Fairbanks: Day tours
Fairbanks is located in the heart of interior Alaska 370 miles north of Anchorage, 12 hours by train. Fairbanks is Alaska's second largest city. Located near the confluence of the Tanana and Chena Rivers, the town was originally founded in the early 1900’s as a trading post serving stern-wheeler riverboats and early gold prospectors. The town still plays an important supply role in Alaska due to its proximity to the Arctic region. Fairbanks typically enjoys long sunny days during the summer months, with temperatures frequently passing 70.

View of downtown Fairbanks

Approximately 2 hours. Do you have your own transportation? Located only 10 miles north of Fairbanks, Gold Dredge No. 8 is the only authentic gold dredge in the area open to the public. Enjoy guided tours throughout the facility, pan for guaranteed gold, and enjoy a hearty miner's lunch.. [more information]

Fairbanks owes its founding to the discovery of gold. Your driver-guide will bring those early days to life explaining the misadventures of one Capt. E.T. Barnette and how a rumor of gold actually panned out. [more information]

Combine both of Fairbanks' star attractions into a full day's sightseeing. See the city sights of Fairbanks, visit Gold Dredge No. 8 (gold-panning and lunch included) and cruise on an authentic sternwheeler riverboat on the Chena and Tanana Rivers aboard the Discovery II. [more information]

Fly from Fairbanks to Barrow, an Inupiat village perched on a headland jutting out into the Arctic Ocean. The northernmost community in the United States, Barrow is one of the world's largest Inupiat settlements with a native population of over 63 percent. The city is also one of the top five birding spots in Alaska. [more information]

If you've ever read Mark Twain, you know of his days as a riverboat captain. Did you know that Jack London was a riverboat pilot as well? Here's your chance to experience the adventure these renowned writers enjoyed as you cruise aboard the authentic sternwheeler riverboat Discovery II, rated the number one boat tour in North America. [more information]

Bring a hearty appetite for this true Alaskan experience in Pioneer Park, Fairbank's frontier theme park. You'll enter Mining Valley through an old mining tunnel and see sluice boxes, gold dredge buckets, log cabins and relive those Gold Rush days of old. [more information]

Approximately 5 hours. Enjoy dinner and a gentle float trip on the picturesque Chena River under the “Midnight Sun” on this memorable tour. Your guides will take you to the Chena area. Here you’ll stop at the Two Rivers Lodge for dinner; then continue on the Chena Hot Springs Road until you reach the Chena River recreation area. [more information]