What makes a visit to Denali National Park unique is both what you will find and what you will not find. Denali National Park, one of the country's greatest national parks, is a vast wilderness, possibly the largest untamed place you'll ever see. Denali National Park is one of the best areas in Alaska to watch wildlife, including moose, grizzly bears, Dall sheep, caribou, and wolves, as well as lesser mammals and numerous bird species. The centrepiece of the national park, though, is Denali, North America's tallest mountain. The "High One," which is always covered in snow, towers over the rest of the Alaska Range. This is one of the Best Things To Do In Alaska.

Booking one of the approved bus trips is the best way to visit Denali National Park. Private cars are not permitted past mile 15 of the 92-mile dirt route. However, the buses travel further into the park, reducing the environmental impact of tourism in one of the country's remaining really wild and unspoiled areas.

Denali National Park is normally only open during the summer season, but you can dodge the crowds by visiting during the shoulder months of May and September. Summer activities that are popular include biking, backpacking, trekking, and mountaineering.

Address: Parks Hwy, Denali National Park and Preserve, AK, United States
Phone: +1 907-683-9532

Ticket price: $15
Rating: 4.8/5.0, 3,456 Google reviews
Website: https://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm

Alaska cruising is major business and one of the most popular ways to experience the state. Every summer, dozens of megaships travel through Alaska's Inside Passage, visiting villages only accessible by boat (and plane) such as Sitka, Ketchikan, and Juneau, the state capital.

Hike across this immense wilderness, where pine and spruce taiga forests stretch beneath towering peaks. Excursions vary per port, and include flightseeing tours over enormous ice fields, fishing excursions to the region's deep rivers, and cultural tours that bring the rich communities of Alaska's Native people to life. Many individuals take their first trip to Alaska on a cruise since it's a convenient way to see the state without having to deal with complicated travel procedures. Sail past the ice splendor of some of the world's most impressive glaciers on an Alaska cruise, or hire a bike and peddle along Anchorage's Coastal Trail for sweeping vistas of the rough forests and the vast ocean.

When it comes to choosing an Alaska cruise, your primary limits are your vacation style and budget. Consider a small-ship cruise to reduce your environmental impact and better support local economies. Several companies, like Alaskan Dream Cruises, UnCruise Adventures, and John Hall's Alaska, offer itineraries similar to the huge ships but may travel further into southern Alaska's rivers and visit smaller villages that also rely on tourism support.

Ticket price: between $600 and $5,000 per person

There are several possibilities to see wildlife in Alaska, but most visitors concentrate on the "Big Five": moose, grizzly bears, caribou, Dall sheep, and gray wolves. These five giant mammals reside across Alaska, and witnessing all of them in a single visit is considered a lucky and successful trip, similar to the Big Five in southern Africa.

The phrase Big Five originally referred to five enormous terrestrial mammals that were difficult to kill, but today they are the five creatures that visitors are most likely to see while spending time in the wilderness. All five creatures can be found in Denali National Park, although they can also be found elsewhere in Alaska. Take a trip to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center south of Anchorage to ensure success. Along the route, watch for Dall sheep on the rocky cliffside of the Seward Highway and the other four animals at the rehabilitation center.

It can be seen as one of the Best Things To Do In Alaska. Many visitors to Alaska come to observe the whales. A variety of whale species can be found in Alaska's rivers. During the summer, humpback whales travel north to Alaska and always delight the tourists on ships in their area. Orcas (killer whales) and little white belugas are also frequent in coastal Alaska's rivers.

Address: Parks Hwy, Denali National Park and Preserve, AK, United States

Phone: +1 907-683-9532

Rating: 4.8/5.0, 3,467 Google reviews

Ticket price: $15

Website: https://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm

The lack of travel infrastructure in Alaska impresses many first-time visitors: the Alaska highway system has only four routes, and the state has only one railway line. It is beneficial to plan ahead of time for the finest modes of transportation. The Alaska Railroad (reporting mark ARR) is a Class II railroad in Alaska that operates freight and passenger trains. The railroad has approximately 656 miles (1,056 km) of track, including sidings, rail yards, and branch lines, including the branch to Whittier, where freight railcars are interchanged with the contiguous United States via rail barges that sail between the Port of Whittier and Harbor Island in Seattle.

The Alaska Railroad is best experienced when combined with other travel plans. Splurge for upper-class seats, which often have a glass-domed railway car from which you can see the grandeur of Alaska pass by unhindered. You can take the train to and from Denali National Park, or you can take it down to Seward to visit Kenai Fjords National Park.

Established: 1903

Length: 1,056 km

Ticket price: from $171 to $441

While many people focus on Denali National Park, there is another national park that is accessible - well, accessible by Alaska standards, that is, you can drive there. Kenai Fjords National Park is located in south-central Alaska and has a large area of sea, mountains, and shoreline. Seward, a 2.5-hour drive south of Anchorage along the Seward Highway, serves as the park's gateway city.

Exit Glacier near Seward is the only area of Kenai Fjords National Park accessible by automobile. A short, easy stroll teaches guests about glaciology and shows them the signs that record the glacier's gradual retreat. The Kenai River Trail is also one of Alaska's top hikes.

But don't limit your visit to Kenai Fjords National Park to just that! You may book any number of day cruises from Seward that will take you out into the waterways that make up the majority of the park. There, you can see sea birds, otters, sea lions, orcas, and humpback whales, which migrate from Hawaii to this section of Alaska throughout the summer. Kenai Fjords, like Denali National Park, is closed during the winter since cruise companies do not operate. This is considered as one of the Best Things To Do In Alaska.

Address: Alaska, United States

Phone: +1 907-422-0500

Price: free

Rating: 4.9/5.0, 1,452 Google reviews

Website: https://www.nps.gov/kefj/index.htm

The northern lights are one among the world's most captivating and awe-inspiring natural spectacles. These swirling waves of color and light, also known as the aurora borealis, move through the heavens in vivid hues of green, yellow, blue, pink, and violet, putting on a bizarre show for onlookers. It's fascinating to watch the phenomena, which is created by sun particles colliding with atoms in the atmosphere, since the panels of light appear to dance across the dark winter sky.

When the solar conditions are favorable, Alaska is the best site in the country for witnessing the aurora borealis, which can be seen from a variety of locations throughout the state. Fairbanks, in Alaska's center core, is the finest area to base yourself for aurora viewing. You'll be directly beneath the Auroral Oval, a region of the Earth's atmosphere where aurora can occur directly overhead.

The aurora is visible around 200 nights per year in Fairbanks, although it is only visible during the dark winter months; the best time to visit Alaska for peak aurora activity is around the equinoxes in September and March. And the further north you go - toward and above the Arctic Circle - the more time you'll have to look for the Northern Lights. Plan ahead of time, bundle up, and give yourself at least three nights to maximize your chances of clear skies and aurora activity.

Best time to see: between August and April

Best place to see: Fairbanks, Pike's Waterfront Lodge, Aurora Villa, Arctic Dog Adventure Co., Chena Hot Springs Resort,...

Chena Hot Springs is an unincorporated town and hot spring resort in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, 56.5 miles northeast of Fairbanks, near the Chena River State Recreation Area. The resort uses Alaska's first low-temperature binary geothermal power plant and is working on numerous alternative energy projects, including the generation and usage of hydrogen and vegetable oil for fuel.

Chena Hot Springs, an hour outside of Fairbanks, draws people all year, especially after a night out admiring the northern lights. Chena Hot Springs is one of Alaska's few built and easily accessible hot springs, while there are many natural and undeveloped springs known mostly to locals.

At Chena Hot Springs, you can swim in one of two hot spring pools; the outdoor one is especially nice during the cold winter months, when condensation from the hot water causes ice crystals to develop on your hair and eyelashes. Chena Hot Springs Resort also provides various adventures on its premises, such as visits an Ice Museum, hiking or snowshoeing depending on the season, and late-night aurora-viewing excursions.

Address: Alaska, United States

Price: $13 Seniors, $15 Adults, $12 Children, Free Children 5 years and under with paying adult

Rating: 3.6/5.0, 235 Google reviews

Website: https://chenahotsprings.com/

The colorful Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park in Skagway examines a significant part of Alaska's heritage. It contains trails and mountain passes, as well as practically all of the little city's historic downtown, and another unit is also located in Seattle, Washington.

When gold was discovered in Canada's Yukon Territory in the late 1890s, thousands of prospectors headed out to earn their fortunes. Because it was the closest port, the town's population grew rapidly, with businesses, saloons, and offices springing up overnight. Some of these, such as Jeff Smith's Parlor and the Mascot Saloon, are still standing today.

Aside from wandering about its fascinating old buildings and railway terminal, you may also head into the mountains where the prospectors passed. Though the gold fields, which were the final target of the stampeders, were in Yukon Territory, the park includes staging places for the journey there as well as highways leading in that direction. There are four units, three in the Municipality of Skagway Borough, Alaska, and one in the Pioneer Square National Historic District in Seattle, Washington. All of these fascinating historical sites paint a picture of life during the Klondike Gold Rush.

Address: 291 Broadway, Skagway, AK 99840, United States

Phone: +1 907-983-9200

Opening hours: 10AM–5PM

Rating: 4.7/5.0, 274 Google reviews

Website: https://www.nps.gov/klgo/planyourvisit/visitorcenter.htm

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, an astounding endurance event unlike any other, has taken place every year since 1973. It is fully held in Alaska, and mushers and their teams of 12 to 14 huskies compete to cross the finish line first. It runs wholly within the US state of Alaska, from Anchorage to Nome. The hard path takes around a week or two to complete, with the winners becoming local superstars.

While the annual Iditarod begins in Anchorage, the finish line is 938 miles distant in the northwest city of Nome. The fifty or so yapping teams travel through endless forests and mountains, through high up hills, rivers, and even sea ice. Fans from all over the world follow the event online, and many abroad volunteers come to Alaska to help staff checkpoints and perform other volunteer duties.

Although Native Alaskans have traveled portions of the trail for hundreds of years, the present event is credited with revitalizing recreational mushing. As such, it is one of the most iconic and significant winter occurrences in the Last Frontier. Visitors can either witness the ceremony or visit the modest museum in nearby Wasilla. This is one of the Best Things To Do In Alaska that you should experience.

Location: Anchorage to Nome, Alaska, United States

Established: 1973

Date: March

Chugach State Park is located in south-central Alaska, 495,204 acres east of the Anchorage Bowl. This state park was established by legislation signed into law on August 6, 1970, to provide recreational possibilities, safeguard the scenic value of the Chugach Mountains and other geographic characteristics, and ensure the safety of Anchorage's water supply. The park, operated by Alaska State Parks, is the third-largest in the United States and is divided into physically distinct sections, each with its own set of attractions and services.

The Chugach State park was formed in 1970 and is named after the enormous and spectacular mountain range that flows across it. Roaring rivers, gleaming glaciers, and sweeping valleys punctuate the mountainous range, which also features huge forests and alpine meadows. Bears, moose, and wolves have been sighted in its distant areas.

Locals and tourists alike flock to camp, climb, and ski in the mountains because it is so conveniently placed right adjacent to the city. It has several beautiful lakes and shoreline, as well as the state's most climbed peak, the 3,510-foot-high Flattop Mountain. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has set regulations for game management unit 14c that allow for hunting and fishing in the Chugach. Within the park's limits, target practice is not permitted.

Address: 18620 Seward Hwy, Anchorage, AK 99516, United States

Phone: +1 907-345-5014

Opening hours: open 24 hours

Ticket price: free - $12

Rating: 4.8/5.0, 2,358 Google reviews

Website: http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/chugach/chugachindex

The Alaska Native Heritage Center is located on the northeastern outskirts of Anchorage and is a fascinating and instructive location to visit. It examines the history and culture of the state's indigenous peoples through relics, exhibitions, and traditional structures.

It opened in 1999, surrounded by lush woodland, to conserve and preserve the rich heritage of eleven of Alaska's major cultural groups. Visitors can walk around six life-sized Native homes that are situated along the shores of Lake Tiulana. The Alaska Native Heritage Center is the state's only organization dedicated to representing all Alaska Native cultures. Alaska Natives control the nonprofit, which is one of the few tribally unaffiliated arts organizations run by Indigenous people.

Inside the center, there are galleries dedicated to various parts of daily life and important occasions, as well as kayaks, weapons, and artworks. To top it all off, it hosts thrilling concerts, dancing shows, and storytelling events in its theater on a regular basis. The Hall of Cultures features rotating exhibits, family craft activities, and craft and artwork created by Alaska Native artisans. The Heritage Center created a documentary titled "Stories Given, Stories Shared," which is shown in the theatre on a rotating basis. Outside, tourists can see the village sites, which include six life-sized Native American homes that encircle Lake Tiulana. Many tours of the village sites are led by youth interns, who also include objects for use in daily life.

Address: 8800 Heritage Center Dr, Anchorage, AK 99504, United States

Phone: +1 907-330-8000

Opening hours: 9AM–5PM

Rating: 4.6/5.0, 1,201 Google reviews

Website: https://www.alaskanative.net/

Totem Bight State Historical Park is located just north of Ketchikan. Its abundance of towering totem poles provides an excellent glimpse into the history, culture, and art of Alaska's Native Americans.

The secluded cove, which is now surrounded by temperate rainforest, was formerly a seasonal fishing site for indigenous tribes. Tucked up among the lush undergrowth are fourteen Tlingit and Haida totem poles to be discovered. They are intricately carved with stunning depictions of animals, humans, and spirits, and they record and transmit age-old indigenous lessons and traditions. This wood-frame construction has a low oval entrance that leads into a square chamber with a central fire pit and is ornamented with carved "house pillars." The main façade is adorned with a stylised raven. Charles Brown, a Saxman Native, carved the house.

Totem Bight State Historical Park also has a reproduction of a typical clan house, as well as numerous educational displays and a gift shop. You may enjoy dominating views of the adjacent coastline from its beach.

Address: 9883 N Tongass Hwy, Ketchikan, AK 99901, United States

Phone: +1 907-247-8574

Price: no cost

Rating: 4.6/5.0, 644 Google reviews

Website: http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/southeast/totembigshp.htm

The most popular area to visit in the state's southernmost city of Ketchikan is without a doubt the lovely and colorful Creek Street. Its waterfront pathways, which were formerly a boisterous red-light district, are now lined with modest arts and crafts shops, local cafes, and a couple of small restaurants. Historic Creek Street Ketchikan Alaska is one of the most popular attractions to see in Ketchikan, attracting thousands of people each year.

Creek Street runs along the banks of Ketchikan Creek. It was built over the stream because blasting away the stony hills surrounding the creek was simply too impossible. This is a prevalent theme in Ketchikan, as a big portion of the town was literally built 'over the water.' Its historic boardwalk and buildings are actually built above the river on wooden stilts and were formerly home to dozens of bawdy houses and speakeasies. Its colorful array of cottages, as well as the bright water and mountains surrounding them, have been beautifully preserved, making for some fantastic images.

It is the most atmospheric spot to shop and eat out in Ketchikan, located just a stone's throw from the city and its cruise ship docks. Creek Street's history is also told through informative plaques, and fish can be seen leaping up its falls.

Location: Creek Street, Married Man's Trail and Totem Way, Ketchikan, Alaska

Built: 1903

If you prefer to stay inside and avoid the stinging cold, the Alaska SeaLife Center is a wonderful choice. It is located near Resurrection Bay in Seward and is home to thousands of beautiful Alaskan marine creatures, fish, and birds.

It was founded in 1998 with the goal of researching, rehabilitating, and conserving the state's maritime ecosystems. Guests can tour tanks filled with playful otters, seals, and puffins at the cutting-edge facility. Interactive exhibitions and informative installations teach you everything you need to know about the undersea ecology of Alaska's frigid Arctic waters.

It is the only facility in the world dedicated to studying the northern marine environment, and it was designed from the start to integrate research with public education and visitor components. The Alaska SeaLife Center creates and disseminates scientific knowledge to increase understanding and stewardship of Alaska's marine ecosystems. The highlight, though, is petting adorable starfish, sea anemones, and miniature hermit crabs in its touch tank, which is supposed to appear like a rocky coast.

Address: 301 Railway Ave, Seward, AK 99664, United States

Phone: +1 888-378-2525

Opening hours: 9AM–7PM

Ticket price: $40

Rating: 4.6/5.0, 2,857 Google reviews

Website: https://www.alaskasealife.org/