and through the locker rooms barefoot.
The description for this tour says the ice museum is closed until Summer 2024, but it is open. Admission to the ice museum is not included in the price of this tour, and you can buy tickets online before going.
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Posted On : 2024-03-15 02:48:04
Posted By : 512islandd
Definite must do excursion1 as a southern girl, the idea of getting into a swimsuit at 6 degrees did not sound appealing but I was wrong. The springs were amazing and the ice museum was stunning. Our tour guide, Ryan, was the absolute best! After a week in Alaska and not seeing the northern lights, we thought we thought that box on our bucket list was going to be left unchecked. But thanks to Ryan, our tour guide, and his tenacity, we finally got to see them on our last morning there. Not able to thank Ryan enough for such an amazing adventure!!!
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Posted On : 2024-03-01 10:44:05
Posted By : Quest25465586566
Hello! Wow! This tour was amazing. We unfortunately aren't sure of our tour guide's name, we believe it was James. He was a retired environmental biologist and was extremely knowledgeable in the area of Alaska wildlife. He is a Fairbanks native, born and raised, and has his own family here in Fairbanks as well. I would pay good money to have another tour by this man. My husband and I were amazed with everything we learned from history, to wildlife, to astronomy about the auroras, to just the amount of knowledge! Oh my goodness, this alone was worth the money. The amount of knowledge I have on bears, moose, and Alaska's forests has created a new fascination on a state that is nothing like any other state in the US. Now, onto the Chena Hot Springs... Amazing! It's so cool to be under the night sky, on a cold winter night, in a natural hot spring. Talk about relaxation. It's so well organized and clean! We hung out until we were prunes. The food was very good and quick to get through even on a busy night. We did take the ice museum tour but to be honest, you can skip this as the melting structures left a lot to be desired. I imagine when the structures are fully redone, it will be well worth the money. To end the night, James (?) Did a mini presentation on how the auroras happen, how weather plays a factor, and how the local university has provided amazing research to an important phenomenon. This man has the passion for this and it's contagious. Now, unfortunately, it was cloudy so we did not see them. Yeah, it was unfortunate, but I would pay again to do this tour. Sitting under the cloudy sky, in silence, waiting, was just another way to relax and get away from the noise of life. My husband and I would do this tour again in a heartbeat. Worth every penny!
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Posted On : 2024-02-23 23:41:52
Posted By : ChzHeadTX
The hot springs were fun, water is natural but everything else man made. The restaurant is a fabulous lodge but the food is so-so. I had Caesar salad with grilled shrimp — got 4 small shrimp barely grilled and not seasoned at all. The hot rolls and butter were superb. We headed out around midnight to look for Aurora along Chena Hot Springs Rd towards Fairbanks. The guide pulled off in state park parking lots, no light pollution whatsoever, we saw some really nice aurora blooms and curtains. Very happy with northern lights photos of green, purple, and hint of red. We had a half moon which provided great lighting on the snow with the moon behind us. Download My Aurora Forecast before you go.
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Posted On : 2024-02-23 15:15:12
Posted By : K3116VEmikev
Frank our guide was fantastic! The hot springs were terrific especially at night under the stars and -20° weather made it a night to remember. Frank went above and beyond to take us to places where we would have the best chance of seeing the Norther lights. Thank you Frank for making this trip so memorable.
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Posted On : 2023-12-17 00:38:52
