Alaska wildlife travel guide
It’s not simply that Alaska is packed with amazing wildlife, including its own version of the ‘Big Five’. It’s that America’s largest, northernmost state is also exceptional for viewing that wildlife. The bears, moose and caribou here are nowhere near as wary of humans as they are in the parks further south, and are unperturbed by you standing transfixed just a short distance away.
You have to take your time here, Alaska isn’t a zoo. Sure it can be frustrating if you don’t get the sightings you’re hoping for but when you do, it’s immensely gratifying.![]()
Small group tours ensure wildlife encounters are rewarding and safe, and encourage conservation of fragile habitats that are often threatened by industries hungry to plunder precious natural resources. Through a wide range of experiences, from small ship whale-watching cruises to backcountry hiking, kayaking and glacier climbing, tour operators share their unmistakable passion for Alaska and its wildlife.
Learn more in our Alaska wildlife travel guide.
Alaska wildlife vacations are…
a taste of wilderness packed with animal encounters, brought to you by expert guides whose passion for their work is obvious.
Alaska wildlife vacations are not…
really something to embark on alone. Traveling in a small group of like-minded adventurers is easier, safer, cheaper and fantastic fun.
Our Alaska wildlife Vacations
Denali National Park vacation in Alaska
Experience untouched wilderness off the beaten path
From
US $2340 to US $2440
12 days
ex flights
Alaska Glacier Bay small ship cruise
Get close up to Alaska where the big ships can't go
From
£3999
8 days
ex flights
Alaska adventure vacation, salmon run
Active small group adventures in a retrofitted school bus
From
US $3990 to US $4090
20 days
ex flights
Kenai Peninsula adventure vacation in Alaska
Orcas, Humpbacks and Glaciers: Experience Alaska's coastline
From
US $2240 to US $2340
9 days
ex flights
Alaska adventure vacation
Go deep into the wild on this active Alaskan adventure.
From
US $1995 to US $2100
9 days
ex flights
Inner Reaches Western Coves cruise in Alaska
Some of southern Alaska's iconic destinations by small ship
From
£3461 to £4000
8 days
ex flights
Brown bear photography vacation in Alaska
Photograph Alaskan brown bears in exclusive photo tour
From
US $6000
6 days
ex flights
Southeast Alaska cruise
Spectacular scenery and amazing wildlife in remote Alaska
From
£4265 to £6149
8 days
ex flights
Inside Passage, Seattle to Juneau cruise, Alaska
The classic Inside Passage cruise from Seattle to Juneau
From
£4600 to £9700
13 days
ex flights
Inner Reaches Eastern Coves cruise in Alaska
Awe-inspiring glaciers, wildlife, and rainforests in Alaska
From
£3689 to £4015
8 days
ex flights
Yunnan small group vacation, China
An ultimate Alaskan adventure with wildlife and wilderness
From
US $5579 to US $5749
14 days
ex flights
Alaska's Islands cruise, whales & glaciers
Wild Alaska on one of the world's smallest cruise ships
From
£2845
6 days
ex flights
Alaska classic tour, glaciers and grizzly bears
See huge bears & drive/kayak/cruise/fly thru South Alaska.
From
US $6395 to US $7394
9 days
ex flights
Kodiak bear tracking tour in Alaska
Alaskan adventure looking for the large grizzlies
From
£7295
8 days
ex flights
Alaska Glacier Bay and wildlife cruise
Glaciers, Humpbacks, grizzlies and mountains - Get up close
From
£2999 to £3999
8 days
ex flights
Outdoor Alaska vacation
A wildlife trip to awaken the senses
From
US $4520 to US $4670
15 days
ex flights
What do Alaska wildlife vacations involve?
As you can gather from the name, these trips involve seeing wildlife, and usually a lot of it. Alaska has most of America’s grizzly bears, along with healthy populations of black and polar bears. Its coastal waters teem with marine life: humpback and orca whales, seals and sea lions, porpoises and sea birds. America’s northernmost state has its own version of the ‘Big Five’ – bears, moose, caribou, Dall sheep and wolves. Wolves!
You can embark on a small ship cruise through the Inside Passage and Glacier Bay National Park that is practically guaranteed to result in myriad whale sightings. Or a specialist bear photography vacation that will take you to remote wilderness lodges in national parks such as Katmai and Lake Clark during the salmon-spawning season. Or you can join an overlanding trip between spectacular locations such as Denali National Park and Wrangell St Elias National Park. You’ll sleep under canvas, hike backcountry, kayak around icebergs and walk across glaciers, then share stories about wildlife sightings around the campfire in the evenings. Go at the start or end of Alaska’s short tourism season and you might even see the Northern Lights.
The vast majority of Alaska wildlife tours involve traveling as part of a small group. They’re sociable, fun and ensure you always have someone to head out on an activity with every day. And whether you’re overlanding or cruising, you are accompanied throughout by passionate guides and tour leaders there to help you have safe and immensely rewarding encounters with the wildlife here.
Responsible tourism
Alaska’s whaling industry died out decades ago, but the wildlife here still faces threats, as it does across most American national parks. One of the most pressing is development of oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, in northeast Alaska, which potentially puts at risk a major calving ground for caribou. Wildlife tourism in Alaska demonstrates the value of protecting the habitats that these animals depend on. Wildlife tourism with responsible operators, meanwhile, ensures that remote communities also benefit financially, such as through supplying accommodation, food or activities, encouraging them to conserve bears, whales and wolves rather than seeing them as a threat.Our top Alaska wildlife Vacation
Denali National Park vacation in Alaska
Experience untouched wilderness off the beaten path
From
US $2340 to US $2440
12 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2021: 13 Jun, 4 Jul, 25 Jul, 15 Aug
2022: 12 Jun, 3 Jul, 24 Jul, 14 Aug, 27 Aug
2021: 13 Jun, 4 Jul, 25 Jul, 15 Aug
2022: 12 Jun, 3 Jul, 24 Jul, 14 Aug, 27 Aug
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Alaska wildlife or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
Do go on an Alaska wildlife vacation if…
Don’t go on an Alaska wildlife vacation if…
More about Alaska wildlife
Want to see grizzly bears fishing for salmon? Or great pods of humpback and orca whales off the coastSee grizzlies fishing for salmon, or great pods of humpback whales off the coast.?
Our Alaska wildlife map and highlights explore some of North America’s most spectacular parks.
Learn the whys and hows of small group wildlife vacations in Alaska.
Bear watching in Alaska can be easy, given their sheer numbers and tolerance of humans.
Whale watching in Alaska is best around Glacier Bay National Park and the Inside Passage.
Wilderness vacations in Alaska take you a little bit out of your comfort zone.
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