My trip through Alaska including highlights, tips & costs

Alaska. This travel destination is as far away for us as the Antarctica, and yet we long for this wilderness, the peace, the vastness, and the quiet. Alaska. Somehow, the name itself sounds like adventure. Our dear Vanessa is currently on a wonderful trip around the world, having already been to India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Canada, and recently also Alaska. She has fulfilled an absolute dream. In today’s Reisereporter report, Vanessa shares a little insider information, answers a few questions, and has brought many great and helpful Alaska tips for you on virtual paper. Have fun browsing!

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Why Alaska?
How did you get to Alaska?
How did you get from A to B?
Where and how did you stay?
Is Alaska an expensive travel destination?
Which Alaska highlights do you recommend?
Cool tours in Alaska
Your best tips & travel hacks
Entry & passport
Arriving by plane
Best time to travel to Alaska

Why Alaska?

Why on earth would you fly all the way to Alaska? A good question, one that I can’t really answer. I grew up more or less in the mountains. I feel incredibly safe and comfortable there, and I love the winter and cold weather. I really became aware of Alaska a few years ago when I watched the film “Into the Wild*.” I remember being totally fascinated by the landscape afterwards, which, as I now realize, was portrayed very authentically. However, Alaska somehow felt out of reach for me.

Denali-Nationalpark-Alaska-Highlights

I’ve always associated Alaska with expeditions of some kind – I have no idea why! When it came to destinations for my world trip, Alaska somehow stuck with me on the world map. But it wouldn’t have been affordable on my own. When I told my mom about it, she immediately said she’d love to go there too. And so the country/state was added to my list, and my travel partner, my mom, was found.

The only images I had of Alaska in my head were those from the movie—wilderness, mountains, and cold. I think it was partly the uncertainty, because I couldn’t find much information, and that really intrigued me. I didn’t have great expectations about what I wanted to experience there. I was actually just incredibly excited and curious about this, to me, new US state.

How did you get to Alaska?

Before I came to Alaska, I was in Canada. So my journey was quite short; I simply flew from Vancouver to Anchorage. Although Canada and Alaska border each other, my flight time was still 3.5 hours. That might give you an idea of how large the two land areas actually are. My mom took a direct flight (Condor) from Germany to Alaska.

It’s certainly possible to drive to Alaska from Canada by car or camper. There’s a road, which is also used quite frequently by tourists. But somewhere in between, civilization simply ends. The weather can be unpredictable, and you should be able to change tires or make minor repairs to your car, so I decided against that route.

How did you get from A to B?

When Alaska was my destination, I first looked online for a rental car… and they were really expensive. The accommodations cost about twice as much. So I came up with the idea of traveling through Alaska with a camper. In the end, I ended up renting a motorhome, as small campervans usually don’t have a heater.

You definitely need one at this time of year (autumn). I also thought the idea of traveling through Alaska in a motorhome was pretty cool. In Anchorage itself, I also had a rental car, as there are hardly any buses there. I can’t really say why. I think nobody takes the bus in Alaska; everyone has their own car.

Where and how did you stay?

In total, we spent 14 nights in a campervan and 12 nights in accommodations. We booked our accommodations through Airbnb*, where the selection is much larger than on other portals. Regarding the accommodations, it must be said that you have to search for quite a long time. Many things are expensive and also look very outdated. This also applies to the towns. It almost seems as if everything is somehow stuck in the 60s or 70s. You may or may not like that.

In principle, however, I would recommend a camper; it simply gives you much more flexibility and allows you to see more of the landscape and the state itself. Many campgrounds are located in the heart of nature, and especially in the morning, you are often greeted by a bright blue sky (which is freezing cold). With a camper like this, you immediately feel like a true adventurer.

Is Alaska an expensive travel destination?

Alaska is definitely expensive. The accommodations and excursions/tours, in particular, were quite expensive. You can’t really do much in Alaska without a tour, as you often need a guide, and some highlights are only accessible by boat or plane. Gas, on the other hand, costs only half as much as in Germany. Food is a bit more expensive than in Germany, but not excessively so. We paid €2,000 for the camper (14 days). That worked out to around €70 per person per day. The camper was from Cruise America, and we booked it through STA Travel.

We had our sleeping quarters right in our camper, so we combined transportation and accommodation. And for that, I think the price for Alaska, or rather the USA, is perfectly reasonable. You probably won’t get much cheaper with a rental car and accommodation. What is definitely expensive in Alaska are the tours and excursions.

For tours to glaciers or boat tours in national parks, you can easily shell out €150 per person. It gets really expensive if you want to visit remote national parks. You have to fly there and aren’t allowed to go anywhere without a guide. That easily adds up to the cost of a short European vacation. In total, we both spent around €5,000 for 4 weeks in Alaska.

Which Alaska highlights do you recommend?

I think the vastness and beauty of nature are what impressed me most. It’s incredibly difficult to capture it all in words or depict it in pictures. You simply have to experience Alaska for yourself to understand it. Walking all alone through Denali National Park, observing elk (and with a bit of luck, bears) in the distance, or marveling at the clouds over Denali and quickly escaping the approaching rain. Simply amazing! When you stand in front of gigantic glaciers and watch, and especially listen to, the ice moving – WOW!

I find it difficult to pick one thing that you absolutely must see and experience. It’s Alaska itself, a US state that you simply must experience. However, I would perhaps highlight three absolute highlights: Denali National Park, the town of Valdez, and at the end, Hatcher Pass, which presented itself to us with a beautiful snowy backdrop. You just have to let Alaska work its magic on you; here, the journey is always the destination.

Cool Tours in Alaska

Matanuska Glacier Day Tour*
From Fairbanks: Chena Hot Springs Day Tour*
Juneau: Whale Watching Adventure*
From Fairbanks: Northern Lights and Arctic Circle Tour*
Seward: Kenai Fjords Half-Day Wildlife Cruise*
Talkeetna: 3-Hour Byers Lake Kayak Tour*
From Seward: Kenai Fjords National Park Excursion*

Your best tips & travel hacks

Travel in the off-season! We were the only people in many places between mid-September and mid-October, and had some campsites entirely to ourselves. Since the places where you can roam freely are somewhat limited in Alaska, I can well imagine that it can be quite strenuous during the peak season. But that’s just my guess. You can also save a lot on accommodation costs during the off-season; for some campsites, you pay nothing or only half the price.

Many private accommodations also offer discounts. The only thing that could slightly dampen your plans would be the weather. During our tour, we had rain on five days, but that could just as easily happen in summer. It was certainly a bit colder than in summer, but walking around in Alaska in shorts? I would find that a bit odd, too. However, in the off-season, some activities (kayaking, boat tours, shuttle buses) are no longer bookable, and some highlights are already closed. This didn’t bother us, but if that’s your priority, you shouldn’t travel during the off-season.

Another important point could be the Northern Lights (September – March), because you obviously won’t see them in the summer. The peak season is officially from May 15th to September 15th. If there’s plenty of snow then, you can also go on a dog sled tour. Even if you don’t see any lights, you should look up at the sky on a clear night. The starry sky in Alaska is amazing!!

Entry & Passport

For your trip to Alaska, you should of course also keep an eye on the entry requirements. Since Alaska is a US state, you first need a valid passport to enter the country, which must still be valid after your departure. You can then obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (ESTA) online for 14 USD. This allows you to stay in the country for up to 90 days. The whole ESTA process is actually quite simple.

Arriving by Plane

You can fly directly with Condor from Frankfurt. However, this connection is only available between May and October. There are four non-stop flights to Anchorage per week. Alternatively, you can fly with Icelandair twice a week from Reykjavik. How about a stopover on the beautiful island of Iceland?

You can also take connecting flights from Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Nuremberg, Hamburg, and other airports. This is where you’ll be flying with Air Canada or British Airways, for example. However, you’ll usually have two stopovers on your way to Alaska. Direct flights from Frankfurt are more convenient.

Best Time to Travel to Alaska

Would you like to travel to Alaska but aren’t sure when? The best time to travel to Alaska is generally from the end of June to the end of August. During this time, you can drive relatively safely on the roads, and the parks are open. But beware: it’s peak season! So expect higher prices and lots of tourists. The off season in May/early June and September is also very attractive, although snowfall can occur in the north. The days in Alaska are also somewhat shorter during these months, and some attractions in Alaska are already closed.