Getting Around Alaska – Travel within this Huge, Beautiful Place

Now that you’re planning an Alaska trip, it’s time to figure out how to actually travel within the state. Alaska is the size of 1/5 of the continental USA, which means it’s huge. With that, unless you’re planning on visiting only one of Alaska’s regions (or maybe two), it’s good to know how to get around within AK. Since I’ve spent so much time in AK, it all feels like old hat to me, but when I talk to people about getting from place to place within the state, there’s a lot of confusion.

When it comes to travel within Alaska, you always need to keep in mind that for being such a huge place not much of it is easily accessible. Heck, much of it isn’t even accessible with conventional planning and resources. We’ve got lots of good information for you though about how to explore the different parts of Alaska and be properly prepared for whatever adventure you choose. If you have additional questions or would like to include your own tips, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more!

Travel Between the Alaska Regions

I am all about the road trip experience (I literally wrote the book on it) and I really love traveling in Alaska via car, but a lot of people, and in particular cruise guests, will plan their travel to Alaska using the Alaska Railroad. This is pricey, but really cool. The observation cars make for beautiful scenery and wildlife watching, similar to riding the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver BC to Banff or Jasper AB. I know this isn’t for everyone though.

If you’re doing part Alaska as a cruise and get to end in Whittier or Seward, that’s a great opportunity to explore more of the state. From either cruise port you can get bus or train transportation to Anchorage where you can easily rent a car. Anchorage is a great starting spot for seeing Alaska, with both Kenai Fjords National Park and Denali National Park being a half day’s drive away. There is lots more to experience besides these two amazing National Parks, but I really think they are highlights.

Airports for Travel to Alaska

Ultimately the airport you fly into for a trip to Alaska is dependent on your itinerary. If you’re doing a cruise to Alaska you’ll likely start in Vancouver BC or Seattle WA, but there are also cruises that start in Whittier or Seward, so you may just get to begin your sailing with a little bit of exploring from Anchorage (ANC) or even Fairbanks (FAI). Flying to Fairbanks allows you to add some epic parts of Alaska to your travel, but then you also need to plan your transportation to your cruise port via train or one-way rental car.

Tip: If you are planning to do a trip that goes into either ANC or FAI and then out of the other, plan to have a drop off fee with your rental car. This can be a few hundred dollars sometimes, or will be disguised as a higher daily rate. Just be sure to read the fine print with any rental, but especially if it’s a one way.

Flying into JNU is great for exploring the area all around Juneau or if you’re doing an UnCruise in Alaska. You can fly into Juneau for some exploring and then jump on the Alaska Marine Highway (ferry system) to another port in the Inside Passage. You could also fly into Ketchikan (KTN) from the mainland, which also connects you to the Alaska Marine Highway or the network of smaller regional flights to other parts of the state.

Flying within Alaska

Alaska is a unique place in that you’ll actually have a lot more opportunities and reasons to do smaller flights than you would in any other destination, including traveling within Hawaii. While there are big planes between Anchorage and Fairbanks or Juneau, other routes use smaller aircraft. Small regional flights are how you most often get to places like Kodiak, King Salmon or Utqiagvik. And then for access to special places like Lake Clark NP, Katmai, Kobuck Valley or Gates of the Artic National Parks, you’ll have to travel via float plane (seaplane). It’s very coming that travel within Alaska is more than a road trip.

There’s also a lot of flightseeing available all around the state. Whether you’re looking to have a scenic flight and glacier landing on Denali or if you’re looking for beluga whales in Cook Inlet, there are many flightseeing options. We recommend Rust’s Flying Service for many of the cool experiences you may want to plan. They go out of Anchorage and have a sister company out of Talkeetna, so they’re able to provide access to a lot of the more well-know flightseeing and fly-in experiences.

Be Prepared for Remote Travel

I cannot stress the importance of planning for travel between remote locations if you’re travel to Alaska includes some of the less visited areas. Summer is when roadwork can get done and if you’re heading anywhere that isn’t a common tourist destination, you very well may have a good deal of driving on gravel roads or even flying on small planes. I don’t typically love flying in helicopters or seaplanes, but I think it’s part of the quintessential wilderness experience to fly with a bush pilot company. You can do some pretty amazing flightseeing tours out of Talkeetna if you don’t want to fly and stay somewhere remote but still want the experience.

Flying to Remote Places in Alaska

The remote national parks are a unique Alaska travel opportunity. Katmai and Lake Clark have lodges within their boundaries, but Kobuk Valley and Gates of the Arctic do no, so planning this sort of remote travel is different. When you’re considering this sort of remote travel, that is amazingly epic, you need to consider that you’re going to a place with NO SERVICES. There are rangers in some areas, but in general you visit with a guide and gear. It’s the epitome of remote travel.

There are a few remote destinations that do have full services, and these towns are easier to get to AND more cost effective, and then just outside of town it feel exceptionally remote. I if there are places you want to visit like this that aren’t connected by roads, you can book Alaska Airlines flights to many of them, like King Salmon, Utqiagvik, Nome or Kodiak, or you can find very small airlines that specialize in remote transportation. It’s absolutely possible to plan an amazing trip to Alaska that doesn’t include remote travel like this, but it can be really fun and unforgettable.

Driving to Remote Locations in Alaska

When it comes to roadways and driving to some of the more remote places, I love getting to drive Alaska’s highways. However, I will say that the average and even the more adventurous trip to Alaska won’t include driving the more rough or remote highways. The main connecting roads, and I’ve ranked them by how likely you are to drive on them, are:

• Parks Highway – Anchorage to Fairbanks
• Seward Highway – Anchorage to Seward
• Sterling Highway – Seward Highway to Homer
• Glenn Highway – Anchorage to Glennallen (connects for the drive to Valdez)
• Denali Highway – it’s more of a fun off shoot, but not a necessary road for most trips
• Richardson Highway – Fairbanks to Valdez (near Wrangell-St Elias NP)
• Dalton Highway – Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay

As you plan any length of road trip in Alaska, whether you have a week long itinerary or several weeks, be certain of yourself and do your prep for driving on the longer stretches of highway.

Also, when you’re renting a car in Alaska, pay attention to the rules for where you CAN’T drive. Some rental agencies have rules against driving any of the gravel highways. If that’s what you’re looking to do, be sure that you’ve double checked in advance or found a rental agency that will allow you to drive those routes. If you’re unsure, when you’re getting your car talk to the agent and confirm what’s allowed and if there is tracking on your vehicle.

Essential Supplies and Basics to Keep with You

Because sometimes you’re traveling between destinations in Alaska and it’s very far until your next stop, you do need to be prepared with your basic needs. This means that you need to have things like a first aid kit, any medications you travel with, a handy multi-tool, and simple car fix things. Also, if you’re having a long day of travel but will be returning to your same hotel, be sure you bring things like a change of clothes or extra coat, just to be safe.

Also, when you’re out exploring, restaurants and convenient stores are few and far between. It’s not as far to go between as it used to be, but still. I remember having to plan out my stops for gas when I would drive the Al-Can into the Yukon, but there are a few more gas stations and shops now. I like to be sure that I’ve got a gallon of drinking water and plenty of both fresh and non-perishable snacks when we head out to explore.

Also, since you’re thinking about heading out on your own vs being a part of a larger tour, you may need some extra safety gear. I’m talking about bear spray. I personally have never actually had to discharge bear spray but I have had to be ready with it. If you’re doing any sort of remote hiking or are hiking near a salmon stream, keeping bear spray on your person is an added layer of safety that can be very worthwhile. We recommend Alaska Bear Spray Rental in Anchorage, and they’ll even deliver it to you. Check out Alaska Bear Spray Rental here!

Train Travel in Alaska

Not all of Alaska is connect by railways, but the primary tourist corridor is, and it’s a really cool way to travel. A lot of people coming to Alaska on a cruise ship choose the railroad for at least a leg of their trip, but you can actually plan your entire visit leveraging the train. You can start in Whittier, Seward or Anchorage and then go as far north as Fairbanks, making stops in both Talkeetna and Denali.

Check out the different legs of train travel on the Alaska Railroad here!

Here are the different routes you can do, enjoying dining and glass dome cars with outdoor areas. Listed routes can also be done in reverse:

• Whittier -> Anchorage
• Seward -> Anchorage – this can be added onto the Denali Star route to go all the way to Denali and Fairbanks
• Anchorage -> Talkeetna -> Denali -> Fairbanks

There is also a unique Alaska Railroad opportunity to do the Hurricane Whistlestop train. This goes from Talkeetna to Hurricane and goes through some cool parts of the wilderness, including across Hurricane Gulch. You can either do this as a day trip, stay overnight, or be really adventurous and raft from Hurricane back to Talkeetna with a guide. It’s such a unique sort of travel in Alaska.

Explore the Alaska Regions by Driving

I like to think about traveling within Alaska as navigating the different regions, intentionally putting together contrasting experiences. You cannot drive to each region from another. Sometimes you must fly or arrive via the Alaska Marine Highway. The regions of Alaska are each unique so as you’re planning, think about what you want to see, do or remember.

Here’s how to put together a multi-regional trip in Alaska. I’ve set up the information below to show how to get between the different destinations. I’m assuming that Anchorage is your starting point, so consider the modes of transportation to each destination as you think about what sort of travel you want to do.

AKMH = Alaska Marine Highway	Drive	Fly	AKMH	Charter Flight	Train
Anchorage	X	X	X		X
Kenai Peninsula	X		X	X	X
Fairbanks	X	X			X
Southwest AK		X	X	X
Interior	X			X	X
Southeast AK		X	X	X
Valdez / Wrangell-St Elias NP	X		X	X
Katmai / Lake Clark / Gates / Kobuk				X
Prudhoe Bay	X	X
Utqiagvik (Barrow)		X

Boats and Cruises in Alaska

If you’re thinking about doing a sailboat to Alaska, I’ll tell you now: OUR WEBSITE ISN’T THE RIGHT RESOURCE FOR YOU. Having said that, if you’re excited to travel in Alaska including time on boats and ships, YES! You’re in the right place! There are two solid ways to visit and explore Alaska via boat: cruise lines or the Alaska Marine Highway.

Cruising through Alaska

Planning an Alaska cruise is the least complicated option. There are several standard itineraries by all the major cruise lines, so it will mostly come down to dates, costs and cruise line loyalty when you’re booking a cruise. I will say, Holland America has some of the BEST Alaska cruise itineraries, including sailings that go all the way to Nome and the Arctic Circle.

Most Alaska cruises depart from either Seattle WA or Vancouver BC and either return to their port of origin or are a slightly longer itinerary that ends (or begins) in Whittier or Seward. We did an UnCruise in Southeast Alaska leaving from and returning to Seward and it was a beautiful trip. This is a great way to see the wild side of the Inside Passage and visit Glacier Bay National Park, but UnCruise itineraries don’t make port stops like the major cruise lines do. Just something to consider.

The Alaska Marina Highway

This is one of the most unique ways to travel in Alaska. The AK Marine Highway begins in Bellingham, Washington and actually has routes going all the way out to Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands. There are more than 25 ports of call and different routes connecting the different regions.

You could plan a trip where you walk onto the Alaska Marine Highway boat in Bellingham and the get off in Ketchikan and spend a few days, then get onto another boat to Juneau for another few days there, then continue up to Whittier and hop on the train, visit Denali National Park, spend a few days in Anchorage before going back to Whittier, then take the AK Marine Highway to Kodiak and the all the way out to Dutch Harbor.

You can either walk onto the AK Marine Highway or drive on. When you bring a car the cost goes up significantly. You also have the option of booking passage that includes a private cabin or just general seating. Think of it like how you’d book train passage on Amtrak in the Mainland USA.

Staying Connected in Alaska

Even when you’re on an epic trip like the wilds of Alaska, sometimes you either need or want to stay connected to the outside world. I get it. So, how is the cell service in Alaska? Before you travel to Alaska, it’s a good idea to jump onto the website for your cell phone provider and look at their coverage map. You’ll find that there is pretty good coverage all around Anchorage and Fairbanks, and for the miles outside of each city, but that doesn’t mean it’s fast. We find that having full bars on our phones doesn’t mean 5G fast service like it does in the Lower 48.

The same goes for internet service in hotels and lodges. You may have “high speed” internet available, but I have yet to log onto a hotel wifi and have the same sort of speed and consistency and I experience nearly anywhere in the Lower 48.

The cell service isn’t too bad in terms of being able to get a signal to make calls and send text messages all out and about throughout the state, but you need to keep in mind that the more remote you go, the less the cell reception. We are really diligent to download offline maps for easy navigation while we’re in the more remote areas. This added level of planning before hitting the road really alleviates the stress that sometimes hits during a road trip or a day of exploring. When we’re on the road or staying someplace remote, there is no intention of being able to email or do social media, let alone important work.

How Long Should an Alaska Trip Be?

Now that you really understand how it works to travel within Alaska, you might be unsure just how much time you really do need for a meaningful trip. Well, I like to think of Alaska as being a place that you are always looking forward to returning to, so you DON’T want to try to do it all in one trip.

If it’s your first time and you want to enjoy a wide variety of experiences, 10-14 days is the most ideal trip length. That gives you time to cover a lot of ground while also actually enjoying activities and down time. This is how long I would recommend for either a very epic road trip that covers Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula, and up to Denali NP and Fairbanks.

If you want to do a Southeast Alaska trip, you can enjoy that in a week or so. This would be ideal either via the Alaska Marine Highway or flying between Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka and Skagway. The ferry is the least expensive option, with the days at sea being beautiful experiences on their own.

For a combination Inside Passage / Mainland AK trip, planning a week in each relative area is good. This will give you plenty of time on the water seeing whales and glaciers, and then lots of time inland seeing moose, caribou and rivers. If you’ve traveling from the East Coast or further, this is the best option for getting the most complete Alaska experience as you’ll get to enjoy both Southeast Alaska and the tundra.

Ahhh, I love talking about Alaska and travel planning. I’m always working on another trip plan either for our family or for friends. If you have any questions about getting around in Alaska or need help sorting our your travel plans, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help others plan amazing travel experiences in AK!