How Long Should I Plan for a Trip to Alaska?

If you have a week you have enough time for a thrilling, memorable Alaskan vacation. Almost any itinerary (see Sample Trips) can be adapted to match the amount of time you have. And with a wide variety of activities and tours to choose from, planning your perfect itinerary is easy. Here are some possible foundations for your travel plans.

7 days

Fly to and from Alaska and spend most of your time exploring/experiencing.
Focus on one area of the state and take a variety of shorter excursions around that area.
Rent a car or RV and discover Alaska's unique roadside communities. You'll get a change to meet friendly people, see wildlife, and view unforgettable scenery. Stop where you want, for as long as you want.

7 to 14 days

Fly round-trip to Alaska, or fly one way and take a cruise ship or state ferry in the other direction.
If you plan to travel by sea, add a few shore excursions to experience adventures such as flightseeing, kayaking, walking tours, guided rafting and fishing trips.
Add land-based day trips and tours to your itinerary. Plan on one low-key day for every two days of intensive touring.
Plan a one- or two-day visit to an Alaskan "bush" community for in-depth discovery of Alaskan history and Native culture.

14 days or more

Combine two 7-day itineraries.
Travel to and from the state using different methods of transportation.
Drive to and from Alaska in your own car or RV and see several regions of the state by road, adding occasional flightseeing trips, land-based tours and day cruises.
Include a rail trip.
See more than one region.
Take a few days to visit the "bush" for explorations of gold rush history or Native culture.
Take a motorcoach tour from the lower 48 and allow the tour operators to handle all the details for you.

Alaska Tips

Culture

Learn More Alaska's Southcentral region, encompassing Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, features some of the best the state has to offer for cultural travelers. Anchorage is home to...