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Beyond Golden Hour

  • STARTS AT $295
  • May 3–13
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PHOTOS
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Description

An all-night Alaskan light adventure from sunset to sunrise. Captures sunset, Milky Way/aurora during narrow darkness window, and sunrise. Small group tour with technical and creative guidance. Wildlife viewing potential during margins of day.

Summary

Hotel Pickup

Anchorage Hotel

Duration

8 hrs

Fitness Level

Easy

Minimum Age

12+

Best For

Serious Photographers

Includes

Snacks, Drinks, Photo Guide

Cancellation Terms

Booking Policy

Frequently Asked Questions

See FAQS

What’s Included

Creative & Technical Photography Instruction
Natural History Narrative
Tripod Loans
Girdwood and Eagle River hotel pickup
Hot Drinks & Snacks

What’s Not Included

Girdwood Hotel Pickup
Personal Camera Equipment
Meals Beyond Snacks

What To Bring

Camera With Manual Settings
Lenses 14–500mm
64gb+ Memory Card
Layered Clothing
Hat & Gloves
Comfortable Walking Shoes

Potential Locations

Matanuska Valley

Knik River Valley

Turnagain Arm

Schedule / Departure Information

Operates May 3–13
Departs at sunset, returns at sunrise (~8 hrs total)
Exact pickup time confirmed day of

Conditions

Short walks on uneven terrain
Will not run if too cloudy (full refund provided)
Temp 30–45°F (-1 to 7°C) in early May

Gallery
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Aurora borealis over Portage Lake, Chugach National Forest.
Aurora borealis over Portage Creek, Chugach National Forest.
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Driftwood on gravel bars, Portage Valley, Chugach National Forest
The Milky Way and a mild aurora over Twenty Mile River, Chugach National Forest.
Blue hour light washes over the Chugach Mountains at Twentymile River along the Turnagain Arm.
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Evening light falls on Twin Peaks in the Chugach Mountains in spring, with Pioneer Peak in the background.
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A mid-May Kp7 aurora borealis shines through the twilight over the Knik River.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

In addition to standard tour business expenses, the cost of our tours includes comfortable high-quality transportation, a local skilled photography guide, personal photo instruction, snacks and drinks, trip planning and logistics, entry fees as required for state or national park units, complimentary use of a tripod as needed, and guide meal (for full-day tours).

Costs that are in addition to the base price for a private tour will include any client meals that may occur during the timing of the tour, additional transportation (air-taxi, helicopter, boat, etc.), any additional guiding services (i.e., glacier hiking guide), or any lodging that may be required (for multi-day private tours).

Group tours can provide lower costs per person because the costs are distributed through several clients. The fewer the number of travelers, the more an individuals’ share of the costs will increase. Additionally, with a private tour, you receive more time and attention from your guide.

Yes! For all our private tours, we pick up within a two-hour radius of Anchorage. However, for pick-ups outside of Anchorage, driving time is counted against total tour time. For example, if you are staying in Seward, then the four-hour round-trip time counts against the ten hours of a full-day private tour. That is the same as if you were staying in Anchorage and going to Seward for a full-day private tour.

Private tours are perfect for families or older adults. With a private tour, we can specifically tailor the activities to the physical capabilities of our participants.

Yes, private tours are available year-round. In many respects, they are one of the best ways to fit a guided photo tour into your schedule, whether you are here for business or on vacation.

Yes, our private tours allow us to tailor an itinerary to meet the specific needs and interests of our guests. This includes locations, subject matter, photo tips you wish to learn, and photo goals you wish to meet.

Yes, we absolutely recommend that non-photographers join us for a private tour. Since our guides are all locals and photographers, they know the great locations to go for photography year-round. This means they also know the interesting places to go simply to observe nature – see wildflowers, enjoy scenery, observe wildlife, or do some bird watching. And even though you may consider yourself a non-photographer, the odds are pretty good that you possess a smartphone with a camera. We will still take the opportunity to provide you with some photo tips to learn how to use that camera to take great photos.

We want to know exactly what your goals are for your private tour. In the “Booking Notes” field at the bottom of the booking form, let us know what subjects you want to photograph (wildlife, waterfalls, mountains, glaciers, etc.), what specific techniques you want to learn, if you need any help in improving your composition, if you just want to see what the hidden gems are, or whatever else you want to share. We want to make sure that this tour is tailored to your specific interests.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Our tours start and end at your Anchorage accommodations. We pick up at any hotels within the main city of Anchorage, but not the entire Municipality of Anchorage (not Girdwood, Eagle River, Chugiak, etc. unless with a private tour). We will pick up at Anchorage Airbnb locations, but only if they are near established hotels – no pick ups in Bear Valley or other remote parts of Anchorage.

We are not a transportation service company. We will only pick up or drop off at a hotel or the airport if it is in connection with a booked tour, on that tour date. For example, we provide transfer tours for cruise ship passengers disembarking in Whittier and Seward. Those guests can be dropped off at their location of choice at the end of the tour.

In addition to standard tour business expenses, the cost of our tours include comfortable high-quality transportation, a local skilled photography guide, snacks and drinks, entry fees as required for state or national park units, and complimentary use of a tripod as needed. For our group northern lights tours, the price also includes access to blankets, hand and toe warmers, a parka, and s’mores. Our prices also reflect that we typically operate with small groups (10 and under).

We have accommodated many family combinations in the past, but generally our tours are not suitable for children under 12, with some exceptions. For toddlers and infants, the only tour that would be suitable is our Private Aurora Tour or a half-day private tour. For larger family groups up to ten people, any one of our Day Tours can be booked as a private option at no extra charge. We also accommodate many older adults of varying ages on our tour. The key issue is whether the guest has any mobility challenges – see next question.

Most tours involve light to moderate walking, often on uneven ground or short trails. Generally speaking, the farthest walk on a day tour is a quarter mile on a paved trail, with some shorter walks on dirt trails. We design routes for a wide range of fitness levels and can adapt the pace to your comfort. If you have mobility limitations, contact us — we’re happy to recommend tours that suit your needs. Look for the Fitness Level icon at the top of the tour page for information on that tour. “Easy” means walking short distances on established trails. “Moderate” means you may walk up to a half mile on terrain that excludes trails. “Difficult” means hiking at distances of more than a mile on trails, but with some potential elevation gain.

If your goal is to photograph the midnight sun, then join us on our Sunset Photo Safari, which runs from April 1 to October 31, but particularly during the period from late May through early August. To photograph the aurora borealis, we have several options. For day tours in the Anchorage area, try our Anchorage Aurora Quest or our Private Aurora Tour. For multi-day options, check out some options in our Experience Alaska series or our suggested private itineraries.

When to see the northern lights depends on location. Due to our northern latitude, the farther north you travel, the more daylight there is during the summer months. In order to see any level of aurora borealis, it needs to be as dark as astronomical twilight. For Anchorage, that is the period from August 6 through May 6. For Fairbanks, that is August 18 through April 24.

We set our daily maximum booking for day tours at 10 people. For our multi-day trips, group sizes are capped at six people. We strive to achieve a guest-to-guide ratio of 6:1.

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