Alaska · best-of list
27 Top Things to Do in Alaska
All 27 things to do our route editors picked in Alaska, across 6 destinations, gathered in one list. 3 spots on this list appear on more than one of our routes.
Our curated picks
27 things to do in Alaska, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Anchorage 6 picks
Alaska Native Heritage Center
Anchorage · On our Alaska Glacier Route + 1 more
Dances, storytelling and village sites representing Alaska's major Native cultures.
Tip: Summer has the most demos; a free shuttle runs from downtown in season.
Photo: Skvader · CC BY-SA 4.0
Anchorage Museum
Anchorage · On our Alaska Glacier Route + 1 more
Alaska's largest museum, strong on Alaska Native objects, art and Arctic science.
Tip: Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center gallery is the highlight; allow 2–3 hours.
Photo: Craig Talbert · CC BY 2.0
Tony Knowles Coastal Trail
Anchorage · On our Alaska Glacier Route + 1 more
11-mile paved trail along Cook Inlet with views of Denali on clear days and moose sightings.
Tip: Rent bikes downtown; ride to Earthquake Park and back.
Photo: James Brooks · CC BY 2.0
Flattop Mountain Trail
Anchorage · On our Alaska Glacier Route
Anchorage's most climbed peak, 3 miles round trip from Glen Alps with a scramble at the top.
Tip: Parking fee at Glen Alps; the final boulder section is steep.
Photo: Brett Nemeth · Google
Lake Hood Seaplane Base
Anchorage · On our Fairbanks, Talkeetna & Anchorage route
One of the world's busiest seaplane bases; in winter the lake freezes and many planes switch to skis.
Tip: Drive the lakeshore road for planes parked on the ice against the Chugach Mountains.
Photo: Laura Alier · CC BY 4.0
Rust's Flying Service
Anchorage · On our Alaska Glacier Route
Floatplane flightseeing from Lake Hood, the world's busiest seaplane base, including Denali flights.
Tip: Denali flights depend on weather; book a flexible date.
Photo: Rust's Flying Service · Google
Homer 6 picks
Bishop's Beach
Homer · On our Alaska Glacier Route
Driftwood beach with tide pools and views of the volcanoes across Cook Inlet.
Tip: Best at low tide; watch for incoming water on the flats.
Photo: Diana Aversa Reuling · Google
Grewingk Glacier Lake Trail
Homer · On our Alaska Glacier Route
Flat 3.5-mile trail from Glacier Spit to a lake with floating ice below Grewingk Glacier.
Tip: Pack a lunch and bear spray; there are no services across the bay.
Photo: Rustin Riss · Google
Homer Spit
Homer · On our Alaska Glacier Route
4.5-mile gravel spit lined with boardwalk shops, charters and harbor views.
Tip: Walk the boardwalks in the evening when fishing boats unload.
Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer unknown · Public domain
Islands & Ocean Visitor Center
Homer · On our Alaska Glacier Route
Free exhibits on the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge's seabird colonies.
Tip: Walk the short trail to Bishop's Beach from the back.
Photo: Jay Torres · Google
Mako's Water Taxi
Homer · On our Alaska Glacier Route
Water taxi across Kachemak Bay to trailheads in Kachemak Bay State Park.
Tip: Book drop-off and pickup times ahead; tides set the schedule.
Photo: Mako's Water Taxi · Google
Pratt Museum
Homer · On our Alaska Glacier Route
Local museum covering Kachemak Bay natural history and Homer's homesteading past.
Tip: Check seasonal hours; smaller winter schedule.
Photo: Beeblebrox · CC BY-SA 3.0
Seward 6 picks
Alaska SeaLife Center
Seward · On our Alaska Glacier Route
Aquarium and marine rescue center with Steller sea lions, puffins and harbor seals.
Tip: Good rainy-day plan; behind-the-scenes tours need advance booking.
Photo: Alaska SeaLife Center · Google
Exit Glacier
Seward · On our Alaska Glacier Route
Kenai Fjords' only road-accessible glacier, with signs showing its retreat since 1815.
Tip: Nature center open summer only; road closes to cars in winter, then ski or snowmachine in.
Photo: Dubhe · CC BY 2.5
Harding Icefield Trail
Seward · On our Alaska Glacier Route
Steep 8.2-mile round trip climbing 3,000 ft to views over a 700-square-mile icefield.
Tip: Upper sections hold snow into July; start early and carry bear spray.
Photo: Kathleen Herrold · Google
Kenai Fjords Tours
Seward · On our Alaska Glacier Route
Day cruises into Kenai Fjords National Park for tidewater glaciers, orcas, puffins and sea lions.
Tip: The 6–8 hour Northwestern Fjord routes reach the most glaciers; take seasickness meds.
Photo: Kenai Fjords Tours · Google
Mount Marathon
Seward · On our Alaska Glacier Route
Seward's town mountain, site of the July 4 race; the hikers' trail gives bay views.
Tip: Use the hikers' trail, not the steep racers' route.
Photo: J from Seattle, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0
Sunny Cove Sea Kayaking
Seward · On our Alaska Glacier Route
Guided kayak trips in Resurrection Bay, including paddles near Aialik Glacier.
Tip: Lowell Point trips suit beginners; glacier trips combine with a boat transfer.
Photo: Sunny Cove Kayaking - Adventure Center, Seward, Alaska · Google
Chena Hot Springs 3 picks
Aurora Ice Museum
Chena Hot Springs · On our Fairbanks, Talkeetna & Anchorage route
Year-round museum built from ice and snow, with carved sculptures, ice chandeliers and a bar serving drinks in glasses of ice.
Tip: Tours run several times a day; the museum is kept below freezing, so keep your coat on.
Aurora viewing tour
Chena Hot Springs · On our Fairbanks, Talkeetna & Anchorage route
Night tours from the resort by snowcoach to a ridgetop above the valley, with heated yurts to wait in between displays.
Tip: Book on a night with a good forecast; the higher ridge often sits above valley fog.
Rock Lake hot spring
Chena Hot Springs · On our Fairbanks, Talkeetna & Anchorage route
The resort's outdoor, rock-lined hot spring pool, fed by natural springs and steaming in air far below zero.
Tip: It is adults only; soak after dark and watch the sky for the aurora.
Fairbanks 3 picks
Fairbanks Depot
Fairbanks · On our Fairbanks, Talkeetna & Anchorage route
Alaska Railroad station on the edge of town, where the Aurora Winter Train leaves for Talkeetna and Anchorage.
Tip: Check in early; the winter train leaves in the morning and the trip takes most of the day.
Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center
Fairbanks · On our Fairbanks, Talkeetna & Anchorage route
Free downtown visitor center on the Chena River with exhibits on Interior Alaska and Athabascan life.
Tip: Ask here about the night's aurora outlook and winter tours.
Photo: RadioKAOS · CC BY-SA 3.0
Museum of the North
Fairbanks · On our Fairbanks, Talkeetna & Anchorage route
University of Alaska museum on a hill above Fairbanks, with Alaska Native art, natural history and a mummified steppe bison.
Tip: Visit near sunset for the light over the Tanana Valley from the plaza.
Photo: Malcolm Manners · CC BY 2.0
Talkeetna 3 picks
Denali flightseeing
Talkeetna · On our Fairbanks, Talkeetna & Anchorage route
Small-plane flights from Talkeetna's airport around Denali and its glaciers, flown by local air services all year when weather allows.
Tip: Keep a flexible day in your plan; flights only go when the mountain is clear.
Talkeetna Depot
Talkeetna · On our Fairbanks, Talkeetna & Anchorage route
Alaska Railroad stop where the Aurora Winter Train calls between Fairbanks and Anchorage.
Tip: The winter depot is a short walk from Main Street.
Talkeetna Historic District
Talkeetna · On our Fairbanks, Talkeetna & Anchorage route
Main Street's old log cabins, roadhouses and false-front stores where three rivers meet.
Tip: Walk to the end of Main Street to the river for a view toward Denali on a clear day.
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in Alaska?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 27 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Alaska has the most things to do on this list?
Anchorage, Homer and Seward lead with 6 each; the other picks are spread across 3 more destinations.
Are any of these free?
12 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, Flattop Mountain Trail, Bishop's Beach, Lake Hood Seaplane Base, Grewingk Glacier Lake Trail, and more. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for Alaska
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