Things to do in Alaska
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Anchorage City Tour: Chocolate Factory & Lake Hood FloatplanesYou'll watch floatplanes at Lake Hood, stand in Earthquake Park where the 1964 quake dropped the land twenty feet, sample smoked salmon and reindeer sausage at a sixty-year-old shop, and taste free chocolate from the world's largest chocolate waterfall. A local guide handles all the stops and timing across 3.5 hours, with bottled water included.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see what makes Anchorage different—floatplanes, earthquake geology, and real local food—without arranging transport or timing between stops yourself. The fixed 3.5-hour schedule fits the whole experience into one morning or afternoon.
Hoonah Whale Watching Tour: Small Group Boat & WildlifeYou're driven from Icy Strait Point to Hoonah's harbor, board a small whale-watching boat with a local captain, and spend the morning looking for whales and wildlife with room to move around and time to breathe. Snacks and hot chocolate are included, and the van brings you back to your starting point when it's over.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see whales without feeling like you're packed into a tour bus with fifty other people — the small group size and local captain are what make the difference between watching wildlife and actually connecting with it.
Juneau: Whale Watching Tour in Auke Bay with Local GuideYou’ll feel that electric hush as humpbacks break the surface in Auke Bay—watching with locals who know these waters inside out. With pickup from Juneau and a naturalist guiding your way, you’ll spot whales (guaranteed), sea lions, maybe even an eagle or two—all while catching glimpses of Mendenhall Glacier if weather allows.
Ketchikan Trolley Tour: Totems, Falls & Wildlife in 2.5 HoursThe Tongass Trolley is a 2.5-hour guided tour of Ketchikan aboard a replica 1800s cable car, with stops at Saxman Native Village, Rainbow Falls, the Totem Heritage Center and a wildlife cove. A live guide in English shares the city's history and the cultural heritage of local Tlingit and Haida tribes while you ride. Children from age 2 are welcome, and the tour ends at your starting point near Front Street or at Creek Street for shopping.Is it for me?Most Ketchikan tours ask you to arrange your own transport between stops and piece together the history yourself. This one moves you through four key sites in a trolley while a guide connects them—the trolley does the driving, the guide does the explaining, and you get the full story without building the day.
Juneau: Whale Watching Cruise & Salmon Bake Full DayYou board a jet boat at Auke Bay with a naturalist guide and spend the morning hunting humpback and orca whales in nutrient-rich waters—sightings are guaranteed or you get $100 back. You'll also see sea lions, seals, eagles, and bears from the deck. After the cruise, you eat a wild salmon buffet with hot and cold drinks and live music. Transport from the pier and all meals are included; the whole day runs about eight hours.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see whales and eat wild salmon without arranging two separate activities—the fixed schedule and included transport from the pier mean you show up and the day unfolds on its own.
Sled Dog Ride in Skagway: Musher's Camp & Husky AdventureMusher's Camp & Sled Dog Adventure in Skagway is a 3.5-hour tour where you ride a team of 16 Alaskan huskies down a mile-long trail in the Tongass National Rainforest, then spend time with sled dog puppies at the kennel. A guide drives you from downtown Skagway nine miles along the coast to the camp, takes you up a mountain road in a specialized unimog to meet the dog team, and brings you to an overlook of the Dyea tidal flats where you might spot eagles, bears or seals. The tour includes a "Kennel Talk" where mushers answer questions about sled dog racing and the Iditarod, plus time to socialize the puppies. Children from age 2 are welcome; infants sit on an adult's lap.Is it for me?You ride the sled yourself—this is not a spectator experience—so it suits anyone who wants to feel the power of the dogs firsthand rather than watch from the sidelines. The tour is shared with other guests and led by a musher who handles the team; if you prefer a private experience or want to learn mushing techniques in depth, a different product would serve you better. The fixed schedule and included transport mean the day is arranged for you; you show up in Skagway and the guide handles the logistics.
Ketchikan Highlights Tour: Wildlife, Salmon Ladder & WaterfallYou’ll feel Ketchikan’s wild heart up close: watch salmon fight upstream at the ladder, scan for eagles and seals on black sand beaches, hear stories from locals who’ve lived every season here. With pickup right on Dock 2 and binoculars ready for wildlife spotting, every stop gives you something real to hold onto.
Dog Sledding & Gold Panning in Skagway: 4.5-Hour White Pass TourA 4.5-hour guided tour from Skagway that combines White Pass sightseeing with dog sledding and gold panning in Canada. The mini coach picks you up at your ship or in town and travels 45 miles into the Yukon, stopping at waterfalls, glaciers and mountain lakes while your guide shares gold rush history and wildlife facts. The dog camp sits in a remote area where you'll play with puppies, ride a wheeled sled vehicle for 20 minutes through alpine terrain, and pan for real gold. A valid passport is required to cross into Canada.Is it for me?The tour picks you up at your ship or in town, so you don't need a car or a way to reach the White Pass trailhead on your own. The fixed 4.5-hour schedule and included transport mean the whole day—the drive, the dog sled, the gold panning—stays together without you arranging anything beyond showing up with your passport.
Tony Knowles Coastal Trail Bike Tour: Anchorage Moose DenaliA guided bike ride along Anchorage's Tony Knowles Coastal Trail starting at Kincaid Park, with a local guide, high-quality bike, helmet and rain jacket. You'll pass through wooded hills, watch for moose and Denali views, stop at Earthquake Park to learn about the 1964 Good Friday earthquake, and finish at Westchester Lagoon where salmon spawn seasonally. Small groups of up to eight, three hours total, suitable for all fitness levels from age ten.Is it for me?Book this if you want a guided bike ride on the coastal trail with a local narrator—the small group means real conversation, and the van pickup from downtown saves you from figuring out how to reach the trailhead yourself.
Fairbanks Aurora Viewing: Northern Lights from Husky LodgeYou're picked up from your Fairbanks hotel and driven to a ridge cabin overlooking the Alaska Range. You spend four hours in a warm, rustic space with hot drinks and snacks, stepping outside to watch the dark sky. The lodge doesn't cancel for light snow or clear skies — the idea is that conditions change — so you're there if the aurora appears. Arrival is around 10:30 PM, departure at 2 AM.Is it for me?Book this if you're in Fairbanks during aurora season and want to spend the night in the right place without arranging transport, timing, or a separate accommodation — the pickup and the cabin handle all of that, leaving you free to watch.
Columbia Glacier Cruise from Valdez: Calving ice and wildlifeThis 6-hour cruise from Valdez navigates the fjords of Prince William Sound to Columbia Glacier, Alaska's largest tidewater glacier, where an all-Alaskan captain and crew point out marine wildlife, birds and glacier history as the boat gets as close to the glacier face as ice and safety allow. Lunch is served around midday; complimentary coffee, tea and water are available throughout. Stan Stephens Cruises has operated these tours for 50 years.Is it for me?Reach Columbia Glacier and spot sea otters, seals, whales and eagles in a single day from Valdez, with your Alaskan captain guiding you through Prince William Sound's fjords and wildlife-rich waters.
Juneau: Underground Gold Mine Tour & Panning ExperienceYou ride to the mine, descend 360 feet into the only underground tunnel tour in Alaska, watch a working stamp mill, and pan for gold you keep. Transportation is included, the tour runs year-round, and you leave with whatever garnets or gold flakes you find in the pan.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see how Juneau actually worked — not a recreation, but the real mill and tunnel — and you'd rather not arrange your own transport to get there. The included transportation and guaranteed panning find make it a complete half-day without loose ends.
Hoonah Whale Watching: Small Group & Heated CabinYou arrive thirty minutes early at the port pickup, get driven five to ten minutes to the harbor, then spend two and a half hours on a small boat watching humpbacks, orcas, and sea otters in a heated cabin with a maximum of sixteen people. The Power Cat's design means less rolling, the captain's experience means better sightings, and the small group size means you're not elbowing strangers for a view. Private transport back to the ship is included.Is it for me?Book this if you're on a cruise stop in Hoonah and want to see whales without the crowded-boat experience — the small group size and heated cabin are what make the difference between a rushed tour and one where the captain can actually show you what he's found.
Misty Fjords Flightseeing Tour from Ketchikan: 1-Hour FlightA 1-hour flightseeing tour from Ketchikan over Misty Fjords National Monument aboard a Dehavilland Beaver or Otter bush plane, with every passenger guaranteed a window seat and two-way radio headsets to communicate with the pilot and other passengers. The flight departs from Ketchikan and includes pickup and drop-off from designated meeting points, bottled water, and live narration from a professional pilot.Is it for me?Book this tour for a morning or afternoon window in Ketchikan when you want to see the monument without committing a full day — the short flight and included pickup mean you're airborne within hours of deciding to go, and the window seat and radio headset let you see and ask about everything instead of sitting back and watching.
Denali scenic flight from Talkeetna with glacier landingA scenic flight from Talkeetna to Denali National Park with a ski-equipped aircraft, live pilot commentary on headset, and a landing on glacier snow. The tour runs about two hours with a 30-minute glacier landing option that adds time to the flight. A National Park pass is required for landing flights; annual and senior passes are accepted. Pickup is included.Is it for me?See Denali's full scale and glaciers from the air—the view locals call the trip's highlight—then land on the ice itself instead of viewing it from above.
Taku Glacier Lodge Seaplane Tour: Glaciers & Salmon FeastA 3.5-hour seaplane tour from Juneau that departs the waterfront, flies 25 minutes over the Juneau Icefield past five glaciers including Taku, and lands on the Taku River at the historic 1923 Taku Glacier Lodge. You spend two full hours there eating wild Alaska salmon with homemade sides, walking forest trails, joining a guided nature walk, or watching for black bears on the porch before the 15-minute return flight. Every seat is a window seat with audio narration throughout, and the lodge sits steps from Taku Glacier itself.Is it for me?You're on a shared seaplane with up to ten passengers, so this works best if you're comfortable in a small aircraft and don't need privacy. The fixed two-hour lodge stay means you get the meal and time to explore without building the day yourself—the schedule holds everything together, and the window seat and narration let you see the glaciers without managing the route.
Ketchikan: Zodiac Boat Adventure & Cannery Tour with Craft BeerYou’ll steer your own Zodiac boat through George Inlet’s wild fjords near Ketchikan, spot wildlife with a local guide, walk rainforest trails to a historic cannery, and end with Alaskan craft beer or soda plus snacks. Expect laughter, cold spray on your face, and moments that stick long after you dry off.
Fairbanks: Aurora Lodge Viewing Night with Pickup & Cozy StayYou’ll watch the Northern Lights dance across Alaska’s sky from a cozy lodge near Fairbanks, with plenty of warmth between outdoor viewings. Your local guide shares stories and tips while you wait for the aurora in comfort—no shivering outside unless you want to. Hotel pickup and drop-off make it easy to just focus on the sky and that feeling of wonder.
Juneau Segway Trail Ride: Off-Road Adventure in Tongass ForestRide an off-road Segway through Tongass National Forest on Juneau's only small-group trail adventure, starting from the cruise ship docks with a scenic shuttle to Fish Creek Valley. The tour includes a short training session, helmet, hands-free radio for guide commentary, water and snacks, and covers a 12-mile route through alpine meadows, rainforest and the historic Treadwell Ditch Trail. Designed for first-time riders and cruise passengers, the tour runs three hours and requires a moderate fitness level and the ability to stand and balance for the duration.Is it for me?The tour demands three hours of standing and balancing on the Segway, so you need moderate fitness and good balance — but the machine handles the terrain, not your legs, which is what makes it possible to cover ground through rainforest and muskeg without the strain of hiking. Book this if you want to see the forest interior without arranging your own transport or worrying about ship departure times.
Fairbanks: Chena Hot Springs & Ice Museum Day TourYou're picked up from your Fairbanks hotel and driven 60 miles to Chena Hot Springs Resort, where you tour the Aurora Ice Museum, soak in natural hot springs heated to 106°F, and explore scenic trails. Lunch and drinks are available separately. The drive back to Fairbanks happens around 4pm, with wildlife spotting likely both ways. Plan for a full day out of the city.Is it for me?Right for travelers based in Fairbanks without a rental car who want to experience Alaska's geothermal landscape and wildlife in a single day. The 60-mile drive is part of the tour—it's where most wildlife spotting happens, and the guide uses the time to share local knowledge.
