Few places in the world generate as much awe as Alaska. It’s a region that inspires huge aspirations and epic experiences, with a breathtakingly beautiful and pristine environment, towering, snow-capped peaks, and prolific wildlife. While it’s a haven for powder hounds, anglers, hikers, campers, and other outdoor enthusiasts, it’s also a location with culturally rich cities and charmingly quirky towns where artists, chefs, and history aficionados are all welcome. It can be difficult to know where to begin when there is so much ground to cover and so many opportunities for one-of-a-kind adventures. Consider this Alaska Travel Guide a starting point for you.
Embark on a Glacier
Glaciers cover more than 5% of Alaska’s land area, with over 100,000 in the state. Some, like Ruth Glacier, whose top reaches are only three miles from Denali’s summit, are difficult to reach. There are, however, dozens of glaciers that are easily accessible throughout the state, including Matanuska Glacier, Byron Glacier, Portage Glacier, Exit Glacier, and many others. There are several guide companies, such as NOVA Glacier Guides and Kennicott Wilderness Guides, that can assist you in securely exploring ice caves and cracks (and provide all the necessary gear, like crampons).
Journey to the Arctic Circle
Only a small fraction of visitors to Alaska make it past the Arctic Circle, and those that do are rewarded with some real bragging rights. The Arctic Circle Fly/Drive Adventure, which takes guests up to Coldfoot, an encampment in the Brooks Mountain Range, and then back to Fairbanks via mountain passes and tundra, stopping at the Trans Alaska Pipeline, roadhouses, remote villages, the Yukon River, and, of course, the famous Arctic Circle sign, is a must-see. They also make stops at various northern lights viewing locations in the winter.
Take a look at what’s going on in the local brewing scene
Few things are more refreshing than plopping down in the beer garden or tasting room with a pint of locally produced suds after summiting a mountain or landing the fish that will spawn “it was this large” legends for decades to come. In Alaska, there are approximately 40 breweries, with many more on the way.
In the Kenai Fjords National Park, you may kayak
Paddling a tandem kayak over bobbing pieces of glacier ice has an inexplicable allure. Sunny Cove Sea Kayaking in Seward, Alaska, offers an easy, guided three-hour paddling trip near an actively calving, but infrequently frequented tidewater glacier during the summer months. To reach there, you take a private boat around Resurrection Bay, where you can witness bald eagles, otters, Stellar sea lions, orca and humpback whales, and puffins during the summer months.
Learn about Alaska’s history at the state’s largest cultural institution
The Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage strives to inform tourists about Alaska’s 213 Indigenous tribes’ traditional and current traditions. Dance, sculpture, full-scale traditional houses, and more are among the exhibits that span over 10,000 years of history and culture. Throughout the day, there is programming and demonstrations, as well as professionals available to answer questions.
Take a trip to Anchorage
Travellers commonly fly into or out of Anchorage, stopping only long enough to pick up a rental car before travelling north to Denali or south to the Kenai Peninsula. But they’re missing out on so much of what makes Alaska unique–a there’s reason Anchorage is home to half of the state’s population. Spend time at the Anchorage Museum, cycle around town, or hike in nearby Chugach State Park, dine at world-class restaurants and catch king salmon in Ship Creek, an urban fishery that runs directly through downtown.
The search of the Northern Lights
This ethereal, solar-powered dance is one of the most awe-inspiring things I’ve ever seen. Scientists assess geomagnetic activity and predict the possibility of the Aurora Borealis appearing on a scale of zero to nine. It’s hard to say when Alaska’s most sought-after evening performance will begin.
