AlaskaTravel

Looking for travel advice as you plan your Alaska trip? You've come to the right place for advice – with no snarky side dish.

Posts that tend to do well in the group:

1. Are specific – they show you've done a bit of research and are looking for expert advice/outside input, not free help planning your whole trip.
2. Give us enough to help – include where and when you plan to travel, since Alaska is huge and the seasons vary greatly.
3. Share your own experiences – trip recaps and photos are welcome, but photos/videos shared must be your own (no copyright theft!)

Let's get your Alaska travel plan sorted, and help others do the same.

Me and my sister are flying into Fairbanks but want to make it down to Anchorage for a midnight hike in Chugach State Park on Solstice. I am wondering if anyone has made the trip via the Denali Star train and how was it? It looks like a 12hr ride which should be fine since we are staying up all night anyway. Would you do it again? Is it worth the price to get that ticket that includes a meal and some adult beverages?

Hello everyone I am a solo traveler and I just started planning my alaska trip and so far I have figured out the locations I would like to visit and activities but still not sure if durable in 14 full days. I still haven't figured out how to move between things and if joining tours that can pick me up so I don't have to drive by myself.

These are the mains: Kenai Fjords NP, Homer (possible day cruise to see whales or cruise/kayak from Valdez) MATANUSKA Glacier full day ice climb St Elias NP (possible 2-3 days backpacking and wild camp expedition), can be somewhere else too as long as I can join a overnight camping tour/hike. Glacier bay NP - Kayak and overnight camping expedition 3 days?

I would like to join a couple of multiday tours, one on water with kayaks and one backpacking in the wild. Also I was looking at helicopter flight to go on top of a glacier to paddle board in streams and some ice climb too.

Maybe is too much so any help is much appreciated 🙏😊

We are headed to Alaska this weekend of June 1 and our itinerary is driving upto Wasilla and kenai fjords from anchorage. We will be doing hikes, boat and glacier tours What kind of clothing should we pack and anything else we should bring along for the weather there e.g. mosquito spray etc also

which are the must see places in the palmer area besides matanuska glacier

Thanks in advance

Me, husband (paralyzed, quadriplegic on breathing machine, wheelchair bounded), in laws (both at their 70). Will be driving from anchorage to Denali ( Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge to be exact), not really all the way to Denali. But the driving will be a whole day thing.

Want to know on the way of driving. Where to stop by?

Not interested in helicopter or museum or mine or long hike.

I looked up reindeer farm and eagle river nature center, but some other said they are not worth it. So want to know advice?

Also looked up Iditarod, not sure if it is worth it? Also may stop by talkeetna. But not sure what to do at talkeetna, felt like a tourist trap town. But any suggestions are welcomed!!

I am planning a trip this August 2-16th. I am flying into anchorage. I visited Fairbanks a couple years back in February and fell in love with it and have wanted to go back in visit Alaska during the warmer wear love the outdoors. I am an avid hiker, camper, and backpacker from a state with high atlitude. What are the must see national parks (or state!) doable in this time period and heading out from anchorage. At this point in time I have an open budget and have not yet booking housing accommodations but will do so very soon so I am up for any and all recommendations! TIA !

EDIT: Had a brain-fart and put Anchorage in the title instead of Fairbanks. smh.

Hi everyone! My partner and I will be flying into Fairbanks in early July, staying for a few nights at the Princess Riverside Lodge and then meeting up with his family and driving somewhere to camp. Due to our last-minuteness, we weren't able to get a rental car for our time in Fairbanks. How is Uber/Lyft there? We have no set plans for our time in town, which I love and hate, so if you have any recommendations on things to do that would be possible with no car, please share. As far as camping goes, I have bear/bug spray, a sleep mask, long clothing and a head net on my list. Someone I'm camping with will have a gun. Anything else I should add? Thank you in advance. Very new to traveling, and this is a big trip for us, so any help is appreciated.

Not interested in museums etc . Want to enjoy nature and wild life.

Thinking of this itinerary-

(1) if we have picked the right cities, open to suggestions in changing itinerary to focus on the right cities

(2) please advise some must do activites in each of these cities ( which boat tours are a must do) and

(3) accomodations in each city that you recommend

(4) tips on what to bring for this weather

June 1 arrive late night

June 2- drive to seward after lunch, stay night in seward

June 3 - Kenai fords NP, take boat tour if its a must see stay night in seward

June 4- seward to girdwood, local hike, ride the Alyeska Resort Aerial Tram , stay night at girdwood

June 5- girdwood to matanuska glacier , take guided tour, drive to wasilla or palmer from there

June 6- explore area around wasilla/palmer

June 7 drive back to anchorage

Any favorite brands? I don’t want to spend a fortune but I get eaten alive when I travel anywhere. I even got mosquito bites through my wool leggings the other day (in May in Northern California!).

When you travelled here, what types of souvenirs do you typically gravitate towards? Why? What age range are you in?

I will be arriving to Denali with the train, but all the lodging locations are far from the park. Is it necessary to rent a car or are there shuttles that you know of? Any advice would be very appreciated!

Ps: trip will be in the second part of August

Looking for a natural outdoor hotsprings to soak in September in the Anchorage or Fairbanks areas or in between. Chena is the only one I know of. How is it? Any other recommendations?

I am looking for a helicopter flight tour when we visit Alaska in early August. But my partner (who loves to research), keeps finding me articles about crashes in Alaska. The group Alaska Helicopter Tours is an easy company to find, so are the two major crashes associated with them in just the past couple years.

Which company out there actually has a safe record, versus just claiming it online?

Hi everyone,

I’m traveling to Alaska (anchorage) for a few days on 21st September for my honeymoon.

I’ve been looking at doing some trips in Seward but I’m starting to panic I’ve booked the wrong dates as a few of the travel websites say the train/bus stops on the 15th September from Anchorage to Seward.

Just hoping to get a bit of advice please 🙏

My family and I are going on an Alaskan Princess cruise in August. We're hitting Mt. McKinley, Denali, Icy Strait, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Vancouver! Wondering if anyone has any insight of must see excursions or experiences. We have some information for the excursions through the cruiseline but they are VERY expensive and spots are limited. Thank you so any suggestions and advice!!!

We are taking a cruise/land trip with Princess in June, and in retrospect, if I had better understood how the land portion worked and done more research on my own options, I wouldn't have booked through Princess. That being said, we did! I'm looking for creative options that allow us to ditch the Princess land rides. There are 6 of us.

We are looking for ways to add more flexibility and autonomy into our land portion of the trip. We end the cruise portion in Whittier, and the cruise line has planned: coach bus to their lodge in Cooper Landing for a 1 night stay, coach bus to their lodge in Trapper Creek for a 1 night stay, rail (via Talkeetna) to their lodge in Denali for a 2 night stay, before shuttling us to Fairbanks for the end of our trip.

What we would like to do instead is: Disembark in Whittier and shuttle into Anchorage, where we would rent a car. We would do our own excursion in Anchorage, then drive to the Cooper Landing lodge; and the following morning drive to Seward for our own excursion then drive up to the Trapper Creek lodge. We would like to ride the planned rail to the Denali lodge. The wrinkle of course is where do we return the car and how do we get to our next stop????

The perfect scenario is being able to drop the car in Talkeetna when we get on the train to Denali - there are no rental car agencies in Talkeetna, does anyone know of a rental or transportation service that could provide that option for us?

We would be ok dropping the car off in Seward or Wasilla (it looks like Enterprise is the only car rental agency in Wasilla that also has an Anchorage location?) - but then need to get to Trapper Creek (or Talkeetna depending on how we finagle timing). And not have a private (or shared) transfer cost $2000!

Any ideas??

Hi all,

I am flying to Alaska end of August with my wife. I was debating between these 2 Knik glacier flightseeing options. Cost for Grand Knik is almost double of the Knik Glacier Landing.

https://www.alaskahelicoptertours.com/knik-glacier-landing

https://www.alaskahelicoptertours.com/grand-knik-glacier-tour

What are the 2 extra landing spots in the Grand Knik Tour and are they worth the cost?

Also, compared with the South Side Explorer with Glacier Landing by Talkeetna Air Taxi, which one would be better to do, Talkeetna or Knik?

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g31136-d21284274-South_Side_Explorer_with_Glacier_Landing-Talkeetna_Alaska.html

Thank you!

Would love some advice for what to pack and focus on for our first trip cruising to Alaska in a couple weeks. We are big campers and hikers, and would love to escape crowds when possible. We're sailing the inside passage from Vancouver and hitting up Icy Straight, Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan on Celebrity. Any activities that are not-to be missed in these spots? Any options outside the cruise offerings we should look up?

We live in Wisconsin, so no strangers to cold, but we don't want to overpack either, anticipating the wrong kind of cold, wet, or windy conditions. Any advice is much appreciated!

(So far in my searching it sounds like plenty of layers is best, with anticipation of some wetness and wind, and a solid pair of hiking or trekking boots should do well and be veritile enough. Does that sound right? No need for winter coats or rain pants?)

Planning to visit Anchorage, Alaska as part of a work trip. Can't change much in terms of number of days or home base

This is the itinerary I have so far

I will be going with just me and my husband and we are flying in. Interested in seeing glaciers and wildlife. Not much into hikes

Day 1 : After work - -Alaska conservation center -Turnagain Arm Scenic Boardwalk

Day 2: After work - -Beluga point -Bird point

Day 3: (whole day off) -Drive to Whittier to go to 26 Glacier Cruise -Check out Portage glacier on the way back

Day 4: ,(whole day off) -Drive to Seward Kenai fjords 6h tour -Check out Seward

Day 5 : departing day - Eklutna lake if possible

What would you keep/ change? Also any must see/do in the city of Anchorage itself?

From Denali National Park's Facebook page:

The Denali Park Road is now open to Teklanika (Mile 30)!

Whether you’re looking forward to an annual spring trip or this will be your first visit to Teklanika, review this information for a fun and safe visit.

• Start your trip at the Winter Visitor Center: Before driving to Teklanika, stop by the visitor center to pay your entrance fee and get the latest information on road conditions.

• Expect variable conditions: While recent weather has been warm, you may still encounter snow, ice, and mud on portions of the road, particularly in shaded sections.

• Watch for heavy equipment traffic and use caution when walking or biking on the road past Teklanika.

• The Park Road is closed at the East Fork Bridge (Mile 43) to all users, including pedestrians and bikers.

• Pit toilets are available at Mountain Vista, Savage River, and Teklanika.

• Bears are becoming active after the long winter: Carry bear spray and know how to use it. Stay at least 300 yards away from bears and 25 yards from all other wildlife.

The road will remain open to Teklanika, weather permitting, through May 19, 2024. Weather conditions can change rapidly at this time of the year, and the road may temporarily close closer to the park entrance. Check online or contact us for the latest road information: www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

Heading to Alaska on a NCL cruise from Vancouver at the end of June. I’m having a hard time picking excursions, I don’t want to miss anything. Help!

Hi, I am planning a two week trip to Alaska with two friends. We’re still trying to figure out what would be the best itinerary in that amount of time, what locations not to miss, how long to stay there, what can be avoided. Also we’re not sure if we should rent a car or use public transportation. Of course if there are some advices on tour names, recommendations on where to sleep etc that would be very helpful!

Week-Long Trip in August

Hi!

A few of us are outdoorsy, healthy males and are looking tn finally make this trip.

Wanted to see a few suggestions available to us when planning a trip.

We plan on coming in for about a week in mid August. Our plan is to camp for a couple nights in Denali, spend a few days in anchorage, and potentially see a glacier via tour or something.

Is there something we need to specifically reserve ahead of time? Lodging looks to be very available for when we’re looking! I also am looking for potential itineraries and resources to utilize for this.

Thanks! Gi