Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Borealis Basecamp

    4.1 (64 reviews)
    Open Open 24 hours
    Updated 2 months ago

    Services - Borealis Basecamp

    Hotels

    Borealis Basecamp Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Borealis Basecamp

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Kevin G.

    We booked the 4-night package in an Igloo. Unfortunately, Borealis Basecamp notified us 3-days before our flight they had issues with their heating lines and we would be unable to stay with them. Sarah & Rachel were great to deal with and went out of their way to give us options to cancel with a full refund and a huge discount on rebooking or a refund for the accommodations AND they paid for our hotel stay at Pike's in town. They rescheduled our activities to limit our travel back & forth from town & arranged shuttles to get us back & forth...to include a late shuttle on Thanksgiving so we could keep our reservation at their restaurant. The shuttle drivers and tour guides for our activities were supper friendly & very knowledgeable. Overall, it was an amazing trip! The way the staff handled this unforeseen issue, minimized our disappointment and ensured we will be back for the igloo experience!

    Aurora Borealis!
    Wendy L.

    I had been eyeing Borealis Basecamp for years, and we finally went in December 2024. We chose 2024 because it was the year with peak solar flares, and we crossed our fingers for clear skies during our stay. We also extended our stay to five nights and six days with the hopes that we would have more of an opportunity to see the Aurora Borealis. We booked over a year in advance as it does book up. Borealis Basecamp is located north of Fairbanks...frankly, in the middle of nowhere. Basecamp is surrounded by forest, so the night (and day) sky is pitch black....which is perfect for Aurora viewing and stargazing. Basecamp provides transport to and from hotels in Fairbanks, and we utilized their service. Our pickup from Fairbanks was very prompt while our pickup from Basecamp was less prompt; luckily, we didn't need to be anywhere by a certain time. The first building you encounter upon arrival is the reception area and lounge. There are a number of seats and couches where people can wait while their rooms are being readied, wait for a shuttle or just hang out to play games. There is an Aurora presentation given on some (?) nights, and this is held in the lounge area. The front desk was kind enough to let us borrow their projector and set up in the lounge to watch Christmas movies on Christmas Day (obviously with any other guests joining, if interested). In the lounge, there is hot water, coffee, tea, hot chocolate and popcorn for free and there are also candy bars, snacks and sodas for purchase. Even though there are lots of windows / glass in the igloos, there is a fair amount of privacy as the igloos aren't particularly close together and they are raised such that the walking paths are not at eye-level with the glass portions of the igloo. The igloo was roomier than anticipated, though I was only one person in an igloo. The beds are quite comfortable though on the soft side. The lighting within the igloo is generally dim which makes sense since everybody wants it to be dark to see the Aurora Borealis. There are no closets or dressers, so be prepared to live out of your suitcase. The igloos can heat up quite quickly and can keep the igloos at a balmy 75 degrees, though the heater is loud. The bathrooms have regular plumbing - flush toilets and plenty of hot water for hot showers. Be careful of steaming up your igloo; each igloo seems to retain moisture differently and luckily, mine was particularly "dry". There are varying layouts for the igloos (mine had a small table with two chairs; my sister's had a "kitchen sink" and counter with bar stools), but they all have a hair dryer, mini-fridge, hot water kettle and hot chocolate and a selection of teas (but if you want coffee in your room, bring your own instant coffee). Each room comes with two s'mores kits; the fire pits are lit in the evenings but can also be lit "on request". The s'mores sticks are available next to reception. There is an "Aurora alarm" in each room which will ring when the Aurora is viewable. The front desk told us that they go outside to check to see if the Aurora is visible every 15 minutes. We were still nervous about whether this system would work; it turned out that the Aurora alarms didn't actually work but reception called every room. When I went outside to view the Aurora, I also saw resort employees running from igloo to igloo, banging on doors to let people know. I appreciate the persistence in alerting people to the Aurora since it's why everyone is there! Breakfast is included in the nightly rate, and the breakfast is quite extensive including an omelet station, breads, waffle maker, biscuits and sausage gravy, cereals, yogurt and toppings (in addition to juices, coffee and tea). Breakfast never seemed to get very crowded, so I'm not sure if people just decided to sleep in or eat in their rooms/igloos. Borealis Basecamps bills itself as an "adventure resort". It's rustic and there are some rough edges here and there, but everybody working there is trying hard to make your experience a great one. The service was sometimes inconsistent but everybody was generally very responsive and friendly. The location is absolutely stunning; nothing but mountains and forests around. I already miss the sound of silence. There are limited food options on site, so we brought dehydrated foods that only need boiling water; these dehydrated foods were great to supplement eating at the onsite restaurant. Of the excursions, my favorite was dog-sledding. Joey provided a behind-the-scenes look at what it was like to be a musher, and we got to meet the puppies. The snowmachining tour was also great (though 4-6 hours is a bit long); the guides were fun and helpful and made sure we stayed safe. At the Adventure Center, any guests can borrow cross-country skis, snow shoes, sleds and tubes, and there are some nice and easy trails around the resort.

    Accommodations with the northern lights above!
    Christine E.

    Literally, everything was perfect from the amazing staff to the toasty warm, comfortable accommodations, and the good restaurant (with a good wine list). I could not have asked for more and I was lucky enough to see the lights two out of four nights I was there. I would absolutely go back!

    Northern lights from our room!
    Carter M.

    I just returned from an Alaskan adventure. This was my bucket list go fund me as I have stage four brain, cancer... I cannot this place more. I personally stayed in a cube suite with my mother. The activities are amazing. The food is phenomenal but the people the staff are out of this world of amazing, super helpful, super kind just amazing I cannot express to you how fun and spectacular this experience is. Honestly, if I were to say anything negative about this place, I couldn't because everything is unbelievable here pristine clean, comfortable quiet accommodating everything that you read online is everything you get I cannot recommend going and checking this place out if you're lucky enough to get the opportunity! I was there late September because I have trouble in the cold and I see weather cause I'm partially blind.

    Lauren D.

    We had a great time at the base camp from the 3rd-7th! We had 3 igloos and 6 guests total. Everything was enjoyable from the staff to the food at the Latitude 65. The experiences you can add on are cool too. It was a bummer for the weather Saturday and the white mountain snow machine ride was canceled but we appreciate Alec and Michael for taking us on a ride near base camp. Tyler was awesome for reindeer and the snow coach tour. Super cool to hang out at the top of the firebreak around the fire. Josi was my hubs and I musher for dog sleds and we enjoyed her so much! She was really cool and we thought the dog sledding the best thing. Dave was our driver for the Arctic Circle and boy did we get lucky lol! He was hilarious and meshed with our group so well. If we ever come back with other people we hope he is our driver. The kitchen for the restaurant pumped out some flavorful and amazing food! The risotto with chicken was my favorite thing that I ordered many times and everyone else enjoyed their meals each time as well. The pub was good but the restaurant was superior. George seems to be a great head chef! Dominic, Daniel, and Toni were our favorite people and always came to talk to us even when they weren't our server at that time. Plus they all made some solid drinks too lol Breakfast being included was nice and the omelette guy (totally forgot his name) was hella cool. Him and my hubs talked about Harry Potter because of his tattoo and the next day he called my hubs Harry haha. We loved the personalization there lol Overall it was an amazing time and I can't wait to come back in the future but maybe when it's a little warmer haha. Only reasons for 4/5 is because when we were given a twin room vs a king (which they did push the beds together for a fix we thank them for that lol), the wrong code was given to us so we had to wait outside for a while in -25while we all tried to get in lol, and our door froze (luckily we saw maintenance next to us and he brought a heat gun but sadly that didn't help though him and Mike brought us a key to hold onto for the rest of our trip to be safe! Minor things though :)

    Alis

    Checked another box on my Bucket List. They accommodated us from picking us up at the Airport to having the bags in the cube before we got to the room after check in. Northern Lights showed up both nights, definitely worth the price. Hire the photographer, worth every dollar for the awesome photos you get. Dog Sledding, Meeting the Reindeers, and SnowMobiling was AMAZING. But be prepared for the cold, it was freezing . They have UTVs to drive you to Activities Center and around the Basecamp. And lastly, every staff member we encountered was very friendly and helpful.

    Dogsledding
    Nadia K.

    Seeing the Aurora Borealis in person has always been on my bucket list so I began researching the best places to see it. Turns out Fairbanks, Alaska is one of the top listed locations and many travelers recommend a stay at Borealis Basecamp. Located just 25 miles north of Fairbanks, Borealis Basecamp offers 28 rooms (cubes and igloos) with prime aurora viewing on 100 acres. Each room can fit 3 people maximum so my family had to reserve 2 rooms and we chose the 2 night package that included transportation to and from Fairbanks, a one hour dogsledding tour, and a one hour snow machine tour. We added on a 45 minute Reindeer walk and a photography session for the family. Breakfast is included. The igloos were so cool and the bed was super cozy. We went in March so we pretty much had the heaters running the entire time. A plus was that the camp replaced the dry toilets with flushing toilets! Yay! Our experience at the Basecamp was amazing and nothing like we have ever experienced. The staff is great and the excursions were excellent. We had so much fun and were so lucky that the aurora came out both nights that we were there. It was magical and I'm very thankful I got to experience it with my family.

    Alaska Pipeline on our 6 hour snow machine tour
    Madison H.

    Incredible, once of a lifetime experience. The staff were kind and helpful, the guides made our activities ten times better than they already were, and meeting strangers from around the country and world was so much fun while everyone also kept to themselves. We stayed 3 nights, and were spoiled our first night with an incredible show. They made an alert preemptively, but we stayed up and watched it grow to its peak and simmer down. They did another alert closer to its peak when you could see it on camera and with the naked eye. The restaurant and pub had great food, see Latitude 65 for that review. We will be coming back, I don't know when, but I know that when we do our experience will be amazing in completely different ways from this trip!

    Igloos at Basecamp

    I've just returned from a four day / three night stay at Borealis Basecamp. My goal was to see the aurora, plus get a taste of Alaska in the winter. Two friends and I were met at our hotel in Fairbanks and brought to the camp. The staff is incredible...very experienced, friendly, and helpful. We stayed in the cubes, and found them to be warm, clean, comfortable, and perfectly configured to see the aurora from your bed. We were very fortunate: clear weather and strong aurora for three consecutive nights. The camp provides wake-up calls when the aurora is visible, so you don't have to worry about missing it. The restaurant and pub are both excellent: food, drink, and service. During the day we opted for a couple of optional activities, which included snow machining (3 hours) and dog sledding (1 hour). Both were fun and interesting. Again, the guides were fantastic: Alec for snow machines, Steve and Jesse for dog sledding. The camp provides all necessary exterior clothing to keep warm, including snowsuit, helmets, mittens, etc. The staff is laser focused on safety, so we never felt uneasy during any activity. They also provide highly informative aurora talks in the evenings. Our final experience was an all-day excursion to the Arctic Circle with Dave, our guide. It is a long drive, but the scenery was more than worth it. Absolutely gorgeous as we were again fortunate to have sunshine. All of us were completely thrilled with our stay in all regards. I realize we lucked out with warmer temperatures, clear skies, and, of course, the aurora, but the staff really did all they could to ensure we had a great time. Highly recommended!

    Professional shot
    Chloe S.

    A beautiful stay with tons of activities and wonderful staff. Although you are glam camping in the snow you are surrounded by nature and the views are unbelievable. There is one restaurant on site which can be on the pricey side but the food isn't too bad. Breakfast is served every morning buffet style. The breakfast spread features a pretty large selection of foods, waffle iron, cereals, yogurts and biscuit sandwiches. During my three nights stay I didn't feel that the foods were too too repetitive. At the restaurant the menu doesn't change much but the daily specials do rotate. All the activities were fun, snowmobiling comes with extra clothes to ensure extra warmth in the cold. On the 5 hour trip a hot lunch is provided we had vegetarian chili which was pretty tasty and impressive to be eaten warm on the mountain. The tubing was particularly exhilarating as you do pick up quite a bit of speed. Be prepared to hike back up the mountain but it makes the trip down all the more worth it! I would recommend getting the professional photography as their camera can pick up the colors of the lights better that a phone and will make the trip worth it!

    Moonrise
    Shawn C.

    Cool place (insert trombone whah whah sound); okay sorry for the pun. Friendly and helpful staff, cozy igloos, and tasty food. It's important to set your expectations when choosing an adventure stay. You're in Alaska's interior where plumbing is a luxury for most. This is not the Fairmont or Ritz, don't expect fine finishes or white glove service. This is an adventure with added comforts! The igloos are equipped with a shower, sink, "dry toilets", mini fridge, hella comfy beds (never slept so hard in my life), kettle, and very efficient heating system. Keep in mind you need three ingredients in order to see the aurora, clear skies, minimal light pollution from the moon, and a high KP index; all at natures whim. Even in the slight chance you don't get to see the light show, the stay is a fantastic place to unplug from the world, read a book or twchill in the cozy lounge or many of the excursions offered.

    View from our igloo at 10:30pm (12/08/23)
    David T.

    They should advertise this more but they recently updated their igloo heating and toilets (from dry to standard wet). Staff is friendly and facilities are well maintained. Definitely come here expecting a glamping experience. Be aware sunrise is around the mid morning (~10:30am) and sunset is around 3:00pm when you come. That doesn't mean it's dark before and after these hours but just be aware of this too. Included Dogsledding and snowmobiling activities were great. They also offer optional packages such as photo packages at night with the aurora, helicopter rides and longer snow expeditions. Complimentary sled, bike, and skis.

    Pipeline on the snow machine tour
    Kimi M.

    What an adventure! Starting with the informative ride from airport to Basecamp, then enjoying the wonderful dinners prepared by Chef George that tantalized our taste buds every evening! The snow machine 4-6 hour trek was so much fun with breathtaking views and learning about the pipeline! The dog sled ride was fun to stand on the back and the views sitting in front was beautiful! Of course we had to play with the adorable puppies! We saw the long long sunset from the top of the mountain while enjoying a camp fire and hot chocolate. The northern lights were beautiful!!! The staff was outstanding with Maz at the front desk; Chris our evening server; our tour guides: Ryan, Marina, Gordon, and Steven. I highly recommend this place for an Alaskan Adventure!!

    See all

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lee U.
    0
    2
    12

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 3
    Love this 4
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ron B.
    29
    10
    8

    4 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Chloe S.
    1514
    488
    1861

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 2
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Shawn C.
    759
    112
    30

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 3
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    The nicest people work there!! They treat you like family. The reindeer and dog sledding experiences were over the top!! I

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kimi M.
    213
    33
    5

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Emil P.
    31
    142
    157

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rosabell M.
    107
    1389
    10270

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Vita H.
    0
    72
    33

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of MIlton S.
    39
    606
    3204

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Annie L.
    323
    1133
    4833

    5 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Dan D.
    0
    37
    36

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2
    Photo of Tara C.
    0
    33
    96

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Chey E.
    129
    21
    0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1

    5 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 2

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sweetyy L.
    40
    58
    274

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Borealis Basecamp

    Is there a 'hydration station' in lobby to fill canteens?

    Alaska has plenty of snow with plenty of clean fresh water. There is no need to buy bottled water, just fill from the tap.

    View All 2 Questions

    Review Highlights - Borealis Basecamp

    Again, the guides were fantastic: Alec for snow machines, Steve and Jesse for dog sledding.

    Mentioned in 11 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Alaska Heritage House - Garden Room

    Alaska Heritage House

    (28 reviews)

    Thank you Jill and Scott for a wonderful stay! We had 6 great nights/days and I recommend staying…read moreat this place if you are ever visiting Fairbanks. I really appreciated the time Jill and Scott spent with us over breakfast telling us about the history of Fairbanks and giving us tips about what to do and where to go for dinner. I loved hearing about the history of the house and looking at all the black and white photos from over 100 years ago. Thank you for making it one of the best vacations we've ever had!

    Yelpers near and far listen here and listen closely: you absolutely 100% want to stay at this…read moreincredible Bed and Breakfast known as Alaska Heritage House. My dad and I had the opportunity to stay here on Tuesday, July 2, 2019. We just needed a quick place to stay for one night in Fairbanks as we had another flight to Bettles the following morning. So, so many regrets - I wish we had at least two nights here! The place is listed on the National Register of Historic Places!!! How awesome! We stayed in the William Room ($131) which was on the first floor of this beautifully historic bed and breakfast located in the heart of Fairbanks. The manager (?), Melanie, greeted us and got us checked in for the night. We were able to make ourselves feel at home even with all of the antiques everywhere. I was truly amazed and got out my DSLR to take some more photos. We did our laundry every chance we got during our five-week trip so I was quite thankful Melanie allowed us to use the washer and dryer which were located in the basement. Although each room seemed to be booked, we actually didn't see many other guests during our short stay. Like I mentioned before, our stay was short and we had to leave to get back to the airport pretty early. Melanie was so gracious to accommodate us and still provide breakfast despite it being before the normal breakfast time - I really appreciate that! The pancakes, sausage, and fresh fruit were all incredible and I'm not just saying that - it was one of the best breakfasts of the entire trip! I'm going to let the pictures show how great this place is but I do want to note this is one of the oldest buildings in Alaska, built in the 1916s (I think) by a wealthy man to court a female to Fairbanks. It was sold a short while later to author Mary Lee Davis and has since changed owners upwards of 11 times. It's been restored and decorated to reflect the early 19th century. Check out the pictures but more importantly, book a stay here!

    Aurora Villa - Sunrise from lobby.

    Aurora Villa

    (9 reviews)

    ITS A SCAM! DO NOT BOOK HERE!…read more This is an overpriced hostel. They have no actual restaurant onsite and only have a microwave sandwich. This is not advertised in their "Luxury" desciption. Room is a Motel 6 room. Two pillows per hard, lumpy bed. Even Motel 6 gives you 4 per bed... They also force you to remove your shoes, you are not allowed to wear them inside the building or to your room. They force you to wear slippers. This is not posted online. Walls are filthy, I don't ever know how you mess up a wall so badly. Check out the pic. Then they force Covid rules and restrictions like masks and 6 foot social distancing but then force us to share a fridge and table with strangers? 100% scam, do not book here! We are fighting out travel agent and CC provider to combat these thieves with with false and misleading advertising. $600/night is a total scam!

    Upon arrival (after self check in via text and not seeing ONE person) we found towels with what…read morelooked like blue tooth paste on them and an empty can of soda sitting in bathroom. No one on-site to handle things like this. No way to obtain an extra blanket etc. Beautiful property however it's run like an AirBnB and not a hotel. Views are amazing however it is very isolated. Our car was only one in parking lot. However we found out later other people were staying there. Maybe using cab service? Just found whole situation odd including the slippers they asked guests to wear while in building. Over priced for what was offered.

    Chena Hot Springs Resort - Resort building

    Chena Hot Springs Resort

    (436 reviews)

    $$$

    If you are grading Chena Hot Springs Resort, look at it as two completely different entities. The…read moreresort itself is firmly in the average-star range, but the legendary natural hot springs are a 5-star masterpiece. The property itself is a bit of a mixed bag. It has a rustic, old-school Alaskan wilderness charm, but the amenities and lodging options are showing their age and need some modern updates. The rooms and facilities are basic, and the dining is decent but unexceptional. That said, it is a convenient home base for activities like the Aurora Ice Museum northern lights photography in the wild. The outdoor Rock Lake hot springs is where it completely redeems itself. Soaking in the natural, mineral-rich geothermal waters while surrounded by the freezing Alaskan forest is a bucket-list experience. The boulder-lined pool is massive, and walking along the sandy bottom to find your perfect temperature spot is relaxing. Pro tip: If you don't want to commit to its older lodge rooms, the resort is an easy 60-mile drive from downtown Fairbanks along Chena Hot Springs Road, making it a perfect candidate for a day trip. Keep in mind the outdoor rock lake is restricted to adults, which keeps the soaking environment incredibly peaceful and quiet.

    Review for the restaurant only!…read more Appreciated finding them open for breakfast when we were in the area recently. They were not at all busy, friendly service but a tad slow. We ordered the Little Chena and Big Chena. I definitely recommend going with the Big (or opting for the potatoes and toast with the little), as there was a big difference in for what you get for the cost if you make the error I did with the Little...one pancake and 2 eggs for $17.50, that was a dumb mistake on my part. As for the food, pretty good overall. Eggs cooked, potatoes, and bacon all cooked well...pancake a bit rubbery for me.

    Borealis Basecamp - hotels - Updated June 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...