Where to Stay in Nome for the Iditarod Finish

Nome is a town of about 3,500 people on the edge of the Bering Sea — and for one week each March, it becomes the finish line of the world's most famous sled dog race. If you want to be there when the teams run under the Burled Arch, plan early. Very early.

Book a year ahead

Nome has only a handful of hotels and B&Bs — places like the Aurora Inn and the Nome Nugget Inn — and they fill a year or more in advance for finish week. As soon as your dates are set, reserve. If the hotels are full, ask about B&Bs, vacation rentals, and rooms that open up through word of mouth.

Getting to Nome

There's no road to Nome. You fly in — Alaska Airlines runs daily jet service from Anchorage, roughly a 90-minute flight. Book flights as early as your rooms; seats during finish week are in high demand.

What finish week is like

The champion often arrives in the small hours of the morning, and the town turns out under the arch regardless of the time. The rest of the field trickles in over the following days, with the final musher honored with the Red Lantern. Front Street hosts the awards banquet and a week of events that make this the biggest gathering on the western Alaska calendar.

Plan your trip

See the full race timeline on the Iditarod 2027 hub, browse events in western Alaska, and if you're catching the start too, read where to watch the Iditarod start.