Best Times to Visit Alaska (2024)

A trip to Alaska can make you feel reconnected to the natural world. Its wild coastal plains, towering snow-capped mountains, and glacier-rimmed fjords leave an imprint on your soul.

In northern Alaska, the Brooks Range extends 700 miles across from east to west just below the Arctic coast before it veers into Canada’s Yukon Territory. South of Fairbanks is Denali National Park, home to the tallest mountain in North America at a staggering 20,310 feet. To the southeast, Tongass National Forest forms one of the largest contiguous temperate rain forests in the world.

The lack of a comprehensive road system makes flightseeing tours a popular way to get around Alaska while providing stunning views of the landscape below. Note, however, that the availability of these flights can vary depending on your location, tour operator, and the time of year. Guided tours of Denali National Park with Temsco Helicopters, for instance, run from May through September, while a trip to Mount Redoubt Volcano with Natron Air is possible all year long.

With so many diverse regions, deciding where and when to visit can be difficult. It really depends on your tolerance for cold —and other tourists.

• High season: Mid-June through mid-August
• Shoulder seasons: May through early June and late August through mid-September
• Low season: Late September through April

Here’s everything you need to know about the best times to visit Alaska.

Best Times to Visit Alaska for Smaller Crowds

Alaska’s busiest season kicks into high gear in mid-June, so a good time to visit for a good balance of fewer crowds, decent weather, and plenty of daylight is in May or from late August through mid-September. In other words, focusing on the shoulder seasons is your best bet since there will be fewer visitors around.

If you’re willing to brave chillier temperatures and experience fewer hours of light each day, planning a trip for autumn or winter can be a great crowd-free option, allowing you to experience the beauty of the Alaskan wilderness in solitude. Bear in mind, though, that services in national parks will be limited and some visitor centers and roads will be closed.

Best Times to Visit Alaska for Good Weather

The weather in Alaska can be pretty extreme depending on when you visit. Varied climates mean there's something for everyone, be it a snow-filled getaway under the northern lights or awarm-weather backcountry hike.

Plan a trip to inland Fairbanks during the summer months for average temperatures ranging from the low 50s to the low 70s. Seaside Juneau, meanwhile, sees average temperatures in the mid-50s in July. The days are long from late April to mid-August, especially between late May and late July when much of Alaska has up to 24 hours of sunlight. June is the peak month for the midnight sun. Even so, summer visitors should be prepared for rain since the warmer months bring an increased possibility of wet weather.

If you’re visiting Alaska in winter to experience the litany of activities that require snow and ice, bring your heaviest coat and prepare for temperatures as low as minus 9 in January in Fairbanks. Juneau is slightly warmer, with average temperatures in the low 20s.

Best Times to Visit Alaska for Lower Prices

The shoulder seasons (May through early June and late August through mid-September) offer the best value for travelers on a budget. Hotel rates for a weekend stay are significantly lower in these slower periods than in midsummer, and many cruise lines offer discounts on trips and credits for excursions to entice more people to explore the underrated state outside of the high season.

Of course, you'll also find lower prices during the off-season (late September through April). Yes, it will be darker and colder, but there are advantages: It's a great time to see the northern lights and enjoy Alaska in all its winter glory. Get to know The Last Frontier on cross-country skis, snowshoes, a snowmobile, or a dog-sled ride.

Best Times to Visit Alaska to See the Northern Lights

The prime time to see thenorthern lightsin Alaska is from mid-August to mid-April —especially in February, during the spring equinox in March, and during the fall equinox in September or October, when a combination of clear night skies and electromagnetic activity makes spotting auroras relatively easy.

Since Alaska is so far north, with parts of it in the Arctic Circle, aurora visibility is high across most of the state. For optimal viewing, head north and get as far from cities and major towns as you can to avoid light pollution.Dozens of guided toursout of Fairbanks take guests into the backcountry so the only light they see is from the sky above. If you're flexible on your travel dates, use the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)Space Weather Prediction Center website to time your visit around the northern lights.

Best Times to Visit Alaska on a Cruise

Cruises are an important and hugely popular way to see Alaska. The season runs from May through September, and you’ll likely get the best deals and smallest crowds by booking your trip in the first month, which is also the driest. During this period, you'll have a good chance of spotting whales, walruses, and nesting seabirds along the Inside Passage. You might even glimpse animals such as brown bears on the shore as you sail through Glacier Bay.

Best Times to Visit Alaska for Fishing

Throughout the year, there’s great fishing to be found in Alaska. Anglers should consider visiting Ketchikan, a remote fishing town located near the southern tip of the state. Known as the salmon capital of the world, it’s often a popular stop on cruise itineraries, and not just for this particular sport. In the summer, the water can warm up to 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Keep in mind that almost every waterfront town in Alaska has at least some kind of fishing community, and with more than three million lakes, rivers, streams, and bays, the largest state in the U.S. offers a multitude of fishing spots to choose from. If it’s classic Alaskan King salmon you’re after, visit between mid-May and the end of September, when the season for that species peaks. If you’d like to try your hand at ice fishing, head to the Quartz Lake State Recreation Area between mid-November and mid-April.

Best Times to Visit Alaska's National Parks

Warmer temperatures and more daylight hours make July and August ideal for visiting picturesqueDenali National ParkandGlacier Bay National Park, home to some of Alaska’s best hiking trails and wildlife viewing. But if you're looking for a more remote experience, visit Alaska’s most popular national parks later in the season,when the crowds have dwindled but enough daylight remains so you can take a self-guided hike in the backcountry.

Denali National Park's only thoroughfare, Denali Park Road, is typically open between mid-May and mid-September. But aside from a 15-mile portion open to private vehicles, it's reserved for wildlife-spotting bus tours. Apart from the usual seasonal closure, due to the ongoing Pretty Rocks Landslide, you can currently only go as far as the East Fork Bridge at Mile marker 43. Always check the current road conditions on the NPS website before heading out.

September is the best month to see the state's gorgeous fall colors. “The mountains are gold, the berry bushes have turned bright red (with berries to pick), and you have the night sky to enjoy,” Jillian Simpson, president and CEO of the Alaska Travel Industry Association, shared with Travel + Leisure.

Best Times to Visit Alaska for Snow

Although May through September is technically the busiest time of the year for tourism in Alaska, the winter season shouldn't be overlooked. Why? That’s when you’ll see the most snow. December through March presents a fantastic opportunity to tackle Alaska’s magical snow-blanketed terrain, whether by cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, or dog sledding, among other wintry activities.

Just be mindful of where and when you go, as snow amounts vary greatly by location and month, and can be affected by weather patterns. In January, for instance, Fairbanks only sees about 10 inches of snow on average, while the state’s capital city of Juneau receives an average of 28 inches.

Skiing and snowboarding are also popular in Alaska from February through April, with some of the best resorts located outside Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau. Head to Valdez for epic backcountry heli-skiing or choose from the vast network of Nordic ski trails crisscrossing the state.

Best Times to Go to Alaska to See Wildlife

One of the biggest draws of a trip to Alaska is the chance to see the wildlife. Plan a summertime visit to Katmai National Park or Lake Clark National Park to catch a glimpse of the state's famed brown bear population. Summer is also prime time for the salmon run, which means the bears are super active and can be found in predictable spots hunting along the riverbed.

The whale-watching season runs from spring through early fall for most species. Gray whales typically arrive in Alaskan waters by April, with the best viewing spots off Seward. Humpback whales, meanwhile, arrive by June and can be seen from Juneau and Icy Strait Point. Both of these magnificent species usually stick around until the end of September. Orcas, on the other hand, can be viewed off the coast of Alaska all year round. Though more arrive during the spring months, you still have a good chance of spotting one no matter when you visit.

There are plenty of other animals to see throughout the year depending on where and when you go. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game's website, spring is another good time to spot wildlife, with bears, caribou, and other woodland creatures visible after hibernation, migratory songbird species returning home, and nature springing back to life after a long, cold winter. You’re also likely to spot seals, walruses, and bowhead whales in western Alaska. For more information, consult the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s wildlife calendars by region.

Worst Times to Visit Alaska

In many ways, there’s no such thing as a “bad time” to visit Alaska, though the amount of daylight you want to experience will be an important factor. In some regions, the sun never sets in the summer, which can be either a blessing or a curse, while it’s dark most of the time in winter. Use a sunrise and sunset planner to help figure out precisely how much (or how little) sunlight you’ll experience during your Alaska adventure.

Otherwise, it really depends on how much you hate the cold —if so, definitely avoid a trip in the winter months —and dealing with the other tourists who descend upon the state in the summer. Either way, it’s generally easy to avoid both of these by visiting in the spring and fall shoulder seasons.