Can You Visit Alaska Without Booking Excursions?

Yes, you can have a genuinely satisfying Alaska trip without booking a single guided excursion. But it’s worth understanding why excursions exist before you decide to skip them.

There are two main reasons. First, a lot of Alaska’s most iconic experiences take place in remote areas that aren’t accessible by road. The only ways to reach wildlife and glaciers may be by flying, rafting, or boating, which requires special equipment and professionals. Second, guides have so much knowledge about the flora, fauna, geography, and history of an area that you’ll appreciate the excursion much more than if you went solo.

Bottom line: If you can afford a few excursions, they’re usually worth the investment. (For more advice, read our piece about budgeting.) But even without guided tours, Alaska still delivers.

Here’s how to do it right.

Hit the Trails

Hiking is the single best free activity in Alaska. Most people can do it, and every town has easily accessible trails. While you’ll want a rental car to reach most trailheads, some unforgettable hikes are doable without wheels:

• In Seward, book a seat on the Exit Glacier Shuttle, which runs from downtown to the Exit Glacier Visitor Center in Kenai Fjords National Park. From there, you can walk the trail up to the glacier’s face without a car or tour.
• In Juneau, take a public bus from downtown to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. Mendenhall is one of Alaska’s most accessible glacier experiences.
• In Anchorage, take the Flattop Mountain Shuttle to (fittingly) the Flattop Mountain trail, one of the city’s most beloved mountain treks.

If you do have your own vehicle, your options open up considerably. Popular trails are well-marked and well-traveled, so you won’t feel isolated on a busy summer day.
Check out our trails page; you can filter by town.

Explore Alaska’s Cities on Foot

If you’re arriving by cruise ship, exploring on foot is a completely valid plan. Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, Sitka, and Seward all have walkable downtowns near the cruise docks, with shops, restaurants, museums, and local character worth a few hours of your time.

Some port towns also have hiking or walking trails near the dock (like the Creek Street boardwalk in Ketchikan), or you can reach them by taxi.

For independent visitors staying in Anchorage or Fairbanks, booking a hotel in or near downtown puts you close to restaurants, museums, markets, and trails.

Drive the Scenic Roads

Some of the best viewpoints in Alaska are reachable by car, with no fee and no booking required.

• From Anchorage, here are two of our favorite options. Drive the Seward Highway along Turnagain Arm, south of the city, for spectacular views of the Chugach Mountain peaks and tidal flats. If you time it right, you may even be able to see a bore tide. Or drive up to the Flattop Mountain trailhead parking area for a panoramic view over Anchorage and the Alaska Range beyond.
• From Fairbanks, the road to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline viewpoint is an easy side trip, and the Steese and Elliott Highways offer genuine backcountry scenery without requiring a guided tour.
• From Juneau, drive 22 miles out the Glacier Highway to the Shrine of St. Therese.
  

See our full list of scenic drives.

Rent a Bike

Biking doesn’t require joining a guided tour, just a bike rental and a bit of planning. During the summer, you can find rental shops in most larger Alaska towns, many of which have dedicated trail systems that make for great cycling. (Hint: Anchorage’s trail network is one of the better urban systems in the entire country.)

For a full breakdown of biking options around the state, check out our Alaska biking guide.

Explore Museums and Cultural Centers

Many of Alaska’s museums are fascinating and phenomenal. In other words, you don’t have to save them for a rainy day!

• In Anchorage, spend a half-day at the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center learning about Alaska’s natural history, indigenous cultures, and contemporary art. Also worth a visit: The Alaska Native Heritage Center, a living cultural center with traditional dwellings, performances, and exhibits representing Alaska’s diverse Native peoples. The two complement each other well and together can fill a full day.

• In Fairbanks, the University of Alaska Museum of the North features a collection that spans Alaska’s natural and cultural history; the distinctive building alone is worth the trip.
• In Juneau, you’ll find two good options downtown. The Alaska State Museum covers the state’s history and Alaska Native cultures in depth. The Juneau-Douglas City Museum is smaller, but you’ll learn a lot about local history and the gold rush era.
• In Skagway, the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park visitor center and associated museum are free and genuinely good. In fact, the whole town is essentially a preserved gold rush artifact, and the park service does strong interpretive work here.
• In Haines, head to the Hammer Museum, which is exactly what it sounds like: a collection of over 2,000 hammers spanning human history. It’s a quirky, small museum that’s a fun stop if you’re passing through.
• In Ketchikan, Saxman Totem Park and Totem Bight State Historical Park are close to town and feature two of the better totem pole collections open to the public. At Saxman, you can watch carvers in process, while Totem Bight is a state park with a reconstructed clan house in a forest setting.

Check out our full list of museums and cultural centers around the state.

Breweries and Distilleries

Alaska’s craft beer and spirits scene has grown steadily over the past decade, and a few hours at a local brewery or distillery gives you a real sense of where you are. Anchorage has more options than you can visit in a weekend, while other hot spots — Sitka, Haines, Juneau, Talkeetna, Denali, Fairbanks, Seward, Homer, and Kenai — all feature great places for sipping.

See a list of breweries and distilleries around the state.

Farmers Markets

Alaska’s summer farmers markets are genuinely different from what you’ll find in the Lower 48…and that’s the point. The growing season is short and intense, and the results are uniquely Alaskan.

• In Anchorage, downtown’s Saturday Market runs through the summer, with additional markets throughout the summer season.
• In Fairbanks, the Tanana Valley Farmers Market is one of Alaska’s oldest. Expect local vegetables, wild mushrooms, rhubarb preserves, birch syrup, and honey.
• In Seward, there’s a charming market on Saturdays from mid-May to mid-September. It’s one of the better ways to understand what Alaskans actually eat.

Free Ranger Programs in the National Parks and Public Lands

The National Park Service runs interpretive programs that are completely free and enriching; they’re one of Alaska’s most underused free resources, and some happen in parks on the road system.

• In Kenai Fjords National Park, rangers lead walks at Exit Glacier throughout the summer.
• In Denali National Park, the sled dog demonstration is a highlight of any Denali visit. The park maintains a working sled dog team year-round, and the daily demonstration (free, open to visitors) is exciting and educational. Another highlight of a Denali visit, the Jr. Ranger program, is great for kids. Rangers also lead guided walks and evening programs at the visitor centers, which are all included with your park admission.
• In Wrangell St. Elias National Park, the Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center in Copper Center has daily guided walks and interpretive programs from mid-May through mid-September. You’ll find the same at the park’s visitor center in Kennecott, as well as a Jr. Ranger program.
• In Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, in Skagway, the visitor center hosts daily programs and a film.

Wildlife Viewing

Some of the best wildlife viewing in Alaska can happen from a roadside pull-out.

• Turnagain Arm along Seward Highway, south of Anchorage, is one of Alaska’s richest wildlife corridors. You may see Dall sheep clinging to the cliffs, beluga whales following the tide in May and September, and bald eagles perched in trees or out on the tidal flats.
• Viewing platforms around the state were built specifically to check out salmon as they return to spawn. You’ll also find great spots to see migratory and resident birds, as well as places moose are known to hang out. (See our entire list of wildlife viewing spots.)
• The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center near Portage (about an hour south of Anchorage) lets you see brown bears, musk ox, bison, and other species up close in a large sanctuary setting. It’s not a zoo in the traditional sense, and most visitors are surprised by how much ground there is to cover on foot.

Soak in a Hot Spring

Alaska has hot springs, and a couple of them are accessible by road without any guide or booking necessary.

• Chena Hot Springs, about 60 miles east of Fairbanks, is the most popular. It’s a full resort, but you can pay for day access to the pools without staying overnight or joining a tour. The 2-hour drive from Fairbanks, on Chena Hot Springs Road, is pleasant in its own right, and wildlife sightings along the way are common.
• Manley Hot Springs is located at the end of the Elliott Highway northwest of Fairbanks. There’s a small community with a low-key hot springs operation, on-site restaurant, and a few cozy cabins. Getting there requires committing to a long, mostly unpaved road, which is part of the appeal. (Just be aware that most rental vehicles are not allowed on it; you’ll need to book from a company that permits driving on gravel roads.) It’s a genuinely off-the-beaten-path Alaska experience that doesn’t involve a floatplane.

Fish From Public Banks and Piers

Fishing charters are often the easiest ways for visitors to experience fishing in Alaska, but it’s not the only option. In fact, a lot of local fishing happens from public banks and docks.

• The Russian River confluence near Cooper Landing on the Kenai Peninsula is one of the most famous bank-fishing spots in the state. During sockeye salmon runs in summer, it draws serious crowds of waders, who stand shoulder to shoulder in the river. It’s chaotic, but entirely free to access beyond the cost of a fishing license (and renting fishing gear if you don’t bring your own).
• Two other hot spots for salmon fishing during peak season: the public pier in Homer, and the Ship Creek corridor in downtown Anchorage.

A couple caveats: You’ll need an Alaska fishing license, which you can buy online before you arrive. Also, regulations vary by species, river, and time of year, so check the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website for current rules before you fish.

See our list of fishing spots in Alaska.

Ride the Alaska Railroad

The Alaska Railroad doesn’t get enough attention as an independent travel option. Most visitors default to driving, but the train rides between Anchorage and Seward or Anchorage and Denali offer a magnificent scenic experience.

• The Seward route passes through Portage, skirts the edge of Kenai Lake, and drops into Resurrection Bay, with views of mountains tucked into glaciers along the way.
• The Denali route runs through the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, with the Alaska Range visible for much of the journey.

Railroad trips aren’t guided, but they’re not just transportation, either. There’s onboard narration, and the conductor slows the train for wildlife sightings. Trains run on a seasonal schedule, so check the Alaska Railroad website for departure times. Pro tip: If you’re traveling during peak summer weeks, buy your tickets in advance, because trips do sell out.

Beachcombing

Alaska’s coastline rewards slow, independent exploration, and you don’t need a kayak tour to access most of it.

• Homer Spit on Kachemak Bay is driveable to the end, putting you on a narrow strip of land with the bay on both sides and a clear view across to the mountains and glaciers of Kachemak Bay State Park. The beach itself is walkable, and low tide exposes tidal flats worth poking around in. Nearby Bishops Beach in Homer is particularly great for tidepooling.
• Seward is another great spot on the road system to experience coastal Alaska. You can explore the waterfront near town or pull into the Lowell Point Beach Access Parking.
• In Juneau, two local favorites are Savikko Park (an unexpected sandy beach) and Eagle Beach.

Catch the Northern Lights

Fairbanks is one of the best places in the world to see the aurora borealis, and watching it costs nothing. The lights are visible from late August through April, when skies are clear and solar activity cooperates. Check an aurora forecast app for upcoming activity, then just drive a few miles outside the city (to get away from light pollution) and wait.

Clearer, darker skies are available a short drive from Fairbanks in most directions. Chena Hot Springs Road is a popular spot because it’s also the route to Chena Hot Springs.

Aurora viewing is possible from Anchorage, but it’s less reliable than Fairbanks, which gets significantly more clear nights and sits closer to the auroral oval. If seeing the lights is a priority, build Fairbanks into your itinerary rather than hoping for a sighting from Anchorage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a car to enjoy activities in Alaska without booking excursions?

You don’t. In Seward, there’s a shuttle to Exit Glacier; Juneau offers bus service to Mendenhall Glacier. In Anchorage and Fairbanks, staying downtown puts you within walking distance of many things to do. Of course, renting a car does open up many more possibilities.

What free things can you do in Denali National Park?

The sled dog kennel demonstration is free and happens daily during the summer season. Ranger-led interpretive walks and evening programs at the visitor center are also free with park admission. The park road itself, accessible by private vehicle up to mile 15, offers good wildlife viewing for no additional cost. But you’ll have a much better chance of seeing wildlife by hopping on a tour bus or the park’s shuttle bus.

Can you see a glacier in Alaska without paying for a tour?

Yes. Exit Glacier, in Kenai Fjords National Park, is free to visit and has a paved trail to the glacier face. In Juneau, you can check out Mendenhall Glacier by taking an inexpensive public bus and paying a modest admission fee.

Is it worth visiting Alaska on a cruise without booking ship excursions?

It depends. If your priority is wildlife or remote wilderness, excursions matter. But if you’re content to explore port towns on foot, walk nearby trails, and eat well, you can fill every port day without booking any tours. Skagway, Ketchikan, and Juneau all have enough things to do within walking distance of the docks to occupy a few hours.

Can you visit hot springs in Alaska without booking a tour?

Yes. Chena Hot Springs, about 60 miles east of Fairbanks, offers day-use access to the pools without an overnight stay or guided package. Manley Hot Springs, at the end of the Elliott Highway, is more remote. You’ll need a car to reach either one, but don’t need to book a guide.

Can you fish in Alaska without hiring a charter?

Yes, and plenty of Alaskans do exactly that. The Russian River confluence near Cooper Landing is one of the most well-known bank-fishing spots in the state, drawing waders during the sockeye runs each summer. Ship Creek in downtown Anchorage also sees salmon action during peak season. You’ll need a valid Alaska fishing license (available online through the Alaska Department of Fish and Game), and be sure to check the current regulations before you go, since rules vary by species and location.