Alaska is a huge playground for outdoor enthusiasts, offering once-in-a-lifetime adventures unique to the 49th state.
During your Alaska cruise, you can book a helicopter landing on a glacier and a dog sledding ride in Juneau; take a trip along Skagway’s historic narrow-gauge railroad, the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad (also known as the World’s Scenic Railway); or go crabbing in Ketchikan as part of an Aleut folk song made famous on the Discovery Channel show “Deadliest Catch.”
If that’s not exciting enough, you can kick it up a few notches with these six adventure-packed trips. These services are only available if you book a cruise to Alaska (a package that combines a cruise with a multi-night land excursion) and head north to Denali and Fairbanks.
Look for bears and other wildlife in Denali National Park and Preserve
The National Park Service offers a variety of tours that can be booked through their website, ranging from 5 to 13 hours. The narrated Tundra Wilderness Tour, which lasts approximately 5 1/2 hours, is the most popular outing. It offers the best wildlife viewing opportunities for Denali’s “Big Five”: brown bear (or grizzly bear), moose, wolf, bighorn sheep, and caribou.
If you want to spend a full day in Denali, learn about the park’s history from NPS interpretive rangers and visit the old mining town of Kantishna (which gives you multiple opportunities to see the Big Five), book a “Kandishna Experience” tour. The 13-hour adventure will take guests to the end of the drivable portion of the Denali Parkway at mile 92 and will be available for reservations in 2027. (The road is currently closed.)
When you stay at one of the cruise line’s hotels, such as Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge or Holland America’s Denali Lodge, you can enjoy free shuttle service to the Denali Visitor Center and Denali Bus Station (where you’ll meet your tour group). You can also book tours through the hotel’s guest service desk, but booking in advance is recommended as they often sell out.
Of note, private vehicles are restricted to the first 15 miles of Denali Park Road, which ends at the Savage River. You will need to book a bus or interpretive tour to further explore the park.
Experience the rapids of Denali on a whitewater rafting trip
This 3 1/2-hour Nenana River Adventure takes thrill-seekers on an 11-mile journey through whitewater rapids with views of Mount Denali, Mount Healy and Mount Sugarloaf in the distance. You can choose to remain a paddle boat rider, making this trip accessible to almost anyone. Braver and more active travelers (15 and older) can paddle the waves with a guide.
Minimum age to participate in this tour is 12 years old. Weight limit is 265 lbs. Outfitters provide appropriate gear including dry suits, helmets, paddle shoes and life jackets. Excursions can be booked in advance or through guest services at one of the wilderness cabins.
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Be sure to bring a waterproof case for your smartphone so you can take photos and videos during your backcountry ride.
Experience the drive of a lifetime along the Denali Highway
This 135-mile gravel road was once the park’s gateway and was named “The Second Drive of a Lifetime” by National Geographic Traveler. On the 4 1/2-hour guided and narrated Denali Highway Jeep Tour, you’ll drive approximately 50 miles (100 miles round trip) along the Denali Highway, enjoying unparalleled views and photo opportunities.
Four-wheel Jeep tours take you through some of Alaska’s most spectacular scenery, including vast glaciers, the snow-capped mountains of the Alaska Range, far-reaching vistas, and, on a clear day, views of Denali. You may also encounter some wildlife, so be sure to bring binoculars (in addition to your camera).
Chasing the Northern Lights in Fairbanks
Fairbanks is one of the best places in the world to witness the magical (but sometimes elusive) Northern Lights. On cool, clear nights, you may see light shows dancing across the night sky during aurora season, which runs from August 21 to April 21.
The Explore Fairbanks website has an Aurora Tracker that correlates data from three different sources to predict the likelihood of seeing an aurora in six areas in and around Fairbanks, so you can check your chances of seeing one while you’re in town.
Cruise lines offer optional excursions late into the early morning (usually 10pm to 3am) during aurora season, but you can also book independent excursions through local providers. Some companies also offer photography tours, where you can learn how to capture natural phenomena.
Experience a flying adventure above the Arctic Circle
This bucket list trip from Fairbanks crosses the Arctic Circle, about 140 flight miles north of town. Once you arrive, you’ll be in the remote Arctic region, officially known as the “Land of the Midnight Sun.”
Holland America Line’s approximately six-hour optional cross-Arctic trip includes flying over the Yukon River Valley and Brooks Mountains, landing outside Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve in Coldfoot, Alaska. You’ll also have 2 1/2 hours on land to visit the wilderness communities of Coldfoot and Wiseman and learn how the few residents of this remote area survive the winter in extreme temperatures as low as minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit. At the end of the trip you will receive a commemorative Arctic Circle certificate. Weight limit is 340 lbs.
You can also book one of the tours independently with a local travel agent.
Play a round of golf at the northernmost 18-hole golf course in the United States
After a round of golf at Midnight Sun Golf Course in Fairbanks, you’ll receive another certificate proving you played at the northernmost golf course in the country. This 6-hour tour is a true Alaskan adventure that includes late-night golf on a rural course beneath the permafrost from May to July (approximately May 17-July 27 before the sun sets). The golf course also offers great views of Fairbanks and the Alaska Range, and even views of Denali from the 8th and 17th tees.
The price of the excursion includes transportation to Midnight Sun Golf Course and everything you need to play golf, such as a golf cart, a set of clubs, green fees, balls and tee boxes. In addition to your certificate, you can take home a luggage tag, hat clip or pint glass as a souvenir.
