Many visitors to Alaska try to carve out at least a week or two for their Alaska vacation. After all, once you’re here, there’s a lot to see and experience!
Part of the lure of Alaska is that it is truly a unique, historic, and ecologically-diverse destination – but it is vast! With endless miles of untamed wilderness and breathtaking vistas, many areas you pass through are without any sign of human life. Traveling in Alaska isn’t like traveling in the Lower 48, where national parks, fascinating landmarks, and urban attractions can often be a short distance away from one another. Here, it’s tough to classify any journey between Alaska landmarks and destinations as a genuinely short drive, train ride, or even flight – as many of Alaska’s best highlights are literally hundreds of miles and hours apart, depending on the form of transport.
So, since most tourists visit Alaska for at about a week to 10 days, how do you best maximize your time while taking the point-to-point commuting time into account? Our recommendation is that if you’re an enthusiastic traveler with a week to 10 days planned for visiting Alaska, it’s best to plan to engage with two or three major highlights if you want to truly enjoy the best of each. And the travel experts at Alaska Tours have crafted a wide variety of juicy Alaska itineraries to help visitors leverage every minute of their time in America’s last frontier.
What Can You Do in a Week in Alaska?
The most popular pairing of Alaska destinations for a week-long to 10-day trip is exploring the magic of Kenai Fjords as well as the majesty of Denali National Park. No matter how you travel there, you’ll get to see the infamous mountain of Denali from many miles away, and it gets even more impressive as you near the park. Once inside the park, there are adventures galore, from guided bus tours that bring you close to nature and wildlife, to flightseeing around the peak itself to a stop on a glacier to ride on a dog sled. Seriously!
- Our Alaska Glaciers and Wildlife Tour is a terrific option for example. Start with a mesmerizing daylong glacier cruise out of Seward around Kenai Fjords through Prince William Sound, witness calving glaciers, incredible marine life, and the region’s ethereal beauty. Then head north to Alaska’s crown jewel – Denali National Park.
- Another popular itinerary is our Alaska Railroad Adventure Tour that transports you by the Alaska Railroad to Denali and includes a riverboat excursion in Fairbanks and a glacier cruise on Prince William Sound from Whittier.
- Those who prefer a guided experience to make the most of their Alaska time can take advantage of the several Alaska Tours escorted group itineraries. The Grand Alaska Vacation Tour promises an all-encompassing week of fun, showcasing the best of Alaska highlights in South Central and Interior Alaska. Travel from Anchorage to Seward and then onwards to Denali, exploring captivating landscapes, engaging in culturally and historically enriching experiences, with good-times adventures along the way. And if you want to kick back and join a guided bus tour with train rides in the Dome cars of the Alaska Railroad, you might like our Alaska National Parks Guided Bus Tour. This vacation delves deeper into national parks’ wilderness, giving you a chance to explore Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias, and Kenai Fjords National Parks.
- And if you’re more of an independent traveler who prefers to plan your own adventures at your own pace, you might also enjoy our self-drive itineraries. The Great Alaska Road Trip for example is a great option to consider. In just a week, you can travel the picturesque highways to Denali and Seward. Around every bend and at every stop offers exploration and adventure options.
- For those whose Alaska travel dreams won’t be complete without reeling in the king of Alaska fish (salmon) and witnessing the wildlife of Denali National Park, the Alaska Denali Kenai Glaciers & Fishing Tour is the perfect pick. This well-crafted itinerary allows you to experience the allure of Denali National Park, some glacier grandeur, and the excitement of playing in one of Alaska’s, if not the world’s, best fishing aquatic playgrounds.
- And if you’re so inclined, you can also spend a whole trip on the Kenai Peninsula and still leave craving more. Consider a week devoted to seeing everything between Homer and Seward, and that’s a lot. The Alaska Kenai Vacation Tour offers a captivating blend of marine adventures (kayaking, wildlife viewing and glacier cruises), fishing, as well as experiencing the charming coastal towns and their food, fun and Alaskan friendliness.
What Can You Do in 10 Days in Alaska?
Have a few extra days to spare for your Alaska vacation? Maybe 10 days? Excellent! This is your chance to explore even more of Alaska.
- The Alaska By Rail Tour is a fan favorite, especially among train enthusiasts and those who like to take their time to soak in the sights. This 10-day itinerary takes you along every major mile of Alaska railroad track, starting in Seward, traveling through quirky Talkeetna, into Denali National Park, with the finish line in Fairbanks, where Midnight Sun magic and Gold Rush history abound. And each stop along the Alaska Railroad’s route offers unique experiences along the way.
- Alternatively, the Relax Alaska Tour lives up to its name, providing ample time for the Alaska visitor to explore and unwind. In your extra days, you can dive deeper into the local cultures and cuisines within Alaska, learn more about regional and statewide history, Alaska Native lifestyles, and enjoy a wider range of activities, ensuring that your Alaska experience is truly immersive while still proceeding at an enjoyable pace.
- Maybe you’d prefer to be your own tour guide, driving and experiencing even more of Alaska’s culture, history and scenery on your own. If so, the Alaska Highlights Tour might be just the ticket. This is a self-drive expedition that takes you to Denali, Fairbanks, Valdez, and Seward. This is another fabulous Alaska road trip, weaving through diverse landscapes, past towering peaks and coastal wonders, breathtaking waterfalls and glistening glaciers, and towns that are highlights in their own right.
- And finally, our Family Driving Vacation is perfect for families on the go in Alaska with loved ones of all ages, young and not-so-young. This Alaska vacation itinerary provides the flexibility of more time for getting from one exciting point to the next, all while encouraging family bonding and active as you travel together scanning for wildlife through the best landscapes you can dream of.
Alaska is a land of unmatched beauty and adventure, and also a land of inescapable vastness and diversity. All visitors, both new ones and repeat travelers, can make the most of a week or 10 days thanks to the carefully curated itineraries and tours offered by Alaska Tours. Whether you choose to explore Kenai Fjords, get wowed by Denali Park, or embark on an extended expedition to even more areas around the state, your Alaska adventure will be nothing short of spectacular. So, pack your bags, embrace Alaska’s vastness and excitement and get ready for some major fun!