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A woman tour guide rows a fishing boat on a women's fly fishing trip

Supporting Women-Owned Tourism Businesses in Alaska

Women-Owned Tourism Businesses in Alaska

Alaskan women are tough, resourceful, adventurous, and independent, and many of these local ladies have dedicated their lives to sharing the magic of Alaska with visitors by owning some of the state’s best tour companies. In fact, Alaska leads as one of the top states in the country for women’s entrepreneurship and female-owned businesses!

Supporting these businesses means you’ll get local knowledge on the best places to go, things to do, and be welcomed with the warm hospitality that Alaska is famous for. These women will teach you how to fly fish, lead you on a wilderness backpacking trip, show you the ins and outs of dog mushing, captain your whale watching or fishing charter boat, and host you at some of the state’s finest wilderness lodges and boutique accommodations. Some of these businesses even offer women’s-only tours and packages so you can share the beauty of Alaska with your gal pals on your next Alaska girls’ trip

Backpack Alaska owner Kathryn Walsh on a backpacking trip.
Kathryn Walsh, owner of Backpack Alaska, which leads statewide backpacking trips, including women-only trips. Photo Credit: Backpack Alaska

Check out our list of some of Alaska's women-owned tourism businesses for your next trip to the 49th state:

INSIDE PASSAGE

  • Alaska Concierge, Juneau
    Travel planning and custom itineraries in Juneau and other destinations in the Inside Passage.
  • Alaska Galore Tours, Juneau
    Whale watching and land tour day trips in Juneau.
  • Jayleen’s Alaska, Juneau
    Small boat whale watching tours, including private and custom tours.
  • Juneau Food Tours, Juneau
    Guided small-group culinary day tours in Juneau.
  • NatVenture Tours, Gustavus
    Tour company offering a variety of excursions including fishing, kayaking, bear viewing, and packrafting.
  • Out to Sea Expedition Company, Ketchikan
    Wildlife and sightseeing zodiac tours.
  • Red Onion Saloon, Skagway
    Historic Gold Rush saloon, restaurant, and museum.
  • Silverbow Inn, Juneau
    Boutique hotel in downtown Juneau.
  • Wild Strawberry Lodge, Sitka
    Fishing lodge in Sitka with halibut and salmon fishing charters, including all-inclusive women’s fishing trip packages and “ladies special” buddy rates.

Captain Jayleen on a whale watching tour with Jayleen's Alaska
Captain Jayleen Bydlon, owner of Jayleen's Alaska in Juneau.

Interior

  • A+ Dogsled Excursions & Tours, Fairbanks
    Dog sled day tours, Arctic Circle tours, Fairbanks city tours, and ice fishing.
  • Arctic Dog Adventure Co., Fairbanks
    Multi-day dog sled tours featuring northern lights viewing, hot springs, and wilderness lodges and cabins, with women-only trip options. Husky hiking trips available in summer.
  • Gold Daughters, Fairbanks
    Gold panning tours and a mining museum with Gold Rush artifacts.
  • Denali Hostel, Denali National Park
    Riverside accommodations with private cabins, canvas tents, and shared dorms near the entrance to Denali National Park. Also operates Denali Photo Guides, Chain Lynx Bike Shop, and Sheep Shuttle.
  • Paws for Adventure, Fairbanks
    Year-round dog sled day tours plus winter northern lights viewing dog sled tour and overnight tour to the historic Tolovana Roadhouse.
  • Tonglen Lake Lodge, Denali National Park
    Lodge near the entrance to Denali National Park featuring lodge rooms, private cabins, and on-site café and fine dining.
  • Squid Acres Kennel, Cantwell
    Dog kennel that offers kennel tours, summer and winter dog mushing tours, multi-day expeditions, and women’s only-mushing retreats.

Denali Hostel owner Bethany Boyd with a guest at Denali Hostel
Owner Bethany Boyd talks to a guest at Denali Hostel & Cabins. Photo Credit: Denali Hostel & Cabins.

SOUTHCENTRAL

  • Adventure 60 North, Seward
    Guided kayaking day trips and multi-day trips in Kenai Fjords National Park, including women’s-only multi-day kayaking and camping trip, plus summer and winter tours and activities including hiking, fishing, gold panning, and snowmobile tours.
  • Alaska Trail Guides, Anchorage
    Guided small-group biking tours in Anchorage including city tours, mountain biking, and winter fat tire biking.
  • Outbound Heli Adventures, Anchorage
    Helicopter flightseeing tours from Anchorage with glacier landings, glacier dog sledding, and glacier trekking/ice climbing options.
  • Salted Roots Alaska, Seward
    Boutique cabins and cottages on the waterfront of Resurrection Bay.
  • Saltwater Excursions, Whittier
    Salmon and halibut fishing charters and glacier & wildlife cruises into Prince William Sound.
  • Seward Ocean Excursions, Seward
    Glacier and wildlife small boat sightseeing tours in Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park.
  • Stan Stephens Glacier & Wildlife Cruises, Valdez
    Glacier and wildlife day cruises in Prince William Sound.
  • St. Elias Alpine Guides, McCarthy
    Hiking, glacier trekking, ice climbing, rafting, kayaking, backpacking, and mountaineering day drips and multi-day trips in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Also offering courses in backcountry skills, ice climbing, and mountaineering, including a Women's Ice Climbing Camp. 
  • Sunny Cove Sea Kayaking, Seward
    Guided kayaking day trips and multi-day kayak camping trips in Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park, with kayak & hike options.
  • Talkeetna River Guides, Talkeetna
    Rafting day trips and overnight rafting trips on the Talkeetna and Chulitna Rivers.
  • Talkeetna Roadhouse, Talkeetna
    Historic roadhouse with rooms, a restaurant, and a bakery.

Salted Roots Cabins in Seward
Owner KellyAnn Cavaretta and her son on the steps of one of their boutique cabins at Salted Roots in Seward. Photo Credit: Salted Roots. 
Elly Maure, owner of Alaska Trail Guides, leads small-group biking tours of Anchorage
Elly Maurer, owner of Alaska Trail Guides, leads small-group bike tours of Anchorage. Photo Credit: Alaska Trail Guides.

ARCTIC

  • Bettles Lodge, Bettles
    Lodging 35 miles north of the Arctic Circle with year-round guided wilderness trips including fishing, backcountry expeditions, Gates of the Arctic National Park, dog sledding, and northern lights viewing.
  • Circumpolar Expeditions
    Guided Arctic tour packages to the Arctic Circle, Diomede Islands, and Bering Strait.
  • Nataaq Gear, Nome
    Alaska Native woman-owned clothing company selling jackets and vests inspired by traditional Alaska Native kuspuk garments.
  • Roam Nome, Nome
    Guided small-group day trips in Nome featuring birding, hiking, snowshoeing, wildlife viewing, history, and sightseeing.

Roam Nome bird watching tour
Carol Gales (left), owner of Roam Nome, leads a small group birding tour in Nome. Photo Credit: Roam Nome.

SOUTHWEST

  • Adventure Kodiak, Kodiak
    Multi-day small boat cruise focused on bear viewing, wildlife viewing, and photography.
  • Afognak Wilderness Lodge, Afognak Island
    Wilderness lodge with private cabins, offering wildlife viewing, fishing, and photography tours.
  • Alaska’s Gold Creek Lodge, King Salmon
    Fishing lodge with private cabins and yurts offering fly-out fishing trips, hiking, and bear viewing in Katmai National Park.
  • Ayakulik Adventures, Kodiak
    Fishing and bear viewing trips on the Ayakulik River.
  • Bear Trail Lodge, King Salmon
    Lodge with private cabins offering fishing and wildlife viewing trips. 
  • Branch River Air Service, King Salmon
    Float plane air taxi service for fishing trips, bear viewing in Katmai National Park, and flightseeing.
  • Kayak Kodiak, Kodiak
    Guided sea kayaking trips focused on wildlife viewing, as well as private cabin and chalet rentals throughout the island.
  • Keeping it Reel Charters, Unalaska
    Fishing charters and sightseeing boat tours.
  • Tulchina Adventures, Port Alsworth
    Cabin and campground accommodations plus gear rentals and kayaking trips in Lake Clark National Park.
  • Wood Tikchik Air, Aleknagik
    Guided fishing trips and air taxi service plus camping and kayak/canoe gear rentals.

Kayak Kodiak owner Jennifer Gardner
Kayak Kodiak owner Jennifer Gardner. Photo Credit: Breanna Peterson.

STATEWIDE

  • Alaska Private Touring
    Year-round luxury tours in Alaska with customized and private itineraries on land and small ship cruises.
  • Backpack Alaska
    Multi-day guided backpacking trips throughout the state including Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and the Brooks Range, with women’s-only trips available.
  • Salmon Berry Tours
    Year-round day tours and multi-day packages based out of Anchorage and Fairbanks featuring hiking, wildlife viewing, city tours, sightseeing, dog mushing, Iditarod, northern lights viewing, and cruise ship transfers.
  • Tundra Travels
    Multi-day guided backpacking trips in Gates of the Arctic National Park, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and the Talkeetna Mountains.
  • Women’s Flyfishing
    Women-only fly fishing trips throughout the state including the Kenai River, the Naknek River, Nome, and Yakutat. Fly fishing classes are also available in Anchorage.

A women's-only fishing trip on the Kenai River with Women's Flyfishing
A women's-only fishing trip on the Kenai River with Women's Flyfishing.

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