Alaska
United States, North America
Where the wilderness still wins and the roads run out.
The silence hits you first. Not quiet, actual silence, broken only by a glacier calving into grey water a kilometre away with the sound of a cannon shot. Alaska is the lower 48 states turned sideways and multiplied: moose in supermarket parking lots, brown bears fishing ankle-deep in salmon streams, and highways that simply end where the wilderness begins. It does not feel like the rest of America.
Our honest take
Alaska rewards effort and punishes passivity. Sitting on a cruise ship past glaciers is not the same as being in Alaska. Rent a car, get off the highway, take a float plane. The logistics are hard, the weather is unreliable, and everything costs more than you expect. Do it anyway.
Why go
- Denali, North America's tallest peak, visible from 200km away on a clear day. Spend at least two nights in the park and take the bus deep into the backcountry where wolves cross the road and grizzlies dig for ground squirrels in the tundra.
- Kenai Fjords boat tours put you close enough to see sea otters floating on their backs and humpbacks breaching, with tidewater glaciers calving into the sea behind them.
- The midnight sun in late June means hiking at 11pm with full daylight, a physical strangeness your body takes two days to accept.
Skip if you can
- Cruise-only visits to Alaska: you'll see the coastline through a porthole and disembark for three hours in Juneau to buy smoked salmon fudge. Fly in and stay.
- Anchorage as a destination itself. It's a logistics hub with a good Alaska Native heritage museum, but two nights maximum before heading out.
- July 4th week in popular areas: crowds spike, prices jump 30%, and campsites need booking months ahead.
Things to do
Where locals eat
Alaska's defining food: wild-caught salmon (king, sockeye, coho), grilled or smoked. Fresh in summer straight off the boats, genuinely different from farmed.
A seafood restaurant in a coastal town or a dockside spot
Alaskan king crab legs, steamed with butter, expensive but iconic, best near the fishing ports.
A coastal seafood restaurant
Reindeer (caribou) sausage, often in a breakfast hash or on a hot dog cart in Anchorage, a genuinely Alaskan street food.
An Anchorage cart or diner
Foraged wild berries and birch syrup (Alaska's answer to maple) appear in local desserts and sauces.
A local café or market
Costs
Per person, per day on the ground, lodging, food, local transport and activities. Excludes international flights (see Getting there).
Denali park bus (Tundra Wilderness Tour): $67. Kenai Fjords day cruise: $180-220. Float plane tour: $300-500/person. Groceries run 40-60% higher than lower-48 prices.
Getting there
Where to stay
Base for logistics, airport access, grocery runs before heading out; not a destination on its own
Fishing town with direct fjords access, better food scene than its size suggests, kayak rentals on the waterfront
Tourist strip near the park entrance, overpriced and underwhelming, but proximity to early bus times matters
Good to know
- Bear encounters are real. Carry bear spray ($50 to rent locally), make noise on trails, store food in bear canisters.
- Weather changes fast at elevation and in coastal areas. Pack waterproof layers even in July.
- Cell service disappears outside towns. Download offline maps, tell someone your itinerary.
- Hypothermia risk in water is extreme. Glacier meltwater is lethal cold. Do not swim.
Prices, visa rules, and transport details may change. Always verify with official sources before booking. Last updated: July 2026.