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Alaska Travel Guide: Cruises, Itineraries & Insider Tips

Planning a trip to Alaska? This Alaska travel guide covers everything you need to know—from choosing the best Alaska cruise itinerary to deciding when to visit, what to pack, and how to plan your trip.

Based on firsthand experience from multiple trips each year, we help you plan your Alaska adventure with confidence.

  • Right side of Portage Glacier

Start Here: Plan Your Alaska Trip


New to Alaska travel? Start with these essential planning guides:

Alaskan Coastal Brown Bear

How To Plan The Perfect Alaska Trip

Planning an Alaska cruise can be overwhelming. Learn about weather month by month, glaciers to visit, and finding deals.

Worthington Glacier from Richardson Hwy

Alaska Road Trips: 6 Routes You Can’t Miss

Alaska road trips offer the freedom to explore independently. We feature 6 scenic routes with coastlines, mountains and glaciers.

Yanyeidi Kootéeyaa totem pole detail

Alaska Travel Mistakes To Avoid

Don’t let these Alaska mistakes ruin your trip! Get expert advice on itineraries, excursions, and what to pack for your adventure.

Wearing a Columbia coat in Alaska

Alaska Packing List With Printable Checklist

The key to an uneventful Alaska trip, is having a packing strategy. Discover what to pack to a cruise, on land, and for tours.

Alaska Cruises (Choosing The Right Line & Itinerary)

Picking An Alaska Cruise Itinerary

Choosing an itinerary is as important as picking a cruise line to take you there. Budget, vacation time and departure port may play a factor.

One-way, rountrip, or cruise and land tour? Each one suits different travelers. Let us help you decide.

More cruising tips HERE
Cruising in Alaskan waters

Best Alaska Cruise Itineraries For First-Timer Visitors

Begin with departure ports, glacier visited, ports of call, length of cruise, and whether you want roundtrip or one way.

Cruising to College Fjord on a Gulf of Alaska cruise

Inside Passage Or Gulf Of Alaska: An Itinerary Comparison

The Inside Passage and the Gulf of Alaska. Learn about their differences and why to pick one over the other.

Selecting A Cruise Line

Holland America and Princess Cruises have the strongest presence in Alaska, having cruised there for over 75 and 50 years respectively.

Some lines have Glacier Bay National Park access, other don’t.

Get more cruise advice HERE!
A Holland America ship docked in Sitka, Alaska

Holland America Vs. Princess Cruises

Both lines have onboard naturalists and have Glacier Bay access. The onboard experience differs — see how they compare.

Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas and Norwegian Bliss cruise ships

Norwegian Cruise Line Vs. Royal Caribbean

Both offer mega ships, catering to families and solo travelers. One has Glacier Bay access while the other wins on innovative features.

Alaska Cruise Ports (What To Do In Each Stop)

Docked in Juneau, Alaska

Juneau Cruise Port Guide

Tips on visiting the states capital. Top excursions, places to see and where to eat.

Creek Street, Ketchikan

Ketchikan Cruise Port Guide

Known as the “salmon capital of the world,” this destination offers more than fish.

Riding the White Pass & Yukon Route scenic railway

Skagway Cruise Port Guide

Want to experience an epic train journey? A road trip to the Yukon?
Visit Skagway!

Sitka National Historical Park totem pole

Sitka Cruise Port Guide

The state’s original capital has 2 rescues: one with bears and the other with raptors.

Alaska Land Travel (Beyond the Cruise)

View of Anchorage from the water

Anchorage Travel Guide For First Time Visitors

Plan your trip to Anchorage, Alaska, with our guides to adventure, attractions and day trips from the city. See glaciers, wildlife and cultural destinations.

Denali Travel Guide: What To See And Do

Mountain range seen on the Tundra Wilderness Tour

Plan your perfect trip to Denali National Park with our tips on lodging, dining, and activities!

On the McKinley Explorer train

Alaska Railroad Guide: Routes, Tips & Operators

Explore Alaska’s breathtaking landscapes on scenic train trips! Discover unique routes and experiences with Alaska Railroad.

Essential Alaska Guides

Unlock the secrets of Alaska with our essential guides! Discover spots to enjoying gold panning, top ports for whale watching, and what to buy as souvenirs.

A selection of Ulu knives from Alaska

What Souvenirs To Buy In Alaska

Whales surfacing between boats

Where To Go Whale Watching In Alaska

Gold panning sluice box in Fairbanks

Where To Go Gold Panning In Alaska

King crab legs from Juneau, Alaska

Where To Eat Crab In Alaska

Tips For Budget-Conscious Travelers

  • The Whale Project humpback whale sculpture

    Free Things To Do In Juneau, Alaska: Budget-Friendly Adventures

  • Icy Strait Point Cannery Museum

    Icy Strait Point, Alaska On Your Own: 12 Free Activities

  • Visiting Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center

    Mendenhall Glacier On Your Own: How To Visit Independently

  • Saxman Native Village Clan House

    How To Reach Saxman Native Village In Ketchikan Without A Tour

Why Trust Alaska Trippers?

We are Brian and Karen, and like to call Alaska our second home. We don’t just write about Alaska—we experience it.

  • We travel to Alaska annually.
  • We’ve sailed multiple cruise itineraries.
  • We’ve visited ports like Juneau, Skagway, Sitka and Ketchikan many times.
  • We share practical, real-world tips—not generic advice.
Read about our journey

Need Help Packing For Alaska?

Download our packing list and get advice on what to pack for different seasons.

Need a coat or shoes? No problem, we have you covered. We share what we used most on an annual adventures in the Last Frontier.

Our guides are tailored to different seasons and activities.

Wearing my synthetic coat on an Alaska cruise
Free Alaska packing list
Brian in a down coat in Ketchikan
See the coats we tried and liked
Wearing my hiking boots and wool socks
Footwear options – ones we’ve tried
Brown bear at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

See Alaska with our expert tips!

Make the most of your Alaska trip! Our travel tips cover everything from packing essentials and road trips to traveling in different seasons.

Get essential tips here

Our Top Posts

The Twisted Fish pation in Juneau

Best Restaurants In Juneau

Top eateries from fish tacos to king crab legs.

Driving an electric car in the Yukon

Skagway To Emerald Lake

A guide to driving the Klondike Hwy from Skagway into the Yukon.

Mendenhall Glacier in 2023

Mendenhall Glacier

How to visit Juneau’s Mendenhall Glacier on your own.

Alaska Trippers testimonials

  • I love all of your articles and as a planner I’ve been going through all of them! We will be taking our first trip in 2026.
    Susan
  • Hello! This is exactly the information I was looking for about this 26 Glacier cruise in Whittier.
    Elizabeth
  • I just read your fantastic article “8 Best Coats For Alaska.” You provided so much insightful information.
    Carrie

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  • HOME
  • TOWNS
    • Anchorage
    • Denali
    • Fairbanks
    • Icy Strait Point
    • Juneau
    • Ketchikan
    • Other Coastal Destinations
    • Sitka
    • Skagway/Haines
    • Talkeetna
    • Whittier/Girdwood
  • CRUISING
  • TRAVEL TIPS
  • EXCURSIONS
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