Planning a Trip to Alaska
Have you decided that you're going to visit Alaska, the land of breathtaking scenery and teeming wildlife, but you don't know all the necessities and information that is essential for the trip? Rest assured in the following lines you're going to find out everything that you need to make the trip safely and enjoyably.
Alaska is a beautiful country with all sorts of tourist destinations you can visit.
Alaska is a beautiful country with all sorts of tourist destinations you can visit.
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What makes it so special is the fact that it is a unique place different from anything you've visited before because of its complex geographical formation, endemic animal species and a wide assortment of unusual activities.
Popular attractions are also grizzly bears and black bears, which can be found all over the Alaskan territory. |
These include kayaking through the fjords, on the surface of crystal green lakes, between emerald-like glaciers, hiking on mountain trails, through forests filled with sweet berries like cranberries, watermelon berries, salmon berries, etc.
Bald eagles, the masters of the air, patrol Alaskan skies, and prey on unexpecting rodents and fish. Diverse fish species such as king salmon, silver salmon, trout, halibut, sturgeon and numerous more all provide an excellent retreat for fishermen.
Cruising ships are yet another solution if you want to sail around the coast of Alaska and see marine animals such as orcas, killer whales, humpback whales, sea lions, porpoises and dolphins and even sea birds e.g. auks, murres, and puffins.
Alaska drones and quadcopters are used to capture all these compelling scenes from imaginative angles.
With everything Alaska has to offer, also come responsibilities and warnings since harsh terrain and cold climate with dangerous animals shouldn't be taken thoughtlessly.
However, with the right care and listening to professional tour guides, you will enjoy your trip to the fullest while your personal safety and the safety of your family won't come in question even if you want to reach the most remote areas.
In order to spend your time in Alaska the best you can, you need to plan and prepare yourself for the trip. In the text below, you'll learn the most important information you need to know in order to get the most pleasure out of your Alaskan tour.
Bald eagles, the masters of the air, patrol Alaskan skies, and prey on unexpecting rodents and fish. Diverse fish species such as king salmon, silver salmon, trout, halibut, sturgeon and numerous more all provide an excellent retreat for fishermen.
Cruising ships are yet another solution if you want to sail around the coast of Alaska and see marine animals such as orcas, killer whales, humpback whales, sea lions, porpoises and dolphins and even sea birds e.g. auks, murres, and puffins.
Alaska drones and quadcopters are used to capture all these compelling scenes from imaginative angles.
With everything Alaska has to offer, also come responsibilities and warnings since harsh terrain and cold climate with dangerous animals shouldn't be taken thoughtlessly.
However, with the right care and listening to professional tour guides, you will enjoy your trip to the fullest while your personal safety and the safety of your family won't come in question even if you want to reach the most remote areas.
In order to spend your time in Alaska the best you can, you need to plan and prepare yourself for the trip. In the text below, you'll learn the most important information you need to know in order to get the most pleasure out of your Alaskan tour.
When to Go?
The best time to visit Alaska is in its high season when most of the tourists come, and tourist offer is the biggest. This is the time period from June to August. It is the warmest time of the year, when vegetation blooms, animals are active.
Bears wake up from their hibernation and feed on the salmon runs which peak in this period. Forest trails are the driest in the late season, leaning towards August, and this is the best time for hiking. Cruise ship season is open from April to September.
With 20 hours of daylight, you'll have a unique experience and more than plenty of daytime to enjoy your activities.
Bears wake up from their hibernation and feed on the salmon runs which peak in this period. Forest trails are the driest in the late season, leaning towards August, and this is the best time for hiking. Cruise ship season is open from April to September.
With 20 hours of daylight, you'll have a unique experience and more than plenty of daytime to enjoy your activities.
Places to Visit?
Alaska is divided into five significant areas: Far North, Interior, Inside Passage, Southwest and South-central. Most tourists rarely visit more than two zones - mainly due to the size of Alaska, which is the biggest state, twice as big as Texas. It is easy getting into the South-central part, Anchorage by plane or by ship.
With its mild climate, The Inside Passage, southwest of Canada, has almost everything that Alaska has to offer, from rich wildlife to unusual land formations and glaciers. It is perfect for kayaking and hiking; that's why many tourists chose this area to visit.
Alaskan capital, Juneau is situated here, which can be accessed by plane or by cruise ship. Drone videos are an excellent way to document beautiful scenery since they allow you to film from unusual and unique angles.
South-central area of Alaska is the most developed part - with Anchorage, its largest city with a population of almost 300,000 situated there. With a rich network of roads, it is the cultural center of the country.
Winter sports, skiing, snowboarding, dog sledding, along with fishing and ice fishing is predominant in this region. Other three regions are mostly inaccessible to regular tourists because of its remoteness and harsh weather conditions.
However, it can be visited with a guide, and there are a lot of historical and cultural places to visit.Some of them are abandoned towns of the gold rush, people Inupiat and the Yup'ik people in the Far North.
These areas can only be visited by plane or by dangerous and slow hiking and dog sledding. Another interesting fact is that the sun never sets in the Far North and the Interior, so daytime lasts for 24 hours.
With its mild climate, The Inside Passage, southwest of Canada, has almost everything that Alaska has to offer, from rich wildlife to unusual land formations and glaciers. It is perfect for kayaking and hiking; that's why many tourists chose this area to visit.
Alaskan capital, Juneau is situated here, which can be accessed by plane or by cruise ship. Drone videos are an excellent way to document beautiful scenery since they allow you to film from unusual and unique angles.
South-central area of Alaska is the most developed part - with Anchorage, its largest city with a population of almost 300,000 situated there. With a rich network of roads, it is the cultural center of the country.
Winter sports, skiing, snowboarding, dog sledding, along with fishing and ice fishing is predominant in this region. Other three regions are mostly inaccessible to regular tourists because of its remoteness and harsh weather conditions.
However, it can be visited with a guide, and there are a lot of historical and cultural places to visit.Some of them are abandoned towns of the gold rush, people Inupiat and the Yup'ik people in the Far North.
These areas can only be visited by plane or by dangerous and slow hiking and dog sledding. Another interesting fact is that the sun never sets in the Far North and the Interior, so daytime lasts for 24 hours.
How to Travel Around Alaska?
Land travel involves travelling by train, bus or car. Travelling by train is the most stunning and attractive way to enjoy sightseeing since the track cuts trough areas that are inaccessible to other means of transport. Travelling by bus is the next option.
You can visit many tourist attractions even if you don't know the way since touristic routes with tour guides are offered when travelling by bus. Travelling by car is the most flexible way, and the large network of roads, especially near Anchorage and Fairbanks allow you to visit places by yourself.
It would be handy to have a drone equipped with a camera in the trunk of your car so that you can take photographs and videos of the Alaskan frontier freely.
Travelling by sea includes cruisers, ferry and charter boats. Most tourist travel by cruise ship since it is the most popular way. Cruisers include luxurious ambiance and many different activities for the great number of people onboard ranging from 1000 to 3000.
Another option is travelling by ferry boat; this provides a more personalized experience since you can reach further into the mainland. With charter boats, however, you get the most flexibility since they are smaller and often carry a crew of 20 to 50 people.
Travelling by plane is the fastest, and sometimes the only way to reach remote places in Alaska. It isn't very economical, but it does have its benefits seeing the country from the air.
What Do You Need to Pack?
Warm, waterproof clothes and quality boots are paramount when visiting the Alaskan frontier. Few layers of clothes will be enough to protect yourself from the harsh and changing weather effects.
A mosquito repellent spray is also a necessity since they can cause a problem in warmer months.With the sun shining hard in some regions, sun lotion is also recommended when trekking and kayaking.
A high-quality camera is a necessity to capture all those breathtaking moments you will experience in Alaska.A better alternative is getting a first-rate quadcopter or a drone and capturing aerial photos of Alaska and from different angles.
A mosquito repellent spray is also a necessity since they can cause a problem in warmer months.With the sun shining hard in some regions, sun lotion is also recommended when trekking and kayaking.
A high-quality camera is a necessity to capture all those breathtaking moments you will experience in Alaska.A better alternative is getting a first-rate quadcopter or a drone and capturing aerial photos of Alaska and from different angles.
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