Traveling to Alaska is easy for visitors by air, road, or cruise ship!
Air Travel and Flights to Alaska
The Anchorage airport (ANC) is Alaska’s central doorway by air and is serviced by Alaska Airlines and several domestic airlines via Seattle, Vancouver, and select other U.S. cities. There are also flights directly into Fairbanks, Ketchikan, and Juneau. There are year-round non-stop domestic U.S. flights from Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Portland, and Seattle, with additional summer-only non-stops from Dallas, Long Beach, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco.
In addition, there is more limited international service via Iceland Air, Korean Air, or Condor airlines. Many Alaska travelers from international destinations arrive in the U.S. to another gateway city and then connect to a domestic flight to Anchorage.
To check current Alaska flight availability and fares: Kayak.com, Airfarewatchdog.com, JustFly, Expedia, or Orbitz.
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (Roy Neese/Visit Anchorage)
Traveling to Alaska by Road
Driving to Alaska requires thousands of miles on the road and plenty of time. Allow at least a week each way if traveling from the U.S. The driving distance to Anchorage from Seattle is 2,250 miles (4-5 days), and 3,400 miles from Los Angeles. By comparison, New York to Los Angeles is 2,800 miles. The 1,400-mile Alaska Highway will give you a great appreciation of the size and landscapes of Alaska. The Milepost contains good road maps and mile-by-mile distances for all Alaska highways.
Getting to Alaska by Cruise Ship
Undoubtedly, getting to Alaska by cruise ship is immensely popular for Alaska visitors. While cruise passengers may never experience authentic Alaska on board, offshore excursions and cruise and land-packaged vacations can give many an affordable, easy way to begin exploring America’s 49th state. The major Alaska cruise ports include Skagway, Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan.
The major cruise lines servicing Alaska include:
Large Cruise Ships
- Carnival Cruise Line – 2,124 Guests
- Celebrity Cruises (Premium) 1,814 – 2,850 Guests
- Crystal Cruises (Luxury) – 940 guests
- Disney Cruise Lines – 2400 guests
- Holland America (Premium) – 1,380 – 1,960 Guests
- Norwegian Cruise Line – 1,936 – 2,394 Guests
- Princess Cruises – 1,970 – 2,670 Guests
- Royal Caribbean – 2,435 – 2,501 Guests
Mid Size Cruise Ships
- Oceania Cruises (Premium) – 684 Guests
Small Cruise Ships
- American Cruise Lines – 93 guests
- Ponant Cruises (Yacht Style) – 64 – 264 Guests
- Regent Seven Seas (Luxury) – 490 Guests
- Silversea Cruises (Luxury) – 382 Guests
- Seabourn Alaska Cruises (Yacht Style) – 208 – 450 Guests
- Un-Cruise Adventures – 60 – 76 Guests