Things to Do in Anchorage

The Best Things to Do in Anchorage

Anchorage is an urban city with easy access to magnificent scenery, adventurous activities, cultural demonstrations and wildlife viewing. Within an hour or two from town you could be kayaking among icebergs, watching brown bears in the wild, or hiking through a rainforest or alpine meadow. Get the most fun out of your time in Anchorage with our list of the top ten activities/day trips.

1. Day Cruise from Whittier, Seward, or Portage

Glaciers, marine wildlife, coastal scenery, rail tour

There are three spots you can board a boat and marvel at glaciers from the water on a day trip from Anchorage. Awe-inspiring tidewater glaciers meet the waters of Prince William Sound, and hanging glaciers nestle in the towering peaks. See it all on an afternoon cruise leaving from the small town of Whittier, just an hour and 15 minute drive south of Anchorage. Seals, sea otters, sea birds, and even whales can be spotted here, too.

If you have a car, leave Anchorage early to give lots of time for stopping to photograph the dramatic scenery of Turnagain Arm and Portage Glacier Road (towering mountains, cliffs, Dall sheep, glaciers, and salmon in mid-July to late-August). You can also visit the Begich Boggs Visitor Center to learn about the glaciers, wildlife, climate, geography and people of the Chugach National Forest and Prince William Sound. Drive through the 2.5-mile Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel to get to Whittier. The one-way tunnel is shared by cars and trains, with specific times for travel in each direction, so check the schedule carefully.

You can also take the morning train from downtown Anchorage. It takes a little longer than driving so you’ll arrive back in Anchorage well after dinner, but you’ll enjoy a meal on the cruise and can buy snacks on the train.

A 2.5 hour drive from Anchorage (or 4 hours by train) puts you in the seaside town of Seward, the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park. Most cruises into the national park are 5 -6 hours, perfect for a day trip. And, they're timed to work with the train. When you arrive in Seward you'll be transported to the boat harbor from the rail station and back for your evening return to Anchorage.

If you're short on time, the 1-hour Portage Glacier Cruise offers the quickest view of a glacier on the water from Anchorage.

Transportation: Car or train (Whittier / Seward)
Activity level: Mild
Weather: Beautiful rain or shine. The blue of the glaciers really pops on overcast days.
Tip: Book cruise in advance

2. Drive to the Matanuska Glacier

Scenic driving, glacier, ice climbing, rafting, ziplining

Just 2.5 hours from Anchorage, the 4-mile-wide face of the great Matanuska Glacier invites you to a day full of adventure – climbing the ice, rafting the river, or flying through the air on Alaska’s fastest zip line. Drive along the scenic Glenn Highway from Anchorage to Mile 101, where you can stretch your legs and take photos at the Matanuska Glacier State Recreation Site. The quiet one-mile Edge Nature Trail winds through a boreal forest, leading to viewing platforms. You’ll find food and another view at a nearby lodge/restaurant (Mile 102.2). At Mile 102, take a privately-owned access road closer to the glacier for a fee. At this point you can explore the marked trail on your own. To go further, get a guide.

For a full day of highly-recommended adventuring, choose from several guided activities that don’t require previous glacier experience. Some can even be done with young children. Raft along the Matanuska River, take a guided trek on the glacier for a close-up view of fissures, pools and rivers on the icy surface, climb a vertical wall of ice, or drive a rough and ready ATV on wooded trails overlooking the glacier valley!

Transportation: Car or van tour (Salmon Berry Tours or Wild Journeys Alaska)
Activity level: Mild to Wild
Weather: Glacier activities are all-weather. There’s no accurate forecast, as the glacier and surrounding peaks create a weather hole (often resulting in more favorable weather than surrounding areas). It is 5-10 degrees cooler at the glacier, so layer up and bring rain gear.
Tip: Book activities in advance; bring $5 for parking at the nearby Matanuska Glacier State Recreation Site

3. Fly-In Bear Viewing

This is one of the wildest, most amazing day trips you can take from Anchorage. You’ll fly out of the city and across Cook Inlet to areas where huge brown bears congregate to fatten up for winter on Alaska’s wild and robust salmon runs. They are so focused on this task that they pay humans no mind. Watch them fish, play, and train cubs in their natural wild habitat, and be back in time for a nice dinner out in Anchorage! The thrilling day begins and ends with a scenic flight on a classic Alaska float plane or wheeled plane. You’ll fly to either Lake Clark National Park or Katmai National Park, with views of braided rivers, glaciers, volcanoes and possible wildlife such as beluga whales, moose and Dall sheep. Tours start around $700 per person, which may seem high until you consider the 2-6 hour flightseeing experience and hours of bear viewing included in the cost.

Choose Katmai in July if you want to visit Brooks Falls and capture an iconic photo of salmon jumping right into a brown bear’s gaping jaws. This is a wildly popular spot, where you can see dozens of bears within a 1.5-mile stretch of the Brooks River. Platforms have been developed above the falls to help everyone get a great view. Between May and September, you can watch coastal brown bears in Lake Clark National Park. Your guide will take you and a small group where the bears are most active, with tour options for hiking along the flats, travel by 4WD vehicle, or viewing from a covered boat.

Transportation: Float plane or small wheeled plane
Activity level: Moderate (walking)
Weather: Rain or shine, but flights can be delayed or cancelled due to weather.
Tip: For best availability, book in advance

4. Hatcher Pass Scenic Drive

Hiking, history, berry picking

A summer day in Hatcher Pass mixes spectacular scenery, history, and easy to moderate hiking. An 80-minute drive northeast of Anchorage brings you past farms of the Mat-Su Valley and the picturesque Little Su River to a scenic pass high in the mountains where you can tour the remains of the 1940s-era Independence Mine and hike through tundra to a crystal clear alpine lake. The views as you drive up to 3,800 feet are worth the trip even if you are not a hiker. Hatcher Pass is also quite a draw in winter for mountain skiing, sledding, snowshoeing, and snowboarding.

This is a great trip for those on a budget, since your only expense is a $5 parking fee. And it’s perfect for families, since trails and tundra hiking are accessible and fun for the kids. Hatcher Pass remains snowy for much of the year, so you have a good chance of hiking to snow even in the height of summer. Exploring trails offers a different experience at each elevation: spongy tundra and alpine lakes further up, spans of colorful wildflowers and waterfalls at subalpine elevations, and lush foliage along a glacial valley at the base of the mountain. Be sure to bring water, a lunch, and warm layers to be prepared for cooler weather. In addition to perfect views, you may also spot paragliders, who regularly launch from the mountain slopes on clear days. For wildlife, you’ll see birds, and possibly ground squirrels, marmots and beavers.

Transportation: Car
Activity level: Mild to strenuous (walking/hiking)
Weather: Check operating hours for Independence Mine Visitor Center; bring $5 for parking, bring a bucket for berries in late summer/early fall

5. Fly-in fishing

Scenic views, remote river/lake fishing, tasty souvenir

Fly-in fishing, which combines a scenic flight with fishing for trout or salmon, is a perfectly Alaskan experience. Soar above the Anchorage bowl toward the Matanuska Valley and touch down 20 minutes later in a prime fishing spot in Alaska’s remote backcountry. Spend the day with your line in the water, fishing in beautiful creeks and lakes off the road system. It’s more secluded than roadside fishing options from Anchorage, which can get fairly crowded during the season. You’ll fish from a boat or from the shore, all geared up in iconic hip-waders.

And you don’t have to be an expert to take advantage of the fun. There are guided options, complete with all your tackle and fishing gear (including boots). Or you can bring your own for a do-it-yourself trip. It can be surprisingly affordable, starting at $300 per person for the flight and an unguided day on the water. Expect to pay $600 or more for a day trip with a guide steering you to the best spots for whatever fish is in season. Depending on the time of year, you might land a giant King salmon, a feisty Silver, or a succulent Red. There are also great nearby spots for Northern Pike, Grayling, Rainbow Trout and Arctic Char.

The day ends as it began, with a flight back to Lake Hood, the world’s busiest seaplane base and a shuttle back to your hotel. Your charter company can arrange to process your fish to send back home for a tasty reminder of a 100% pure Alaskan adventure.

Transportation: Float plane
Activity level: Mild to moderate (walking)
Weather: Fish are biting rain or shine
Tip: Book in advance; get your fishing license online or in Anchorage

6. Train Ride and Rafting or Kayaking at Spencer Glacier

Glacier, on the water, coastal scenery, wildlife

Ancient ice beckons, just 60 miles from Anchorage, at Spencer Glacier and its namesake lake, which is dotted with icebergs of all sizes. See it, touch it… even taste it, as you get up close in a kayak, canoe or on a raft. This peaceful area is off the road-system, promising a wild and remote feel even though you can get there easily by train.

The day starts on the Alaska Railroad, with a scenic journey along Turnagain Arm and into Portage Valley, where hanging glaciers grace the mountain peaks. Disembark at the Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop, where your guides will suit you up for a mild float on Spencer Lake and the nearby Placer River. Or hop in a kayak and paddle serenely past icebergs up to the toe of the glacier. Strap on a helmet and crampons for a close-up view of ice caves, crevasses, and blue ice.

Choose a guided or self-guided hike if you’d rather explore the area on foot. An easy 1.3-mile gravel trail leads from the Whistle Stop to the Spencer Lake Viewing Platform. From there, you can walk another 1.7 miles along the lake toward the glacier terminus. The trail doesn’t quite reach to the glacier since it has been retreating, so you’ll want to kayak or raft to get closer.

Transportation: Train or car/train
Activity level: Mild to strenuous
Weather: Beautiful rain or shine, just wear proper clothing. Guides provide a poncho in rain.
Tip: Book rafting/kayaking when you book rail

7. Talkeetna & Denali Flightseeing

Scenic flight, glacier landing, quaint town, mountaineering hot spot

Don’t have time to drive all the way to Denali National Park? Talkeetna is the perfect day trip for experiencing small town Alaska and getting close to Denali in just a few hours (3 hours by train, 2.5 by car). Charming and historic, Talkeetna is 14 miles off the beaten path, at the confluence of three rivers. It’s the jumping off point for mountaineers with the highest aspirations – to summit Denali, the tallest peak in North America (20,310 feet). It’s also a hot-spot for more down-to-earth adventuring, like river rafting on a glacial river, hiking, or ziplining through a boreal forest.

The most popular attraction is flightseeing near the snowy peaks of the Alaska Range, including Denali. Soar above ice falls, blue meltwater pools, crevasses, and glaciers that go on for miles. Helicopter or bush plane tours last 1-2 hours each, with many variations: fly above the Denali summit, land on a glacier, or fly into Denali National Park, land on a lake and go hiking!

In town, the small historical museum has exhibits on Talkeetna’s early years, the railroad and what it’s like to climb Denali. Check out the gift shops, galleries, or open-air market (Sat-Mon) before finding a pizza, burger or even Thai food. There’s even a local craft brewery! Walk to the waterfront just a few minutes from town and get a peek at the mighty Susitna River before heading back to Anchorage.

Transportation: Car or train to Talkeetna
Activity level: Mild
Weather: Flights can be delayed or cancelled due to weather. Overcast days can sock in the peaks, but the scenery below is still epic. If you get a clear day, go for it!
Tip: For best availability book train and flightseeing tour in advance

8. Anchorage History & Culture

Anchorage sights, Native dancing, Alaska art and history

Spend a full day immersed in Alaska art, history and culture, and learn about Anchorage too. Start out at the must-see Alaska Native Heritage Center, located in a beautiful area on the northeast edge of town. A free hourly shuttle leaves from the Anchorage Museum, Visit Anchorage, the Captain Cook or the Sheraton. Learn about Alaska’s five major Native cultures through art, short films, and demonstrations of Native dancing and games. Outside, take a guided or self-guided tour through a wooded area around Lake Tiulana. The path winds past six authentic life-size Native dwellings illustrating how Native people lived in different parts of Alaska – from the longhouses of the coastal peoples to underground houses entered from ladders or tunnels.

Back downtown at the Anchorage Museum, you’ll find world-class exhibits and an interactive Discovery Center especially fun for the kids. Save time for the third floor, where 600+ indigenous Alaska artifacts are on loan from the Smithsonian. Special activities include films at the planetarium and science labs at the Discovery Center. Finish up your visit with a meal at the on-site restaurant or one of several nearby before walking about six blocks to the Log Cabin Visitor Center to catch the Anchorage Trolley tour.

For Anchorage-specific history, there’s no better ride than this 1-hour tour. Drivers share fun facts and stories about Anchorage’s 100+ year history while covering 15 miles – from Anchorage’s historic neighborhoods to Earthquake Park and the seaplanes of Lake Hood.

Explore Anchorage by foot while sampling Alaska cuisine and hearing stories of the 49th state with Alaskan Footprints. See Anchor­age in a whole new way aboard the only par­ty bike in Alas­ka!

Pedal Anchorage offers a unique, open-air vehi­cle, to take on the city by your­self, in a group, or book out the entire vehi­cle! If you see the par­ty bike while walk­ing around Anchor­age and there’s an open seat, flag down the dri­ver: If they’re not on a pri­vate tour, you’ll be wel­come to join!

Transportation: Trolley, Shuttle, car
Activity level: Mild
Weather: Informative everyday; perfect choice on a rainy day
Tip: The Alaska Culture Pass gets you into the Anchorage Museum and the Alaska Native Heritage Center at a discount.

9. Turnagain Arm & Girdwood

Coastal views, wildlife, hiking, biking, charming resort town, temperate rainforest, Iditarod trail

45 minutes south of Anchorage, Girdwood is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, who enjoy its trails and slopes year round. The easy Winner Creek Trail, starting at Alyeska Resort, is a popular choice that winds through lush rainforest and past lively creeks. It leads to a unique hand tram over a deep gorge and connects with the historic Iditarod Trail. Or head uphill from Alyeska on a 7-minute tram for spectacular views of Turnagain Arm and hanging glaciers, as well as casual and gourmet mountain-top dining. Rent a mountain bike for an adventurous ride back down!

The journey to and from Girdwood takes you through some of the most breathtaking scenery anywhere. The highway winds along, sandwiched between the 3,000-foot mountains of Chugach State Park and the ever-changing Turnagain Arm, whose mud flats stretch up to 4 miles. At Beluga Point (Mile 110.5), especially from mid-July through August, watch for Cook Inlet belugas as they chase salmon at high tide. At Windy Corner (Mile 106), spot Dall sheep on the cliffs along the mountainside. From Mile 115.1 to Mile 100.5, several trailheads offer access to a network of trails, many with gorgeous views overlooking Turnagain Arm. Climb high into alpine tundra, to waterfalls and lakes, or through old-growth forests leading to wildflower-laden valleys.

Transportation: Car or train
Activity level: Mild to strenuous
Weather: Beautiful in light rain or shine, views are better from the tram on a clear day
Tip: Check the schedule. Girdwood throws a great summer party, from the Forest Fair to the Blueberry Festival and the Fungus Fair.

19. Anchorage Outdoors

Stunning views, wildlife, hiking, biking, berry picking

Anchorage may be an urban city of 300,000, but it boasts some of the best parkland and recreational opportunities in the country, ranging from the sea-level Tony Knowles Coastal Trail to the 3,500-ft high Flattop Mountain. The paved coastal trail starts in downtown Anchorage and runs 11 miles out to Kincaid Park. It’s easy to rent a bike downtown and hop on the trail, enjoying sweeping views of the mudflats, Cook Inlet, and Sleeping Lady (even Denali on a clear day). Once you’ve gone a few miles, stop to look back for a great shot of the Anchorage skyline. Chances of seeing moose are very good along this trail, especially as you get closer to Kincaid Park.

For a different perspective of Anchorage, drive just 20 minutes to the Glen Alps parking lot, where you will find a number of trails in Chugach State Park, including one that takes you to the top of Flattop. It’s typically windy there, which will be refreshing after the hike up! If you don’t want climb that far, the 1.5-mile Blueberry Loop trail still affords a great view and is a little less demanding. An even shorter trail from the parking lot to an overlook ensures a beautiful view of the Anchorage bowl.

If you're not ready to hit the trails alone, Go Hike Alaska offers a variety of walks and hikes in the Chugach State Park beyond Anchorage.

If you'd like to get out on the water AK Paddlesports offers top-flight kayaks, canoes or paddleboards for rent, along with expert-guided kayaking tours and lessons. They even deliver!

Transportation: Car or bicycle
Activity level: Mild to strenuous
Weather: Best on a sunny day, but light rain won’t hurt; temps are much cooler on Flattop
Tip: Get an early start; pack plenty of water and a lunch; bring $5 for parking at Flattop

Anchorage Day Tours & Attractions View All

Season: Year Round $950 | Up to 7 people 4-8 hrs

See Alaska’s unique and authen­tic side by hir­ing a guide for a day and cre­at­ing a cus­tom, pri­vate adven­ture for your­self and up to 7 oth­ers. Tours depart from Anchor­age or Gird­wood. Excur­sions include Matanus­ka glac­i­er hikes, ATV tours, gold pan­ning, north­ern lights view­ing, snow­mo­bil­ing, and more.

Season: May 15 – Sep 30 $25+ 2+ hrs

Hop on a full-sus­pen­sion moun­tain bike and ped­al your way around the gor­geous Eklut­na Lake with expe­ri­enced tour com­pa­ny Life­time Adven­tures. Rent a bike and set off your own, or take the guid­ed bike tour and gain insights along the way! Com­bi­na­tion tours that include kayak­ing or hik­ing are also available.

Set in down­town Anchor­age, Wild Starr is not only a place to dis­cov­er gor­geous cre­ations from Alaskan artists — it’s also a com­mu­ni­ty gath­er­ing space that hosts fun events focused on cre­at­ing your own works of art.

Season: May - September $785+ fly-in fishing day trip, $1,479+ overnight all-inclusive 1 - 6+ Nights

Explor­ing Alaska’s back­coun­try lakes, forests and rivers is a phe­nom­e­nal expe­ri­ence. Wilder­ness Place Lodge — tucked away on a remote riv­er north­west of Anchor­age — offers excel­lent access to near­ly any fresh­wa­ter fish you came to Alas­ka for, along with a unique eco-trav­el expe­ri­ence that comes with a high lev­el of ser­vice, a vari­ety of non-fish­ing activ­i­ties and the mel­low free­dom to cre­ate an Alaskan expe­ri­ence that suits your own taste.

Season: Aug 17 - April 24 $269+ 6 hours

Pho­to­graph alpen­glow on snow capped moun­tains, frosty scenes glow­ing in rich win­ter light, wildlife wan­der­ing snowy paths, city lights reflect­ing on the water at twi­light, and pos­si­bly even the north­ern lights!

Season: Year Round $245+ Full day, half day and multi-day

Head out into the Alaskan wilder­ness on this excit­ing ATV adven­ture, dri­ving through woods and splash­ing through rivers on your way to a gor­geous glacial moraine sur­round­ed by tow­er­ing snow-capped peaks. Trans­porta­tion from Anchor­age included.

Season: Year Round
$975+
Land Package Type: Photography Tours

Don’t just expe­ri­ence the beau­ty of Alas­ka — learn how best to cap­ture it on your cam­era. Trav­el with award-win­ning pho­tog­ra­ph­er Jeff Schultz and you’ll get per­son­al­ized, hands-on instruc­tion as you take in the state’s mag­nif­i­cent sights. Choose from cus­tom tours or small group tours with a max­i­mum of 6 par­tic­i­pants that depart through­out the year and include accom­mo­da­tions, trans­porta­tion, and meals.

Season: June 1 - Sept 15 $399+

Enjoy a mag­i­cal morn­ing or evening kayak­ing the calm waters of Spencer Lake, in the awe-inspir­ing pres­ence of a jagged ter­mi­nus glac­i­er. Your time on the water is sand­wiched between two train rides that offer up some of Alaska’s most scenic rail miles. It’s a full day of unfor­get­table expe­ri­ences in our country’s sec­ond largest nation­al for­est – the Chugach.

Season: Year Round $59+ 45 min - 9 hrs

This expe­ri­enced, local­ly run com­pa­ny offers a superb guide-to-vis­i­tor ratio, cre­at­ing a real feel­ing of inti­ma­cy, while their expert guides will help deep­en your under­stand­ing of the area. From city overviews to for­ays just out­side town, Salmon Berry Tours offers expe­ri­ences from 2.5 hours up to a full 8‑hour tour.

Season: May 30 - Sept 4 Day Hikes $120 | Multi-day $2,695+ Day & Multi-Day

Dri­ve your own Jeep equipped with a rooftop tent while guides lead­ing the way in a sep­a­rate vehi­cle take care of the details as you go. Along the way you’ll enjoy some of the most icon­ic spots and expe­ri­ences that the 49th state has to offer.

$2835 6 Days

Won­der­ing how folks up here deal with Alaska’s long win­ter days? It’s easy when the inky night sky comes alive with an amaz­ing light show like the auro­ra bore­alis. Brav­ing the cold is noth­ing if you get a chance to see the lights danc­ing and wav­ing over­head. Com­bine your auro­ra view­ing trip with a few oth­er high­lights planned out by Salmon Berry Tours, and you’ll expe­ri­ence the best of win­ter in Alaska.

Season: Year Round $189

Join Alas­ka Pho­to Treks as they go hunt­ing for the best light of the day, which dur­ing sum­mer at this lat­i­tude can last for sev­er­al glo­ri­ous hours before sun­set. You’ll be trans­port­ed to scenic loca­tions around South­cen­tral Alas­ka to shoot a vari­ety of enchant­i­ng sub­jects. The itin­er­ary is flex­i­ble and allows for spon­ta­neous stops to pho­to­graph wildlife en route. 

Season: June 1 - August 31 $162 per person 3 hrs

Vis­it and snug­gle real Idi­tar­od sled dogs with their mush­er on this unique sum­mer­time tour. After tour­ing their ken­nel, you’ll har­ness up and explore trails along Gird­wood’s moun­tains which offer spec­tac­u­lar views while your guide offers fas­ci­nat­ing gold min­ing his­to­ry in the area.

Season: October - April $1325 | 1 - 6 people 7 Hr Evening Tour or Custom Multi-Day Adventure

Chase the lights on a pri­vate tour with Wild Alas­ka Jour­neys and you’ll be in the capa­ble hands of local guides who know where to look and under­stand the sci­ence behind them. All trips are pri­vate, so bring your fam­i­ly or group and spend a night on the look­out for the auro­ra or make it part of a mul­ti-day jour­ney. Either way, you’ll leave with unfor­get­table memories.

Season: May - September 30+ mins

An aug­ment­ed real­i­ty expe­ri­ence in down­town Anchor­age inspired by the famed north­ern lights. This merg­ing of art and tech­nol­o­gy offers vis­i­tors of all ages a tru­ly unique way to feel the essence and mag­ic of the auro­ra bore­alis any time of year! 

Season: May to Mid September $995+ 6 - 10 hrs

Take off by sea­plane for an all-day bear-view­ing expe­di­tion. Fly past glac­i­ers and vol­ca­noes to the brown-bear coun­try of south­west Alas­ka. Your Sea­plane Bear Safari will take you to Brooks Riv­er Falls in Kat­mai Nation­al Park, home of the world ’ s largest salmon run. You can also fly 70 miles south­west of Anchor­age to Lake Clark Wilder­ness Pre­serve for amaz­ing bear view­ing and lux­u­ri­ous accom­mo­da­tions at the Redoubt Bay Lodge. Rust’s, which has  ...more

Season: May 15 - Oct 31 $180+ 3 hrs

There’s great Alaskan back­coun­try ATV rid­ing just a few miles south of Anchor­age. Engage in the sights, sounds, and smells of the north­ern­most tem­per­ate rain­for­est while expe­ri­enc­ing the thrill of the throt­tle through the wind­ing wood­ed trails of the Chugach Moun­tain Range. In the alpine mead­ows of this wilder­ness area, there are fre­quent sight­ings of both brown and black bears, moun­tain goats, and Dall sheep.

Season: May 25 – September 15 $238+ (Rate Includes Train Ticket)

The orig­i­nal hall­mark trip that got the Alas­ka Rail­road to bring the Glac­i­er Dis­cov­ery to Spencer Glac­i­er in 2002. This is one of the most scenic glac­i­er riv­er trips in Alas­ka and a per­fect float for all ages. Your trip begins with a scenic ride on Alas­ka Railroad’s Glac­i­er Dis­cov­ery train, which runs from Anchor­age, Gird­wood, and oth­er pick-up points along the rail­belt. Enjoy a beau­ti­ful ride down Tur­na­gain Arm and the Plac­er Riv­er Val­ley and  ...more

Season: Year Round Custom pricing, contact for rates Full Day & Multi-Day

Explore Anchorage’s best kept secrets with a local guide. Tra­verse Alaska’s pri­vate, cus­tom adven­tures are designed to take vis­i­tors off the beat­en path and away from the crowds. Adven­tures can incor­po­rate a full day of hik­ing or a com­bi­na­tion of scenic dri­ving and out­door activ­i­ties. Each trip is cus­tom designed to meet your inter­ests and desired activ­i­ty level.

Season: Year Round $169+ 4 - 11 hrs

If you’re a beer snob — or just like soak­ing up the per­son­al­i­ty of a city through its brew­pubs — this cre­ative tour com­pa­ny offers a few dif­fer­ent tours, each of which pro­vide an inter­est­ing look at life in Alas­ka, as well as through a taste of the state’s legit craft beer indus­try. The Anchor­age Brews Tour, is a short, 3.5 hour local brew­ery tour. Hops on the Rail tour com­bines brew­eries between Anchor­age and Tal­keet­na with a ride on The Alaska  ...more

Season: May 15 - Sept 15 $375, Full Day 8 hrs - Full Day

Lazy Otter offers guid­ed kayak tours and trans­porta­tion to seclud­ed areas of Prince William Sound. The calm waters have a gor­geous back­drop of the Chugach Moun­tains’ ser­rat­ed peaks. Keep an eye out for the crea­tures that walk the shores and swim in the sea: orcas, hump­back whales, sea lions, puffins, seals, sea otters, eagles, goats, and bears. 

Season: May 1 - Sept 30 $900 8 hrs

You don’t need to be an expert or a Hol­ly­wood star to enjoy fly-out fish­ing in the wilds of Alas­ka. Trail Ridge Air offers guid­ed, non-guid­ed and cus­tom trips, get­ting you into creeks and lakes where you can catch not only fish, but also a great Alaskan fish tale of your very own.

Season: Winter $169+ 1 - 8 hours

Expe­ri­ence the excite­ment of rac­ing cham­pi­on sled dogs at the Alas­ka Mush­ing School, just 75 min­utes from Anchor­age. Get a professional’s insight into the mush­ing lifestyle as you ride behind a team of ener­getic sled dogs on trails con­nect­ed to the famous Idi­tar­od route. Bun­dle up and ride in com­fort, or brave the cold and dri­ve the team yourself!

Season: May - Sept $795+ all-inclusive packages One day or 3-night

Since 1963, Rust’s has been safe­ly car­ry­ing anglers far away from the crowds. Expe­ri­enced guides lead you to world-class fish­ing for kings, sil­vers, grayling, and trout in some of Alaska’s most beau­ti­ful and remote wilder­ness — and they’ll clean and pack­age your catch for the trip back to Anchor­age. On the way, enjoy a win­dow-seat view and pilot narration.

Season: May 10 - Sept 15 $94 to $430

The Coastal Clas­sic train runs between Anchor­age and the town of Seward — a four-hour trip that’s the most beau­ti­ful along the entire Alas­ka Rail­road. You’ll see Tur­na­gain Arm as the train departs Anchor­age, then a panora­ma of moun­tains, glac­i­ers, lakes, and streams. You may even see wildlife like Dall sheep, Bel­u­ga whales, moose, bear, and more! Day Trip from Anchor­age: Seward, Gird­wood Mul­ti-Day Trip from Anchor­age: Overnight Seward, or  ...more

This mine played a sig­nif­i­cant role in the ear­ly set­tling of the Tur­na­gain Arm. The build­ing here are on the Nation­al Reg­is­ter of his­toric places and the mine is unique because of its asso­ci­a­tion with load min­ing. Indi­an Val­ley Mine was found­ed in 1910 by a vagabond who ran away from home at the age of 12, joined the cir­cus and then final­ly trav­eled to Alas­ka dur­ing the gold rush. The Cowles fam­i­ly will tell you all about the his­to­ry of this…  ...more

Season: Year round - water landing approximately May 1st - October 5th $175+ .5 to 3 hrs

Explore Alas­ka from above with this fam­i­ly-owned com­pa­ny that oper­ates out of Anchor­age. Options include fly­ing above Denali, Knik and Colony Glac­i­er, the Chugach Moun­tains, and more!

Season: Year Round $319+ 30 - 90 min

There are few things more spec­tac­u­lar than lift­ing off in a heli­copter and soar­ing over Alaska’s glac­i­er-filled ter­rain or out across its shim­mer­ing waters. Get a taste for heli­copter flight­see­ing on a 30-minute trip or choose a longer tour with a glac­i­er land­ing. Shut­tle avail­able from Anchorage.

$139+ 2+ hrs

Six Mile Creek is one of the most famous — and most chal­leng­ing — white­wa­ter runs in the entire state of Alas­ka. Your heart will be pound­ing and your mus­cles burn­ing as you pad­dle through rapids called Big Rock Drop,” Suck­hole,” and Let’s Make a Deal.”

Season: Year Round $69+ 1-3.5 hrs

Sum­mer or win­ter, vis­it a fam­i­ly-run cham­pi­on ken­nel, meet friend­ly dogs and an expe­ri­enced mush­er for a ride along pri­vate trails with views of Denali. Opt to ride in the sled or mush your own. Or, for a tru­ly authen­tic adven­ture, go on a train­ing run for the Idi­tar­od! Large groups and spe­cial events wel­come when orga­nized in advance.

Season: Sep. 15 - 22 
$8,795+
8 Day / 7 Nights
Visits: Anchorage, Talkeetna, Palmer
Land Package Type: Photography Tours

This fall pho­tog­ra­phy trip offers some of the best pho­to oppor­tu­ni­ties in Alas­ka as the sea­sons change. Head to Lake Clark Nation­al Park for griz­zly bears, turquoise-col­ored lakes, snow­capped moun­tains and the bright gold col­ors of fall. You’ll also spend a half day pho­tograph­ing moose, and a heli­copter flight to an ice­berg-filled glacial lake only acces­si­ble by air. Fall can also be a won­der­ful time to pho­to­graph the auro­ra bore­alis, weather  ...more

Season: May 10 to Sep 21 $75 to $509

This train trav­els through the forest­ed areas north of Anchor­age into the bore­al for­est, and even­tu­al­ly into the tun­dra regions fur­ther north. On a clear day the train will slow down to allow you to see beau­ti­ful vis­tas of Denali. You may also spot wildlife along the way. Day Trip from Anchor­age: Tal­keet­na Day Trip from Fair­banks: Denali Mul­ti-Day Trip from Anchor­age: Tal­keet­na, Denali Nation­al Park, and / or Fair­banks Mul­ti-Day Trip  ...more

Season: Year Round $129+ Day Tours | $35+ Rentals Half and Full Day Tours | Rentals 4hrs+

Anchor­age may be Alaska’s big city, but this bicy­cle tour oper­a­tor offers quick proof that the city has a lot of wilder­ness. Choose your ride based on half-day or full-day options, as well as dif­fi­cul­ty. You’ll go from down­town to Moth­er Nature — with moun­tains, coastal views, and the occa­sion­al moose sight­ing — in no time at all. Bet­ter yet, the tours often include beer tast­ings or lunch.

Season: Year Round $29 1 - 3 hrs

This Anchor­age Cul­tur­al Cen­ter offers an in-depth look at Alaskan Native life — with a big focus on Alas­ka Natives. Watch danc­ing, lis­ten to sto­ries, meet carvers, and hear from artists. The set­ting is so small and inti­mate that vis­i­tors are some­times even invit­ed to join the dancers on stage.

Season: Year Round Summer: $75+ | Winter: $150+ 2+ hrs

Win­ter or sum­mer, expe­ri­ence the thrill of run­ning Idi­tar­od sled dogs and even have a chance to dri­ve! Meet the sled dogs and hear first-hand just what it’s like to run the Iditarod.

Season: Mid-April – Late September $360+ per driver 4 hours

Tour­ing the spec­tac­u­lar tide­wa­ter glac­i­ers of Prince William Sound is even more excit­ing when you do it on a Jet Ski. Go with Alas­ka Wild Guides out of Whit­ti­er to expe­ri­ence the area’s unique sights and sounds while skim­ming across the top of the water on your own per­son­al watercraft.

$995 per person 8-10 hours

The 7- to 9‑hour tour out of Anchor­age’s Lake Hood is led by a pho­tog­ra­ph­er-pilot whom has pub­lished pho­tos in such mag­a­zines as Air and Space, Stearns and Nation­al Geo­graph­ic. Set up for the best shots, every pas­sen­ger gets a win­dow seat and a two-way head­set for pilot nar­ra­tion — you’ll have a stun­ning ride filled with pho­to ops of rugged moun­tains, glacial pools and ice blue glac­i­ers. Then, you’ll land on a remote water­way to take pho­tos on the  ...more

Season: May 10 - Sept 15 $200 per person 3 hrs

Join Flow AK on a back­coun­try adven­ture with expert guides as you nav­i­gate the nar­row canyons and chal­leng­ing rapids of Six Mile Creek. With small groups and per­son­al­ized atten­tion, you’re sure to make new friends and unfor­get­table mem­o­ries. Just a short dri­ve from Anchor­age, this excur­sion is not to be missed!

Season: May 15 - Aug 31 $579 2 hrs

Ratch­et up the adven­ture fac­tor and try your hand at dogsled­ding. Alpine Air Alas­ka flies to a dog camp run by the old­est estab­lished dog-sled tour busi­ness in Alas­ka. With a shut­tle option avail­able from Anchor­age, you’ll trav­el by heli­copter from Girdwood’s green forests up over a small sad­dle to land on a glac­i­er and be intro­duced to the dog team. Dri­ve” the dogs your­self, or sit in the sled and enjoy hang­ing glac­i­ers that sur­round you.  ...more

Season: Year Round $35 1.5 hrs

Every now and then in Alas­ka — where the weath­er can change quick­ly — a great indoor activ­i­ty comes in handy. But this unique year-round attrac­tion, where a fam­i­ly or a group of friends solves a mys­tery while locked” indoors, makes a fun diver­sion even when the skies are clear outside.

Season: Year Round $99+ 3+ hrs

Short on time and want to see anoth­er side of Anchor­age and the gor­geous sur­round­ing area? Take a small-group tour with Escap­ing Anchor­age, whose own­er, Brit­tney, cre­ates per­son­al­ized adven­tures fea­tur­ing beau­ti­ful scenery and real insights.

Season: May 15 – Sep 30 $50+ 2+ hrs

Grab a pad­dle and set off in a kayak across the glac­i­er-fed turquoise waters of Eklut­na Lake with expe­ri­enced tour com­pa­ny Life­time Adven­tures. You’ll have the option of rent­ing a kayak or enjoy­ing a guid­ed tour around the lake in a sin­gle or dou­ble kayak — no expe­ri­ence nec­es­sary! Com­bi­na­tion tours that include bik­ing or hik­ing are also available.

Season: April 1 - Sep 30 $259+ drive | $139+ passenger Half, Full, and Multi-Day

With Alas­ka Back­coun­try Adven­ture Tours, you can expe­ri­ence glac­i­ers inac­ces­si­ble by road. Nev­er fear if you’ve nev­er dri­ven an before; this com­pa­ny teach­es you to maneu­ver your ATV through the Alaskan wilder­ness with your guide at the lead. Your des­ti­na­tion is the mag­nif­i­cent Knik Glac­i­er, where you’ll enjoy lunch and gor­geous scenery.

Season: June – October Custom, call or email to discuss your trip

Every­one from begin­ners to experts can book a cus­tom, mul­ti-day pho­tog­ra­phy trip in Alas­ka. As a long­time Alaskan, Michael knows the best spots to go. And he can care­ful­ly craft cus­tom trips to take you to the most mag­i­cal areas. His spe­cial­ty is land­scape, wildlife and adven­ture-trav­el based trips around South­cen­tral Alas­ka — places like Chugach and Denali State parks, and the region’s acces­si­ble glaciers.

Season: Year Round $329+ 1.5+ hrs

Glac­i­er trekking, kayak­ing, ice climb­ing, and oth­er activ­i­ties are even more spe­cial when com­bined with a spec­tac­u­lar heli­copter ride through Alaska’s dra­mat­ic scenery. Thanks to key part­ner­ships with oth­er expe­ri­enced Alaskan tour oper­a­tors, Palmer based Out­bound Heli Adven­tures is able to coor­di­nate seam­less out­ings of a life­time! And, they pride them­selves on offer­ing the most amount of flight time with their excursions.

Season: July 1 - Sept 30 $1250+ per person 6 - 12 hrs

View­ing brown bears in their nat­ur­al habi­tat is one of the most amaz­ing things you can do in Alas­ka. If it’s high on your list, book a flight-see­ing/ bear view­ing trip with Trail Ridge Air, know­ing that per­son­able pilots will take you to where bears splash and fish, and where vis­i­tors run out of words to describe their amazement.

Season: May 25 - Sept 15 $78 to $163

The train can be used as a mode of trans­porta­tion, how­ev­er it can also be a round-trip sight­see­ing excur­sion. This pri­ma­ry des­ti­na­tion is the town of Whit­ti­er, a major cruise ship and after­noon day cruise hub. Day Trips from Anchor­age: Whit­ti­er, Gird­wood, Spencer Glac­i­er, Grandview

Season: Mid May– Early September $30+ day rentals 1+ day rentals

Whether it’s kayak­ing, canoe­ing, or pad­dle­board­ing, you’ll find top-flight equip­ment for rent at AK Paddlesports

$310+ 5-6 hours (day trip) or 4-10 days (multi-day)

Explore Alaska’s back­coun­try astride a speedy and fun snow­ma­chine. Alas­ka Wild Guides will take you out for one thrilling day, or for sev­er­al days of exhil­a­rat­ing adven­ture. Find hid­den ice caves and remote glac­i­ers while nav­i­gat­ing along frozen rivers and through deep powder.

Season: June 1 - Sep 15 $849 per person

Expe­ri­ence the wilder­ness of the Chugach Nation­al For­est from sev­er­al dif­fer­ent per­spec­tives. Com­bine a heli­copter ride, alpine hike, glacial lake tour, and train ride all in 9 – 10 hours! It’s one big and bold Alas­ka tour de force with Chugach Adventures.

Season: May–September $360 4 - 4.5 hours

Faster than a kayak and more inti­mate than a day cruise, the Jet Ski is a great way to get up close and per­son­al with Alaska’s gor­geous scenery. Go with Whit­ti­er-based Glac­i­er Jet Ski Adven­tures and you’ll be tak­ing your machine out on the water to explore the stun­ning glac­i­ers and wildlife of Black­stone Bay. All equip­ment is pro­vid­ed and no expe­ri­ence is nec­es­sary on this unique 4.5‑hour journey.

Season: Jun 01 to Sep 04 $6595 to $6795 (+ internal air) 6 Days / 5 Nights

In the best way pos­si­ble. you’re out­num­bered by bears dur­ing your stay at this pri­vate fly-in wilder­ness camp. Fly by char­tered plane from Homer to Alas­ka Bear Camp on a 5‑night, 6‑day all-inclu­sive pack­age. This deluxe back­coun­try camp accom­mo­dates just 14 guests in some of the best bear habi­tat in the world. In con­trast to day trips cater­ing to dozens of vis­i­tors at a time, Bear Camp offers a rare and exclu­sive wilder­ness immersion.

Season: May 01 to Sep 10 $295+ per person 30 min - 3.5 hrs

You’ll take off from Anchor­age, and Alas­ka will open up for you as you appre­ci­ate its vast­ness from the air. Where will you go? That’s up to you! Choose from a vari­ety of tours. Take one of the clas­sics, like flight­see­ing to Denali, or opt to explore one of the state’s hid­den gems. You can also fly to see glac­i­ers, go bear view­ing in Lake Clark Nation­al Park, or work with the pros at Alas­ka Air Ser­vice to cre­ate your own cus­tom itinerary.

Season: Year Round $215+ 1-5 hours

Trail Ridge Air offers an on-demand per­spec­tive of Alaska’s wilder­ness, with per­son­able and knowl­edge­able pilots. Watch for wildlife, check out mas­sive glac­i­ers, alpine lakes, Denali, or even Lake Clark Nation­al Park. Trail Ridge accom­mo­dates for the busiest of sched­ules, with flights rang­ing from one hour to a full day.

Season: June 13 - August 26
From $4,850+
5 days/4 nights or 6 days/5 nights
Ports of Call: Anchorage, Whittier, Cordova
Cruise Ship Type: Small Ship Cruises
Ship Name: Discovery

Per­fect for the adven­tur­ous trav­el­er, the Hike and Kayak voy­age sees all the same sites as on our Clas­sic voy­age, but with more excur­sions. Kayak among ice­bergs, hike through moun­tain mead­ows, and take in the scenery on this unique trip. Activ­i­ties can be cus­tomized to suit the inter­ests and activ­i­ty lev­el of those on board.

Season: Mid-November to mid-April $275+ 3.5+ hrs

Hop aboard an eco-friend­ly snow­mo­bile in Gird­wood and ride on groomed trails beneath mas­sive, 7,000-foot glaciat­ed peaks or vis­it the daz­zling blue ice of Spencer Glac­i­er. Or, head north of Anchor­age for a trail ride through mid-alpine black spruce forests. No expe­ri­ence nec­es­sary, all gear pro­vid­ed, and warm bev­er­ages and snacks included. 

Season: Year Round $299 per person 9 hrs

Walk­ing out across the ice of Alaska’s largest road-acces­si­ble glac­i­er is an unfor­get­table expe­ri­ence that you can take advan­tage of year-round — and it’s just a two-hour dri­ve from Anchorage.

Season: May 10th – Mid September $1075+ 6.5 to 10 hrs

Hop aboard one of Regal Air’s planes depart­ing from Anchor­age and after a short, scenic flight you can be watch­ing enor­mous brown bears swat salmon from Alaska’s rush­ing waters. Tours vis­it one of two des­ti­na­tions: Lake Clark Nation­al Park or Brooks Falls in Kat­mai Nation­al Park.

Season: Year Round $175+ 30 min to 3 hrs

Enjoy a bird’s eye view of Alaska’s scenic high­lights on a flight­see­ing tour with Rust’s Fly­ing Ser­vice, where every pas­sen­ger gets a win­dow seat. Tour options include a short 30-minute Anchor­age Flight­see­ing Safari, a flight to Denali, Denali plus a glac­i­er land­ing, and more. Tours begin at Anchorage’s Lake Hood, the world’s busiest sea­plane airport.

Season: May–September $119+

Dis­cov­er Alaska’s scenic gem, Portage Val­ley — just an hour from Anchor­age with Glac­i­er City Raft­ing & Hik­ing. Offer­ing small-group tours guid­ed by knowl­edge­able locals, and explore glacial lakes, snow-capped peaks, and wildlife.

Season: March 8 - Oct 13 $109+ 3.5 hrs - Full Day

Res­ur­rec­tion Bay and Kenai Fjords are great places to see wildlife and glac­i­ers. And Major Marine’s ves­sels, which have cozy heat­ed cab­ins and an out­door view­ing area, can take you out to see both. This fam­i­ly-owned tour oper­a­tor has gone above and beyond to give guests an amaz­ing day on the water since 1990

Season: Year Round $429+ 1 hr - full day

For out­stand­ing view­ing and incred­i­ble access to remote places, there’s noth­ing like flight­see­ing by heli­copter. Join Alas­ka Heli­copter Tours – a local­ly-owned, high­ly-respect­ed heli­copter tour and char­ter com­pa­ny – for excur­sions that reveal hid­den sites just min­utes from Anchor­age. Spot wildlife from the air, stand on a glac­i­er or land on a remote airstrip.

Season: May 01 to Sep 10 $599+ 1.5 - 2.25 hrs

Stun­ning scenery, a thrilling ride and hap­py pup­pies: this tour out of the Anchor­age area offers an unbeat­able com­bi­na­tion of clas­sic Alas­ka expe­ri­ences that will delight fam­i­lies or — real­ly, any­body. Tak­ing a total of about 90 min­utes, and run­ning from mid-May to ear­ly Sep­tem­ber, this tour includes a Flight­see­ing round trip, a small friend­ly group envi­ron­ment, and plen­ty of one-on-one time with the dogs and their mushers.

Season: Year Round $14.99+

Dri­ve through Alas­ka with an audio tour guid­ing you along icon­ic routes. Audio Tour Alas­ka gives you an insider’s take on every­thing from points of inter­est to his­to­ry, wildlife, and cul­ture, along with cap­ti­vat­ing sto­ries. Guides to pop­u­lar routes include Anchor­age to Tal­keet­na; Tal­keet­na to Denali Nation­al Park; Denali to Fair­banks; Anchor­age to Seward; and Tern Lake to Homer.

Season: May 4 - October 6 $173.95+ 3.75 - 5.5 hrs

Phillips 26 Glac­i­er Cruise, out of Whit­ti­er, will take you to 26 dif­fer­ent glac­i­ers in just 5.5 hours. Enjoy cozy com­forts on the high-speed cata­ma­ran and wan­der its out­door decks as you come with­in 300 feet of mas­sive tide­wa­ter glac­i­ers. In addi­tion to glac­i­ers, the cap­tain will be on the look­out for wildlife like otters, whales, har­bor seals, and marine birds. The trip takes place in the after­noon, and a hot lunch is includ­ed in your tour.   ...more

Season: Year Round $99+ 2 hrs - Multi-Day

Get out there on one or more of these super-acces­si­ble trips, which range from easy nature walks to stren­u­ous alpine mul­ti-day treks. You’ll not only get a healthy dose of scenery, you’ll also exer­cise your body, mind, and soul. In win­ter, mar­vel at frozen water­falls, snow­shoe treks and even heli-snowshoeing!

Season: November - March $329+ 8 - 9 hrs

Every­body loves sled dogs, and Salmon Berry Tours offers you the chance to get behind the sled year-round. In sum­mer and win­ter, you’ll head to the ken­nel of Idi­tar­od Cham­pi­on Dal­las Seavey, where you’ll see a gear demon­stra­tion, meet the dogs, and ride on the sled behind them. They also have a mul­ti-day adven­ture for Idi­tar­od enthusiasts. 

Season: June - September $60+ Bike & Gear Rental

Rent a moun­tain bike (and all the body armor you need) for a thrilling, two-wheel ride down Mt. Alyeska. Lessons and tours of the route are offered. Or, go for a hike on one of the many area trails, either with a guide or on your own. You can even strap on some cram­pons and go trekking on a glacier. 

Season: Nov 15 - April 4 $255+ Half Day, Full Day, Multi-Day

Own­ers Mat­ti and Dan can­not think of a bet­ter way to appre­ci­ate Alas­ka than shar­ing it with oth­ers. Mat­ti was born and raised in Palmer, Alas­ka and has been on snow­ma­chines most of her life. Alas­ka Back­coun­try Adven­tures offers mild to wild” expe­ri­ences and prides itself on pro­vid­ing a cus­tomized expe­ri­ence for all lev­els of abil­i­ty. It offers the widest vari­ety of expe­di­tions on the lat­est and great­est equipment.

Season: Year Round $60+ per person 2.5 hrs

Pilot a util­i­ty task vehi­cle (UTV) — an ATV that’s ful­ly enclosed — with fam­i­ly and friends as you splash through rivers, take in stun­ning views, and even pan for gold on this unique, 3‑hour excur­sion with Hatch­er Pass ATV Tours out of Willow.

Season: Mar 14 to Sep 29 4 to 8.5 hrs

This vet­er­an tour oper­a­tor runs a a fleet of fast, mod­ern boats in Res­ur­rec­tion Bay and Kenai Fjords Nation­al Park. You’ll vis­it tide­wa­ter glac­i­ers as you watch for puffins, sea otters, Dall’s por­pois­es, sea lions, and more. Some tours are designed to please bird­ers or shut­ter­bugs, while oth­ers are per­fect for families. 

Season: Year Round
Inqure for rates
Land Package Type: Photography Tours

Award-win­ning Alas­ka-based pho­tog­ra­ph­er Jeff Schultz can take you to stun­ning Alas­ka loca­tions to cre­ate your dream images of Alaskan land­scapes & wildlife. Whether you want to make pho­tos in clas­sic Alas­ka loca­tions or in places that the aver­age trav­el­er will nev­er see, based on decades of liv­ing, trav­el­ing and pho­tograph­ing all over Alas­ka, Jeff can cre­ate a cus­tom pho­to trip that will meet all your wants and desires.

Season: May 4 - Oct 2 $25+ 1-2 hrs

Step aboard Anchor­age’s first trol­ley. Relax and enjoy the ride while your guide shows you the sites and attrac­tions of Anchor­age. You’ll see the Alas­ka Rail­road, Lake Hood (the world’s largest and busiest float-plane base), mys­te­ri­ous Earth­quake Park, Cook Inlet, Anchor­age Muse­um, shop­ping areas, and restau­rants. Your ride is ful­ly nar­rat­ed, and the trol­ley is heat­ed and enclosed.

Season: Dec 18 - Mid April $109+ Half or Full Day

Alyeska Resort is famous for its down­hill ski­ing and snow­board­ing for a rea­son — it’s tru­ly world-class, fea­tur­ing tons of snow, steep moun­tains, and views that stretch on for­ev­er. But there are a ton of oth­er win­ter activ­i­ties that make Alyeska an epi­cen­ter for win­ter adven­ture. Go cross-coun­try ski­ing or snow­shoe­ing on one of the area trails; or head off into the back­coun­try with a guide for some heli- or cat-ski­ing; try a snow­mo­bile excursion;  ...more

Season: Year Round $14 1 - 2 hrs

Walk, hike, watch for birds or paint a pic­ture at this liv­ing field guide of Alas­ka flo­ra and fau­na. The 110 acres are set in a birch and spruce for­est, where you might even see a bear or moose. Walk the Wild­flower Trail, relax in the Herb Gar­den, delight in the peren­ni­al gar­dens, or explore the 1.1 mile Lowen­fels Fam­i­ly Nature Trail.

Season: mid-May to mid-September $49+ 1 hr

Just an hour’s dri­ve from Anchor­age, the MV Ptarmi­gan let you get with­in 300 feet of the tow­er­ing ice wall called Portage Glac­i­er. You can also book a nar­rat­ed motor­coach tour to take you to Portage Glacier. 

Season: June 1 - Sept 18 $1350 Day Trips from Anchorage Day trip & multi-day excursions

Brooks Lodge offers their own bear view­ing tours which are less expen­sive than most, and give you more time at Kat­mai Nation­al Park to watch bears feast­ing on sock­eye salmon from sev­er­al view­ing plat­forms. A com­mer­cial flight from Anchor­age takes you to King Salmon where you’ll switch to a small float plane for a quick 20-minute flight to Brooks Camp. After a brief safe­ty ori­en­ta­tion, you can watch bears from sev­er­al view­ing plat­forms, join the  ...more

Season: Shack: May–August. Guided Trips: Year-round $100+

Go fish­ing right in Anchor­age – whether you have only have a few hours or a full day. Rent a gear pack­age and fish on your own. Or, hire one of our local guides to take you on a guid­ed tour to land your dream catch. You can also buy bait and fish­ing licenses.

Season: Jun 01 to Sep 07 $750 full day fishing, $1430+ all-inclusive multi-day packages 8 hrs - Multi-Days

The North­woods Lodge is a remote lodge where vis­i­tors can find them­selves in a 45 minute flight from Anchor­age. The lodge spe­cial­izes in guid­ed fish­ing, and guests can enjoy 8 to 10 hours of fish­ing a day if they choose. Guides help you spin or fly fish for tro­phy king salmon, sil­ver and sock­eye salmon, or res­i­dent rain­bow trout, arc­tic grayling and north­ern pike

Season: Year Round $140+ 3-8 hrs

Get to know Alas­ka in a tru­ly authen­tic way — through its unique cui­sine. On this walk­ing food tour, you’ll sam­ple fla­vors as you explore Anchor­age and hear sto­ries of the 49th state.

Season: May–October $225+ Half & Full-Day

Expe­ri­ence Alas­ka ATV and Side by Side tours at his­toric Hatch­er Pass. These half-day and full-day tours take place high in the Tal­keet­na moun­tains where you will ven­ture through creeks, twist­ing trails, and climb to amaz­ing views. This tour is suit­able for begin­ners and more advanced rid­ers! Locat­ed just an hour from Anchorage.

Season: May 1 - Sept 30 $795 8 - 10 hrs

Take a fly-in salmon or trout-fish­ing trip out of Anchor­age with Regal Air to enjoy world-class fish­ing in pris­tine, remote rivers. Regal Air teams up with wilder­ness lodges and guid­ing ser­vices and can set you up with any­thing from lunch to gear. They’ll even teach you how to cast. You’ll get the ulti­mate Alas­ka fly­ing expe­ri­ence, tak­ing off and land­ing in a float plane, and soar­ing over big, braid­ed glac­i­er riv­er val­leys and end­less forests.  ...more

Season: Year Round $200+ 3.5 to 8 hrs

Lazy Otter offers clas­sic tours, but this is a water taxi, so they’ll also take you any­where you want to go with­in Price William Sound — or just cus­tomize a tour to what­ev­er you want to see. Maybe that’s glac­i­ers, or whales, — or maybe it’s qui­et time on a seclud­ed beach. Lazy Otter can also help facil­i­tate tak­ing you and your fam­i­ly on a camp­ing trip. You’re not held to any strict sched­ule, either: if, on a day tour, you can spend more time in one  ...more

[{"slug":"anchorage","title":"Anchorage"},{"slug":"eagle-river","title":"Eagle River"},{"slug":"mat-su-valley","title":"3 Days in the Mat-Su Valley"},{"slug":"palmer-wasilla","title":"Palmer & Wasilla"},{"slug":"girdwood","title":"Girdwood"},{"slug":"whittier","title":"Whittier"},{"slug":"hope","title":"Hope"},{"slug":"willow","title":"Willow"},{"slug":"homer","title":"Homer"},{"slug":"seward","title":"Seward Audio Guide"}]

Anchorage Parks & Trails View All

Forty min­utes from down­town Anchor­age lies Eagle Riv­er Nature Cen­ter, a gate­way to Chugach State Park and a glacial riv­er val­ley as wild and dra­mat­ic as any in Alas­ka. Enjoy an easy, 3‑mile nature walk on the Albert Loop or trek up-val­ley 5 miles to see plung­ing water­falls and 3,000-foot cliffs. In win­ter, tra­verse the trails on cross-coun­try skis or snowshoes.

The Camp­bell Creek Gorge over­look is one of Anchorage’s best kept secrets. It’s just a 25-minute uphill hike — even short­er on bike— from both the Hill­side Ski Chalet park­ing area and North Bivouc Trail­head, or a slight­ly longer 1‑hour hike from Camp­bell Airstrip. From the tree-cov­ered over­look, you can gaze hun­dreds of feet down a sheer cliff to Camp­bell Creek as it crash­es through a nar­row, brush-infest­ed canyon.

Difficulty: Moderate Distance: 3 miles

If peo­ple sug­gest climb­ing Flat­top, tell them you’d rather climb Ren­dezvous Peak. Flat­top is arguably Alaska’s most pop­u­lar (and there­fore, most crowd­ed) moun­tain; Ren­dezvous is far less crowd­ed and offers bet­ter views from the sum­mit. See them by hik­ing up 1,500 feet to the 4,050-foot summit.

Difficulty: Moderate Distance: 4 miles

If you want a great work­out — to stun­ning moun­tain views high above the val­ley floor below — but want to save your knees on the way down, this trail is for you. It leaves from the Alyeska Resort tram build­ing and climbs steep switch­backs 2.2 miles and 2000 feet to the mid-moun­tain restau­rant where you can catch a free aer­i­al tram ride back down to the hotel.

Difficulty: Difficult Distance: 2 miles

This trail quick­ly gains ele­va­tion on its way to an alpine mead­ow framed by the dra­mat­ic Twin Peaks and Goat Rock, but climbs to mag­nif­i­cent views over­look­ing the entire val­ley. Dall Sheep are often spot­ted above the tim­ber­line. From here there is a spec­tac­u­lar view of the lake below. This is also a good place for berry pick­ing in the fall. Because of the crushed rocks, the trail is hard­ly ever muddy.

Difficulty: Moderate Distance: 1 mile Elevation Gain: 1350 feet

Flat­top is Alaska’s most vis­it­ed peak. Ascend the 1.5 — mile, 1,350 ver­ti­cal foot trail to the rocky, foot­ball field-sized sum­mit in about an hour and take in panoram­ic views from Denali (Mt. McKin­ley) to the Aleut­ian Islands. If you want vis­tas with­out the hike, walk the short path from the park­ing lot to the overlook.

Difficulty: Moderate Distance: 9 miles Elevation Gain: 850 feet

Rarely do two lakes lie with­in a few feet of each oth­er. For­tu­nate­ly, the trail to see this geo­log­i­cal rar­i­ty begins just a 30-minute dri­ve north of Anchor­age. From the trail­head for South Fork Eagle Riv­er Trail, it’s a grad­ual 4.8‑mile (one-way) climb up a wide val­ley, lead­ing to a nar­row isth­mus between the green waters of Eagle Lake and the blue waters of Sym­pho­ny Lake.

Difficulty: Easy Distance: 1 mile Elevation Gain: 100 feet

This short day hike — with an eas­i­ly acces­si­ble trail­head a few hun­dred meters from the Begich Bog­gs Vis­i­tor Cen­ter — offers you big views of the Byron Glacier.

Difficulty: Moderate

Kin­caid Park offers the eas­i­est way to get deep in the woods right in town. It’s a mec­ca for out­door sports of all kinds in a wilder­ness-like set­ting on the site of a for­mer Cold War mis­sile base. This 1,500-acre park sprawls over an ancient and rugged moraine at the south­west tip of the Anchor­age Bowl at the west end of Rasp­ber­ry Road. From its panoram­ic views of Denali and the vast Cook Inlet to its inti­mate deep woods enclaves, the park is  ...more

Difficulty: Easy

Win­ner Creek Trail in Gird­wood (45 min­utes south of Anchor­age) is one of our favorite trails to take vis­it­ing friends and fam­i­ly. It’s an easy 3‑mile hike or bike ride on a wide, well-devel­oped trail with a gen­tle ele­va­tion gain that winds through America’s north­ern­most rain­for­est, cross­es a wood­en bridge over a thun­der­ing blue-water gorge. 2022: Hand tram cur­rent­ly closed, may replace with bridge. Local weigh­ing in.)

Difficulty: Moderate Elevation Gain: 1500 feet

This 7‑mile hike, which begins in the moun­tains just above Anchor­age, takes you to the numer­ous Willi­waw Lakes, all of which are clus­tered below the sheer north face of Mount Willi­waw — the high­est peak in the Front Range.

Difficulty: Easy Distance: 1 mile Elevation Gain: 100 feet

Who can say no to a cool water­fall only a half-hour’s dri­ve from town? One of the most pop­u­lar first hikes” for fam­i­lies with small chil­dren, the one-mile trail to Thun­der­bird Falls tra­vers­es a hand­some birch for­est along the Eklut­na Riv­er canyon to reach a deck with views of a 200-foot water­fall. Dur­ing win­ter, the falls can freeze, form­ing fab­u­lous columns of blue ice.

Difficulty: Easy Distance: 11 miles

The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail is one of four green­belt trails locat­ed in Anchor­age. Even though the trail spans 11.0 miles each way (from Kin­caid Park to just north of where 2nd Avenue ends in the Cook Inlet), it is eas­i­ly picked up from sev­er­al points in the city, so you can enjoy any seg­ment and hike as lit­tle or much of the trail as you desire. In the win­ter, the trail is groomed for cross coun­try skiing.

Difficulty: Easy

This trail has its own sit­ting area and view­ing deck with views of Anchor­age, the Alas­ka Range, and Cook Inlet. It is real­ly good for see­ing sun­sets in the evening but it is also windy. The whole route is wheel­chair acces­si­ble. This is a good short hike for the fam­i­ly to see the view over Anchor­age, but not a good trail for the train­ing runner.

Difficulty: Moderate

Well used trail by locals as a short (12 hour) aer­o­bic hike with nice views. Take Eagle Riv­er Loop to Sky­line, and fol­low the road as it swich­backs going up and even­tu­al­ly ends with park­ing along­side the road.

Elevation Gain: 3293 feet

You don’t have to be a moun­taineer to reach the sum­mit of O’Malley Peak — the promi­nent spire ris­ing from the Front Range above Anchor­age — but don’t mis­take it for an easy climb. Some of the 5‑mile-long trail climbs quite steeply; oth­er parts add very loose grav­el to the incline. Still, these con­di­tions don’t make this hike exces­sive­ly dan­ger­ous, just sat­is­fy­ing­ly laborious.

Distance: 5 miles Elevation Gain: 4301 feet

You’ll have a hard time los­ing your way on this 2.5‑mile climb of 4,301-foot-high McHugh Peak. You’ll also have a hard time for­get­ting the view from the sum­mit, which extends up the length of Tur­na­gain Arm and across Knik Arm to the Alas­ka Range. It’s even more sat­is­fy­ing know­ing that you found your way to the sum­mit with only min­i­mal help from the trail.

[{"slug":"anchorage","title":"Anchorage"},{"slug":"eagle-river","title":"Eagle River"},{"slug":"mat-su-valley","title":"3 Days in the Mat-Su Valley"},{"slug":"palmer-wasilla","title":"Palmer & Wasilla"},{"slug":"girdwood","title":"Girdwood"},{"slug":"whittier","title":"Whittier"},{"slug":"hope","title":"Hope"},{"slug":"willow","title":"Willow"},{"slug":"homer","title":"Homer"},{"slug":"seward","title":"Seward Audio Guide"},{"slug":"prince-william-sound","title":"Prince William Sound"}]