Arctic Circle 12 hour trip, please help

[CAVE MAN]

Our plane doesn't leave Fairbanks until 1:30 in the morning June 15. So we have an entire day to send, will need to check out of hotel the day before June 14. So was wondering has anyone done this trip and is it worth the time and money. We have the whole day and trying to find something to keep us busy without going from place to place. So grateful for any help.

[OCSC Mike]

I hope it's worth it. We're doing it one day before the day you're considering so I won't be able to give feedback. FWIW, it was appealing enough for my wife to include it after months of research and planning. I'm just hoping we're awake for it. We get into Fairbanks just before 9pm on June 12th and have to check in at 5:15am the next day. Not the best timing there, I know, but it was tough to find flights from Orlando to Fairbanks that didn't cost a fortune when we were booking them.

 

Hopefully someone who has already done this responds.

[mapleleaves]

you need to provide the link or more information if you want feedback.

Is it a flight to Prudhoe ? a van tour to the Arctic Circle sign ? a fly/drive?

 

One of these?

http://www.northernalaska.com/

 

OR http://www.warbelows.com/bush-mail/

[CAVE MAN]

you need to provide the link or more information if you want feedback.

Is it a flight to Prudhoe ? a van tour to the Arctic Circle sign ? a fly/drive?

 

One of these?

http://www.northernalaska.com/

 

OR http://www.warbelows.com/bush-mail/

The trip is with Viator, and is $200. It includes snacks along the way and lunch when you get there provided by the guide,beef stew. They pick you up at the hotel and have you back in 12 hours.

[mapleleaves]

So it's a 12hr RT van ride, driving the Dalton Hwy to the Arctic Circle sign at Milepost 125 ish.

 

I attempted the drive in a small motorhome several yrs ago. I turned back because the road is only paved for the first 40 miles or so. After that it's gravel with truckers flying by kicking up stones and dust. I had to drive very slowly, like 15mph since all the contents of the RV were bouncing and rattling all over the place. It was a rental RV and I was concerned about getting a flat or cracked windshield so I turned around.

 

I'll try it again next summer when I have my own vehicle; I won't be as worried about damage and it will be a more comfortable ride. And I'll drive the entire route so I can see the Arctic Ocean.

 

Hard to know if you'll think 'it's worth it ". It's interesting to watch the pipe line twisting and turning through the country side, and it's an interesting experience to be on such an isolated road and it's more than interesting to experience the truckers! The scenery wasn't spectacular like other roads I travelled. But it's definitely an experience.

 

 

p.s. now that I think about it, there weren't many views of the pipeline (that was on the Richardson Hwy). There were a lot of trees along the road blocking the views.

 

Do a search for 'driving the Dalton hwy' in youtube so you can see exactly what the terrain and scenery is like.

Edited May 13, 2018 by mapleleaves
PS

[donaldsc]

So it's a 12hr RT van ride, driving the Dalton Hwy to the Arctic Circle sign at Milepost 125 ish.

 

I attempted the drive in a small motorhome several yrs ago. I turned back because the road is only paved for the first 40 miles or so. After that it's gravel with truckers flying by kicking up stones and dust. I had to drive very slowly, like 15mph since all the contents of the RV were bouncing and rattling all over the place. It was a rental RV and I was concerned about getting a flat or cracked windshield so I turned around.

 

I'll try it again next summer when I have my own vehicle; I won't be as worried about damage and it will be a more comfortable ride. And I'll drive the entire route so I can see the Arctic Ocean.

 

Hard to know if you'll think 'it's worth it ". It's interesting to watch the pipe line twisting and turning through the country side, and it's an interesting experience to be on such an isolated road and it's more than interesting to experience the truckers! The scenery wasn't spectacular like other roads I travelled. But it's definitely an experience.

 

Hi Mapleleaves. We did it as an overnight staying in Wiseman overnight with an approved rental vehicle as far as about 30 miles past Atigun Pass. It was a lot of fun. We did not have too many problems w thrown gravel from trucks.

 

We are off to Norway and Spitsbergen in a few weeks. What are you up to.

 

BTW, I should mention that one of my nieces is now an AK resident. She got a job with the National Park office in Anchorage as a GIS specialist. She is loving it. She has also taken up curling.

 

DON

[mapleleaves]

Hi Mapleleaves. We did it as an overnight staying in Wiseman overnight with an approved rental vehicle as far as about 30 miles past Atigun Pass. It was a lot of fun. We did not have too many problems w thrown gravel from trucks.

 

We are off to Norway and Spitsbergen in a few weeks. What are you up to.

 

BTW, I should mention that one of my nieces is now an AK resident. She got a job with the National Park office in Anchorage as a GIS specialist. She is loving it. She has also taken up curling.

 

DON

 

Hey Don, have a great trip ! Now you'll have someone to stay with in Anchorage!

My retirement trip will be a full summer of driving thru BC, Yukon and exploring Alaska from May to August. Just me and a small travel trailer. For the Dalton Hwy trip, I'll just take the SUV.

 

I'm off to England and Portugal next week. carol

[Northern Aurora]

Hi Mapleleaves. We did it as an overnight staying in Wiseman overnight with an approved rental vehicle as far as about 30 miles past Atigun Pass. It was a lot of fun. We did not have too many problems w thrown gravel from trucks.

 

We are off to Norway and Spitsbergen in a few weeks. What are you up to.

 

BTW, I should mention that one of my nieces is now an AK resident. She got a job with the National Park office in Anchorage as a GIS specialist. She is loving it. She has also taken up curling.

 

DON

 

Hello Don: Are you directing this to Mapleleaves or to me? I'm the person who lives in Alaska and who you met on the Equinox several years ago on a Spain/Portugal cruise.

 

We are off in 48 hours for a Pacific Coastal cruise and then back to the East Coast in mid-June for a B2B set. And then we do a trans-Pacific from Vancouver to Japan followed by a cruise around Japan and more time on land in Japan this fall.

 

We did a land trip to Norway a number of years ago in conjunction with an international conference my husband was attending. In 2016 did a Norway cruise, and had forgotten how much we enjoyed the country. Hope you and Carole enjoy yourselves.

 

But back to the OP's question -- Northern Alaska Tour Company is a Fairbanks based company and is highly reputable. I am not aware that they contract with Viator, but check NATC's website for a description of their Arctic Circle offerings.

[donaldsc]

Hello Don: Are you directing this to Mapleleaves or to me? I'm the person who lives in Alaska and who you met on the Equinox several years ago on a Spain/Portugal cruise.

 

We are off in 48 hours for a Pacific Coastal cruise and then back to the East Coast in mid-June for a B2B set. And then we do a trans-Pacific from Vancouver to Japan followed by a cruise around Japan and more time on land in Japan this fall.

 

We did a land trip to Norway a number of years ago in conjunction with an international conference my husband was attending. In 2016 did a Norway cruise, and had forgotten how much we enjoyed the country. Hope you and Carole enjoy yourselves.

 

But back to the OP's question -- Northern Alaska Tour Company is a Fairbanks based company and is highly reputable. I am not aware that they contract with Viator, but check NATC's website for a description of their Arctic Circle offerings.

 

Wrong person. Sorry. The 2 of you are such wonderful posters on CC that I got you mixed up. We are actually doing a B2B in Japan on Azamara in 2019. 14 days in Japan followed by a cruise from Japan to Alaska.

 

DON