Alaska: A Complete Travel Guide

Posted byAmith RampurPosted inUncategorizedTags:, , , ,

(Image: Portage Glacier)

  1. About – A Little History
  2. How To Visit
  3. Best Time to Visit
  4. Top Things To Do & See in Alaska
  5. What did we miss in this trip and what we plan to cover in our next visit?

About – A little History

Alaska is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. It is the largest U.S. state by area, comprising more total area than the three largest states of Texas, California, and Montana combined, and is the sixth-largest subnational division in the world.

The state contains the four largest cities in the United States by area, including the state capital of Juneau. The state’s most populous city is Anchorage, and approximately half of Alaska’s residents live within its metropolitan area.

After months of planning and much hesitation about whether to take this trip—mainly because it’s the most expensive one we’ve ever considered, we finally decided to check this destination off our bucket list for the year. While planning, we often wondered why everything in Alaska was so expensive, but once we arrived, we understood. To be honest, whatever we spent on this trip was totally worth it! This was our most memorable and expensive trip of 2024.

How to visit

Best way to travel to Alaska depends on your starting location, budget, and how much time you have. The fastest and most way to reach Alaska is by Air. If you are looking for more scenic and relaxing, then taking a scenic cruise might be the best option. You can also do a mix of Train & Ferry to get a mix of land and sea travel with great views.

By Air

The fastest way to reach Alaska would be to fly to either Anchorage International Airport (ANC) which is the main hub, or you can also fly into Fairbanks (FAI), Juneau (JNU), and smaller regional airports. We recommend flying to either Anchorage or Fairbanks airport. We decided to travel from South to North and we flew into Anchorage International Airport.

Note: Anchorage and Fairbanks airport have good domestic flight connectivity. Book through either Kayak or Alaska Airlines to get good deals.

By Scenic Cruise

If you have more time and looking for slower relaxing journey, then you can chose this option. Cruises to Alaska typically leave from Seattle, Vancouver, or San Francisco. Most cruises explore the Inside Passage, stopping at places like Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway.

Note: You will need to plan for at least 7 – 10 days if you are planning to take this option.

By Train & Ferry

If you will need a mix of land and sea travel with great views, you can take this option. You will need to take a train to Seattle or Bellingham, WA and then board the Alaska Marine Highway ferry to destinations like Ketchikan, Juneau, or Whittier.

Note: We do not recommend this option, just because its not that convenient than the other two options.

Important: To travel within Alaska and if you want to explore Denali National Park and don’t want to drive or either travel from Fairbanks to Anchorage or other way around, train will be your best option. We will cover more on train travel in this blog.

Best time to visit

Although Alaska offers plenty of activities during the winter, the best time to visit is usually summer (June, July, and August). This is the peak season, with the longest daylight hours—over 19 hours of sunlight and up to 22 hours of functional daylight.

One fascinating aspect of visiting during this time is that despite the extended daylight, hotels are well-equipped with heavy blackout curtains, which ensures a comfortable and restful sleep.

June – August -> Ideal for most summer activities like cruising, kayaking, wildlife and viewing.
May and early September -> Less crowded but still good weather for outdoor activities.
Winter Months (November – March) -> Best time to see northern lights, but you will expect very cold temperatures and very short daylight hours.

Top Things To Do & See in Alaska

Alaska is a place you can’t fully explore in just one trip, mainly due to its vast size and the amount of time required to experience it all. On this trip, we covered Denali National Park, Kenai Fjords National Park, and some of the top attractions in Fairbanks and Anchorage. Without further ado, let’s embark on an exciting journey and uncover some of the top attractions in Alaska.

  1. Anchorage – Top Attractions In & Around Anchorage
  2. Explore Seward
  3. Kenai Fjords National Park
  4. Talkeetna – Explore the beautiful town of Talkeetna
  5. Dog Sled Race
  6. Take Bush Plane to Visit Mt Denali
  7. Hop On the famous Alaska Railroad
  8. Visit Denali National Park
  9. Fairbanks – Explore Fairbanks Area

Visit Anchorage

To get to Alaska, there are two major international airports you can fly into: Anchorage International Airport in the south and Fairbanks International Airport in the north. We first landed at Anchorage Airport because we wanted to explore the southern part of Alaska before traveling north.

If you are looking for everything and knowing more on what Anchorage has to offer, things to do, where to eat, places to stay then, check out their website. This information can be very overwhelming if you are planning for the first time which is why we curated this blog post in a way that can help you to do top best attractions https://www.anchorage.net/?utm_source=anchorage.net&utm_medium=link&utm_content=listing&utm_campaign=national-consumer

There are several great attractions in and around the city of Anchorage. Some of our top picks are:

  • Downtown Anchorage

Anchorage downtown is beautiful especially when you visit during Summer. However we were little surprised to see homeless people near the downtown area. The downtown area has a mix of cultural sites, scenic spots and great local food.

  • Log Cabin Visitor Center

First thing you do when you are in Anchorage is to pay a visit at the Log Cabin Visitor Center. Its on the corner of 4th Avenue and F street. Stock up on travel information, and this is the also the place for your pick up for the ride with Anchorage Trolley Tours.

The downtown visitor center is open daily 9AM – 5PM. Please do check their website for the current hours of operation.

Address:
546 W 4th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501
Phone: (907) 257-2363

Important: Be here early, else you will have hard time getting a parking spot.

  • Anchorage Trolley Tours

You will first checkin yourself at the Log cabin visito center area and make sure you are there at least 20 mins before your departure time for the tour. They will also call you to make sure you will be reaching on time. So its important to plan this accordingly. For more information visit https://www.anchorage.net/listing/anchorage-trolley-tours/35748/ and check https://anchoragetrolley.com/

There are multiple tour options, Deluxe, One Hour, Salmon Express and during the winter they do Winter City Tour. We took the Deluxe tour and price was 55$ (refundable) per person and 50$ person (Non-refundable) and 30$ per child (refundable) ages 12 and under.

Was it worth it? Yes and we liked the tour. You will get to learn about some of Anchorage’s history.
Can you expect any wildlife? If you go in the morning tours, there are more chances. Although we went in the morning and we didn’t see any wildlife. So depends on your luck.
Can you skip it? If you don’t want to spend 2 hours of your time and rather want to do some thing else, then yeah you could skip this one.

How much time needed?
Plan at least 3 hours here.

Address:
546 W Fourth AveAnchorage, AK 99501
Phone: (907) 276-5603

  • Ulu Factory

If you are interested in knowing how the famous Ulu knives are being made by Alaskans, you need to visit this place.  If you can’t make it here during a weekday, demonstrations on the use and functionality of the Ulu are always available and the store staff can help you find other gifts and souvenir items while you view the factory operations from large picture windows. For more information, visit https://theulufactory.com/.

They are open Mon-Fri 8AM – 5PM and Sat & Sun 9AM – 6PM

Note: Plan for an hour of your time here

We bought home a small Ulu knife and they can cost anywhere around 25$ to 50$ or more depending on the size and you can also do customizations as well which might cost even more. For more information on how they are made, check out https://theulufactory.com/how-are-they-made/

Address:
211 W Ship Creek AveAnchorage, AK 99501-1603

Phone:
(907) 276-3119
(800) 488-5592

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC)

AWCC takes in orphaned and injured animals year-round and provides them a forever home. The sanctuary maintains over 200 acres of spacious habitats for resident animals to feel at home displaying their natural wild behavior as education ambassadors for their species. 

They say that getting a chance to see a wildlife is purely based on your luck and there is always 50-50 chances of seeing one even in places like Alaska. If you are very interested in seeing wildlife up close like Grizzly bears, Wolves, Reindeer, Foxes, Moose and others AWCC is the perfect place for you.

For list of animals, visit https://alaskawildlife.org/animals/.

Hours of Operation: We went in the month of June. For summer its open 7 days a week and 9AM – 7PM and last entry at 6PM. For more hours of operation, visit https://alaskawildlife.org/visit/#hours

What to do here? We didnt take any tours option and we did a self guided tour which we recommend as most cheapest option since tour prices are slightly higher. If you are still interested in tours, visit https://alaskawildlife.org/education/tours/

AWCC’s 1.5 mile loop is perfect for adventure in the winter months as well! Unique ways to explore the Center while enjoying the wildlife in the winter include gliding on your cross country skis, riding your fat bike, or utilizing AWCC’s complimentary kick-sleds.

If you are short on time, you can drive the 1.5 mile loop around the sanctuary. You can also walk if you have more time. If you are choosing drive option, please drive slowly and make sure you are within the speed limit.

Note: Even without the tours, you can still see wildlife up close.

Address: 43520 Seward Hwy, Girdwood, AK 99587

Phone: (907) 783-0058

General Admission: $27 per person (ages 13 and up)
Youth: $22 per person (ages 4 to 12)
Child: Free (3 and under)
Military: $24 per person (active US military with ID)
Alaska: $24 per person (Valid Alaska ID required. Year Round.)
Alaska Youth: $20 per person (ages 4 to 12. Valid Alaska ID required. Year Round.)

Important: We highly recommend this activity and ask you book the tickets online in advance to have that peace of mind and you don’t want to stand in line on the day of your visit to purchase them.

Seward

Seward is a port city in southern Alaska, set on an inlet on the Kenai Peninsula. Its also the gateway for the famous Kenai Fjords National Park, where glaciers flow from the Harding Icefield into coastal fjords.

With a population of 2735 people as 2023, Seward is fourth largest city in Kenai Peninsula Borough and named after the former United State Secretary of State William.H.Seward. Seward is the southern terminus of the Alaska Railroad and historic starting point of the original Iditarod Trail to Interior Alaska.

Seward has one of the few relatively intact Main Streets in Alaska, and gives you a good idea of what the territory’s early coastal towns looked like. Despite two destructive fires, some of the town’s earliest buildings are still standing. In its early days, it was a rough and rowdy area, a place where one of Seward’s most famous mascots held sway – for a time.

(Image: Seward port docking area to hop on the Kenai Fjords cruise tour)

Kenai Fjords National Park

This park is the perfect place to explore marine life, fish for salmon and halibut, and watch glacier ice tumble into the waters below.

Glaciers, waves, and mountains have shaped Kenai Fjords National Park over millennia, forging some of the most awe-inspiring and picturesque vistas in Alaska. With so many natural wonders and easy access via road, rail, and boat, it’s no surprise that the area draws visitors of all stripes.

How to get here

Kenai Fjords National Park is located just outside the town of Seward in south-central Alaska, 126 miles south of Anchorage. Even though the park is often inaccessible during the winter months, Seward is accessible year-round via the Seward Highway, a National Scenic Byway.

Follow the Seward Highway (AK-1) south from Anchorage. It will become AK-9 around mile 35 (87 miles from Anchorage) with AK-1 heading to Homer and Kenai. Continue on AK-9 to Seward. (Source: NPS)

Kenai Fjords National Park Visitor Center is located at (1212 4th Avenue, Seward, AK 99664).

Tip: If you stay at Breeze Inn hotel located at 303 N Harbor St, Seward, AK 99664, its just 1 min walk in to the checkin area.

Why do we recommend this?

If you are looking for doing something scenic, calm, peaceful and enjoy the marine life along with the Glacier Calving, you have to go to Kenai Fjords National Park. It felt so unreal and we loved every moment of our time here.

Important: If you are coming by car and not staying at the Breeze Inn hotel, you will need to drive to the parking lot area and then take the tours shuttle to the checkin area. if you chose to walk, you will need to walk 10 mins to reach the check in area. So plan accordingly.

Check-in address:
1304 W Fourth Avenue, Seward, AK 99664

Parking Lot Address:
208 Phoenix Road, Seward AK, 99664.

How much does it cost

There are multiple tour companies offering tours to Kenai Fjords. We chose https://www.alaskacollection.com/day-tours/kenai-fjords-tours/tours/ for their good rating and service.

When we visited, we had the dinner option on the Fox Island which was an amazing experience. Recently they seemed to have changed this experience and doing a Glacier Dinner Cruise instead which departs at 3PM. For more information, visit https://www.alaskacollection.com/day-tours/kenai-fjords-tours/national-park-tour/

There are plenty of other tour options, for more details visit https://www.alaskacollection.com/day-tours/kenai-fjords-tours/tours/#openseason=false

Total price for two adults was around : 544$ inclusive of all taxes and dinner.

Important: Arrive an hour before your departure to give you sufficient amount of time to check in. Also once you have reservation, make sure to request for meal options. We requested for veg meal options before hand.

Important Tips:

  • We recommend having a good telephoto lens and a very good camera if you are interested in taking pictures of wildlife especially humpback whales and Bald eagles. Most of the wildlife are too far from your boat and you will definitely need a good camera.
  • Alaska weather can be very harsh and you will need proper clothing. Bring extra layers just in case and also motion sickness tablets to avoid sea sickness.
  • Arrive early at the boat dock area to get good seats on the boat as its a first come first serve seating. You will also have an option to get a good view at the viewing deck.

(Image Left to Right: Dinner on Fox Island and the Gift Shop on the Island)

(Image: Exit Glacier at the Kenai Fjords area. It feels sad to see how they have receded since the last decade)

There are mile posts to show how badly they have receded and in the year 1917, they were actually near the area where the hike for the Exit Glacier used to start as you can see in the below picture and back in 1917, the glacier was pretty much near the main road and you didn’t have to hike at all to see the Glacier.

If you see in the below image, you will see in the map that the exit glacier was right near the area where the Exit Glacier Nature Center was.

Explore the beautiful Talkeetna town

Talkeetna is located at the confluence of three rivers, the Susitna, Chulitna, and Talkeetna. Talkeetna began in 1916 when the area was chosen as a district headquarters for the Alaska Railroad. Alaska railroad has a stop at Talkeetna and you can take this option if you just want to visit this beautiful town.

A post office opened as well as a sawmill, trading post, cigar and donkey store and other businesses as well as many cabins. In 1917, the residents encouraged the government to survey the lots on which their homes stood. In 1919, the railroad surveyed and auctioned eighty lots, 41 of which already had permanent structures on them. The average price at the sale was $14.25. (Source Wikipedia).

Visit Nagley’s store

This is a good morning stop in the beautiful town of Talkeetna. They have been part of Alaska since 1921. Its a small business convenience store.

This store is also known for its Cats and the well know Mayor Stubbs cat which was mayor since 2017. It sadly passed away in July 2017 at the age of 20 years old.

Hours of Operation: Everyday 7:30 AM – 9PM

Address: 13650 E Main St Talkeetna, AK 99676

For more details on the store, visit http://www.nagleysstore.com/home.html

Have ice cream at Shirley’s

Address: D St, Talkeetna, AK 99676

An amazing ice cream shop offering the unusual flavors, including fireweed and northern lights. The ice cream here felt so fresh and refreshing and we definitely recommend you try it.

Have coffee at Conscious Coffee

A cozy coffee place serving great coffee, bagels and smoothies. We love coffee and we loved this place. Overall this town itself was so charming and you can actually just cover the entire town by walking. Another fascinating part is if you take Alaska train, there is short stop at Talkeetna which is right in the middle of the town.

They are open everyday 8AM – 3PM local time.

Address: 13521 N Main St, Talkeetna, AK 99676

Phone:  (907) 733-7473

Have nice spinach bread (Talkeetna Spinach Bread)

This has to be the best Spinach Bread you could get out there. Prepared by the locals and they are part of Alaska for 24 years. Its in the small town of Talkeetna where the Airstream trailer is parked and open for business every day but Tuesday.  

The spinach bread is made with a spent grain bread base and then covered with a mix of cheese, garlic and spinach. Please check their timings before visiting as they are closed during winter time.

Address
13487 E Main St, Talkeetna, AK 99676

Phone: (907) 671-3287

Learn about the making of Birch Syrup

If you are interested in learning about how a different selection of syrups, ice cream and other products are made form Birch trees, you need to visit Alaska Birch Syrup.

If you are not into tasting syrups, you can skip this one. We recommend this one, plus its in Talkeetna and this visit shouldnt take more than an hour unless you want to do the tour which needs to be scheduled in advance.

Address: S, 38139 Talkeetna Spur Rd, Talkeetna, AK 99676
Phone: (907) 733-1409

Hours of operation: Winter hours are 11AM – 5PM Friday – Sunday and closed rest of the week. For summer hours May – Sep they are open 11AM – 6PM and you dont need any reservation and can just walk in.

For tour availability visit their website https://alaskabirchsyrup.com/

Iditarod Dog Sled race

If you love dogs, then you will love this activity. Pay a visit to “The Iditarod” (make sure you search for this on google maps) if you are interested in doing the dog sled race. Dog Sled race is part of Alaska history and its a tradition thats celebrated year round!

How much time needed here?

You will need at least an hour to 2 hrs here depending on the wait time to do the dog sled race. We went almost at the last minute before closing time and we didn’t have to wait much.

Note: Pricing per ride is $10 and they are open 7 days a week. Summer dog sled race is from 9AM – 5PM. There is also a gift shop and visitor center which is open 9AM-5PM. For more information, visit their website https://iditarod.com/plan-your-visit/

Physical Location
2100 S. Knik-Goose Bay Rd.
Wasilla, AK 99654

Fly over Mt Denali in a bush plane & Do Glacier Landing

This was undobtedly the one of the best thing to do when you are in Alaska. For more details on how to do this, visit our post.

Alaska Railroad

This was undoubtedly a wonderful experience and one among the best things to do in Alaska if you have time. We boarded the Denali Star route which runs from Faribanks to Anchorage. This route also has a stop in Denali National Park and you can take the half route stop with Denali stop as your final destination. We saw many people taking this option and this is also the best way to go to Denali if you dont want to drive more.

During our train journey, we were able to experience some of the hidden gems of Alaska and also this train route is considered one of the most scenic routes. This is also one of the best opportunity to view wildlife especially Moose. Moose is a very shy animal and the chances of finding one is very minimal since they leave so deep inside the forest.

In our train journey we were lucky enough to spot plenty of Moose (we saw around 7 or 8) but unfortunately we could not capture any images because of the moving train. The sad part is when you notice the wildlife feeling scared the moment these train pass them, and we could see Moose running away into the forest the moment it saw a train passing by.

The Alaska Railroad offers two classes: Adventure Class and Gold Class. Here’s how they differ:

  1. Gold Class:
    • Includes meals and beverages.
    • Comfortable, forward-facing seats
    • Features glass-dome ceilings for panoramic views.
  2. Adventure Class:
    • More budget-friendly (about 50% cheaper than Gold Class).
    • You need to pay for the food/beverages.
    • Comfortable, forward-facing seats
    • Provides a more laid-back, less crowded experience in some instances.

How much time needed here?

Plan a day for this if you are planning to do the entire route from Anchorage to Fairbanks or the other way around.

Important Notes:

  • Arrive at least 30 minutes before your departure time to allow ample time for boarding.
  • Late arrivals are not accepted. Be prepared for potential delays, as this is one of Alaska’s most popular activities.
  • We also noticed a significant number of elderly travelers enjoying this journey, making it a great experience for all ages.

If your schedule is packed, you can consider skipping the train ride and saving it for your next trip to Alaska. It’s a full-day activity, so plan accordingly!

How much does it cost?

Here’s a breakdown of ticket costs per person for a one-way trip:

  • June–September:
    • Adults: $282
    • Children: $142
  • May 14–31 & September 4–18):
    • Adults: $221
    • Children: $111

Our Recommendation

We highly recommend the Adventure Class, not just because it’s more affordable but also because we found it to be less crowded than Gold Class at times. Contrary to popular belief, Gold Class can feel just as busy—if not busier—due to its popularity. In Adventure Class, there were moments when we had the entire upper viewing deck to ourselves, especially as more passengers disembarked closer to their destinations. Unless you specifically want the added comfort and food inclusions, Adventure Class is an excellent choice.

Denali National Park

Denali National Park and Preserve, formerly known as Mount McKinley National Park, is a United States national park and preserve located in Interior Alaska, centered on Denali, the highest mountain in North America. The park and contiguous preserve encompass 6,045,153 acres which is larger than the state of New Hampshire. 

On December 2, 1980, 2,146,580-acre Denali Wilderness was established within the park. Denali’s landscape is a mix of forest at the lowest elevations, including deciduous taiga, with tundra at middle elevations, and glaciers, snow, and bare rock at the highest elevations. The longest glacier is the Kahiltna Glacier. Wintertime activities include dog sledding, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. 

Check in first at the Visitor center to gather information about the park and the park maps. Visitor Center is open only during Summer months and open 8:00 AM–6:00 PM from May – September.

For more information on the park and visitor center, visit https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/the-denali-visitor-center.htm

Why to visit this?

  • See Mt Denali
  • Experience a vast, unspoiled wilderness
  • Wildlife viewing opportunities

How to get here?

You can either take the Alaska railroad which stops at Denali or drive which takes about 5.3 hrs from Anchorage and 2.5 hrs from Fairbanks.

Important: Summer visitors will find the Denali Park Road restricted to private vehicles beyond the Savage River crossing at mile 15. We recommend that visitors traveling with or without private vehicles use Denali’s transit and tour buses to venture farther into the park. Free shuttles service the entrance area, sled dog kennels, and other stops along the park road up to mile 15.

Tours to visit Denali National Park post mile 15

We took the Tundra Wilderness tour which operates May – Sep every year and takes 5 – 5.5 hrs. Rates for the tour bus starts at 144.5$ per adult and 65$ per child. *which includes the park entry fee. If you have national park pass, you can reimburse the 15$ entry fee (Adults only).

Note: A small box lunch and bottled water are offered on the tour bus. For more information on the tours, visit https://www.denaliparkvillage.com/tours/tundra-wilderness-tour/

Important: Make sure you book the tours well in advance as they tend to get sold out very quickly.

Tips:

  • Make sure you pack layers of clothing because weather in Alaska can be very tricky.
  • Check in at-least 45 mins before your tour departure time.
  • Restroom breaks are every 90 mins so plan accordingly.
  • Make sure to have a good telephoto zoom lens because most of the animals live deeper in the park and you wont be able to see them from your tour bus unless they are close to the road.

Fairbanks

We felt Anchorage was more lively than the Fairbanks area and Anchorage had more attractions to do than Fairbanks. Although we shortlisted few places to visit, but due to time constraints we could only check the downtown area. We didn’t do much in Fairbanks.

Cookie Jar

Cookie Jar is a relaxed restaurant & bakery serving up all-day breakfast, soups & sandwiches, plus steak & seafood. Their cupcakes were amazing.

Address:1006 Cadillac Ct, Fairbanks, AK 99701
Phone: (907) 479-8319

Pioneer Park

Pioneer Park is a 44-acre city park in Fairbanks, Alaska, United States run by the Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Parks and Recreation. The park commemorates early Alaskan history with multiple museums and historic displays on site. The  park offers picnic shelter rentals and shops featuring local artisans, restaurants, museums, activities such as train, mini golf, and carousel rides and community events.

How much time needed? You can easily spend a day here. For local shops, visit https://www.fnsb.gov/674/Shop-Local

Park office is open Monday-Friday from 8 am-5 pm Year-Round.

Address: 1920 Lathrop Street
Fairbanks, AK 99701
Phone: 907-459-1087

Where we Stayed

Breeze Inn Seward

This was very close to the Kenai Fjords Tour check in area and sits in the heart of town of Seward. Accommodation was ok and could have been better. The hotel staff were not that friendly and felt unwelcomed.

Important: Please make sure you ask them for room which has Microwave in it. Not all the rooms have microwave and the rooms with this option charge more than the regular. We made a mistake of not seeing this while reserving and we had to walk from one building to another to just warm up the food. Huge disappointment.

Note: We do not recommend this one, unless you don’t have any other option and you need to stay in Seward for a slightly cheaper accommodation. Also Seward is a small town and there are not many accommodation options here.
https://www.breezeinn.com/

Physical Address:  303 N Harbor St, Seward, AK 99664
Phone: (907) 224-5237

Talkeetna Inn

This is in the heart of town of Talkeetna. Not a great accommodation and the rooms were very small. We couldn’t even store our luggages properly. You will have lots of problems if you come in late for check-in. Only the restaurant next door will be open for some drinks and nothing else.

We do not recommend staying here.

Eric’s Airbnb

Eric’s place was a good accommodation and if you are looking for fairly decent accommodation in Anchorage, this is the place for you. Although you might want to think if you are staying as a couple and are expecting king/queen size bed. We lived in one of the room which had two single beds. The accommodation had good wifi connectivity, dedicated workspace with HDTV and mini refrigerator and free parking on premises.

You can check more on the accommodation here:
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/49806689?source_impression_id=p3_1742535302_P35u3FKYPIFFrprw

Note: We chose this option because Anchorage is expensive if you are visting in the months of June – September. So plan accordingly.

Note: If you are looking for decent accommodation which is not too pricey we recommend this.

Aurora Denali Lodge – Denali National Park

This was hands down the best hotel we stayed. About 16 mins drive from the National Park and its in the town of Healy. The hotel was so nice and they called me about the late check in and made sure everything went very smoothly.

They even kept the togo morning breakfast in the fridge to make it easier to start our day. So far in the places we have visited and hotels we stayed, no hotel provided us this convenience. The rooms were also very clean and entire property was so quiet and amazing.

We only feel sad that we couldn’t stay longer or even meet the hotel staff. We definitely recommend staying here and next time we are in Denali, we will definitely stay here again. 5 stars from us for their service and accommodation.

Address: 249.5 Parks Hwy, Healy, AK 99743
Phone: (907) 683-4500

What we missed & what we plan to cover in our next trip

Alaska is a huge state with tons of attractions to do and its not something you can cover in one visit. There are 8 National Parks alone in Alaska and we only saw 2 in our visit 🙂 Below are the list of National Park we missed along with other top attractions.

  • Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve: Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is a national park of the United States that protects portions of the Brooks Range in northern Alaska. Gates of the Arctic is a wilderness park, with no roads or trails into the park lands, so visitors must fly or hike into the park. Access begins in Fairbanks, Alaska & there are several small airlines that provide daily flights into the communities of Bettles, Anaktuvuk Pass, and Coldfoot. Most visitors access the park by air taxi or hike in from the Dalton Highway or from the village of Anaktuvuk Pass. River crossings are necessary from both locations. For more information, visit https://www.nps.gov/gaar/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm
  • Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve: Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve lies west of Juneau, AK and can only be reached by plane or boat. The only road merely connects the small town of Gustavus and its airfield to park headquarters at Bartlett Cove (10 miles). Alaska Airlines provides daily jet service from Juneau to Gustavus (about 30 minutes) in the summer season. Year-round scheduled air service to Gustavus is also provided by a variety of small air taxis and charters. Many visitors arrive in Glacier Bay as passengers on board cruise ships, tour boats, charter boats, and their own private vessels.

    For more information, visit https://www.nps.gov/glba/index.htm
  • Katmai National Park & Preserve: This is undoubtedly a must visit National Park especially if you are interested in Brown Bears. For a budget traveler like us, this is something that needs lot of investment and without a doubt its a huge investment on the travel. Reason being its huge popularity and the way to reach there and the accommodation. If you want to stay overnight, you will need to enter the lottery for the Brooks Lodge overnight accommodations and there is already more than 2 years waiting time. As per the latest report, application period for 2026 is season is closed. For more information visit, https://katmailand.com/ The best way to do this park is to do a day trip which involves taking bush plane and boat to get to Katmai.

    Flying is the only option to get to Katmai since there are no road connectivity to the park. Most people who come here want to watch bears catching fish particularly during the salmon spawning season at Brooks Falls. For more information on bear viewing, top attractions and directions visit https://www.nps.gov/katm/planyourvisit/things2do.htm.
  • Kobuk Valley National Park: Kobuk Valley National Park is a national park of the United States in the Arctic region of northwestern Alaska, located about 25 miles north of the Arctic Circle. There are no roads to provide access, so planes take care of most transportation needs. Commercial airlines provide service from Anchorage to Kotzebue, or from Fairbanks to Bettles. Once in Kotzebue or Bettles, you must fly to the park with authorized air taxis. For more information, visit https://www.nps.gov/kova/index.htm
  • Lake Clark National Park & Preserve: Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is a land of stunning beauty. Volcanoes steam, salmon run, bears forage, and craggy mountains reflect in shimmering turquoise lakes. Here, too, local people and culture still depend on the land and water. Venture into the park to become part of the wilderness. Like many areas in Alaska, Lake Clark is not on the road system and travel takes place primarily by small plane. For more information on the park visit https://www.nps.gov/lacl/index.htm
  • Wrangell-St Elias National Park & Preserve: Wrangell-St. Elias is a vast national park that rises from the ocean all the way up to 18,008 ft. At 13.2 million acres, the park is the same size as Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Switzerland combined! Within this wild landscape, people continue to live off the land as they have done for centuries. This rugged, beautiful land is filled with opportunities for adventure. 

    This is the only park that you can visit by road. You can drive from Anchorage via the Glenn Highway or from the Alaska Highway cutoff at Tok, then continue on either the McCarthy Road or Nabesna Road into the park. For more information on the park, and top things to do, visit https://www.nps.gov/wrst/index.htm.
  • Watching Northern Lights and visiting Artic Circle: The Arctic Circle is an imaginary line around the Earth drawn parallel to the equator. Anything located above that line is what is referred to as “the Arctic.” In Alaska, a sign denoting the location of the Arctic Circle is located about a 5 hour drive north of Fairbanks along the Elliot and Dalton Highways. 

    You can drive the Dalton Highway, but you need to make sure you have a good clearance vehicle as the road is not maintained and its a gravel and dirt road and most of the rental vehicles dont allow to take their vehicles on this road. If you are not able to rent a car from regular rental companies, you can instead rent it from Alaska 4X4 Rentals, Alaska Overlander, or Alaska Auto Rental for this adventure. Also, it gets cold here in winter—temperatures as low as 82 below are said to have been recorded. The best option would be to chose a tour from Northern Alaska Tour Company. Its hassle free because they are licensed and expert drivers and can take care of everything for you. For more information, check https://www.northernalaska.com/tours/
  • Visit the beautiful Alaska capital Juneau and the town Ketchikan and take a tour to visit Mendenhall Glacier: You can take a tour to visit the glacier and also do whale watching. For more information, check the Get Your Guide site. You can also drive here. You will need to purchase a pass if you are visiting between May-September. For more information, visit the website https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/tongass/about-forest/offices/?cid=stelprdb5400800

Leave a comment