Alaska is all about experiences. From wildlife encounters and glacier cruises to scenic flights, iconic road trips, and guided adventures, this is a destination where what you do matters just as much as where you go. Many travelers come for glaciers or whales, others for bear viewing, northern lights, or epic landscapes — and most end up experiencing far more than they expected.
This Things to Do in Alaska Guide brings together the state’s top experiences in one place. It covers wildlife viewing tours, including bears and whales, glacier and fjord cruises, scenic flights, guided tours, and unforgettable drives through Alaska’s wildest regions. Each section links to detailed guides based on firsthand experience, real logistics, and what actually works on the ground.
Use this page as a starting point to explore Alaska’s most rewarding activities. These experiences help you shape an itinerary focused on wildlife, scenery, and unforgettable outdoor adventures across the state.
Our Experiences Exploring Alaska
Every experience featured in this guide is based on firsthand travel. Chris and I have explored Alaska for years by car, RV, train, boat, and small plane. We’ve taken wildlife viewing tours, glacier cruises, scenic flights, guided adventures, and driven all of Alaska’s most iconic highways ourselves.
We don’t rely on secondhand recommendations or promotional lists. Each tour, flight, cruise, or scenic drive included here is something we personally experienced, researched on the ground, and evaluated based on real logistics, safety, value, and overall experience. Some experiences exceeded expectations, others came with important limitations — and we share both.
This page brings those experiences together to help you choose activities that truly fit your travel style, timing, and comfort level, without unrealistic promises or generic advice.
Best Things to Do in Alaska
Alaska offers some of the most diverse and unforgettable travel experiences in the United States. From wildlife encounters and glacier adventures to scenic drives, northern lights, and remote wilderness tours, the best things to do in Alaska are deeply tied to nature and scale. This guide highlights Alaska’s top experiences and helps you decide which ones fit your travel style, budget, season, and itinerary.
Bear Viewing in Alaska
Bear viewing is one of the most iconic wildlife experiences in Alaska. The state is home to brown bears, black bears, and polar bears, and offers some of the best opportunities in the world to observe bears in the wild. Unlike zoos or controlled settings, Alaska’s bear viewing takes place in vast, natural landscapes where bears follow seasonal food sources and natural behavior patterns.
Bear viewing experiences vary widely by location and access. Some are reachable by road or boat, while others require small-plane flights to remote coastal areas and national parks. Timing, safety protocols, and ethical viewing practices matter, which is why planning ahead is essential. Not every bear viewing experience is the same, and choosing the right location depends on budget, comfort level, and travel style.
Related guides on Alaska Itinerary:
- A Guide To Bear Viewing in Alaska – Best Places To Go, Season & Tips
- Best Alaska Bear Viewing Tours – Our Top Picks Based on Firsthand Experience
- Bear Viewing at Brooks Falls: Everything You Need to Know
- Your Ultimate Guide To Anchorage Bear Viewing: Tours, Places, Tips
- Chinitna Bay Bear Viewing: Lake Clark Adventure by Boat, Review
- Lake Clark Bear Viewing Tour Review
- The Ultimate Guide to Bear Watching in Ketchikan, Alaska
- The Best Bear Viewing Tours from Homer: Review and Tips
- Affordable Bear Viewing in Alaska Without a Flight: Budget-Friendly Spots That Actually Work
Northern Lights Viewing in Alaska
Seeing the Northern Lights is one of Alaska’s most iconic winter experiences. Many travelers dream of watching the aurora dance across dark Arctic skies, making it one of the most unforgettable things to see in the state.
Northern Lights viewing can be experienced in different ways. Some travelers choose guided aurora tours that include transportation, warm shelters, and local expertise. Others prefer independent viewing from areas with little light pollution, especially in Interior Alaska. Each option offers a different balance of comfort, flexibility, and effort.
Northern Lights viewing is a seasonal experience and requires the right time, weather conditions, and solar activity.
To explore tour options, viewing locations, and seasonal details, use the guides below.
Related guides on Alaska Itinerary:
Whale Watching and Wildlife Viewing in Alaska
Beyond bear viewing, Alaska offers extraordinary opportunities to see a wide range of wildlife across its coastlines, national parks, and wilderness regions.
Whale watching is one of the most popular experiences, with chances to see humpback whales, orcas, gray whales, and other marine life during the summer season.
Wildlife encounters in Alaska can happen in many ways — from boats and coastal trails to park buses, scenic drives, and guided tours. Moose, caribou, wolves, sea otters, sea lions, eagles, and countless bird species are part of the broader wildlife experience.
While sightings are never guaranteed, Alaska’s scale and protected landscapes give travelers realistic opportunities to observe animals behaving naturally in their environment.
Related guides on Alaska Itinerary:
Flightseeing Tours in Alaska
Flightseeing is one of the most spectacular ways to experience Alaska’s scale and remoteness. These small-plane or helicopter flights take you over glaciers, mountains, icefields, volcanoes, and vast wilderness areas that are impossible to reach by road. In many parts of Alaska, flightseeing isn’t just scenic — it’s the only way to truly understand how wild and expansive the landscape is.
Flightseeing tours are available in several regions across Alaska, with routes and highlights varying by location. Some flights focus on mountain ranges and glaciers, while others include coastal scenery, icefields, or even glacier landings. Weather conditions, aircraft type, and flight path all influence the experience, making it important to choose the right tour for your goals.
Below you’ll find firsthand guides to Alaska flightseeing experiences, including what you’ll see, how long flights typically last, and what to expect before you book.
Related guides on Alaska Itinerary:
- Denali from the Sky: Guide to Denali Flightseeing Tours
- Epic Helicopter Tour with Glacier Landing in Denali
- Embark on a Breathtaking Brooks Range Scenic Flight
- Knik Glacier Helicopter Tour Review and Tips
- Best Places for Flightseeing in Alaska
- Helicopter vs Fixed-Wing Flightseeing in Alaska
Guided Tours & Outdoor Adventures in Alaska
Guided tours and outdoor adventures make it possible to experience Alaska’s wild landscapes safely and efficiently, especially in remote or challenging environments. From hiking on glaciers to paddling along rugged coastlines or exploring backcountry areas with local experts, guided experiences help travelers access places that would be difficult to reach independently.
These tours vary widely in pace, difficulty, and style. Some focus on soft adventure and sightseeing, while others are more active and physically demanding. Many guided experiences also provide valuable interpretation, helping travelers understand Alaska’s geology, wildlife behavior, and cultural history along the way.
Below you’ll find firsthand guides to Alaska’s top guided tours and outdoor adventures, including what’s involved, who each experience is best suited for, and what to expect on the ground.
Popular guided day tours and excursions:
- Best Guided Tours from Anchorage: Day & Half-Day Tours With Transportation
- Best Denali Tours: Top Guided Adventures Beyond the Park Buses
- Best Arctic Circle Tours from Fairbanks
- Find Your Gold Nugget During the Fairbanks Gold Dredge 8 Tour
Water-based adventures and cruises:
- Best Kenai Fjords Tours from Seward: Cruises, Kayaks, and Glacier Adventures
- Riverboat Discovery: Review and Tips for Chena River Cruise
Glacier and kayaking adventures:
Glacier Cruises & Fjords in Alaska
Seeing glaciers up close is one of Alaska’s most iconic experiences. Glacier cruises allow you to travel deep into fjords and coastal waters where massive tidewater glaciers meet the sea, often accompanied by wildlife sightings along the way. These trips range from half-day outings to full-day cruises and vary widely by region.
Glacier cruises are available in several parts of Alaska, each offering a different landscape and experience. Some focus on narrow fjords and calving glaciers, while others combine multiple glaciers with wildlife viewing.
Accessibility, duration, and overall experience depend heavily on where you go and how you travel.
Below you’ll find firsthand guides to Alaska’s best glacier and fjord cruise experiences, including what to expect, how they differ by location, and which options are worth prioritizing.
Related guides on Alaska Itinerary:
Winter Activities in Alaska
Winter in Alaska offers a very different set of experiences than summer travel. Snow transforms the landscape, daylight hours shorten, and many popular summer activities pause — but the state opens up to entirely new adventures. For travelers prepared for cold temperatures and changing conditions, winter can be one of the most rewarding times to visit Alaska.
Popular winter activities include Northern Lights viewing, dog sledding, snowmachine tours, winter wildlife viewing, ice fishing, and snowshoeing. Interior Alaska is especially well suited for winter travel, with reliable cold weather, darker skies for aurora viewing, and established winter tour infrastructure. Coastal regions experience milder temperatures but more variable weather.
Winter travel requires extra planning around daylight, road conditions, and gear, but it also brings fewer crowds and unique opportunities that aren’t possible in other seasons.
Related guides on Alaska Itinerary:
Scenic Drives & Road Trip Experiences in Alaska
Alaska’s scenic drives are experiences in their own right. Long distances, dramatic landscapes, and ever-changing conditions make road travel here very different from the Lower 48. Driving Alaska’s highways often means glaciers visible from the road, mountain ranges on the horizon, wildlife crossings, and vast stretches with little to no development.
Some scenic routes are fully paved and suitable for most vehicles, while others are remote, gravel-based highways that require planning and preparation. Road conditions, fuel availability, and weather can all shape the experience, but for many travelers, these drives become highlights of the trip rather than just a way to get from point A to point B.
Below you’ll find firsthand guides to Alaska’s most iconic scenic drives, including what to expect, when to go, and how to prepare.
Related guides on Alaska Itinerary:
- Denali Highway Guide: Paxson to Cantwell Scenic Drive
- Richardson Highway Scenic Drive
- Dalton Highway Alaska Comprehensive Guide
- Safety Tips for Dalton Highway
- Dalton Highway Camping Guide
- Glenn Highway Scenic Drive
- Seward Highway Scenic Drive
Alaska Bucket List Experiences
If you’re looking for inspiration beyond individual activities, our Alaska bucket list brings together the most iconic experiences across the state. From bear viewing and glacier adventures to scenic drives, food, culture, and remote wilderness moments, it’s designed to help you dream big and prioritize what matters most on your trip.
👉 Alaska Bucket List: 55 Unforgettable Adventures in the Last Frontier
Choosing the Right Experiences in Alaska
Many Alaska activities are season-dependent, which is why understanding broader Alaska travel planning is important before choosing experiences.
Alaska offers an incredible range of experiences, but no single trip can cover everything. Some travelers focus on wildlife and glaciers, others prioritize road trips and scenic drives. Many build their plans around seasonal highlights like the Northern Lights, camping or winter adventures. The key is choosing experiences that match your travel style, timing, budget and comfort level.
This guide is designed to help you understand what’s truly possible in Alaska — not just what looks good in photos. Each section links to detailed, firsthand guides that explain what to expect, how to plan, and where certain experiences make the most sense. Use this page as a reference as you narrow down priorities and start shaping your itinerary.
If you’re deciding where these experiences make the most sense, take a look at our Alaska destinations guide to choose the right towns and regions for your trip.
If you’re ready to go deeper, explore our Alaska National Parks guides for place-based planning, browse our Alaska itineraries for ready-to-use routes, or dive into specific planning tips to fine-tune the details. Alaska rewards thoughtful planning, and the right experiences can turn a good trip into an unforgettable one.