It can be said that Alaska feeds all of the senses. Where else can you face the exhilaration of paddle boarding among the glaciers? Feel the wind and ice on your face as you dog sled down a mountain? Feast your eyes on bears snapping in the river at salmon under the blues of a seemingly endless sky? Or sample a mouthwatering reindeer hot dog for the first time?
Known as America’s Last Frontier, visiting Alaska reveals a land of vast contrasts - where infinite landscapes and endless blue skies meet dense rainforests, epic-sized glaciers, undulating mountains, and a vast wilderness teeming with some of the most magnificent wildlife ever seen.
The best time for visiting Alaska is during the summer months, from mid-June to mid-September, when the landscape is at its most breathtaking, the weather is at its warmest, and nature comes alive in spectacular fashion. This season is ideal for cruising, hiking, and wildlife spotting, offering travelers the most immersive experience of Alaska’s untamed beauty.
During this time, Alaska enjoys extended daylight hours, with June and July boasting up to 20 hours of sunlight - giving you ample time to explore majestic glaciers, towering mountains, and vibrant coastal towns. Temperatures are comfortably mild, ranging from the mid-50s to low 70s Fahrenheit, perfect for outdoor adventures. Perhaps most enticing is the unparalleled opportunity for wildlife viewing, as summer is the prime season to witness Alaska’s incredible creatures, from massive brown bears fishing for salmon to majestic moose roaming the forests and whales breaching in the icy waters.
For those seeking an extraordinary journey through the Last Frontier, summer is the perfect time to set sail with Regent Seven Seas Cruises and experience Alaska’s rugged grandeur in ultra-luxury.
Here are five reasons Alaska should be on your bucket list and if you have visited this wonderland, another reason why you need to experience it again. Whether you're planning your first adventure or seeking where to visit in Alaska next, this breathtaking destination never ceases to amaze you.
Nothing tugs at the heartstrings more like the sight of a mother Kodiak Brown Bear and her cub, a bald eagle in flight, or a massive moose taking a stroll across a highway. It's been noted that 98% of the bear population lives in Alaska (that translates into 100,000), chasing food in salmon-filled streams, slumbering in the forests, and showing up when one least expects it. Black bears and polar bears are also in abundance depending on the geography.
Moose are said to be the most prevalent creatures in Alaska, and like deer, making brazen appearances in the more urban cities like Anchorage or waiting for an Instagram moment in Kincaid Park. The sighting of a humpback whale is a true "wow" moment and if lucky, you might catch an orca or two on a boat tour of Kenai Fjords National Park. Caribou (900,000 and counting), wolves, sea otters, walrus, bison, mountain goats, and Dall sheep are just a few of the animals who call Alaska home.
Simply put, the adjectives vast, massive, and unspoiled used to describe the nation's largest wilderness do not do Alaska justice. Serving as a scenic backdrop for wildlife, migratory birds, rivers, and human activities, Alaska is twice the size of Texas with almost 80 percent of the land untouched and be warned, untamed. Denali National Park is the nation's third-largest and one of the best places to take in the grandeur via rafting, canoeing, a flightseeing tour, hiking, bicycling, or by four wheels. Attention is paramount as any number of four-legged residents could cross your path.
Alaska is synonymous with majestic mountain peaks (the aforementioned Denali/Mt. McKinley being the highest in the U.S.) and home to 17 of the largest 20. This translates into not-for-the-faint-of-heart activities such as mountain climbing, hiking, or viewing through the window of a helicopter, tram, or on the deck of Seven Seas Explorer®. In terms of experiences, nothing can top the exhilaration of that first scenic glimpse and breathing in the mountain air after climbing up a trail.
A sight unseen by even the most seasoned travelers is the most classic of the Alaskan experience known as glaciers. Photo opportunities await as the state's 100,000 glaciers can be appreciated by ice climbing, hiking, rafting, or kayaking. If you'd like to see glaciers in one place, Glacier Bay National Park and Reserve houses some fifty wonders of nature on the part of a 25-million-acre World Heritage Site. Keep your ears tuned for the growling of the seals and the calling of the humpback whales.
Alaska is a true adventurer's paradise with activities unlike anywhere else in the world. See the wilderness through the eyes of a team of huskies and learn what the lure of dog sledding is all about. The Alaskan tradition is celebrated in the Iditarod Sled Dog Race every March where champion dogs race from Anchorage to Nome.
Kayaking is also a popular water sport and when you add the backdrop of an iceberg or glacier, it takes the experience to new heights. Salmon fishing, panning for gold, zip lining, and sailing through the Inside Passage, the longest fjord in North America, are just a few of the endless – and epic – experiences that can be found in Alaska.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises® has consistently delivered unmatched luxury cruises with the very best value for over thirty years. Aboard The World’s Most Luxurious Fleet®, enjoy unrivaled onboard space, unforgettable shoreside excursions, incomparable culinary experiences, and exceptional personalized service. Alaska’s majestic beauty awaits — book your perfect luxury cruise with Regent today.
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