Electric Moose Studios Aurora Adventure W/Portraits & Hot Pizza!!

The best part of this Fairbanks aurora tour is that the night does not depend entirely on the northern lights appearing on cue. Nathan drives a small group into the backcountry, sets up a heated shelter, cooks fresh pizza, and keeps the evening moving with photography, science, and fun light effects while you wait. Professional portraits and aurora photos are included.

I especially like the small maximum of 10 people and the effort put into comfort. I also like the free second tour within two years if the aurora does not appear in your photos. The main drawback is the price, $385 per person, and the late, six-hour schedule. You are paying for a full hosted experience, not simply a ride to a dark field.

Key points

• Fresh pizza in the backcountry: Nathan cooks pizzas in a portable 930-degree stone-fired oven while you warm up inside a heated shelter.
• Professional photos included: You receive portraits, aurora images, landscape shots, and a new time-lapse video of the whole sky and night.
• Small groups matter: The maximum is 10 people, so Nathan can give each person time in front of the camera.
• Comfort in serious cold: Thermal gear, headlamps, crampons, warmers, chairs, heaters, and a shelter help make the wait manageable.
• Flexible aurora chasing: The group travels 15 to 40 miles north of Fairbanks, using different viewing locations depending on clouds and conditions.
• A useful aurora guarantee: If you do not get aurora in your photos, you can take a second tour free within two years, subject to available seating.

A six-hour aurora night built around more than luck

Aurora tours always involve uncertainty. Clouds can roll in. Solar activity can fade. The lights may appear for five minutes, then vanish for hours. Electric Moose Studios handles that uncertainty better than a simple viewing shuttle because the night includes several worthwhile pieces even during a slow aurora period.

Your guide, Nathan, has 25 years of Alaskan outdoor experience and a professional photography background. He is both the person watching the sky and the person creating your keepsake images. That combination matters. Many northern lights tours focus on finding a dark place, then leave you to manage your own camera and cold-weather routine. Here, Nathan helps with the science, the viewing, and the photos.

You begin at 9:00 pm, with pickup available at most Fairbanks-area locations. Look for a tan Chevrolet 15-passenger van with the moose head logo on the door. Pickup is not available in North Pole, though you can meet the van in Fairbanks.

The evening lasts about six hours, so plan on returning around the middle of the night. I would avoid scheduling an early morning activity afterward. This is a late-night outing, and the best aurora may not appear until 3:00 am.

Riding north from Fairbanks to darker skies

The drive takes you 15 to 40 miles north of Fairbanks, depending on the night’s conditions. Nathan uses more than one viewing area, which gives the group some ability to work around clouds and city glow. You are not guaranteed a clear sky, but moving away from Fairbanks generally gives the sky a darker setting and more room for the aurora to show.

The drive is also part of the experience. Nathan shares information about the aurora, local life, photography, and Alaskan outdoor travel along the way. His style includes humor and personal stories, so the ride is not simply silent transport to a parking area.

Road conditions can be icy, particularly in winter. Having a local driver is a real benefit here. You do not need to worry about navigating unfamiliar roads in the dark or deciding how far to drive in changing conditions.

Once you arrive, Nathan handles the setup. You can remain in the van while he puts up the warming shelter, arranges the heaters, prepares the pizza oven, and organizes the photography equipment. That detail is easy to overlook, but it saves you from standing still in the cold during the least exciting part of the night.

The heated shelter changes the cold-weather equation

Fairbanks winter temperatures can be severe. Several outings have taken place in conditions as cold as minus 40 degrees, and the shelter is designed to make that kind of wait more manageable. It includes propane heaters, seating, and space to warm up between trips outside.

The tour also provides thermal gear, headlamps, crampons, and warming supplies. You should still dress properly, with warm layers, a hat, gloves, and winter footwear, but you are not expected to spend six straight hours exposed to the elements.

I like this setup because it gives you a choice. You can step outside when the sky begins to move, then return to the shelter when your hands or feet need a break. That makes the outing more suitable for families, older adults, and anyone who wants to see the aurora without treating the night as an endurance test.

The shelter also gives the group a social center. Instead of sitting alone in a cold vehicle, you can talk with the other people in your group, ask Nathan questions, eat, and watch the sky updates. The small group size helps keep this relaxed rather than crowded.

Fresh pizza, hot drinks, and a proper pause

Nathan cooks pizzas in a portable stone-fired oven heated to about 930 degrees. The pizzas are served hot at the viewing site, along with hot cocoa, coffee, chai tea, apple cider, and black tea.

This is not a minor snack added to a brochure. A warm meal gives the night a natural rhythm. You may start outside for photos, return to the shelter for pizza and drinks, then head back out when the aurora strengthens. The food also helps make a long wait feel like part of an evening rather than wasted time.

The menu is particularly useful for families and mixed-age groups. Teenagers have something substantial to eat, older people can warm up indoors, and nobody has to rely only on dry packaged snacks. Dietary details are not provided, so if you have food restrictions, ask before booking.

The pizza is also one reason the $385 price can make sense for some visitors. You are combining transportation, a guide, outdoor equipment, shelter, food, photography, and a digital album in one six-hour outing. It remains expensive, but it is not priced like a basic aurora transfer.

How the photography works

Nathan uses professional gear and lighting for portraits, along with equipment suited to photographing the aurora. He takes individual and group portraits, plus wide night-sky images that show the setting around you.

The practical advantage is clear: you do not need to master manual focus, long exposures, or tripod settings before your trip. Nathan also explains how to photograph the aurora with your own camera, so the experience has value beyond the included images.

Expect to spend time posing and repeating shots. That is a good thing if you want a polished portrait, but it means the outing is not only about standing silently under the sky. Couples, families, and solo visitors who care about photos will likely appreciate this part most.

The digital album includes portraits and landscape shots, and the new offering includes a time-lapse video of the whole sky and night. The photos are sent digitally, with some outings receiving them within hours or by the following morning. Exact delivery timing can vary, so do not treat an immediate delivery as a formal promise.

Nathan also creates more playful images while the group waits. Depending on conditions, activities have included Chinese lanterns, sparklers, and steel-wool photography. These are creative additions, not replacements for the aurora, and they give you something to do when the sky is quiet.

Waiting for the aurora without giving up too soon

Patience is essential. On one particularly late night, the aurora did not appear until about 3:00 am, after the group had nearly given up. On other nights, it was already active when the van arrived.

Nathan watches the forecast, cloud cover, and aurora activity, then chooses a location with those factors in mind. Still, no guide can control the sky. A clear forecast does not guarantee a strong display, and a weak forecast can sometimes surprise you.

This is where the aurora guarantee helps. If you do not get aurora in your photos, you are eligible for a second tour free within two years of your original date, based on seating availability. The wording matters. It is not an unlimited promise to return on any date you choose, and it does not guarantee a spectacular show. It does give you a meaningful second chance if the first night fails photographically.

The policy is especially useful if you have several nights in Fairbanks. If you have only one night, the guarantee may be harder to use during your trip, though the two-year window gives you a later option.

Nathan may also suggest a return when the conditions are poor. That flexibility is valuable because clouds are often the real problem, not weak aurora activity. A camera may detect a glow through thin cloud, but that is not the same as seeing the lights clearly with your own eyes.

What the experience feels like for different visitors

This tour is a strong match for couples who want professional photos in a memorable setting. Several visitors have used the night for proposals, and Nathan can make the photography feel personal rather than rushed. If you are planning a surprise, contact him in advance rather than assuming he will know your plans.

Families also benefit from the shelter, food, and small group. Children and teenagers may find the waiting periods long, but pizza, lanterns, light effects, and a warm tent give the evening more variety than a basic sky-watching outing.

Solo visitors can fit in comfortably because the group is limited to 10 and the photography is organized for each person. You do not need to arrive with your own party to have a meaningful night.

This may not be the best choice if you want a cheap, quick look at the aurora or prefer to remain completely independent. At $385, it is a premium outing. You are also committing to a long, late night with an uncertain natural event. If the photos, food, warm shelter, and personal guide do not matter to you, a simpler viewing option may offer better value.

Practical details before you book

The tour begins at 9:00 pm and lasts about six hours. Pickup is offered from most locations in Fairbanks, but not from North Pole. If your lodging does not appear as an available pickup point, contact Electric Moose Studios before booking.

The maximum group size is 10. That is small enough for personal attention but not necessarily private. If you want the van and viewing site to yourself, this is not advertised as a private tour.

Most people can participate, and service animals are allowed. The outing takes place outdoors in winter, though the shelter and supplied equipment reduce the physical strain. If you have mobility concerns, ask about the specific terrain and use of crampons before you reserve.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the 9:00 pm start time. Within 24 hours, you cannot receive a refund or make changes. If poor weather cancels the outing, you will be offered another date or a full refund. The same applies if the minimum number of participants is not met.

This experience is offered in English and uses a mobile ticket. It is also commonly booked well ahead, with an average booking lead time of about 68 days. I would reserve early if your Fairbanks dates are fixed, especially if you want to use the free return option during a short visit.

Is the $385 price worth it?

The answer depends on what you want from your aurora night. If you are comparing this with a basic transport-and-viewing tour, Electric Moose Studios costs much more. But the price includes far more than a ride: pickup, a small group, backcountry transport, a heated shelter, thermal equipment, fresh pizza, hot drinks, photography instruction, professional portraits, aurora images, landscape photos, and a time-lapse video.

The photos are the biggest value for many people. A strong aurora is unforgettable, but a good image of you beneath it gives the memory a useful life after the trip. Nathan’s background in professional photography also means the camera work is not an afterthought.

The second-tour policy further protects your purchase, though only if you can use the return visit. I would value it most on a trip of several nights, when you have some flexibility to reschedule.

Should you book Electric Moose Studios?

I would book this tour if you want a carefully hosted aurora night rather than a simple ride into the dark. Nathan’s personal involvement, professional photography, hot pizza, heated shelter, and small group make the experience unusually complete.

Book it early if you are visiting during a short window, and consider scheduling it near the start of your Fairbanks stay. That gives you a better chance to use the return option if clouds or weak activity spoil the first attempt.

I would skip it if $385 feels too high for a natural event you may not see clearly, or if you want a short and independent outing. For couples, families, solo photographers, and anyone treating the aurora as a once-in-a-lifetime goal, the added comfort and photo package make the cost easier to justify.

FAQ

What time does the aurora tour start?

The tour starts at 9:00 pm and lasts about six hours.

Where does the tour go?

The group travels 15 to 40 miles north of Fairbanks to one of several viewing locations chosen for aurora and cloud conditions.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum group size is 10 people.

Is pickup available?

Pickup is offered from most places in the Fairbanks area. Pickup is not available in North Pole, but you can meet the van in Fairbanks.

What is included with the photography?

You receive a digital album with professional portraits and landscape shots. The experience also now includes a time-lapse video of the whole sky and night.

What happens if the aurora does not appear?

If you do not get aurora in your photos, you are eligible for a second tour free within two years of the original tour date, subject to seating availability. If poor weather cancels the tour, you can receive another date or a full refund.