Summer is around the corner, and with it comes Alaska’s peak season. Last year, more than 2.7 million out-of-state visitors traveled in Alaska between May and September, according to the Alaska Travel Industry Association, and this year, there are even more options to share with clients looking to explore The Great Land.
After connecting with local tourism partners at the latest Alaska Media Roadshow, here are a few tours and trends to know.
Tours in Alaska to Know
Alaska Helicopter Tours (AHT) continues to grow with new options out of Seward. Most notable? The Helicopter and Glacier tour, which allows clients to drive sled dogs themselves (rather than just being spectators). Then, an option popular with anglers is AHT’s full-day heli-fishing excursion; it starts at Alaska Glacier Lodge (about 40 minutes from Anchorage) and is a great fit for competitive sportsmen.
“We drop in on lakes and streams for catch-and-release trophy fish that no one else can reach,” said Sage Dudick, communications manager for AHT.
UnCruise Adventures uses small ships to access hard-to-reach portions of Alaska's coastline.
Credit: 2025 Uncruise AdventuresMeanwhile, Native-owned Huna Totem Corporation, which operates Icy Strait Point cruise port, is offering whale watching on a new fleet of boats capable of handling 2,000 passengers per day. Its catalog of day tours also includes opportunities to “fly” on the world’s largest ZipRider, go bear watching, attend a cooking class, tour the Tlingit village of Hoonah and more. Additionally, clients might benefit from Huna’s new Whittier cruise terminal — it opened in September in collaboration with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (though it is open to all cruise lines) — as well as the newer single-ship cruise port at Klawock, on Prince of Wales Island.
In Alaska’s Mat-Su Valley, local operator Willow Creek Tours has float trips on the Susitna River. The excursions help clients experience the power of the massive glacial river that cuts through southcentral Alaska.
For more in-the-air options, connect with Temsco Helicopters Inc., which has bases in Juneau, Skagway and Denali. The operator is breathing new life into Skagway’s Denver Glacier dog sled experience, partnering with Alaska Icefield Expeditions. Clients will fly to Denver Glacier to interact with sled dog pups and their parents, and the trip includes an educational segment on dog-sledding history and how professional teams prepare for the state’s major dog sled races.
Adventures on Glaciers and Mountains
If clients are skiers, look into Alyeska Resort; its top-tier Black Diamond Club is upgrading its amenities for guests who want the very best, including personalized ski valet service, free breakfast and customized concierge service. The resort’s Mountain Sports School offers a variety of instruction and experiences, from mountain biking and glacier trekking to sky bridge adventures. Ski instructors are also offering a new package of customized private lessons for up to six skiers that includes freestyle skiing tips, navigating ungroomed backcountry terrain carving and more.
Local operators take travelers to Matanuska Glacier for day and overnight adventures.
Credit: 2025 Chansak Joe A./stock.adobe.comKnik Glacier, which is about 50 miles from Anchorage, is also growing in popularity. According to Casey Ressler, president of Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau, visitors are seeking fly-out helicopter tours that allow them to paddleboard on Knik’s remote and ultra-blue glacial pools. The aforementioned Alaska Helicopter Tours offers the experience. Also not far from Anchorage is Matanuska Glacier; thanks to Sheep Mountain Lodge’s partnership with Mica Guides and Alpenglow Luxury Camping, clients might choose from several new flightseeing adventures to the glacier. There’s even the option to overnight on the ice; clients will fall asleep in their glamping tent listening to the moody grumbling sounds of the glacier.
Alaska Lodge and Tourism Board News
In June, the lakeside Susitna Adventure Lodge (set about 260 miles northeast of Anchorage) is offering a new timber-framing workshop with expert builder Land Cole. Additional summer activity options here include a dog-mushing experience (clients can help keep the dogs in shape for their winter runs) and wilderness yoga experiences. Dog-mushing tours and even overnight expeditions are available in winter, as well.
The historic Gold Rush town of Nome, Alaska, is also enhancing its tourism infrastructure. According to the Nome Convention and Visitors Bureau, the destination aims to entice travelers in the coming years with locally run trekking and fishing tours, bird-watching expeditions, gold-panning excursions on Nome’s sandy beaches and historical tours.
And clients shouldn’t forget about Fairbanks, according to Jerry Evans, public relations manager for Explore Fairbanks. Evans calls the new Pioneer Air Museum a must-see attraction. Exhibits focus on the vintage aircraft that helped make Alaska’s interior more accessible. Kasey Gillam, communications director for Explore Fairbanks, reports that reindeer interactions are taking off in popularity, too. Check out local business Pleasant Acres Reindeer Ranch for any client who wants to get up close to the furry Alaskan residents — it’s an especially great activity for kids, Gillam says.
News From UnCruise
UnCruise Adventures, which specializes in small-ship expeditions, is known for exploring coastal areas inaccessible to larger ships, and the line is offering new adventures this year. On the 10-day Aleutian Island, Kodiak Island, Dutch Harbor exploration cruise, clients will see seals, whales, birds, unique geological formations (including volcanos), miles of coastal wilderness and bays full of migrating salmon. This may be the ideal pick for a client who’s on a repeat visit to Alaska.
