Mihael Blikshteyn / Stocksy United

Alaska

Bears larger than bison, national parks the size of nations, and glaciers bigger than other US states. The word "epic" barely does Alaska justice.

Best Time to Visit

Best Things to Do

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Mendenhall Glacier
Juneau
Going to Juneau and not seeing the Mendenhall is like visiting Rome and skipping the Colosseum. The most famous of Juneau’s ice floes, and the city’s most…
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Alaska
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a 30,625-sq-mile wilderness in Alaska’s northeast corner, straddling the eastern Brooks Range from the treeless…
Tongass National Forest
Southeast Alaska
Welcome to the largest national forest in the US, a tract of land almost the size of Ireland and significantly larger than adjacent Wrangell-St Elias…
Columbia Glacier
Valdez
This is the star glacial attraction in Prince William Sound – a large sea inlet named by British colonizers after a young English prince in the eighteenth…
Hubbard Glacier
Southeast Alaska
Just 30 miles north of Yakutat is Hubbard Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in North America. The 8-mile-wide frozen behemoth is easily Alaska’s most…
Sitka National Historical Park
Sitka
This mystical juxtaposition of tall trees and totems is Alaska’s smallest national park and the site where the Tlingits were defeated by the Russians in…
Denali National Park & Preserve
The Interior
In our collective consciousness, Alaska represents the concept of the raw wilderness. But that untamed perception can be as much a deterrent as a draw…
Anchorage Museum
Anchorage
This world-class facility is Anchorage’s cultural jewel. The West Wing, a four-story, shimmering, mirrored facade, adds 80,000 sq ft to what was already…

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Top picks from our travel experts

7 unmissable experiences in Alaska

Curated by Valerie Stimac

Kenai Fjords National Park
Kenai Peninsula
Where Seward ends this wonderful park begins. Comprising 587,000 acres of mountains, the park is home to tidewater glaciers, a massive ice field and…
Denali
Denali National Park & Preserve
What makes 20,310ft Denali (formerly Mt McKinley) one of the world’s great scenic mountains is the sheer independent rise of its bulk. Denali begins at a…

Explore Alaska on the the cheap with these 10 epic experiences

Curated by Brendan Sainsbury

Maxine & Jesse Whitney Museum
Valdez
For a small town Valdez has several wonderful museums, including this one, the private collection of an American couple who settled in Alaska in 1947 and…
Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center
Juneau
This mini-museum holds ranger talks, shows an 11-minute film and displays exhibits relating to the glacier and its formation. There are huge panoramic…
Totem Bight State Park
Ketchikan
Ten miles north of downtown Ketchikan is this seaside park that contains 14 restored totem poles, a colorful community house and a viewing deck…
Sitka National Historical Park
Sitka
This mystical juxtaposition of tall trees and totems is Alaska’s smallest national park and the site where the Tlingits were defeated by the Russians in…
Kennecott Visitor Center
The Interior
The center, which sits in the town's former school, is the launching point for ranger-led activities, lectures and walks around town.
Mt Roberts Tramway
Juneau
As far as cable cars go, this tramway is rather expensive for a five-minute ride. But from a marketing point of view its location couldn’t be better. It…
Tony Knowles Coastal Trail
Anchorage
Anchorage’s favorite trail is the scenic 11-mile Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. It begins at the west end of 2nd Ave downtown and passes Elderberry Park…
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park Museum & Visitor Center
Skagway
The recently improved NPS center is in the original 1898 White Pass & Yukon Route depot. The center is spread over two interconnecting buildings. One…
Russian Bishop's House
Sitka
East of downtown along Lincoln St, the Russian Bishop’s House is the oldest intact Russian building in Sitka. Built in 1843 by Finnish carpenters out of…