Must-Do Alaskan Activities
Must-Do Alaskan Activities: The Ultimate Alaska Vacation Guide
From the thunderous roar of calving glaciers to the eerie dance of the aurora borealis, Alaska offers a raw, unfiltered wilderness that will forever haunt your memory. This is a land of profound scale, where the silence is as vast as the mountains and every horizon promises an encounter with the sublime.
Planning an Alaska vacation can be overwhelming because of the sheer size of the Great Land. Stretching across five distinct regions with more coastline than the rest of the United States combined, navigating this frontier requires local insight. At Alaska Active, we specialize in transforming this vast geography into a seamless, life-changing adventure. To help you narrow down your itinerary, we have compiled the best and unique things to do in Alaska, ranging from high-altitude flightseeing to deep-sea fishing. These bucket-list Alaska excursions are essential for any first-time visitor or returning adventurer seeking the true spirit of the Last Frontier.
1. Glacier Cruises in Kenai Fjords and Prince William Sound
A glacier cruise is a cornerstone of any Alaska vacation, providing an up-close look at active tidewater glaciers. The two primary hubs for these day cruises are Seward and Whittier.
🔹 Seward is the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park. These boat tours are famous for combining glacier viewing with world-class whale watching. Travelers often spot humpback whales, orcas, and sea otters along the rugged coastline. The highlight is reaching Aialik Glacier or Holgate Glacier to witness ice calving—where massive chunks of ice crash into the sea, a phenomenon known as white thunder.
🔹 Whittier offers access to the calm waters of Prince William Sound. This area features the highest concentration of glaciers in the world, including the famous College Fjord. Because the sound is protected, these cruises are ideal for those who prefer smooth water. You will see 26 named glaciers and massive ice fields like the Harvard Glacier, often accompanied by harbor seals lounging on floating ice.
🔹 Juneau, Tracy Arm Fjord Cruise - Tracy Arm is a spectacular narrow fjord located south of Juneau. Cruises travel through steep granite cliffs, waterfalls, and drifting icebergs before reaching the twin Sawyer Glaciers. Wildlife sightings often include mountain goats, seals, and occasionally bears along the shoreline. These cruises are usually offered as day trips from Juneau and are known for dramatic scenery and close glacier views.
🔹 Gustavus, Glacier Bay Cruise (from cruise ships or small expedition vessels) - Glacier Bay National Park is one of Alaska’s most iconic glacier destinations. Most visitors experience it on cruise ships that spend a full day sailing through the bay. The park contains more than a dozen active tidewater glaciers, including Margerie and Grand Pacific Glacier. Rangers often board ships to narrate the journey, while passengers watch glaciers calve and wildlife such as sea lions, puffins, whales, and bears.
👉 Insider Tip: If you are prone to seasickness, choose a cruise from Whittier rather than Seward, as the protected waters of Prince William Sound are significantly calmer than the open-ocean swells of the Kenai Fjords.
2. Flightseeing Over Denali with Glacier Landings
Denali flightseeing is the only way to truly grasp the scale of the Alaska Range and North America’s tallest peak. Most tours depart from Talkeetna or the Denali Park entrance.
Flying in a ski-equipped bush plane allows you to soar past the Wickersham Wall—one of the world's highest vertical reliefs—and through the Great Gorge of the Ruth Glacier, which is deeper than the Grand Canyon. The ultimate upgrade is a glacier landing, where your pilot touches down on the ancient snow of the Don Sheldon Amphitheater. Standing on a glacier surrounded by 20,000-foot granite peaks is a transformative experience.
These tours provide a window seat for every passenger and are the best way to see the mountain, especially since Denali is only visible from the ground about 30% of the time. Whether you choose a summit tour or a shorter southside explorer, flightseeing offers a perspective of the Alaskan wilderness that is otherwise inaccessible.
3. Alaska Wildlife Viewing: Bears, Whales, and Moose
Wildlife viewing is a top reason for an Alaska vacation, offering a chance to see the "Big Five" in their natural habitat. From coastal fjords to inland tundra, the opportunities for wildlife photography are unmatched.
🔹 Marine Life in Kenai Fjords: A boat tour from Seward is the best way to see humpback whales, orcas, and sea otters. You'll also spot Steller sea lions and puffins along the rugged cliffs of Kenai Fjords National Park.
🔹 Bear Viewing in Katmai: For the ultimate Alaska bear viewing experience, fly into Katmai National Park and Preserve. It is world-famous for coastal brown bears, especially during the summer salmon runs.
🔹 Moose Sightings: While they wander throughout the state, the marshy areas near Anchorage and the Denali highway are hotspots for spotting these massive herbivores.
Whether you're on a marine wildlife cruise or a remote fly-in safari, seeing these iconic animals up close is a bucket-list experience for every traveler.
👉 Insider Tip: For the best shore-based wildlife viewing, head to Beluga Point or Potter Marsh just south of Anchorage at high tide; you can often see beluga whales surfacing just yards from the rocks and moose foraging in the wetlands simultaneously.
4. Bear Viewing at Brooks Falls: The Ultimate Grizzly Experience
Watching brown bears catch leaping salmon at Brooks Falls is the most iconic wildlife encounter in Katmai National Park and Preserve. This bucket-list Alaska excursion offers a front-row seat to one of nature’s most raw spectacles.
🔹 Peak Bear Viewing Season - The best time to see bears at Brooks Falls is during July, when the sockeye salmon run is at its height. A secondary peak occurs in September as bears return to the river to feast on spawning salmon before winter hibernation.
🔹 Getting to Brooks Falls -There are no roads to this remote destination. Most travelers book a fly-in bear viewing tour from Anchorage, Homer, or King Salmon. These scenic bush plane or floatplane flights provide incredible aerial views of the Katmai coast and volcanoes before landing on Naknek Lake.
🔹 The Viewing Experience - Upon arrival, all visitors attend a mandatory bear safety orientation. You will then walk a short trail to elevated viewing platforms. The Falls Platform is the premier spot for photography, allowing you to safely watch up to 20 or more bears competing for fish at the edge of the waterfall.
5. Chasing the Northern Lights in Fairbanks
The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, is Alaska’s most famous winter spectacle. For the best chance of a sighting, travelers head to Fairbanks, which is located directly under the "auroral oval"—a ring-shaped zone where aurora activity is most frequent.
🔹 Peak Aurora Season: The best time to see the Northern Lights in Alaska is from late August through April. This year, activity is expected to be exceptionally high as we approach the solar maximum, making for more frequent and vivid displays of green, purple, and red.
🔹 Top Viewing Locations: While Fairbanks is the hub, many visitors travel further north to Coldfoot - Wiseman, or Bettles Lodge near the Brooks Range for even darker skies and fewer city lights. For a comfortable hot-springs experience, Chena Hot Springs Resort offers outdoor geothermal pools and frequent aurora viewing opportunities in winter. Bettles, located above the Arctic Circle, is also known for excellent aurora visibility thanks to its extremely dark skies and remote location.
👉 Insider Tip: The lights are most active between 10 PM and 2 AM. To maximize your success, stay at least three nights in the Interior to account for weather and cloud cover. Many local lodges even offer "aurora wake-up calls" so you don't have to stay up all night waiting. If you are starting in Anchorage, the Alaska Railroad’s winter Aurora train to Fairbanks is a scenic and comfortable way to reach prime northern lights territory.
6. Dog Sledding and Mushing: Alaska's State Sport
Experience the thrill of dog sledding in Alaska, a tradition that dates back centuries and remains the state’s official sport. Whether you visit in the heat of summer or the heart of winter, mushing tours offer an unforgettable connection to the landscape and these incredible canine athletes.
🔹 Summer Glacier Dog Sledding: You don't need snow on the ground to go mushing. In the summer, popular helicopter dog sledding tours depart from Girdwood, Seward, or Juneau. You'll fly to a high-altitude glacier camp where teams of Alaskan Huskies live and train year-round. It is a rare chance to experience a "snow day" in July, complete with a sled ride across the ancient ice.
🔹 Winter Mushing Adventures: For the most authentic experience, visit between November and March. In hubs like Fairbanks and Anchorage - Willow, you can glide through frosted spruce forests on a traditional wooden sled. Many tours even offer a "Moonlight Mush," where you can drive a team under the Northern Lights.
🔹 Meet the Champions: Most excursions are led by veteran Iditarod or Yukon Quest mushers. You’ll visit the kennels, learn the "Gee" and "Haw" commands, and—the highlight for many—spend time cuddling the next generation of champions during puppy socializations.
👉 Insider Tip: The best insider tip for dog sledding is to visit a kennel that has Iditarod or Yukon Quest bloodlines; many top mushers offer "puppy socializations" where you can help train the next generation of athletes, which is often the highlight of the trip.
7. Scenic Alaska Railroad Journeys
A trip on the Alaska Railroad is widely considered one of the most spectacular train rides in the world. It is a relaxing and scenic alternative to driving, connecting the state’s top destinations like Anchorage, Denali National Park, and Seward.
🔹 The Coastal Classic (Anchorage to Seward): This route is a traveler favorite. It winds along the Turnagain Arm, where the mountains meet the sea, before climbing through the rugged Kenai Mountains. You’ll see glaciers, cascading waterfalls, and deep gorges that are inaccessible by car.
🔹 The Denali Star: The Denali Star (Anchorage to Denali & Fairbanks) is the flagship train of the fleet. This route travels north through the heart of the Interior. On clear days, the train offers legendary views of Denali. You’ll cross the 296-foot-high Hurricane Gulch bridge, one of the best photo opportunities in the state.
🔹 GoldStar vs. Adventure Class: For the ultimate experience, book GoldStar Service. It features double-decker glass-dome cars, a private outdoor viewing platform (the only one of its kind), and inclusive chef-prepared meals. Adventure Class offers a more budget-friendly option with comfortable seating and access to shared vista-dome cars.
👉 Insider Tip: The train is an excellent way to spot wildlife like moose and bears from the safety of your seat. In the winter, the Aurora Winter Train provides a magical "Snow Piercer" experience for those heading north to see the Northern Lights.
8. World-Class Salmon and Halibut Fishing
Alaska fishing charters are a cornerstone of the 49th state's tourism industry. Whether you are looking for a private fishing charter or a shared boat, the coastal waters offer some of the most productive grounds in the world for Pacific Halibut and various Salmon species.
🔹 Homer: The Halibut Fishing Capital of the World Homer is legendary for its deep-sea fishing. Homer halibut fishing charters take you into Kachemak Bay and Cook Inlet to target "chickens" (smaller, tasty halibut) and "barn doors" (trophy fish exceeding 100 lbs). The 2026 fishing season in Homer is expected to be prime from May through September, with many captains offering multi-species "combo trips" that include rockfish and lingcod.
🔹 Seward: Salmon and Multi-Species Adventures Seward fishing charters are ideal for anglers who want variety. Departing from Resurrection Bay, these trips often target Silver (Coho) Salmon and King (Chinook) Salmon. Seward is also a top spot for halibut and salmon combos, allowing you to fill your freezer with a diverse range of fillets in a single day. The annual Silver Salmon Derby in August is a major draw for competitive anglers.
🔹 River Fishing on the Kenai Peninsula If you prefer freshwater, the Kenai River is the gold standard for sockeye salmon fishing. Guided drift boat trips provide access to famous fishing holes where millions of salmon return to spawn each summer. For many, a Kenai River salmon guide is essential to navigating the "combat fishing" zones and finding the most productive drifts.
9. Glacier Hiking and Ice Climbing
Walking on a glacier is the most intimate way to experience Alaska’s "rivers of ice." Whether you are looking for a gentle glacier trek or a vertical ice climbing adventure, several world-class locations offer guided access to these frozen landscapes.
🔹 Matanuska Glacier: The Most Accessible Located just two hours north of Anchorage, the Matanuska Glacier is the largest road-accessible glacier in Alaska. Guided tours are required to step onto the ice, where you can explore vibrant blue crevasses and unique formations like moulins (vertical ice shafts). Daily tours remain popular for all skill levels, offering everything from 2-hour walks to full-day backcountry treks.
🔹 Root Glacier: Deep in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. For a more remote experience, head to the historic mining town of Kennecott in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. The Root Glacier is famous for its stunning "stairway icefall" and exceptionally clear blue pools. It is a premier destination for introductory ice climbing, where professional guides teach you to use ice axes and crampons to scale vertical walls of crystalline ice.
🔹 Mendenhall Glacier: The Changing Icon In Juneau, the Mendenhall Glacier is a must-visit, though it is retreating rapidly. The glacier has officially receded from Mendenhall Lake, changing how tours access the ice. While the famous "ice caves" are fleeting and often unstable, guided paddle-and-trek trips still allow you to kayak across the lake and hike onto the glacier's rugged terminus.
👉 Safety and Gear: Glacier travel is inherently dangerous due to hidden crevasses and shifting ice. Always book a guided glacier tour. Most outfitters provide the necessary technical gear, including crampons (ice spikes), helmets, and ice axes. Be sure to dress in synthetic layers, as temperatures on the ice are significantly cooler than on the surrounding land.
10. Floatplane Adventures: Accessing the Unreachable
In a state where the majority of the land is not connected by roads, the Alaska floatplane is the ultimate symbol of freedom. Taking off and landing on water allows you to reach hidden corners of the wilderness that are otherwise inaccessible, making bush plane adventures a must for any serious explorer.
🔹 Lake Hood: The World’s Busiest Seaplane Base Most floatplane tours depart from Lake Hood in Anchorage. Watching dozens of planes take off every hour is an attraction in itself. From here, you can book a scenic flightseeing tour that carries you over the Chugach Mountains or across the Cook Inlet to see active volcanoes like Mt. Redoubt and Mt. Iliamna.
🔹 Fly-In Bear Viewing at Redoubt Bay and Lake Clark One of the most popular Alaska seaplane tours is a day trip to Redoubt Bay or Lake Clark National Park. These 6-to-10-hour excursions involve landing on a remote lake and transferring to a small boat to view brown and black bears feeding on salmon. Because these areas are only accessible by air, the experience is quiet, intimate, and authentically wild.
🔹 The Taku Lodge Feast (Juneau) In Southeast Alaska, the classic floatplane experience is the Taku Lodge Glacier Flight & Feast. You’ll fly over five massive glaciers in the Juneau Icefield before landing on the Taku River at a historic wilderness lodge. Here, you can enjoy a wild Alaskan salmon bake while watching for black bears that frequently visit the lodge grounds.
🔹 Misty Fjords National Monument (Ketchikan) Known as the "Grand Canyon of the North," Misty Fjords is best seen from a floatplane. These tours depart from Ketchikan and soar over 3,000-foot granite cliffs and plunging waterfalls. Most pilots include a "water landing" on a secluded alpine lake, allowing you to step out onto the plane's floats and experience the profound silence of the Tongass National Forest.
🔹 Fly-In Fishing and Wilderness Lodges For those seeking total immersion, floatplanes provide the only transport to remote Alaska fishing lodges like Wilderness Place Lodge. These "off-the-grid" adventures include world-class fly fishing for salmon and trout on pristine rivers where you won't see another soul—except perhaps a passing moose or eagle.
👉 Insider Tip: The ultimate insider tip is to book the earliest morning flight possible, as morning air is typically smoother and clearer before afternoon clouds and thermal turbulence develop.
Signature Adventure Journeys
Experience Alaska's most iconic activities—from glacier trekking and wildlife cruises to the legendary Alaska Railroad.
