Top 10 Things to See & Do in Alaska

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Top 10 Things to See & Do in Alaska

Alaska is the ultimate destination for travelers drawn to vast wilderness, dramatic landscapes and extraordinary wildlife. From towering glaciers and snow-capped mountains to pristine rainforests and remote national parks, the Last Frontier offers an incredible variety of experiences that are difficult to find anywhere else. Whether you are exploring Alaska on a cruise, embarking on a road trip or flying deep into its untouched wilderness, there is always another spectacular adventure around the corner. You can cruise through the legendary Inside Passage, watch enormous glaciers calve into the sea, encounter humpback whales and orcas, walk through the tundra of Denali or come remarkably close to wild brown bears in Katmai National Park. Alaska is also home to some of America’s most spectacular scenic drives and some of the world’s most rewarding wildlife-watching opportunities. To help you plan your journey, I have compiled my selection of the top 10 things to do in Alaska, from iconic national parks and legendary wildlife encounters to thrilling outdoor adventures that showcase the very best of this extraordinary state.

10. Explore the Tongass National Forest on a Cart Adventure

Ketchikan is the gateway to Tongass National Forest, the largest national forest in the United States and one of the world’s great temperate rainforests. While the town itself is a popular stop on Alaska cruises, venturing beyond the waterfront reveals a spectacular wilderness of towering trees, moss-covered forests, rugged mountains and pristine waterways. One of the most exhilarating ways to experience this landscape is the Adventure Kart Expedition with Kawanti Adventures. The excursion takes you into the backcountry in a Polaris RZR, following improved forest trails through the Tongass and climbing into the mountains for spectacular views of the forest, Behm Canal and the Inside Passage. The guided expedition lasts around 1.5 hours and combines off-road driving with scenic stops where you can appreciate the extraordinary landscape. Drivers and passengers can also switch positions, making the experience particularly interactive. Wildlife sightings are possible along the way, with eagles, deer and even bears sometimes spotted or heard in the forest. For travelers looking for an active and memorable thing to do in Ketchikan, the kart expedition is a thrilling way to experience the wild side of Southeast Alaska and discover a part of the Tongass that many cruise passengers never see.

9. Get Away From It All in Kenai Fjords National Park

Located near the coastal town of Seward, Kenai Fjords National Park is one of the best places in Alaska to experience the dramatic meeting of mountains, glaciers and ocean. Established in 1980, the park encompasses rugged coastlines, deep fjords and spectacular tidewater glaciers flowing down from the immense Harding Icefield. One of the best ways to explore Kenai Fjords is by boat, allowing you to sail through its pristine waters while watching for humpback whales, orcas, sea lions, seals, sea otters and bald eagles. The highlight for many visitors is approaching one of the park’s immense glaciers and witnessing a massive wall of blue ice calve into the sea. Yet Kenai Fjords is not only about sightseeing from a boat. Those seeking a more immersive experience can venture deeper into this remote wilderness, where kayaking provides an intimate way to explore sheltered waterways and rugged coastlines. For an especially secluded escape, the remote Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge offers a chance to stay surrounded by protected wilderness and breathtaking glacier scenery.

8. Experience Alaska’s Vastness Along the Seward Highway

Few road trips capture the extraordinary scale and beauty of Alaska as vividly as the Seward Highway. Connecting Anchorage with the coastal town of Seward, this spectacular route follows the shores of Turnagain Arm before winding through the mountains and wilderness of the Chugach region. The scenery changes constantly, from dramatic coastal landscapes and steep mountain slopes to forests, waterfalls and broad valleys. Wildlife is another major attraction along the route, and travelers may spot beluga whales in Turnagain Arm, Dall sheep clinging to rocky cliffs, bald eagles soaring overhead and, with luck, other Alaskan wildlife. The first section of the highway offers particularly impressive views of the Chugach Mountains reflected in the waters of Turnagain Arm, while the journey farther south becomes increasingly wild and remote. For visitors who want to experience Alaska beyond its cruise ports, driving the Seward Highway is an unforgettable adventure in its own right. It also provides access to some of the state’s most spectacular attractions, including Kenai Fjords National Park and the charming coastal community of Seward.

7. See the Northern Lights in Fairbanks

Watching the Northern Lights in Alaska is one of those rare travel experiences that can feel almost surreal. On a clear winter night, the aurora can illuminate the dark Alaskan sky with ribbons of green, purple and occasionally red light, creating a spectacle that is difficult to describe until you have seen it yourself. Although the Northern Lights can potentially be observed in many parts of Alaska, Fairbanks is one of the state’s most reliable destinations for aurora viewing. Located inland and away from major sources of light pollution, the city sits beneath the auroral oval, where the Northern Lights occur frequently. The prime viewing season generally runs from late August or September through April, with the darkest winter months offering particularly favorable conditions. Since the aurora is a natural phenomenon and never guaranteed on a particular night, it is worth staying for several nights and getting away from city lights whenever possible. For travelers visiting Alaska in winter, combining Northern Lights viewing with other cold-weather adventures makes Fairbanks an especially rewarding destination.

6. Watch a Tidewater Glacier Calve Into the Sea

Few experiences in Alaska convey the immense power of nature quite like watching a tidewater glacier calve into the sea. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve encompasses more than three million acres of spectacular wilderness, including towering mountains, immense glaciers, deep fjords, temperate rainforest and rugged coastlines. The park forms part of a vast UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the world’s most remarkable protected areas. Cruising through Glacier Bay offers a front-row seat to this extraordinary landscape, with towering walls of ice rising above the water and snow-covered peaks stretching into the distance. The waters and shores are also rich in wildlife, including humpback whales, orcas, sea otters, seals, sea lions and bald eagles. But the glaciers remain the star attraction. After spending time in front of a massive wall of ice, you may hear a deep rumble before an enormous section breaks away and crashes into the water below. This spectacular process, known as calving, is a powerful reminder that Alaska’s landscape is constantly changing. For many visitors, witnessing a glacier calving is one of the defining experiences of an Alaska cruise, combining breathtaking scenery with a visceral reminder of the immense forces that have shaped this remarkable wilderness.

5. Walk Through the Tundra in Denali National Park

Denali National Park and Preserve offers an extraordinary opportunity to experience the vast interior wilderness of Alaska. Covering more than six million acres, the park is a landscape of forests, alpine tundra, glaciers and dramatic mountains dominated by Denali, the highest peak in North America at 20,310 feet (6,190 m). The park is also one of Alaska’s premier destinations for wildlife viewing, with grizzly bears, moose, caribou and Dall sheep roaming freely across the landscape, alongside wolves and numerous other species. A single road penetrates deep into the park, and access beyond the early section is largely limited to authorized park transportation, helping preserve the area’s wild character. One of the most rewarding ways to experience Denali is to get out of the vehicle and explore the tundra on foot, whether on a guided hike or a shorter walk through the landscape. Standing in the open wilderness, surrounded by mountains and seemingly endless expanses of tundra, provides a powerful sense of Alaska’s scale and remoteness. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, but the possibility of encountering a grizzly bear, caribou or Dall sheep in this immense landscape makes every journey through Denali exciting. For travelers seeking an authentic wilderness experience, Denali remains one of the most impressive places to visit in Alaska.

4. Fly Over Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

To truly appreciate the immense scale of Alaska’s wilderness, take to the skies above Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. At more than 13 million acres, it is the largest National Park in the United States and encompasses an extraordinary landscape of mountains, glaciers, ice fields and vast stretches of roadless wilderness. The park is home to some of North America’s highest peaks, including several mountains rising well above 14,000 feet (4,267 m), as well as enormous glaciers and immense ice-covered valleys. While exploring the park on foot offers an intimate connection with the landscape, a flightseeing tour by small aircraft or helicopter provides an entirely different perspective. From above, the seemingly endless succession of jagged peaks, deep valleys, glaciers and rivers reveals just how vast this wilderness really is. Flying over the park is also one of the few ways to appreciate areas that remain almost completely inaccessible by road. Often described as the Himalayas of North America, Wrangell-St. Elias is a destination where the journey itself becomes part of the experience. For anyone fascinated by mountains, glaciers and untouched wilderness, a flight over this spectacular national park offers an unforgettable perspective on one of the wildest corners of Alaska.

3. Cruise the Inside Passage

An Alaska cruise through the Inside Passage is one of the most popular ways to discover the spectacular wilderness of Southeast Alaska. This intricate network of waterways, islands and fjords was shaped by glaciers over millions of years and is surrounded by lush temperate rainforest, rugged mountains and pristine coastline. Cruising the Inside Passage allows you to enjoy the scenery from the comfort of your vessel while visiting fascinating coastal communities such as Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, Skagway and Wrangell, each offering its own combination of Indigenous heritage, history, culture and access to the surrounding wilderness. The region is also exceptionally rich in wildlife, with opportunities to spot humpback whales, orcas, sea lions, bald eagles and other marine life along the way. One of the greatest pleasures of an Inside Passage voyage is simply standing on deck as your vessel glides between forest-covered islands and snow-capped mountains. For the ultimate in luxury, consider sailing the Inside Passage aboard Luminara from The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. Technically a superyacht rather than a conventional cruise ship, Luminara offers an intimate and highly luxurious way to experience Alaska, with just 226 suites and a maximum of 452 guests. For first-time visitors, cruising the Inside Passage remains one of the essential things to do in Alaska — and Luminara offers arguably the most luxurious way to experience it.

2. Go Whale Watching

Whale watching in Alaska is one of the state’s most rewarding wildlife experiences, and two destinations stand out in particular: Point Adolphus and Sitka. Located at the northern end of Chichagof Island, Point Adolphus is renowned for its nutrient-rich waters, which attract large numbers of humpback whales during the summer feeding season. It is one of the best places in Alaska to encounter these magnificent animals, with opportunities to see them feeding, breaching and surfacing close to small boats. Sitka is equally compelling, with its location along the Inside Passage providing access to productive waters frequented by humpback whales, orcas and other marine wildlife. If you are visiting Sitka on an Alaska cruise, I highly recommend joining a whale-watching excursion with Captain Gary’s Sitka Adventures. This family-run local operator specializes in marine wildlife tours around Sitka Sound, with Captain Gary drawing on decades of experience exploring Southeast Alaska’s waters. The company deliberately keeps its tours small and personalized, and its 16-passenger Morning Glory provides both indoor and outdoor viewing areas. Humpback whales are the main attraction, but sightings can also include sea otters, sea lions, bald eagles and other wildlife.

1. Spot Grizzly Bears in Katmai National Park

For an unforgettable Alaska wildlife experience, few places compare with Katmai National Park and Preserve, home to one of the world’s most remarkable concentrations of coastal brown bears. The park is particularly famous for Brooks Falls, where bears gather during the salmon run and wait for fish to leap upstream, creating one of the most iconic wildlife scenes in North America. The observation platforms at Brooks Falls provide an extraordinary opportunity to watch these powerful animals fishing at close range while remaining safely separated from them. Yet for an even more immersive experience, consider a guided excursion that allows you to walk among the bears in their natural environment. After flying into the remote wilderness (from either Homer or Anchorage), visitors can explore the landscape on foot with experienced guides while observing bears as they forage, rest and move through their habitat. Being on the ground in the same wilderness as these magnificent animals offers a completely different perspective from watching them from an observation platform. Katmai is therefore not simply a destination for bear viewing; it is one of the rare places where you can experience the animals as part of a vast, untouched ecosystem. For travelers passionate about wildlife, walking among brown bears in Katmai is arguably one of the greatest adventures Alaska has to offer, while a visit to Brooks Falls remains an unforgettable alternative for those who prefer the security and spectacular views of an established observation platform.