6 of the best places to photograph the Northern Lights in Alaska

Alaska is famous for the Northern Lights, and a favoured destination for anyone looking for the aurora borealis in North America. However, Alaska is wild. It’s remote. It’s hard to get to. And it's hard to get around – especially in winter. 

Weather can be unpredictable, and transport too, so make sure you have travel insurance for all trips you book during the winter in Alaska. Although you can rent a car, conditions are best described as extreme, and many companies do not allow their vehicles to be driven to the far north; check the conditions before signing any rental agreement. It’s also very cold in winter (as low as -30°F/-34°C). 

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Budget Alaskahotel: Moose Lodge - $106/£85 per night
See deals and reviews for Moose Lodge at Booking.com

Budget Alaska hotel: Moose Lodge - $106/£85 per night
239 Snowy Owl Lane, Fairbanks, AK 99712, USA 
Moose Lodge – approx £85 per night – is all about location. In classic wood cabin-style, this simple hostel has a homely feel and private kitchen facilities. Situated northeast of the town, its dark skies will give you a better chance to see and photograph aurora. See deals and reviews for Moose Lodge at Booking.com

Mid-range Alaskahotel: Fairbanks Moose Manor B&B - from $292/£222 (min two nights)

See deals and reviews for Fairbanks Moose Manor B&B on Booking.com

Mid-range Alaska hotel: Fairbanks Moose Manor B&B - from $292/£222 (min two nights)
386 Kendrick Court, Fairbanks, AK 99712, USA
Fairbanks Moose Manor B&B is also northeast of the city centre. There are no street lights to block the Northern Lights and you can view them right from the sun-deck outside. It's also ideal for experiencing Alaska hospitality and get off the beaten path. See deals and reviews for Fairbanks Moose Manor B&B on Booking.com

Budget Alaska hotel: Chandalar Ranch - $108/£85 per nightSee deals and reviews for Chandalar Ranch on Booking.com

Budget Alaska hotel: Chandalar Ranch - $108/£85 per night
5804 Chena Hot Springs Road, Pleasant Valley, AK 99712, USA
Set in Pleasant Valley between Fairbanks and Chena Lake, Chandalar Ranch has free WiFi and some rooms have a kitchen. Activities here include snowshoeing, ice fishing, target shooting, snowmobiling, hiking and dog sledding. It’s about 20 miles east of Fairbanks. See deals and reviews for Chandalar Ranch on Booking.com

Mid-range Alaska hotel: Chena Hot Springs Resort 
$302.39/£239 per night 
See deals and reviews for Chena Hot Springs Resort on Booking.com

Mid-range Alaska hotel: Chena Hot Springs Resort
$302.39/£239 per night
56.5 Chena Hot Springs Rd, Chena Hot Springs, AK 99712, USA
About 55 miles east of Fairbanks, Chena Hot Springs Resort is the best place to stay to be close to Chena Lakes and Chena Hot Springs. As well as large outdoor hot springs pools, you also get a hot tub and indoor pool. Guests can enjoy the on-site restaurant. A daily shuttle is provided from Fairbanks International Airport. See deals and reviews for Chena Hot Springs Resort on Booking.com

Mid-range Alaska hotel: Denali Lake View Inn 
$141.51/£112 per nightSee deals and reviews for Denali Lake View Inn on Booking.com

Mid-range Alaska hotel: Denali Lake View Inn
$141.51/£112 per night

1.2 Otto Lake Road, Healy, AK 99743, USA
Denali Lake View Inn is a hotel in the Canyon area north of the Park entrance close to shops and restaurants. All rooms have balconies with views, so you may be able to nip out at night to catch the aurora without having to exit the hotel. They also have hot tubs. See deals and reviews for Denali Lake View Inn on Booking.com

Luxury Alaska hotel: North Face Lodge, $640/£478 per person per night (minimum stay three nights) See reviews for North Face Lodge on TripAdvisor

Luxury Alaska hotel: North Face Lodge, $640/£478 per person per night (minimum stay three nights)
Denali National Park and Preserve, AK 99755-0067
North Face Lodge is perfectly placed for photographers after the Northern Lights in a wilderness setting. In the tundra meadow of the Moose Creek Valley, this three-night minimum lodge with 15 rooms has views of eight peaks of the Alaska range. See reviews for North Face Lodge on TripAdvisor

Mid-range Alaska hotel: Coldfoot Camp - $219/£190See reviews for Coldfoot Camp on TripAdvisor

Mid-range Alaska hotel: Coldfoot Camp - $219/£190
81512 Milepost 175 Dalton Highway, Fairbanks, AK 99708  
Coldfoot Camp is a great place from which to explore the Brooks Range wilderness. Near the Dalton Highway and Coldfoot Airport, the camp is often visited specifically for aurora viewing, as well as for dog mushing adventures and backcountry snowshoe tours with a local guide. Accommodation at Coldfoot Camp is no-frills. See reviews for Coldfoot Camp on TripAdvisor

Luxury Alaska hotel:Iniakuk Wilderness Lodge - $2,527/£1,995 per person per night See reviews for Iniakuk Wilderness Lodge on TripAdvisor

Luxury Alaska hotel: Iniakuk Wilderness Lodge - $2,527/£1,995 per person per night
1785 Iniakuk Ave, Fairbanks, AK 99709-6557
Iniakuk Wilderness Lodge is a remote and exclusive wilderness lodge at the north end of Iniakuk Lake in the Brooks Range. It offers dog sledding and snowshoeing experiences. It’s an expensive, all-inclusive, multi-day, fly-in affair, and you can choose to stay either near the main hall, or in remote lodges within the Gates of the Arctic National Park. An all-inclusive Aurora Luxury and Dog Mushing adventure costs £1,196 per person per night, while a Gates of the Arctic National Park dog mushing expedition for five days and nights costs £9,141 per person. See reviews for Iniakuk Wilderness Lodge on TripAdvisor

Budget Alaska hotel: Prudhoe Bay Hotel - $116/£92 per nightSee reviews for Prudhoe Bay Hotel on TripAdvisor

Budget Alaska hotel: Prudhoe Bay Hotel - $116/£92 per night
Pouch 340004, Prudhoe Bay, Alaska
Prudhoe Bay Hotel is within walking distance of Deadhorse Airport. It's a down-to-earth affair with straightforward rooms, a restaurant, gift shop, public Internet access, and an ATM. However, it has got some other interesting photographic opportunities other than aurora; the area around the hotel offers some excellent wildlife (including bears, polar bears and Arctic foxes) and migratory waterfowl viewing. See reviews for Prudhoe Bay Hotel on TripAdvisor

Mid-range Alaska hotel: The Aurora Hotel - $262/£207 per night See reviews for the Aurora Hotel on TripAdvisor

Mid-range Alaska hotel: The Aurora Hotel - $262/£207 per night 123 Lake Colleen Rd, Deadhorse, AK 99734
The Aurora Hotel is a 432 room hotel with a restaurant, free WiFi, library, game room, gym, mail service, coffee shop, and high-speed internet. It's a little further from the airport, on Lake Colleen. See reviews for the Aurora Hotel on TripAdvisor

Budget Alaska hotel: Latitude 71 BnB - $169/£133
See reviews for Latitude 71 BnB on TripAdvisor

Budget Alaska hotel: Latitude 71 BnB - $169/£133
5725 B Ave., Ukpiagvik, AK 99723
Latitude 71 BnB is a spacious bed and breakfast with a cosy, comfortable homestyle feel. There are a range of different rooms and suites, along with guest lounges. See reviews for Latitude 71 BnB on TripAdvisor

Mid-range Alaska hotel: Top of the World Hotel - $184/£145
See reviews for Top of the World on TripAdvisor

Mid-range Alaska hotel: Top of the World Hotel - $184/£145
3060 Eben Hopson St, Ukpiagvik, AK 99723-0189
Top of the World Hotel is a Scandinavian-style hotel owned by indigenous in Iñupiat Eskimos, and overlooks the Arctic Ocean just beside Barrow's famous Whale Bone Arch, which makes for an excellent foreground subject in any photo of the Northern Lights. The hotel has 70 rooms all with free Wi-Fi, with a restaurant and fitness centre also on site. See reviews for Top of the World on TripAdvisor

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