Alaska is home to beautiful views, including the famous Northern Lights and breathtaking whale sightings off the Pacific. Of course, you don’t want to plan your next trip just to miss these one-of-a-kind experiences, so you may be wondering when the best time to visit Alaska is.
The best time to visit Alaska will depend on what you want to see during your visit:
| Attraction | Best Time to Visit |
|---|---|
| Northern Lights | March or September |
| Whale Watching | June |
In addition, a free viewing of the changing Alaska landscape will be prime in September or October as the leaves start to change colors.
Below, we will cover the best times to visit Alaska to participate in popular tourist activities and catch the beautiful views, as well as the costs associated with a trip here.
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Visiting Beautiful Alaska
Alaska has one of the United States’ most gorgeous landscapes. It’s teeming with wildlife on land and sea, which attracts thousands of tourists every year.
The natural beauty, wildlife, and fun activities are all things that make Alaska one of the best places to visit on vacation. You won’t experience this natural wonder anywhere else in the United States.
When is the Best Time to Visit Alaska to See Whales?
If you are visiting Alaska to see the whales, there are tours that will take you out on a boat to see the magnificent creatures up close and personal. Other coastal states may have something similar, but nothing compares to the Alaskan tours.
The best time to visit Alaska to see whales depends on the type of whale you’d like to see:
- Humpback – June and July will be the best chance to see these magnificent creatures. The pod sizes are 500 and up!
- Orcas – May to June is the optimal time for Orcas, but they can be spotted in the fall months as well.
- Beluga – Spring through fall is optimal to see these cute whales. However, they can still be seen year-round if you are lucky!
- Blue – July and August are the best times to spot Blue whales, but you will most likely need to charter a boat because they hang out further at sea.
- Gray – April and May will give you the best chances of seeing Gray whales as they migrate to the North.
As you can see, you have good odds of seeing whales in any month if you aren’t particular about the species. Some you’ll even be able to catch while visiting in the off-season for tourism, where the flights will be affordable.
There are some other species of whales and even dolphins that can be spotted between June and September, so you might get lucky and have the experience of a lifetime by seeing more than one type of whale!
What Month is Best to See the Northern Lights in Alaska?
The Aurora Borealis—AKA the Northern Lights—in Alaska are around all year. However, during some months, it’s nearly impossible because of the day/night cycle. If there is too much light at night, you’ll miss out on this wonder.
The best time frame to see the Northern Lights in Alaska will be between September and April. March and September will be the peak months for this sightseeing adventure because of how the magnetic field aligns with the solar wind. March is even better because you are more likely to get clearer skies at night.
You can find tours online that will tell you their recommended months for witnessing the lights for the specific area you are traveling to. Asking locals once you arrive when the best time of night to see the lights is also a very good option if you aren’t familiar with Alaska’s day and night cycles.
One of the biggest draws to the state is the Northern Lights, so if you are planning a trip to Alaska, you won’t want to miss out on this beautiful, natural phenomenon.
Is Visiting Alaska Expensive?
Visiting Alaska can be quite expensive outside of airfare costs, though the costs for some activities are fairly reasonable.
Cost of Goods
Because many things in Alaska have to be imported, you will find the prices on everyday items higher than what you might be used to, so keep that in mind as you search for products to take back to your lodgings or souvenirs to bring home.
Anchorage will see about the same cost in goods as large cities in other states, but if you are traveling closer to interior Alaska or even a smaller village, you may find that the cost for food is much more expensive.
With that said, if you plan to eat out instead of cooking in an Airbnb or hotel with kitchens in Alaska, make sure to allocate a few hundred dollars for a few days. The longer you plan to stay, the more money you should set aside.
Generally, it would be wise to set $100 per day aside for eating out at local restaurants. The major cities will all be roughly the same; however, the more remote you go, the more expensive eating out will get.
Cost of Lodgings
The average hotel room will cost roughly $275 per night, and economy hotels will go for roughly $175 per night.
This is a really good website that has a helpful tool for a full budget for the trip, estimating that a 7-day vacation will cost on average $3000, but depending on the length of stay and what you plan to do, it can cost a lot more or a little bit less. Remember, these are only estimates!
Cost of Activities
If you are interested in seeing the Northern Lights but aren’t sure of the best places to go to see them, we recommend signing up for a tour. Some tours will be from the comfort of a hot spring, or you can even take a train ride to see the Aurora Borealis light up the night sky. Tours for this go for as little as $115, and some even last over a week.
However, if you want to save that money and see the lights on your own, we recommend visiting Fairbanks. You can see the lights for free without a guide, and you don’t have to go very far out of the city. The town is closer to the arctic circle, which means more hours of dark skies, and it has less light pollution than other cities. Fairbanks is also further inland, so you have a greater chance of clearer skies, especially in March.
When it comes to whale watching, you can charter a tour for as little as $89 per person! To save money on this, you can plan to go as a larger group where discounts are usually offered, or you can take one of the shorter trips.
Finally, if you’ve seen all the views and have some time left on your itinerary, enjoy a nice soak in one of Alaska’s natural hot springs! It’s a great low-cost activity, averaging at as little as $15 per day. If you want more bang for your buck, consider a tourist package deal; for $200, you can spend time relaxing in a hot spring and then take a sled dog tour to an ice museum!
What is the Cheapest Month to Fly to Alaska?
The cheapest month to fly to Alaska will be August. You can find roundtrip tickets for $480 for an economy flight.
It is recommended you book at least three weeks in advance to get lower prices. You can also book several months in advance; this will usually give you an even lower cost. Keep in mind that flight costs increase and decrease constantly. You should keep an eye out for any deals on flights.
If you want to fly on a budget, the peak seasons will be November, December, and January, so try to avoid these months if at all possible. This is also based on the fact that you would be flying into one of the three major airports in Alaska:
- Juneau International Airport
- Anchorage International Airport
- Fairbanks International Airport
Read More on cheapest way to travel to Alaska in our detail guide.
Charter Flights
It is possible to find flights to some smaller villages in Alaska, but you’ll have to first go through one of the major airports. Chartering a plane to these places will be costly; you’re looking at $500 and up per hour for a private charter. However, if you’d like to charter from set locations, the price comes down significantly, with a 2-hour flight costing about $500.
However, the upside to a charter flight is that many of them come with your own private view of Alaska’s beautiful landscape! Some charter flights come with a tour that takes you above Glacier Park or various mountains, glaciers, and the ocean. If you’re willing to spend $125 to $435 more for the tour, it’s certainly worth it.
Note: The planes often used for charter flights are usually small, so if that’s what you’d like to do, pack as light as possible, as there will be weight limits.
Private Flights
Private flights to these villages will also cost a lot more than commercial airlines. You will be looking at prices into the thousands per person.
However, flying in August when tourism is lower will give you significantly lower prices. Because August is the least expensive, you might be able to book a private charter for a few hundred per person by finding a pilot in person once you’ve arrived in Alaska.
Remember, when flying to these remote areas, there will most likely not be any commercial flights. So, the best thing to do is book a private flight in advance, to travel in the offseason.
Conclusion
Alaska may not be the least expensive place to go for a vacation, but it certainly is one of the most magnificent for seeing wildlife and natural wonders. Not only will you get to see things you can’t see in the continental United States, but you’ll also be filled with a sense of wonder and awe as you see the Aurora Borealis or catch sight of a massive humpback whale.
With everything we covered above, you should now have a good sense of when to plan your next Alaska trip as well as how much to save for various activities in the expansive terrain. It really will feel like a once-in-a-lifetime experience for you!