Most people who visit Alaska take a cruise out of Seattle or Vancouver during the peak season (June to September) and experience only the state's southeastern region. These cruises sound fantastic, given the glaciers you see from the cruise ship and the ports you visit along the way, like Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway.

But after a land-only trip to Alaska, I realized how much more we saw and experienced by traveling through Alaska’s interior and the Kenai and Katmai peninsulas southwest of Anchorage compared to friends who opted to cruise southeastern Alaska.

What worked for us may not work for everyone. Each travel option has trade-offs and benefits.

Alaska By Land or Sea?

Which is better? That depends on

• the type of vacation you want

• how much time you have

• your total budget

• how much planning you want to be responsible for personally

Consider A Cruise If:

• You want/need minimal upfront planning. Book the cruise, and the dates and your itinerary are set. It’s a turn-key solution.

• Costs are known upfront and paid for before you step on the ship.

• You want your trip length to be 7 to 10 days.

• You want to unpack once.

• You like a consistently high level of service.

• You want some active days. You want some relaxing days.

• You have medical restrictions and are most comfortable with medical services available anytime.

• You don’t mind a cruise ship environment—being at sea with several thousand strangers.

If you are interested in a cruise, get some tips for smooth sailing here.

Consider A Land-Only Trip If:

• Upfront planning and building an itinerary is your strong suit and helps create excitement for the trip.

• You’re OK planning a budget with a decent buffer. Food, in particular, was more expensive than we anticipated throughout Alaska.

• You have at least two weeks or more available for this trip.

• You don’t mind changing hotels or Airbnbs every few nights.

• You can be flexible.

• You want a reasonably active vacation that may include hiking, kayaking, fishing, or other nature-focused activities.

• You enjoy long scenic drives.

• You’re OK if there’s no Wi-Fi at times.

• You want to see more than the southeastern region of Alaska, including the interior and non-cruise port coastal areas.

It’s A Personal Choice

I’m not implying that a land-only trip is better than a cruise or vice versa. It’s a choice. Many people don’t even consider a land trip to Alaska because of the popularity and marketing of cruise lines.

What I Learned Traveling By Land

We recently spent three weeks traveling across Alaska, including the interior region (Denali National Park and area), the southcentral region (Kenai Peninsula—Homer, Seward, Seldovia, Halibut Cove), and the southwest region (Katmai Peninsula—King Salmon and Brooks Lodge). Read the details here.

Here’s some of what we discovered, in general:

Alaska By Land Requires Lots Of Upfront Work

Alaska is huge and offers lots of variety. The trick is to prioritize what you want to see and do. To help prioritize, do your homework—read blog posts and travel books, visit Alaska.org, and talk to friends who have experienced Alaska (by land or on a cruise).

When setting up an itinerary, pay close attention to the mileage between critical places you want to see. It’s not uncommon to travel a distance by car (Alaska’s main roads are in excellent shape), train, commercial flight, small seaplane, or boat. In fact, ‘getting there’ is part of the adventure.

Include Busy And Relaxing Days On Your Itinerary

We were physically busy (hiking trails, walking beaches), changed lodging every 3 or 4 days, drove hundreds of miles multiple days, and didn’t let rain stop us from exploring an area (summers in Alaska can be a bit rainy). We also enjoyed a relaxing dinner every night and took our time most mornings at breakfast. The combination of being busy but also re-energizing/relaxing a bit each day worked well for us.

Maintain Flexibility

One morning in Girdwood, we woke up to discover that all the electricity across town, including coffee shops, was out. So we hit the road and hoped to find breakfast along the way. We stopped for lunch almost four hours later, with just a few snacks in our bellies. Some areas don’t have many eating options outside of the main towns. The lack of a hearty breakfast, a meal some of us prioritize, didn’t ruin the scenery on the long ride that day.

Tip: Always have a cooler with drinks and snacks for the road.

During our scheduled visit to the area, Denali NP was closed due to a fire near the entrance. With a train and hotel pre-booked, we had to look at options around the park that would offer a similar experience to the park.

Tip: ‘Plan B’ can often be as good as or better than ‘Plan A’.

Cruise Schedules Can Impact Your Land-Only Trip

Cruise ship schedules determine hotel availability, particularly in Anchorage, Seward, and Denali. In fact, some cruise organizations own some of the hotels and, therefore, prioritize cruise guests. Cruises also book blocks of rooms once they have their schedules (a year ahead) in Seward, Anchorage, and Denali. Top hotels in these areas will have single nights here and there that aren’t fully booked. We had to alter our schedule based on Seward accommodations due to the small number of hotels in the town and the number of cruise ships that dock there (it’s the closest deep port to Anchorage).

Book early and call hotels directly or look for Airbnb rentals. Make dinner reservations weeks ahead, particularly in Anchorage during peak season (June-August.)

Land and Population Are Highly Diverse

After three weeks of driving, flying, and touring multiple regions of Alaska, I’ve concluded that it is the most beautiful, diverse US state regarding natural wonders and wildlife viewing.

Additionally, the locals are welcoming and hard-working—many are small business owners. There’s a sense of community, and the population is very diverse. According to the municipality of Anchorage, over 100 languages are spoken in the Anchorage School District, and Anchorage's Mountain View neighborhood is the most diverse in the nation.

Starting Your Alaska By Land Itinerary

If you’re looking for a few ideas on what stops to include in an Alaskan itinerary, read The Ultimate Alaska Adventure: Top 10 Things To Do and Places to Explore