If Alaska isn’t already on your bucket list, it should be.
An astoundingly beautiful state rich in history, give Alaska half a chance and it will blow your mind. Despite it’s vastness, Alaska’s wonders are surprisingly accessible – making it the perfect destination for families and adventurers alike. There should be so many more items on this list, but here’s my top 5 reasons for heading to the 49th state.
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The Inside Passage
Number One on the Top 5 Reasons to Visit Alaska has got to be the Inside Passage. This is the first taste most international travellers have of Alaska, and for good reason. A large portion of South East Alaska is only accessible by plane or boat, so cruising up the coast and around the islands is both practical and spectacular. In particular, the fjords around Glacier Bay National Park are a must-see if you love stunning scenery and watching wildlife in their natural habitat.
There are many cruise options available but basically a small ship cruise (200 passengers or less) will get you up close and personal and provide more opportunity for a bit of adventure, whereas a larger ship (Royal Caribbean, Princess, etc) will likely be cheaper and have more on-board entertainment. Read more about my experience on a small ship cruise through Alaska’s Inside Passage.
The Northern Lights
There are only a select handful of places in the world you can see the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights – and Alaska is one of them, making it an easy pick on the Top 5 Reasons to Visit Alaska list. While they’re visible throughout the state, your best bet for a really good viewing is near Fairbanks – which falls right under the Aurora Oval.
On a particularly active night you’ll see them dancing outside your hotel window right in the city, but for the best views (and photos) you need to get away from the ambient lights of town. Some of the best photos of the Northern Lights I got were pulled over on the side of the road heading North!
Peak viewing time is from September through to April, 10pm-2am, so rug up warm and don’t forget the coffee. The Northern Alaska Tour Company and 1st Alaska Tours both have fabulous set ups out of town for the ultimate aurora experience. Choose to either hang out at the Aurora Lodge, or park yourself in front of a campfire with some delicious s’mores If you want to record your experience you’ll need a camera or phone app that allows you to take long exposure shots, but the guides will be more than happy to help you with the details.
The Adventure
Where else can you hike over 4000-year-old glaciers, kayak through pristine fjords, dog sled along Iditarod training trails and surf the Northern Pacific all on one vacation? A haven for active travellers, Alaska has something to offer every level of adventurer – from the absolute beginner to the most intrepid – and most are within a few hours drive of the nearest city.
The National Parks
Alaska is home to a staggering 24 National Parks, from the Bering Land Bridge in the North to Glacier Bay National Park in the Southeast. We only managed to tick off a few on our first foray to the 49th State, but were seriously impressed with how well they were set up and facilitated. If there’s one thing the US does really well, it’s National Parks!
Denali National Park is one of the best known of the 24, a real Alaskan icon and at the top of any “must-see” list. A massive 6 million acres in size, the park encompasses the Alaska Range, including of course the daunting Mt McKinley from which Denali NP got it’s name. With only one road running through the park there’s more untouched wilderness here than you’re likely to experience anywhere else (except for maybe Wrangell-St Elias NP, also in Alaska).
You can camp in the park itself or stay a few minutes down the road in one of the many mountain lodges. It’s a pleasant drive from Fairbanks or Anchorage, or you can hop on the Alaska Railroad which stops right by the Park information centre. The park is open year-round but accessibility is easiest from May to September.
The Alaska Railroad will also transport you out to the Kenai Fjords National Park – a scenic 4-hour ride from Anchorage down the Turnagain Arm and through Chugach rainforest (click here for the full story). Kenai Fjords NP is home to the Harding Icefield and the 40-odd glaciers that flow from it. The fjords themselves are as beautiful as anything you’ll see in the Southeast and easily accessible by day cruise from Seward.
The Wildlife
It kind of seems a tad too obvious to mention, but wildlife in Alaska is abundant! While there are plenty of conservation centres where you can check it out from behind a fence, if you keep you eyes peeled you’ll likely spot a fair few examples while you’re out exploring – although I still have yet to see a moose in the wild!
On land you’re might run into wolves, caribou, bison, bear and bald eagles, while out in the fjords you’ll find humpback whales, orca, otters, seals and a huge variety of seabirds (including puffins!).
The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Centre just outside of Anchorage is worth a visit for the bear and wolves alone. Or if you prefer your wildlife feathered check out the Alaska Raptor Centre in Sitka, where they rehabilitate these magnificent birds after they’ve been injured.
AUTHOR BIO
Anita | Burgess Travellers
Anita Burgess is in the business of making memorable family moments. Soccer mum, travel broker & writer, she’s happiest with a camera in her hand and the sand between her toes. Find insider travel tips and inspiration for your memorable moments on her blog, Burgess Travellers, or get in touch if you’re ready to make your holiday happen.
DISCLAIMER: I was hosted in Alaska on a travel agent FAM trip. However, all opinions expressed in this article are my own and are not in any way influenced by my hosts. This post may contain affiliate links for products I love. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you. All affiliate products and companies are recommended by Burgess Travel Co and may or may not be products used by the featured traveller. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
We took a three generation trip to Alaska last summer and loved it. It was amazing and I can’t wait to go back!
Cool! There’s so much to see, it’s impossible to do it all in one trip.
Alaska is definitely on my bucket list. S’mores and the northern lights? I’m in!
I’d love to go to Alaska someday. The scenery looks stunning, and I’d love to see the Northern Lights. It’s definitely on my list! I am really interested in perhaps taking a cruise there some time. Here’s dreaming!
Photographing the Northern Lights was definitely a dream come true for me – I don’t know how that view could ever get old!
Anita,
This website is gorgeous! I love all of your pictures. Alaska has always been on my bucket list, especially in the last couple of years. I hope to get there in the next couple of years. Have you been to many of the National Parks?
Thanks Brooke! We made it to a few – Glacier Bay, Denali & Kenai Fjords were all amazing, and I love how the rangers are so approachable.
I can’t wait to take an Alaskan vacation! I think our daughter just needs to be a little older so that we can experience more activities and longer hikes. I’d love to take your advice and take a smaller ship to see some things closer!
This was a kids free trip for us but I’m dying to take the kids there now! Our youngest is four right now, so we’ll probably give it a few years and let his legs grow a bit 😉
Great photos and great information. I have never heard of the Inside Passage but it looks amazing! The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Centre looks amazing – I love that photo. Are the animals in a fenced area or you are just walking around keeping your distance from them??
It was amazing, and really well set up! The animals are fenced but have big spaces to roam through so it doesn’t feel too much like a zoo. There’s a raised boardwalk through the bear enclosure so you get great views without the fencing in between you and them.
Alaska seems beautiful! When would you say is the best time of year? It didn’t look like you had too much snow during your time there.
No snow at all! We went right at the end of the summer season (early September) but it was still colder than I was expecting. The weather is very changeable so you really need to pack for all occasions! I loved travelling in September – it felt like we got the best of both worlds. Wildlife was still out and about but we also got to see the Northern Lights, which you can’t see during peak summer (June/July).
I’ve done an Inside Passage cruise (Princess), which took us past absolutely stunning glaciers and fjords. But next trip we won’t do a cruise because it just doesn’t give enough time to explore the area during the ports of call – debating flying both ways or possibly a ferry ride one way.
Yeah the Inside Passage cruises are great for a taster, but then you just want to go back for more! Our cruise with Alaskan Dream Cruises spent the whole 7 nights in South East Alaska, which was fabulous and we got quite an in depth look at that area. Plus starting and finishing in Juneau/Sitka means you can add on as much time as you want to explore those ports. Not that we did…. but next time!
I spent three months in Alaska and LOVED it – for the same reasons you wrote about! You nailed it. Although it is tough to pick my favorite from your list, it is probably seeing the northern lights. Like you said, there are very few places to see them – or at least see them well. Those nights seeing the lights from my secluded campsite off in the middle of nowhere are some of the best nights I have experienced.
Absolutely. There’s just nothing to compare to that sight, is there? I could watch them (and did!) for hours…
Alaska is in our bucket list for sure! We’re still waiting for the right time to go there. I’m glad you gave information on the perfect time to see the Northern Light. And I also want to see the bears catching the salmon. So far the closest I got to Alaska was from above, when our flight flew over Alaska. And it was a breathtaking view!
We flew up and down the state a couple of times and each time I was glued to the window with my camera! Stunning!
Alaska has long been high on the places I want to experience and all 5 of the reasons you’ve listed are exactly why I want to see this incredible place for myself. Just the whole experience appeals to me, in being in such a remote area, seeing how people still live on basics , hunting and fending for themselves braving the harsh winters, and the wildlife, it would be so cool to see a bear trying to catch a salmon 😀 – I Have bookmarked this post for when I eventually get to have my own wild Alaska adventure 😀