Utqiagvik (Barrow) Sightseeing & Tundra Tour

Utqiagvik (Barrow) is situated 1,300 miles south of the North Pole, making it the northernmost community in the United States. Two-thirds of its approximately 4,500 residents are of Inupiat Eskimo descent. The local culture is an interesting mix of traditional lifestyles influenced by community investments from the profits of the Alaskan Pipeline. Barrow was originally a whaling community, and tours of Barrow combine cultural and educational activities with wildlife viewing and tundra exploration. Visitors can learn more about Inupiat culture and history at the Inupiat Heritage Center, or by visiting during the Nalukataq - the traditional spring whaling festival, usually held in June. The majority of Barrow tours take place between mid-May and mid-September, when average daytime temperatures are in the 40s. Keep in mind that average nighttime temperatures only creep above freezing in July and August. In winter, the community endures 65 days of darkness, while during summer it enjoys 82 days of perpetual sunlight.

Anchorage | Fairbanks - Utquiagvik (Barrow)

Your Arctic Tour starts with the flight from Anchorage or Fairbanks, north across the Arctic Circle, to the ancient Inupiat Eskimo village of Barrow. This flight entitles you to receive an official Arctic Circle Certificate as a proof that you have crossed Arctic Circle! Arriving visitors are welcomed at the airport. Join this morning a guided tour of the village which brings you to have a close peek into the lifestyles of Alaska's Arctic Coastal peoples. Meet the Inupiat Eskimo people while enjoying a cultural program presented by volunteers sharing their culture with visitors. The Inupiat Heritage center houses cultural and historical artifacts that depict the Inupiat heritage. The center’s permanent exhibit, created with community collaboration, details Inupiat contributions to the development of the worldwide whaling industry. Activities at the center include public arts and crafts demonstrations along with cultural performances, such as traditional games, drumming, dancing and the Blanket Toss Festival. Your sightseeing tour of Barrows continuous to the Arctic Ocean. You may see snowy owls, eider ducks and others of the 230 bird species which summer here. Enjoy a walk on the tundra and permafrost near the northernmost point on the North American Continent. Stand in a whale bone arch and inside the skeletal jaws of a bowhead whale on the shore of the Arctic Ocean. If you are brave, you can dip your toe in the frigid waters! Overnight in Barrow at Top of the World Hotel which is included in this tour. Stay at this hotel is a great experience as it is located right at the ocean. Also, the hotel is located centrally and several restaurants are walking distance away.

Barrow - Anchorage | Fairbanks

Day at leisure. Today you have time to shop for local arts and crafts. Say goodby to Barrow and its Midnight Sun. Depart Barrow during the day for your flight to Fairbanks or Anchorage.