2026 Travel Guide to Alaska

by Scott Laird
Last updated: 7:00 AM ET, Thu January 8, 2026

To say Alaska captures the traveler’s imagination is probably an understatement. The Great Land has long fascinated travelers, and it doesn’t take mental gymnastics to understand the appeal. Whether they come seeking the serene quiet of the glacier fields, the immense diversity of wildlife ranging from humpback whales to bears, moose and everything in between, wish to discover the ancient, living Alaska Native culture, or simply relax and enjoy the never-ending vistas of pristine wilderness, Alaska has something to rob the breath of even the most jaded of travelers.

Each summer, travelers come in throngs, boarding cruise ships or flying directly to the state for sport fishing, sightseeing, or relaxation. But as the country’s largest state (over twice the size of Texas), navigating logistics can be daunting. The state has few roads, and although cosmopolitan in many places, it’s still remote and wild in many others.

Read on for more detailed information about planning the perfect Alaska vacation in 2026, with the latest news updates and insider logistics tips.

New in Cruise for 2026

The vast majority of Alaska travelers will visit the state on board a cruise ship. How to choose a cruise could be the subject of its own story (and it is), but here are a few new items for 2026.

Virgin Voyages will be sailing its inaugural Alaska season in 2026 onboard the adults-only Brilliant Lady. These roundtrip Seattle sailings will call in ports such as Sitka, Icy Strait Point and Haines, in addition to passenger favorites Ketchikan and Juneau.

MSC Cruises will also be new in Alaska in 2026, sailing MSC Poesia—recently refurbished with the ship-within-a-ship MSC Yacht Club—roundtrip from Seattle with port calls in Juneau, Ketchikan and Icy Strait Point.

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection is also celebrating an inaugural season in Alaska in 2026, with sailings between Vancouver and Whittier, or roundtrip from Vancouver onboard Luminara. Sailings will notably call at the state’s newest cruise port: Klawock Island, where passengers can visit a local craft fair, sample Alaskan cuisine in a “bubble” in a temperate rainforest or go whale watching.

Princess Cruises will deploy the brand-new Star Princess to Alaska—the first Sun Class ship to sail the region. The ship will focus on scenic cruising to Endicott and Dawes Glaciers, and guests on select fishing excursions can have the onboard kitchens cook and serve their catch.

Alaskan Dream Cruises will reprise its Ice of the Inside Passage small-ship cruise, visiting virtually every glacier in southeast Alaska, and they’re the only cruise line calling at the tiny Haida village of Kasaan on Prince of Wales Island for a walk around the village’s totem poles, community house and a chat with a traditional canoe carver.

In addition to the new cruise lines sailing their maiden seasons in Alaska this summer, there are several cruise lines returning after skipping a few years, including Azamara, Crystal and Windstar.

Passengers arriving into Seward on cruises this summer will be among the first to arrive at the Alaska Railroad’s brand-new passenger cruise dock.

Best Destinations in Alaska

With a state so vast, and a number of cities welcoming visitors, it can be hard to pick out one to focus on. The smaller communities in Southeast Alaska seem well-suited for cruising, while in Southcentral Alaska, Anchorage, the Matanuska-Susitna Valley (locals call it the MatSu Valley or simply, The Valley) and the Kenai Peninsula are all easily accessible by car (and by little else).

It's also possible to sort destinations by interest. In Southeast Alaska, Skagway and Juneau have mining heritage, while Sitka was once the capital of Russian Alaska. Gold is also a historic driver for Fairbanks and Nome (an offbeat sleeper village definitely worth a visit!).

In Southcentral Alaska, Anchorage is the vibrant, cosmopolitan commercial hub for the state and a transportation hub for travelers bound for Seward, Denali, or Fairbanks via the Alaska Railroad or the state’s road system. There are also plenty of day trip opportunities from Anchorage, from flightseeing in Denali National Park to glacier cruises on Prince William Sound or wildlife cruises to Kenai Fjords National Park from Seward.

Going to Alaska to go off-grid? Alaska abounds in wilderness lodges like Tutka Bay Lodge, where visitors can go foraging with the chef in the woods or on the beach, then sit at the chef’s table in the kitchen to watch them prepare and serve the evening meal. They can also take part in a guided cold-water walk into the waters of Kachemak Bay for a few minutes before stepping out to warm themselves in a wood-fired sauna.

2026 is an ideal year to visit Kantishna Roadhouse, where road closures in Denali National Park have made it a fly-in only lodge and significantly limited the amount of visitors to that part of the park, offering a one-time-only seclusion that won’t be duplicated once the road reopens.

Wildlife viewing opportunities abound in each of the destinations, but a highlight for many intrepid travelers is a visit to Katmai National Park in the late summer and fall for peak bear-viewing season. Cruise passengers to Icy Strait Point are virtually guaranteed a whale sighting—the port has offered a cash-back guarantee for over twenty years and has never once paid it out.

Getting Around Alaska

For independent travelers who haven’t joined a cruise or a guided tour, transportation options can be limited.

Cruise travelers arriving in Whittier or Seward who are not continuing onward on guided tours should consider Anchorage as the final destination of their cruise and make arrangements with their cruise line for transfers into Anchorage in advance, as independent transportation options can be limited—particularly in Whittier. In both cities, travelers can book the Alaska Railroad service independently, but the scheduled train timings are often not convenient or viable for passengers arriving or departing directly on cruises.

Destinations available by rail include: Anchorage, Seward, Whittier, Portage, Wasilla, Talkeetna, Denali National Park and Fairbanks. Travelers traveling by rail between cities should be aware that it’s helpful to have transportation arranged in advance, as rental cars and public transport are not widely available outside of Anchorage and Fairbanks.

Destinations on the road network include those cities accessible by rail, and Kenai, Soldotna, Homer, Valdez, Tok and Coldfoot. Haines and Skagway are also accessible from Canada. Auto travelers heading north from Anchorage can visit the new Gateway Visitors Center in the Mat-Su Valley from May 2026 to plan their journeys around the state.

Many other destinations are only accessible via air or cruise, including Nome, Utqiagvik, Cordova, Yakutat, Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, Gustavus, Wrangell and Petersburg. These cities are each reachable via Alaska Airlines jet service.

Other cities are reachable via Aleutian Airways turboprops, including Kenai, Homer, Sand Point, Cold Bay and Unalaska/Dutch Harbor. Aleutian flights booked on the Alaska Airlines website will earn points in the Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards program.

Travelers renting cars should know that vehicle availability during the summer months can be scarce, and rates high, so they should book well in advance. Because availability is so scarce, rental car agencies are often strict with identification requirements for corporate discounts, and will cancel reservations or charge prevailing rates for travelers who cannot verify eligibility for a corporate discount. There are also more geographic restrictions on cars rented in Alaska—most cannot be driven into Canada or on less-developed highways like the Denali or Dalton Highways.

Best Attractions in Alaska

National parks are the crown jewel of the state. There are eight national parks in the state, with a total acreage accounting for some 60 percent of the entire national park system. The vast majority of Alaska visitors will go to Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve and Denali National Park & Preserve. Tour operator John Hall’s Alaska offers a 14-day tour that visits six of the national parks, from Katmai to Wrangell-St. Elias.

To visit Kenai Fjords National Park, take the Alaska Railroad to Seward and book rooms at Seward Windsong Lodge and Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge, both part of Pursuit’s Alaska Collection of lodges. Many cruises visit Glacier Bay National Park, but for a multi-day wilderness experience, travelers can fly into Gustavus on Alaska Airlines summer seasonal jet service from Juneau for several nights at Glacier Bay Lodge.

In Anchorage, the Alaska Native Heritage Center is perhaps the best place to learn about the diverse Indigenous cultures from throughout the state, representing over 20 language groups and over 200 federally recognized tribes. Volunteers and staff share oral histories about their culture and land—often debunking widely held myths about Alaska Native lifestyles and histories.

Also, just outside Anchorage in Portage, the new Matson Ocean Education Center will open in the spring of 2026 at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center on the shores of Turnagain Arm. Visitors here can learn about the annual migration of beluga whales into the waters of Cook Inlet, and even use listening equipment to listen for the sounds of the whales calling underwater.

A popular cruise port is Icy Strait Point near Hoonah. It’s only accessible to passengers traveling on pre-set cruise itineraries, so visitors wanting to go ziplining or on a guaranteed whale watch can look out for that port call when they’re booking Alaska cruises.

In Fairbanks, the University of Alaska Museum of the North is opening a new planetarium this spring, just in time for summer visitors. Projections will incorporate Alaska Native interpretations of the constellations. Fans of the Jon Krakauer book Into The Wild will find the restored Bus 142 relocated to the museum and refurbished as a permanent exhibit.

In Nome, where summer tourism is developing with the growth of expedition cruise itineraries embarking and disembarking voyages over the Northwest Passage and to Japan, the Carrie M. McLain Memorial Museum covers the city’s fascinating Indigenous and gold rush history. The city’s Visitor Center is open during the summer season (with special openings during the Iditarod) and Nome is one of the better places to purchase Alaska native outerwear from the locally grown Naataq Gear.

The Mendenhall Glacier Viewpoint in Juneau, Alaska.

Must-See 2026 Events in Alaska

In the depths of winter, head to Fairbanks for the World Ice Art Championships or the Festival of Native Arts.

The annual Fur Rendezvous (locally known as Fur Rondy) takes place in Anchorage each February. Originally a fur traders’ get-together, it’s now a winter festival that allows locals to blow off steam and counteract cabin fever, culminating with the start of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, starting in Anchorage’s Mushing District and ending under the famous wood arch in Nome.

From June 3-6, 2026, the biennial event Celebration, put on by the Sealaska Heritage Institute, will take place in Juneau. The event is the largest gathering of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian Indigenous cultures in the world, and includes a juried Art Show and Competition, a juried youth art exhibit, a toddler regalia revue, an Indigenous fashion show, a native artist market and native food contests.

In August and September, the Alaska State Fair is held near Palmer, showing off produce and livestock from around the state, but mostly from the “bread basket”, the MatSu Valley. The fair is Alaska’s largest annual event. Glacial soil and nearly round-the-clock summer growing days produce monster-sized cabbages and other vegetables. The winning cabbage routinely weighs over 1,000 pounds. The State Fair is celebrating its 90^th Anniversary in 2026.

Best Places for Families in Alaska

Families may appreciate the contained environment of a cruise, and it’s worth noting that many excursions in the state are only suited for school-aged children and above.

Families with young children with an interest in wildlife may appreciate Anchorage’s Alaska Zoo, Seward’s interactive Alaska Sealife Center, or the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center near Portage. Wildlife fans will appreciate the Alaska Raptor Center and Fortress of the Bear in Sitka. Also in Sitka is the Alaska Odyssey Dome at the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal (you needn’t be a cruise passenger to see the show).

Family-friendly museums include the Anchorage Museum, Museum of the North in Fairbanks, Alaska State Museum in Juneau, and the Sitka National Historic Park.

Brown Bears at Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park, Alaska

Best Places for Couples in Alaska

Alaska is a great destination for spending time together with one’s loved ones.

Couples seeking relaxation in hot water might try the Alyeska Nordic Spa in Girdwood or Chena Hot Springs outside Fairbanks.

Couples seeking dining with a view might like Girdwood’s Seven Glaciers Restaurant at Alyeska Resort, or The Crow’s Nest at Anchorage’s Hotel Captain Cook. In the summer, a secluded weekend at Tutka Bay Lodge on Kachemak Bay could also be just the ticket for a couple’s getaway.

For those planning to get married in Alaska, an officiant needn’t be registered with the state in most jurisdictions, but it’s worth checking with the venue, just in case.

Aerial View of the Fairbanks, Alaska Skyline during Summer

Best Places for Group Travel in Alaska

Groups can be difficult to accommodate in Alaska during the peak summer season unless booked well in advance (often up to a year before departure). Groups needing large room blocks will find the best availability and variety in Anchorage, but there are also larger hotels with group space in Fairbanks, Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, Homer, Seward, Talkeetna, Denali National Park and other areas around the state.

Groups are particularly well-accommodated on cruise lines serving Alaska during the summer—and on both the cruise and land portions of the cruise tours offered by many of them.

Best Places for Solo Travel in Alaska

Alaska has always been a destination well-suited for solo travelers, and there isn’t really one destination that stands out among them as being better for solo travelers.

There are a couple of extra safety tips for traveling solo in Alaska.

Resist the urge to go hiking on your own—try to join an organized group or tour. Stories abound in Alaska about hikers getting lost or stranded and having to be rescued. Unfortunately, those stories don’t always end happily, so stick with a group when possible.

Also, heed warnings about the tidal mud flats surrounding Cook Inlet and other coastal areas. The flats can turn into a sort of quicksand that can quickly entrap hikers deep enough to prevent escape. Local first responders have methods to free stuck hikers, but they’re not always able to do so before the tides return.

Group hiking the Matanuska Glacier in Alaska.

Best Foodie Destinations in Alaska

Alaskan cuisine focuses on the availability of fresh seafood and game meats such as reindeer, moose or musk ox.

In Juneau, Juneau Food Tours offers several different options for foodies wanting to take a historic walk with several tastes along the way. Food tours are also available in many other Alaska cities, but most foodies will find it best to strike out on their own, sampling seafood, craft beer and spirits, Russian dumplings called pelmeni and other delights. Favorites include beer-battered Alaskan halibut or cod, fresh crab, shrimp, rockfish, and of course, smoked or simply cooked Alaska salmon.

Visitors in May and June will “catch” the best availability of Alaska’s famous Copper River salmon in restaurants around the state. The fast, cold waters of the Copper River drive salmon spawning there to be extra fatty to brave the trip to the river’s headwaters, so when they’re caught, they’re flavorful and decadently rich.

On Holland America Line and Princess Cruises, guests on select fishing excursions at certain ports can have a portion of their catch cooked on board their ship.

Best Places for Adventure Travel in Alaska

All of Alaska is adventure travel! Whether it's soft adventure such as ATV trips, ocean kayaking or dog sledding (in summer, they put the sleds on wheels), there’s plenty for adventure travelers to do in Alaska. In Skagway, summer visitors can get a taste of winter dogsledding with Temsco Helicopters, by taking a short flight to a nearby glacier to visit dog sled teams camped right on the packed snow and ice—and if they time it right, they can cuddle some new sled dog puppies.

In Southcentral Alaska, visitors can paddleboard on a deep blue glacier lake or try their hand at ice climbing with Alaska Helicopter Tours.

Travelers planning to fish, either in the ocean or the state’s many rivers, streams and lakes, should also plan on going with a guide, and must ensure they buy a fishing license prior to baiting their hooks. Alaska’s fisheries are some of the best managed in the world, and the regulations on where fishing is permitted are fast-changing. Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan and Homer are top spots for ocean fishing excursions.

Many hotels and cruise lines can arrange fishing excursions for guests, and even give information on updated catch regulations and how to obtain a fishing license (it can be done online). There are also dedicated fishing lodges, like Waterfall Resort near Ketchikan and Sitka’s Dove Island Lodge.

Best Places for Sports Enthusiasts in Alaska

For summer visitors, Southcentral Alaska has a collegiate baseball league that has served as a farm for many major league players. The season runs from June through August, with games in Anchorage, Chugiak, Palmer and Kenai.

In the winter, the University of Alaska campuses at Anchorage and Fairbanks have popular spectator sports, including hockey, basketball and volleyball.

In February and April, the Native Youth Olympics hold their annual games at Alaska Airlines Center on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus. Traditional Alaska Native games are also demonstrated daily throughout the summer season at the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage.

Unique to Alaska

Perhaps the most unique aspect of Alaska is its Indigenous culture. By a percentage of the population, Alaska is the most Indigenous state in the union—nearly 22 percent of Alaska’s population is Indigenous (number two, Oklahoma, is 16 percent).

As Alaska is a massive state, with diverse terrains ranging from Arctic ice to subarctic tundra, temperate rainforest, windblown marine island and coastal marsh. There are days, in fact, where the temperature swing between two parts of the state can be a hundred degrees on the same day—it may be 50 degrees below zero in Bettles and 50 degrees above zero in Ketchikan.

Alaska Natives are also an immensely diverse group, with lifestyles and languages quite different from those of Natives in other parts of the state.

Alaska is also a land of superlatives. It’s the northernmost, westernmost and easternmost state in the union (the westernmost Aleutian Islands are in the eastern hemisphere), the largest state with the highest peak (and the next nine highest—all of the top ten are in Alaska).

Above all, Alaska is a thrilling place to visit, whether during the midnight sun or when the northern lights color the starry skies of the long arctic nights.

To plan an Alaska vacation, visit travelalaska.com.

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