Best time to visit Alaska: when to go and what to do (2024)

When is the best time to visit Alaska?

For long, light days and the best chance of fine weather, June is the best time to visit Alaska. Migrating whales and birds are arriving, bears are foraging along rocky shorelines and temperatures are warming up. However, every month of Alaska’s short season has compelling reasons to visit, whether you want to see the salmon spawning, spot bear cubs or try glacier trekking.

Main photo: Mendenhall Towers, Tongass National Forest (Alamy)

How to visit Alaska

Cruise ship is by far the most convenient way to visit the mountainous coast of southeast Alaska, from the Canadian border as far north as Anchorage, not least because some ports can only be reached by sea or air and road distances are long. The adventure begins with a full day at sea en route from Seattle or Vancouver, where you’d typically join your cruise. Steaming through the island-strewn Inside Passage, you’ll gaze at mile upon mile of pristine spruce and hemlock forest, set against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains. Whale watching is possible as soon as you leave port and — further north — you’ll also be on the lookout for bears, sea otters, seals and majestic bald eagles. Cruises operate either round-trip, which is handy for flights, or one-way, for example, from Seattle or Vancouver to Seward, hopping off point for a land extension in the rugged wilderness of Denali National Park. Some small expedition companies operate round-trip from state-capital Juneau, so you’d connect in Seattle.

• 12 of the best Alaska cruises

Key months of travel

April
The summer season starts at the very end of April. There’s still snow on the mountains at this time and the glaciers are sparkling. Bears are coming out of hibernation and foraging for food. You should see orcas, humpback whales and dolphins, as well as bald eagles and mountain goats. Ports will be quiet — an advantage, as small places such as Ketchikan are heaving in peak season. Bear in mind that Denali and other national parks don’t open until the third week of May, so you won’t be able to add a land extension there and some hiking routes may not yet be open. Expect 11 hours of daylight and daytime highs of around 8C; as with any month in Alaska’s short summer, you’ll need layers, hiking boots and waterproofs.

May
The snow is melting and spring flowers are beginning to emerge. You could spot grey whales and harbour seals as well as humpbacks and orcas. The ports are still pleasantly quiet in the shoulder season and the weather is often fine. May is Alaska’s driest month, with only three inches of rain on average. National parks open up for hiking and wildlife spotting and with the trees not fully in leaf yet, there’s a good chance of sightings of bears and moose. While it will still be cool, May is one of the best times to cruise to Alaska, with 16 hours of daylight and daytime highs of 13C.

June
Days are long and bright now, with 18 hours of daylight, more if you go further north. The Alaskan cruise season is getting into full swing, with all the parks and hiking trails open and the lack of snow meaning higher-altitude hikes are possible. Generally finer weather means a broader range of activities are on offer, including “flightseeing”, floatplane rides and glacier trekking. Animals are tending their young, so you could spot seal pups and bear cubs, as well as juvenile goats and moose. Beluga whales arrive to feed. Early June is before American school holidays, so ports aren’t too crowded. With daytime highs of up to 17C, this is the perfect time of year to travel.

• 12 of the best Alaska cruises

July
July is the warmest month, with daytime highs of 18C and 18 hours of daylight, and more rain than June, with an average of 4.6 inches. The salmon are spawning, which is quite a sight in places like Ketchikan, where a solid river of silvery fish forces its way upstream, drawing bears down to the riverbanks to feast on the easy pickings. You’ll spot humpback whales and families of sea otters. Ports are busy, though. This is peak season and you’ll find several big ships lined up at once in tiny spots such as Skagway, Sitka, Juneau and Ketchikan. Prices are at their highest.

August
August is cooler and wetter; the Alaska cruise season is short. Temperatures range from 10C to 17C. Come at the end of the month and the dazzling colours of autumn foliage will be emerging as the leaves turn scarlet and orange. There are still around 16 hours of daylight and all the wildlife is active; bears are fattening up for winter and gorging themselves on the remaining salmon. August is a good month for fishing excursions, as halibut, rainbow trout and salmon are abundant.

September
Autumn is well and truly here by September, the forests ablaze with colour and the first snowfall dusting the mountains, with ports receiving more than eight inches of rain, but they are quieter as they wind down for winter. There’s still around 15 hours of daylight, but it’s getting cooler, with daytime highs of around 14C.

When is the cheapest month to cruise Alaska?

The very beginning or the very end of the season, so late April/early May and September are the cheapest months to cruise Alaska. There are no guarantees for the weather in these months, but then nobody comes to Alaska for a sunshine break.

Which cruise line has the best Alaskan cruise?

Most cruise lines follow a similar itinerary so the best cruise for you really depends on the style of ship you prefer — small and luxurious, like Seabourn’s boutique ships, or something bigger, like the smart ships of Celebrity Cruises. Princess Cruises and Holland America Line have seamless cruise-and-stay itineraries including the Denali National Park, where both lines own their own wilderness lodges, and scenic rail journeys on the Rocky Mountaineer. Hurtigruten offers a more expedition-style voyage, with shore excursions by Zodiac, as well as guided hiking and kayaking. UnCruise Adventures takes you right off the beaten track in tiny ships, visiting locations where you won’t see any other vessels.

When is the best time to cruise Alaska?

In the mind’s eye of the average traveller, Alaska is wild, remote and rarely visited — but in reality one million passengers cruise the coasts of the US’s northernmost state each summer. To see tidewater glaciers wider than Wembley and seismogram-shaped mountains outside this rush hour, join an early (May) or late season trip (September) to have a more timeless natural beauty to yourself.

When can I see the northern lights in Alaska?

Like elsewhere above 60 degrees north — roughly the same latitude as the Arctic Circle — Alaska is the realm of the aurora borealis. Weather permitting, it’s also home to nightly light displays that’ll stretch your mind. The phenomenon can be seen from late August to April, with the darkest skies from December to February offering the best chance to see the aurora in all its gossamer finery on frozen lakes and in aurora forest camps beyond the city light pollution. Specifically, Fairbanks, is where to enter a whole new dream world of sky dances.

Can you see the northern lights on an Alaskan cruise?

You’d only be likely to see the northern lights on a cruise to Alaska if you sailed right at the beginning of the season in April, or towards the end, from mid-August to September, as it’s just not dark enough during the summer months. Somewhere like Denali, which is further north and inland, is a more likely place for a sighting than the coast.

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