If you love adventure and unspoiled nature, Alaska is the place for you. Its majestic natural landscapes and incredible wildlife make up the main ingredients for a trip destined to remain engraved on your memory. However, to tour Alaska is not so easy: suffice it to say that in a large part of the territory you cannot count on roads or railways and in some areas you can arrive only by boat or by short-haul aircraft.
The scarce urbanization of this huge state makes it quite difficult to visit without proper organization, and at the same time it is necessary to be aware of the differences between the various areas in order to choose the most appropriate mode of travel. Let’s take a closer look at some of the crucial aspects for planning a trip to Alaska.
PS: If you still don’t know what this state has to offer, please take a look at my articles on what to see in Alaska, on the most characteristic experiences to do, on the best areas to see wild animals in the Alaskan territory and, finally, please read my suggestions on the climate and the best time to visit Alaska.
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How to get to Alaska
The main airport in Alaska is Anchorage, but various flights from Seattle, Vancouver, Dallas or other US and Canadian cities allow you to fly to other cities, such as Juneau, Sitka or Fairbanks. All minor airports are connected by internal flights to Anchorage, so if you intend to base yourself there, you can then move to another region on a local flight.
To figure out where to go, it’s good to divide the state into macro-regions and decide which one, or ones, you want to visit.
- The southeast, on Canada’s southern border, is one of the most popular regions with tourists, both for its beauty and for its greater proximity to the rest of the United States. Here, the Inside Passage meanders between the islands connecting the capital Juneau to many other interesting cities. It is one of the best areas for those looking for whales, glaciers and natural sea scenery, but also for lovers of history. This means ships are the transport par excellence here. You can sail to this region from Seattle or Vancouver, or you can fly to Sitka or Juneau airport, and embark on a local ferry.
- The Prince William Sound is the region that acts as the glue between the isolated southeast and the Alaskan continental bloc. It is a rugged region where land and sea seem to be one. It is the ideal place to discover the retreat of the glaciers by kayak and to admire expanses of wading birds in the marshes. Cordova and Valdez are the cities here that can be reached by internal flights. Even here, however, you can arrive by ship from the USA.
- The Kenai Peninsula is even further west along the southern coast. It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful regions of the state and, fortunately, one of the easiest to reach and explore. Anchorage is located to the north of the peninsula and from the city roads and railways branch off to reach the main centers of Kenai.
- The Alaska Peninsula, the Kodiak archipelagos and the Aleutian Islands, on the other hand, are the most southwestern part of the state and are among the best places for those in search of the unique wildlife that Alaska has to offer. However, many of these places are truly arduous to reach. Much of it can be visited by boat, but not with ferries as frequently as in the southeast. In other cases, small airplanes are the only solution. Cars are of little use to reach this area made of islands and islets that are up to 1000 miles away from the continent.
- The interior of Alaska is the kingdom of bears and wolves. The roads that cross it are among the most scenic in the world and cars are certainly the most appropriate method of transport for visiting it. The main point of reference is Fairbanks, which is more or less in the center of the state and can be reached by plane directly from the USA and Canada. You can also get there by train from Anchorage. Instead of renting a car in Fairbanks, the best alternative is to drive there from Anchorage or, even better, from Canada.
- The Bush is the most unexplored area of Alaska and this name is used to identify the whole northern area of the state. Few of the already very rare places in the far north are reached by a road. For the rest, airplanes are the only way to visit these places.
Ship, car, or train? The best means for each region
Dividing Alaska into macro-regions, you realize that each one has its own characteristics. Looking at a road map, it is clear that you cannot land in Anchorage and hope to travel around the whole state freely by car. It is necessary to make a choice: which areas do I want to visit in the time I have available?
Alaska by ship
If roads in Alaska are scarce, this problem is partly solved by an entirely unique “highway”: the Alaska Marine Highway. This marine link runs for 3480 miles along the country’s southern coast, connecting Unalaska Island (in the Aleutians) to Bellingham (Washington state’s northernmost port, just north of Seattle). If you decide to focus on the coast, which in itself could offer attractions to fill many weeks at a time, the ship is a more than adequate means of transport for a trip to Alaska. By simply flying to Seattle or Vancouver, you can visit all of Alaska’s most important cities by ferry and enjoy some of the most mind-blowing scenery the country has to offer.
The Inside Passage is definitely the most beautiful area to visit by ship, and it is also the part of the country for which this means of transportation is the only possible solution. A cruise in this region is worth a trip in itself, and there are luxurious ones on large ships equipped with every comfort, as well as spartan ones on small local ships. For the more adventurous, you can take advantage of local ferries to save on your budget and fully immerse yourself in the local culture. There are two non-cruise options for navigating these waters:
- the ferries of the Alaska Marine Highway System (the main choice of tourists who do not want to travel by cruise) that touch the most important ports
- the so-called day-boat, the minor ferries at the service of everyday life, used mainly by locals for daily needs
For those who prefer cruises, here instead is a tour operator with many offers available for Alaska.
Alaska by train
With the exception of the White Pass and Yukon Route (today exclusively for tourists and which I have already spoken about here), in Alaska there is only one railroad line of about 466 miles. A small route, if compared to the size of the state, but it deserves to be mentioned as an experience worth having, as well as a means of transportation. The railroad starts from Seward, on the southern coast of the Kenai Peninsula and goes up north, touching Anchorage and various towns until it reaches Fairbanks. In winter, due to weather conditions, only the section between Seward and Anchorage is active, with the small branch line leading to the port of Whittier. This doesn’t mean that you should only consider taking the train in the summer: the year-round southern section is one of the most scenic railways in the world.
Crossing bridges over rushing streams and winding through tunnels under mountains, the Alaska Railroad train can take you to places that are impossible to reach by car, as there are no roads that take the same route. Assuming you arrive by plane in Anchorage, moving by train from the metropolis to the south is an amazing experience, but the train is also a valid alternative to rental cars or buses when traveling north, to go to the Denali National Park or to remote Fairbanks. The hours of the journey pass without boredom, with your gaze perpetually glued to the window, while the forests and the snowy peaks of the mountain range give way to the Bush, that territory where bears and wolves rule their wild world undisturbed. Here are some train tours to consider:
- Alaska Crafted Tour and Railroad Adventure
- Alaska Railroad: Anchorage to Denali
- Alaska Railroad: Anchorage to Seward
- Alaska Brewery and Railroad Experience
Alaska by Car
The Alaskan wilderness offers spectacular views, where you can gaze for hours. Precisely for this reason, renting a car is one of the best choices you can make, to explore the most beautiful places and stop at any time to take unique photos or simply to sigh satisfied by the beauty of unspoiled nature that stands in front of us. In winter many roads are closed and many others are to be avoided for those not used to driving in these climates. Summer, however, lends itself perfectly to a road trip to Alaska. All you have to do is choose your itinerary and get in the car.
The most famous road is the Alaska Highway (also known as Alcan), which is Highway No. 2, connecting Canada with Fairbanks. Arriving by plane in Canada, renting a car and heading to central Alaska is an intriguing idea, allowing you to enjoy some of the most beautiful landscapes in North America. From Fairbanks there is another road for those who love adventure and the search for the most unknown places: the Dalton Highway. Following this route north you can cross the most desolate moors of the country and reach Prudhoe Bay, the northernmost port of the state.
If you land in Anchorage, there’s no shortage of rental options, as well as route alternatives. For a day trip, driving south on the Seward Highway to Seward or Homer allows you to admire the rich biodiversity of the Kenai Peninsula, while in the opposite direction the continent’s highest peaks provide the backdrop for a route along the Parks Highway, which skirts Denali National Park. For detailed routes with stops along the way and overnight recommendations, you can read these 3 itineraries from 7 to 15 days departing from Anchorage. I would also like to point out our guide with all the things you need to know to rent a car in the United States of America.
How many days to dedicate to a trip to Alaska
It is difficult to define a duration for a state so vast and with so many different regions. There are many factors to take into account: the most relevant are the times imposed by the great distances. To get around by car, consider that Fairbanks, one of the nerve centers for a road trip, is about 10 hours from Whitehorse (the Canadian city where the Alaska Highway begins) and 7 hours from Anchorage. From Fairbanks, it takes another 14 hours of driving to get to the extreme north of Prudhoe Bay. All this, without considering the inevitable stops, if only to be enraptured by the views offered by these roads.
As far as traveling by ship is concerned, it should be noted that not only do most ferries not set sail several times a day, but most do not even travel every day. Unless you take part in a cruise with well-organized stages, traveling by ship can mean having to spend the night in various different towns or, alternatively, not even disembarking. The airplane, which is the fastest way to get around the Alaskan skies, has the problem of being expensive. Even if you’re traveling in a group, your budget may not be big enough to take many flights, so only consider air travel that offers no alternative.
My advice is to devote at least two weeks to a trip to Alaska. In that time, you can touch two or three macro-regions, seeing different aspects of the country. Unless you are looking for a specific place or you are attracted by a particular excursion, for a first trip to Alaska three good options to choose from are:
- By ship in the south. Whether on a cruise or on local ferries, moving by sea between the resorts on the coast allows you to enjoy some of the most beautiful landscapes on the American continent, combining history and nature. This is also where the main cities are concentrated and the range of activities on offer (from kayaking to bird watching, from whales to bears) is vast. It’s a type of trip that can be comfortably modulated in terms of time depending on the days you have available.
- Driving in the North Central. Arriving by car from Canada or landing in Anchorage and renting a car are two interesting options for visiting the wilds of the interior. You can touch on some of the more isolated towns and it’s the ideal trip for adventure seekers. Again, the itinerary can be tailored to fit the time you have available.
- Rely on public transportation. One of the most scenic railroads in the world is joined by some bus services to allow you to move from Anchorage to inland locations. For those who have only a few days to spare, the best thing to do is to reach Anchorage by plane and from there move south for an excursion to the Kenai Peninsula and north to venture into Denali National Park.
Whichever means you choose, a good idea may be to book your return flight from a different airport than the outbound airport. To see the coast by boat, take advantage of Anchorage on one side and Seattle or Vancouver on the other, so you don’t have to waste precious days on the return ferry. If you move around by land, instead, an itinerary that has Anchorage as departure (or arrival) point and Fairbanks or Canada at the other end of the route, also allows you to travel by car, bus or train without having to cover the same road in both directions.
How much a trip to Alaska costs
A delicate question! Whoever wants to launch themselves into this adventure, organizing everything autonomously, knows that, due to the distance and the geography of the territory, Alaska is not really a low-cost destination. To anyone who wants to get an idea of what the costs can be for a trip of this type, I recommend reading my article how much does a trip to Alaska cost, where I try to draw up an estimate while also providing some low-cost tips to try to save some money.
