Seeing Alaska Beyond the Big Cruise Ships

When you mention Alaska, most people on the East Coast picture a big cruise ship gliding through icy water. That’s one way to see it. It’s far from the only way.

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Alaska is enormous. Its coastline is longer than the East, West and Gulf coasts of the lower 48 combined. Split Alaska in half and each half would still be bigger than every other state, including Texas, which would drop to third. With that much room, there are a lot of ways to explore beyond a cruise deck.

Alaska is where my own polar story started. My 2023 trip there changed the direction of my life, and it’s the reason I became a travel advisor. Here are the ways I’d suggest seeing it beyond the typical big-ship cruise.

Southeast Alaska’s towns you can’t drive to

Many of Southeast Alaska’s small towns aren’t connected by road. To visit them, you go by boat or by plane.

Ketchikan was one of my favorites. Just minutes after we arrived, my husband announced he wanted to live there. The town sits right on the water, with boardwalks connecting the buildings. From the boardwalk you can spot whales swimming nearby and eagles soaring overhead.

Sitka was a different kind of day. We didn’t book a tour at all. We spent the day walking around town and exploring the main streets, and it was one of the easiest, most relaxed stops of the trip. Sitka is compact and easy to explore on foot, but it still has plenty of shops and restaurants. There’s so much seafood, including king crab legs, and you can even try reindeer. Not every port needs an excursion.

At Icy Strait, the gondola ride was incredible, and it’s the only practical way up to where the tour begins. Our guide told us how the local Native community adapted after the “no new roads” rules for the national forest in the 1990s, and how they pivoted from logging to tourism. It gave the whole day real meaning.

Whales are a big part of Icy Strait, too. If you’d like time on the water, this whale watch from nearby Hoonah heads out looking for humpbacks, sea lions and orcas, and sends you home with drone footage of the day: Icy Strait Whale Watch with Drone Filmography

Misty Fjords by small boat

Nearby, Misty Fjords National Monument has some of the most breathtaking scenery in Alaska. Granite cliffs rise straight out of the water to the mountaintops. Waterfalls like the Three Sisters pour down the rock, and huge eagle nests dot the cliffs. I saw it on a boat ride out of Ketchikan, and our guide pointed out the Three Sisters falls on the way. A tip: they run strongest early in the season and dry up by about mid-June, once the snowcaps have melted. Exploring by small boat gets you close to the wildlife and the landscape in a way a large cruise ship can’t.

If you’d love to see the fjords from above, this small-group floatplane tour from Ketchikan flies over Misty Fjords’ cliffs, lakes and waterfalls: Misty Fjords National Monument Floatplane Tour

Small expedition ships: the cruise without the crowds

If you want to cruise Alaska but skip the crowds of the big ships, a small expedition ship is a great middle ground. These ships carry far fewer passengers and use Zodiacs to reach remote coves and fjords the big ships can’t get into.

Many have an expedition team of naturalists who explain the wildlife, geology and history as you go. You might watch bears fishing for salmon, whales breaching or eagles on their nests. When I sailed Svalbard on a small expedition ship in May 2026, being down at the water in a Zodiac changed how I saw the landscape. In Alaska, that’s what a small ship gives you: wild, rugged and full of surprises.

One small-ship trip I like is Alaska’s Inside Passage and Tracy Arm. You’ll find it on my Expeditions page.

Seeing Alaska by train

The train is another wonderful way to see Alaska. One of my favorite days was riding the train from Skagway up into British Columbia, climbing from the coast into the mountains on the historic White Pass route. We rode the train up and came back down into Skagway by bus, passing the “Welcome to Alaska” sign on the way. (Bring your passport, since you cross into Canada.)

If you’d like a guide for the road side of White Pass, this tour from Skagway drives up to the summit, with stops at the Gold Rush Cemetery and Reid Falls along the way: White Pass Summit Guided Tour from Skagway

Farther north, the Alaska Railroad is a slow, scenic ride through the Interior. You take in big mountain ranges, forests and open tundra without the rush of driving or flying.

Wildlife sightings are common along the route. You might see moose grazing near the tracks or eagles overhead. The Denali Star train runs between Anchorage and Fairbanks, with stops that include Talkeetna and Denali National Park, so you can get off to explore the park, hike or fish.

If you hop off at Denali, this small-group walking tour with a naturalist guide is an easy way to get out on the trails, with hotel pickup included: Denali National Park Walking Tour

If you’d like to take in Alaska at a relaxed pace, rail is one of the best ways to see the Interior. I can pair it with a small ship or a cruise; ask me about rail and lodge trips with the partners on my Expeditions page.

Hiking Alaska’s trails

If you love being outdoors, hiking may be your favorite way to see Alaska. There are trails for every level, from short walks to multi-day treks. Denali National Park puts you near North America’s tallest peak, and Chugach State Park has rugged mountain trails right outside Anchorage.

On foot, you experience Alaska’s wilderness up close: wildflowers, maybe a moose or a bear at a distance, and views few people get to see. In bear country, a local guide is worth having, just as the expedition guides set the rules on shore in Svalbard.

Close to Anchorage, this guided alpine trek follows one of Chugach State Park’s best ridgelines with a naturalist guide and a small group: Chugach State Park Guided Alpine Trek

Which way of seeing Alaska fits you?

Start with the kind of trip you want:

• Remote coastal towns and wildlife up close: a small expedition ship or a floatplane.
• A slower pace with big mountain views: the train, from Skagway’s White Pass route to the Alaska Railroad.
• Hiking and time on foot: Alaska’s trails and parks.

Each one shows you a different side of Alaska. You don’t have to cruise to experience its magic, but if you do, I’d look at smaller ships built for exploring. Or combine train travel, hiking and short flights into a trip that’s all your own.

Still deciding between Alaska and somewhere farther north or south? Read Antarctica, the Arctic or Alaska: Which Polar Trip Fits You?

Let’s plan your Alaska trip

Tell me how you’d like to spend your days in Alaska, and I’ll help you compare small ships, rail and land options and put together a trip that fits your pace. Start planning with me