Visiting Chena Hot Springs with Kids in Fairbanks, Alaska
My family of four, with two kids ages 3 and 6, visited Chena Hot Springs Resort in December on a trip to Alaska to see the Northern Lights. Only an hour’s drive outside of Fairbanks, Chena Hot Springs is considered one of the top attractions in the area—yet has terrible reviews.
There are countless accounts online about mildew-filled rooms or disgruntled and unhelpful staff.
The reviews I read were so bad I almost didn’t want to risk taking my family there for an overnight stay, knowing that we would likely do so to avoid driving back to Fairbanks—and through the Alaskan winter—at night.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. At no extra cost to you, we may receive a small commission if you book travel or make purchases using these links.
Quick Tips
Before You go
- Book a day visit or an overnight stay at the resort. All activities are available for visitors, whether they come up for the day spend the night. Book your stay here.
- Give yourself time to get there. Chena Hot Springs Resort is located 66 miles north of Fairbanks, Alaska. Parking is free. Consider booking a shuttle from Fairbanks for $180 round trip per person. The trip takes about an 1 hour and 20 minutes.
- Pack warm gear. Weather temperatures can dip below 0ºF in the winter. Read our blog for more details on what to pack.
- Pool house details: The hot springs are located in the pool house. There are staff there to check you in, locker rooms with warm showers and blow dryers, and towels. Access to the pool house is included in an overnight stay, or at a fee for day visitors
Getting There
travel
Chena Hot Springs Resort Overnight Review with Kids
Chena Hot Springs Resort Overnight Review with Kids
Despite many hours of online research, watching videos and reading negative reviews, I am so glad I took the risk and brought my family to Chena Hot Springs. I would recommend families go with the understanding that:
Kids can only go in the temperature-controlled hot pools and not in the natural geothermal pool
Depending on age, some kids cannot participate in certain on-site activities
The hotel is dated, offering motel quality for a high price
The water at the resort is from a natural spring. It has a rotten egg smell due to the naturally occurring hydrogen sulfide. Bring water bottles for drinking and take this into consideration when you shower.
We stayed in the Fox Rooms ($209/night) located near the pool house. These rooms had two beds, an in suite bathroom, and a tea kettle. It was the perfect size for our little family.
The bathroom was a little dingy, but clean. The room had warm water and central heat. The beds were old, but comfortable and suited our needs.
Soak in the Outdoor Hot Springs
Chena Hot Springs has an indoor naturally heated lap pool and two kid-safe hot tubs, a few outdoor smaller hot pools at kid-safe temperatures, and a larger natural hot pool that is not temperature regulated and only available for adults. All pools are fed by the hot springs.
Entrance to the hot springs is included in an overnight stay, and also at a fee for day visitors.
We walked to the pool house wearing all our snow gear and changed into swimwear in the locker room. It was still dark outside at 10 a.m. when we made it to the pool. We took a deep breath before opening the exit door. The cold air was shocking as my kids took off running and giggling towards the red lit pool.
With frozen toes, we climbed in and instantly the chill melted away. My kids laughed as they scooped the snow that had piled up on the pool rim and put it on their heads. I tried unsuccessfully to take pictures of the frost that adorned our eyelashes and hair from the frozen steam around us.
Pro-tip: On our drive to Chena Hot Springs, I showed my kids a video of a family with three kids (including one baby) who braved the outdoor pools in the winter. This way my kids would know that it was going to be a cold walk from the locker rooms to the outdoor hot pools in our swimsuits, at 5º Fahrenheit.
Swim in the indoor hot pools
Spend about 30 minutes to 1 hour
After spending some time in the outdoor kid-safe hot tubs, we mustered up enough courage to make the trek back inside to splash and play in the indoor pool. Everyone ran, a little more slowly this time with wet feet, through the hallway to the door.
To my dismay it was only a little warmer inside than outside, so we quickly jumped into the pool to stay warm.
We spent about an hour in the outdoor and indoor pools before everyone felt a little cold and hungry.
After, we all showered in the locker room, dried off as much as possible, then began the arduous task of putting on each of many winter layers in order to reenter the chilly Alaskan outdoors.
Visit the Ice Museum
Great place
- 1+ Hours
We reserved spots on Chena’s Ice Museum tour the afternoon we arrived and followed a guide through a mysterious door to a temperature-regulated structure, which allows the Ice Museum to exist year-round.
Once inside we found beautiful ice sculptures, a chapel for weddings, three separate bedrooms with actual ice beds and unique ice sculptures per room where guests can spend the night, and an ice bar serving up appletinis in ice martini glasses.
I preordered two appletinis (additional $20 per person) when I purchased our tour tickets, and clinked ice glasses with my husband while my kiddos jealously watched.
Tickets for the Ice Museum tour were $20 for guests ages 12+ and $15 for kids ages 6-11 years.In stark contrast to the ornate Pena Palace and Quinta de Regaleira, the Moorish Castle is a more simple 10th century classic you can’t miss while visiting Sintra. Its rugged stone walls have stood on this hillside for centuries.
The Moorish Castle is a 10-minute walk from Pena Palace and can be visited on the same day if you plan it correctly. The walk from the entrance to the inside of the castle is long, uphill, and not stroller friendly.
Buy your tickets online or at the kiosk at the entrance to the castle. Tickets are free for kids under 6, 6,5€ for youth ages 6-18 and seniors, and 7,6€ for adults.
Check out our blog post for more tips on visiting the Moorish Castle with kids.
Go Dog Sledding
Great views
- 1 Hours
Dog sledding was by far my daughters’ favorite activity at Chena Hot Springs. We loved speeding through the snowy forest on a dog sled.
Our kids laughed and smiled during the whole 1.5-mile trail run, while our expert dog musher told me stories about his all-female dog mushing team. He shared that each dog had a name, different skillsets, strengths and weaknesses, and was lovingly cared for by the musher himself.
This activity is available for guests ages 2+ years.
Make sure you put on all the layers because it gets cold when you’re moving fast on the sled. Having a neck gaiter was helpful to keep the cold out, and an absorbent booger catcher for my kids.
Hunt for the Northern Lights at Chena Hot Springs Resort
- 5+ Hours
Many people recommend driving out to Chena Hot Springs to catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis while soaking in the geothermal pools.
For an even better view, the resort offers an Aurora coach tour to take guests ages six and older to the top of a nearby mountain.
It was cloudy during our visit, so we did not get a chance to see the magic of the Northern Lights from Chena Hot Springs.
Play with Sled Dogs & Puppies
Great views
- Costs $25 for guests ages 12+ and $15 for kids ages 6-12 Y.
- 1 Hours
The Chena Kennel Tour is held in the educational visitor center and led by a guide eager to talk about dog mushing for 40 minutes straight.
After the spiel, visitors are led back outside to meet the sled dogs and hold puppies.
The caveat is that the tour only allows guests ages six and older to see the pups, requiring younger guests to watch the puppy cuddling from behind a fence.
We opted out of this activity to avoid whining from our 3-year-old.
This tour costs $25 for guests ages 12+ and $15 for kids ages 6-12 years.
Day Visit to Chena Hot Springs
- 9am: Drive to Chena Hot Springs Resort from Fairbanks
- 10:30am: Arrive at Chena Hot Springs. Schedule dog sled ride.
- 11:30am: Eat lunch at the resort restaurant
- 1pm: Visit the Ice Museum tour
- 2pm: Explore the hot springs – indoor and outdoor
- 4pm: Begin your drive back to Fairbanks for dinner
Chena Hot Springs Resort Sample Itinerary
Two options: Stay over night or visit for the day.
The historic center of Sintra is made up of tiny winding streets, pedestrian-only walkways, and beautiful old buildings all built near the Sintra National Palace. We wandered the quiet alleyways, popping into store fronts, some touristy, some artsy, and tasted the delicious foods shops along the way.
I recommend you walk down Volta do Duche, stop, and listen to the troubadours, then buy a souvenir from a street vendor.
We loved finding little fountains and ornate villas throughout the area.
Overnight Stay at Chena Hot Springs Resort
Day 1
- Check into hotel
- Swim in the hot springs
- Return to room to clean up
- Dinner at the restaurant
Day 2
- Breakfast at the restaurant or snacks in the hotel room
- Swim in the hot springs
- Clean up in the hotel. Pack up for departure
- Check-out at 11 a.m.
- Return to Fairbanks
Where to Eat
Try the Restaurant at Chena Hot Springs Resort
Final Thoughts
The Athabascans and Iñupiaq Eskimos have stewarded the land around Fairbanks, Alaska for 30,000 years. Alaska became the 49th state, part of the U.S. in 1959. Native Alaskans have been fighting for their rights for decades.
According to a children’s book by Inuit storyteller Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak, the many Native Alaskans interpret the Northern Lights as the spirits of their ancestors. Also, dog sledding is an Indigenous tradition as well as a popular Native Alaskan sport.
Our experience
The staff at Chena Hot Springs Resort were a mix of white and BIPOC people, as were the guests. During our one-night stay we were the only family there with little kids. Staff and other guests were kind to us, and greeted us with smiles. We felt welcomed and safe.
Have you been to Chena ? Did you bring your kids? Why or why not? Share in the comments below.
reflect
