Touring Alaska – suggestions for your Alaska trip.
Updated Aug 2024
Alaska is a great place to spend a summer vacation. There are several ways to do it.
Cruise Ship
Many people go to Alaska on a cruise ship. This is not for me. If you like to travel in luxury with fine dining, party, and spend more time on the ship than in Alaska, this might be for you. Thousands of people enjoy these cruises, but I think 70% of the trip is about having a good time on the ship, and only 30% is about touring Alaska.
Drive to Alaska
Driving the Alaska Highway is a great way to spend a summer. There are lots of things to see and do along the way. You get to explore northern British Columbia and southern Yukon, where you might encounter free-roaming bison and other wildlife. Some people make this trip in a few weeks, but you need a lot more time to enjoy it and see everything. I recommend 30 to 40 days touring Alaska, not counting the travel time to and from the Alaska border. You can do it in a lot less, but 40 days gives you time to see everything at a leisurely pace and includes a few days for inclement weather, shopping, laundry, relaxing, etc.
You have two other options when driving: camping or staying in a hotel. I enjoy camping because I would rather be outdoors than in a hotel. Also, it is much cheaper.
By Ferry
You can get to Alaska by ferry. The Alaska ferry departs from Bellingham, Washington, and Prince Rupert, British Columbia. The ferry ride in itself is great. You will go to the same places and see the same scenery as people on the cruise ship at a fraction of the cost. With the ferry, you also have the option to spend the night at any port along the way and continue your trip on the next ferry. You can even rent a cabin with bunk beds and a private washroom with a shower.
The ferry travels closer to islands and the shore than the huge cruise ships can. This is more scenic and allows you to see wildlife, such as Sea Otters. I travelled on the Alaska Ferry from Prince Rupert to Skagway. The details of that trip are here:
https://mythatchedhut.com/alaska-ferry/
Fly
Of course, you can fly to Alaska if time is limited. But then you are forced to rent a car and stay in hotels, which can be expensive for a short visit.
Combo Drive and Ferry
If you have a friend that you trust to drive your vehicle, you can do a great combination trip by driving one way and returning on the ferry. You drive up, tour Alaska, and go back on the ferry. Your friend can come up on the ferry and, after they tour Alaska, bring the vehicle home for you.
Suggested itinerary for touring Alaska
Drive to Fairbanks on the Alaska Highway
Tour the Museum of the North. This is an excellent museum with examples of extinct Ice Age animals, such as the Steppe Bison, Arctic Lion, and Mammoth, current animals like the Grizzly Bear, and Aboriginal art and clothing.
Tour the Fountainhead Antique Car Museum. If you like antique autos, this is one of the best car museums in North America.
Denali National Park
Drive south to Denali National Park. Spend a couple of days here. You may drive only the first 15 miles into the park. To go further, you must must take the park bus. You have an excellent chance to see Grizzly Bears, Caribou, and other animals. You can get on and off the bus anytime you want. To experience the park, you should get off and walk for a while. You can return on any bus that comes along except private tour buses. On a nice day, you can see Mount Denali, the highest mountain in North America.
Update 2024: The road is currently closed at mile 43 due to a landslide and will remain closed until the end of the summer of 2026.
My trip to Denali National Park
Denali National Park website for current information
Anchorage
Drive south to Anchorage. You might want to take a day here for shopping and laundry. If you need some reading material, there is a huge used book store called Tidal Wave on Northern Lights Blvd. It is one of the largest used bookstores in the United States, with more than half a million used books. They also have movies on DVD and music CDs.
The Alaska Native Heritage Center is a replica aboriginal village with one building representing each tribe or culture of Alaska’s native people. It is well worth a visit. The center also has native dance and song displays.
The Kenai Peninsula
From Anchorage, head south to the Kenai Peninsula. This beautiful region will be the highlight of your trip.
Spend a couple of days on the Homer Spit. The Spit is a tiny piece of land that juts out in the water like a miniature peninsula. Take a walk along the shore, and you will see Bald Eagles, Black-legged Kittiwakes and several other species of birds. There are plenty of interesting little shops and seafood restaurants.
From Homer, you can take a boat tour to Seldovia. This town is on the other side of the bay and is inaccessible by road. Along the way, you will see many sea birds, Sea Otters, and other wildlife. This is a very pleasant way to spend a day.
Also, from Homer, you can take a Grizzly Bear-watching tour to Katma. Although very good, this involves an aeroplane ride to Katmai, which is quite expensive. If you are driving to and from Alaska, you will undoubtedly see a few Grizzlies along the way.
Seward
Next, make your way to Seward. There is an excellent aquarium with a huge Steller Sealion and plenty of pelagic (sea) birds. The Exit Glacier is nearby.
If you like birds, take a boat tour to Kenai Fords National Park. You will probably see some great birds, such as puffins as well as sea lions, whales, and other sea life, and some glaciers. This is another excellent day trip.
Valdez
Travel to Valdez. I think Homer and Valdez are the nicest places on this itinerary. Valdez has a fascinating museum, and the Worthington Glacier is nearby, but the best thing to do here is take a cruise along the coast to Prince William Sound. You will see whales, spectacular scenery, and get close to a massive glacier. Although this is southern Alaska, you will think you are in the high Arctic. It’s definitely one of the best day trips to take in Alaska.
Tern Lake
If you have a canoe, stop for a while at Tern Lake. You might see Arctic Terns, Trumpeter Swans, Beavers, and Muskrats. Look for Salmon along Daves Creek on the western side of the lake. There is a campground here. This is a great spot for a very pleasant and relaxing day before returning to Canada.
Wrangel St Elias National Park
If you have an appropriate vehicle, you can visit Wrangell St. Elias National Park. There are two roads into the park. I took the northern route. Do not attempt this in a car. You will need a high-clearance vehicle with four-wheel drive. There are a couple of small streams to cross. If it is a clear day, there will be some incredible scenery. A little hamlet at the end of the road has a restaurant and a bed-and-breakfast if you want to stop overnight or just for tea and cake.
Southeast Alaska
The Southeast Alaska panhandle is inaccessible by road except for the towns of Skagway and Hyder. To tour this part of Alaska, you must travel by ferry. (See “by ferry” above).
I had a wonderful time touring Alaska, and I am sure you will also. It will be a trip that you will never forget.