Borealis Basecamp

Hotel · Fairbanks North Star Borough

Borealis Basecamp

Hotel · Fairbanks North Star Borough

2640 Himalaya Rd, Fairbanks, AK 99712

Highlights

Nestled deep in a stunning forest, this cozy retreat features dome-style huts with starry skylights and a restaurant boasting hearty fare.

2640 Himalaya Rd, Fairbanks, AK 99712 Get directions

borealisbasecamp.net

@borealisbasecamp

@afar

"Borealis Basecamp is an upscale lodge situated in a boreal forest north of Fairbanks. It features 28 geodesic igloos with helicopter window ceilings for northern lights viewing, and modern cube-shaped cabins with floor-to-ceiling windows." - Bailey Berg

10 Best Hotels in Alaska to Book Right Now - AFAR

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@afar

"Surrounded by 100 acres of boreal forest in the Alaskan wilderness, these fiberglass igloos are modeled after those used on polar expeditions and at polar research stations—so they can certainly handle an Alaskan winter. Each of the 15 igloos has comfortable beds, a full bathroom, and a 16-foot-wide window on its roof, enabling guests to watch for the aurora borealis at night. It’s a perfect place to do so, because the camp is located under the auroral oval, the atmospheric region where the aurora borealis is brightest. A large on-site yurt serves as a home base and restaurant, and guests can also book mushing and snowmobiling tours." - Maggie Fuller

8 Cozy Winter Glamping Retreats Around the World - AFAR

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@afar

"Tucked away in a boreal forest in Interior Alaska, north of Fairbanks, Borealis Basecamp offers comforts of an upscale lodge. It opened in 2017 and is a coveted spot for northern lights chasers. The 28 geodesic igloos have ceiling windows for aurora viewing. In 2022, cube-shaped cabins were added with floor-to-ceiling windows. The location is ideal for aurora hunting, being 30 miles from city lights. The camp is open in summer for tundra exploration. Rooms include igloos with king-size beds and cubes with additional lofts. The restaurant, Latitude 65, sources local ingredients and offers a variety of drinks. Activities include sled dog rides, reindeer hikes, and ATV tours." - Bailey Berg

Stay Here Next: In-Depth Review of Borealis Basecamp in Alaska - AFAR

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@cntraveler

"Nestled into a boreal forest about 45 minutes outside of Fairbanks, the domed huts and stark landscape make Borealis Basecamp feel like a lunar colony. But, for that reason, it is a stellar location for aurora hunting—there's no light pollution to compete with the solar show. During the day, the lodge offers opportunities to explore its vast frozen backyard through dog sledding, snow machining (snowmobiling to Lower 48ers), and snowshoeing." - Bailey Berg

The Best Alaska Hotels, From Urban Anchorage Stays to Luxe Denali Retreats

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@cntraveler

"Why book?: Modern igloos with see-through ceilings for watching the northern lights dance across the night sky from bed. Set the scene: Nestled in a boreal forest about 45 minutes outside of Fairbanks, the domed huts and stark landscape make Borealis Basecamp feel like a lunar colony. But, for that reason, it is a stellar location for aurora hunting—there’s no light pollution to compete with the solar show. The rooms: Roughly half of the domes have a small kitchen with a sink and mini-fridge, a shower, and a dry flush toilet. The other half is the same, minus the kitchen. All are angled to maximize your potential of seeing the northern lights out of the 16-foot-long skylight, directly above the bed. To ensure you don’t miss the nighttime show, each room is also equipped with an aurora alarm. Food and drink: The only restaurant, Latitude 65, is found in a centrally-located yurt. The chef makes dishes with locally sourced fish, game, and produce. The service: The staff is fairly hands-off unless you ask for them—they want you to enjoy the property. Still, they can organize any excursions you may wish to take while there. Eco effort: All the waste—including from the bathroom—is trucked out to not pollute the landscape. Anything left to mention? Come prepared with lots of layers and good, waterproof boots. Also, the northern lights are notoriously tricky to capture. Check out our guide to photographing auroras and find the best camera settings before you go—cell reception is iffy out here." - Bailey Berg

Borealis Basecamp

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Wally L

Google

Just got back from a great 5 night stay in the igloos. We did a lot of research and was helped tremendously by the reviews left by others. We want to share our experience to help others and will focus on information that might be new. Igloos have much better views than the cubes and while not spacious, they are plenty large for two adults. Plenty of heat and it was useful to have shorts & tee shirts when we were relaxing in the igloo. The 4-6 hour snowmobiling tour was fun even for first-timers but it gets cold by the end of the tour so take all the clothing they offer you. We wished we had mittens instead of finger gloves because the hand warmers we brought were more effective in the mittens. We brought winter caps that had a built in headlamp and that was really handy. If you’re going in the winter time, you will likely be walking to breakfast and dinner in the dark. It’s nice not to have to deal with a separate headlamp. Breakfast was hearty with a made to order omelet station and they now also offer a lower-priced pub menu which is open for lunch and dinner. Dinner at Latitude 65 was good but expensive. To keep costs low, we brought dehydrated camp food which worked out great because sometimes we didn’t want to leave the igloo. It was a great trip and highly recommend Basecamp!

michael salas

Google

We had such a great time and the staff was very pleasant and helpful. The igloo we stayed in was warm and cozy. It was a very magical experience. Food was great at their on site restaurant. Plenty of different drinks. We only experienced about 30 minutes of the aurora. But it’s a toss up on If you get to see them at all. That’s nature and we expected that could happen. We would definitely stay again.

Russhelle Gremillion

Google

I didn’t have any problems with my stay. The one night there was a heating event at the igloos they put us up in town at a very nice place. Ryan, Michael, Tyler & David were the best guides for all my activities. Super smart, personable and lots of fun. This was a solo trip but I made lots of friends. Josi and her dogs were great. Can’t wait to go back and see how Gary (baby reindeer) is doing. Saw the northern lights two separate nights!!

Samantha Sellers

Google

We had a really great trip. Food was great (though, $$$). Room was warm and cozy (igloo). The adventures were so much fun, even with a 6 month old in tow. I will say that the igloos weren't really as I expected as the large windows fogged over with condensation due to it being so warm inside vs how cold it was outside. We could see the night sky & stars but there was no way to see the lights through it. Overall, it was a really great stay. The staff were 5 stars. Loved Eugene. He is very charming!

Darren B

Google

“Mixed Experience - Stunning Location, but Lacking Style and Comfort for the cost” The location is amazing, and we were lucky to see the northern lights (though less spectacular than previous days). We enjoyed the snowmobile ride and dogsled tour, and the provided outerwear was essential at -35°C. However, calling this a “resort” feels misleading. The cabins are more of a 3-star experience, with noisy heating making sleep difficult, cleanliness issues, and no kitchenette. Complimentary s’mores were disappointing. For a better Aurora experience, I’d recommend exploring options in Northern Europe.

Jessica W

Google

We just finished our stay at Borealis Basecamp and are highly disappointed; for the price, I’d expect more attention to detail, planning, and service. The more I think about all the money we spent (over $4,000 just for 3 nights, $700+ for 4 meals in the dining room, over $100 in tips for guides, etc.), the more upset I get. We were celebrating our 10 year anniversary, which we told them, and no one did a thing to acknowledge it. For the prices, you’d think a small gesture would have been in order. We did the 6 hour snow machine experience, dog sledding, and helicopter ride. Our guides were all amazing - the highlight of the trip! The igloos were nice enough but it was hard to sleep through the night with the extremely loud heater and sounds the igloo made. Also, there’s no where to place your clothing and there’s only one small luggage rack as well. We only received replenishment of towels one day, barely even making the bed where the mattresses seemed to be on incorrectly, and were told the housekeepers were making the rounds, but they never showed up, which the front desk did not seem concerned about. As they live on site, you’d think they could have gotten someone quickly as it was only 5:30pm when we inquired for a second time. Actual resorts would have been proactive the first call. The restaurant is WAY overpriced for what you get and we only had decent service one of three nights. Save yourself the price and eat at the pub or better yet, don’t eat on site at all. It could be much better but there doesn’t seem to be a manager anywhere to actually lead the staff. We felt like a burden most of the time and they ran out of a lot (king crab, for example). We realize they’re more remote but this could have been handled differently. Breakfast was not good or consistent, with the juices being warm and coffee watered down. The toaster was half broken as well all week. It was a magical location and we saw the aurora 2 of 3 nights! The loud banging on the door to notify us was too much and the alarm they told us would ring to make a notification never did. As one reviewer said, they need to decide if they are a camp or luxury resort because they cannot be both, and it left a lot to be desired for the over $4,000 we paid to book, after seeing them highlighted online. Our issues do not seem to be out of the ordinary from what we have heard and read now. Hopefully they heed the advice of many guests and do better; however, if you’re considering a trip here, go elsewhere!

Cheyenne Swisher

Google

Overall, I would say we had a middle of the road experience. It wasn’t fantastic but it wasn’t terrible either. The staff were amazing, kind, welcoming and helpful. We enjoyed our igloo, however the “roll away cot” wasn’t exactly what we anticipated. We were most excited for our “4-6-hour” UTV experience, but the large group really takes away from it being enjoyable. It was A LOT of stopping for people to catch up and two machines with mechanical issues. If there were no mechanical issues and waiting for individuals to catch up, the trip would have been 3 hours at most.In hindsight, I regret not asking more questions about how large the group was going to be before committing to it. And I also should have confirmed that paying per person was going to mean each person had one to drive…but that was not the case. So be prepared to be a passenger for half of your trip. Lastly, we were super glad to have had our rental car for more food options in Fairbanks. It was incredibly overpriced for what it is, with the included breakfast being lackluster at best. For the price, I suppose I expected more. Overall, I feel the location needs to decide if they want to be a luxury resort or an adventure camp because both aspects don’t hit the mark.

Miranda W

Google

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐||We had an incredible 3-night stay at Borealis Basecamp in one of the cozy cubes—highly recommend! The cube was warm, comfortable, and we were lucky to have one in the first row with great privacy. Watching the northern lights from our cube was an unforgettable experience, and their aurora alarm ensured we didn’t miss the magic!||We packed our days with amazing activities: a 6-hour snow machine tour, a breathtaking helicopter ride that landed on a mountainside, dog sledding, and a reindeer walk. Every experience felt unique and authentic, not touristy like our visit to Chena Hot Springs.||A few tips for future guests: bring some games for the evenings as there aren’t too many provided. Also, check which cube you’re assigned—some are less private, especially those in the second row.||For Borealis, a couple of suggestions: adding reflective glass to the less private cubes would be great, and written reminders in the rooms to turn off lights at night could help prevent disruptions (we had to knock on a neighbor’s door when the lights came out).||Overall, an unforgettable adventure and a perfect place to experience Alaska’s beauty. Highly recommend!