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Alaska

Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2025

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Juneau, Southeast Alaska

Mihael Blikshteyn / Stocksy United

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Overview

Bears larger than bison, national parks the size of nations, and glaciers bigger than other US states. The word "epic" barely does Alaska justice.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Four people walking on Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska, USA

    Mendenhall Glacier

    Juneau

    Going to Juneau and not seeing the Mendenhall is like visiting Rome and skipping the Colosseum. The most famous of Juneau’s ice floes, and the city’s most…

  • An Alaskan tundra wolf leaps through the blowing snow near the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, as the Brooks Range looms in the background; Shutterstock ID 378979717; purchase_order: 65050; job: ; client: ; other:
378979717

    Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

    Alaska

    The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a 30,625-sq-mile wilderness in Alaska’s northeast corner, straddling the eastern Brooks Range from the treeless…

  • Anchorage Museum

    Anchorage Museum

    Anchorage

    This world-class facility is Anchorage’s cultural jewel. The West Wing, a four-story, shimmering, mirrored facade, adds 80,000 sq ft to what was already…

  • Tlingit People & Whale Bones

    Alaska Native Heritage Center

    Anchorage

    If you can't travel to the Bush region to experience Native Alaska culture firsthand, visit this 26-acre center and see how humans survived – and thrived …

  • Alaska Sealife Center in Seward.

    Alaska Sealife Center

    Seward

    A fitting legacy of the Exxon Valdez oil-spill settlement, this $56-million marine research center is more than just one of Alaska’s finest attractions…

  • USA, Alaska, Fairbanks, University of Alaska, Museum of the North

    University of Alaska Museum of the North

    Fairbanks

    In an architecturally abstract, igloo- and aurora-inspired edifice sits one of Alaska’s finest museums, with artifact-rich exhibits on the geology,…

  • Aleutian WWII National Historic Area

    Aleutian Islands

    In 1996 Congress created this 134-acre national historic area to commemorate the bloody events of WWII that took place on the Aleutian Islands. Most of…

  • Saxman Native Village & Totem Park

    Ketchikan

    On South Tongass Hwy, 2.5 miles south of Ketchikan, is this incorporated Tlingit village of 475 residents. It's best known for Saxman Totem Park, which…

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Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip

Best Things to Do

Experience the best of Alaska with this guide to the top things to do in the Last Frontier.

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Best Places to Visit

From exploring Denali and other epic national parks to learning native history in quaint coastal towns, here are the best places to visit in Alaska.

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Best Time to Visit

From freezing darkness and empty ski slopes to endless sunshine and cruise crowds, each Alaskan season has its pros and cons. Find your perfect time to go.

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Things to Know

Bigger, colder and more remote than any other state in the US, Alaska doesn't do things by half. Here's everything you need to know.

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Transportation

Everything you've ever wanted to know about the logistics of planning an Alaskan adventure, plus tips for keeping it cheap.

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Free Things to Do

A state known as much for its high prices as its epic experiences, Alaska doesn't have to break the budget. Here's how to visit on the cheap.

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Money and Costs

Alaska is not an inexpensive place to discover. Here are 14 ways to make your dollar go further in the Last Frontier.

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Traveling with Kids

Alaska is brimming with family-friendly adventures from its iconic wildlife, national parks and glacier-filled hikes to gold-mining, ATVing and ziplining.

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Best Road Trips

In a land of epic wilderness, rugged landscapes and a Serengeti’s worth of big fauna, Alaska’s highways offer unlimited possibilities for road trips.

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