Distances in Alaska are big, so where you sleep shapes what you can do. Most first-time trips use a few well-placed bases and add one or two special stays, like a wilderness lodge, a public-use cabin, or a night at the end of a road.
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Best bases by region
- Anchorage: the main airport hub, with the widest range of hotels and easy day trips to Girdwood, Whittier, and Chugach State Park. Anchorage hotels.
- Girdwood: a ski-resort town 40 miles south, convenient for the Seward Highway and the Glacier Discovery train.
- Seward: base for Kenai Fjords cruises, Exit Glacier, and the Harding Icefield. Seward hotels.
- Homer: halibut fishing, Kachemak Bay, and bear-viewing flights to Lake Clark and Katmai.
- Talkeetna: a small historic town with Denali flightseeing and a stop on the Denali Star train. Talkeetna lodging.
- Denali park entrance, Healy, and Cantwell: stay at least two nights to allow for a long bus day. Denali-area lodging.
- Fairbanks: aurora headquarters in winter and the jumping-off point for the Arctic Circle. Fairbanks lodging. For food, Thai Fairbanks covers the town’s Thai restaurants.
- Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, and Skagway: Southeast towns reached by air or sea. Juneau hotels.
Types of stays
- Hotels and motels in the larger towns. Summer prices are high, and peak weeks sell out.
- Lodges and roadhouses: from historic highway roadhouses to remote fly-in wilderness lodges with guided fishing and bear viewing included.
- Bed & breakfasts and vacation rentals: common in Talkeetna, Homer, Seward, and Fairbanks.
- Public-use cabins: rustic cabins you can rent from the US Forest Service (book on Recreation.gov) and Alaska State Parks. Many are hike-in, paddle-in, or fly-in. You bring a sleeping bag and stove.
- Campgrounds and RV parks: see our RV and road trip guide.
Compare more options on Expedia’s Alaska hotels.
Getting around between bases
- Fly: Anchorage and Fairbanks have the main airports. Regional airlines and air taxis serve towns off the road system. Search flights on Expedia.
- Train: the Alaska Railroad links Seward, Anchorage, Denali, and Fairbanks in summer.
- Drive: rental cars and RVs. See road trips.
- Ferry: the state-run Alaska Marine Highway System connects Southeast towns, Prince William Sound, Kodiak, and the Aleutians, with service to and from Bellingham, Washington. Schedules are limited, so book early if you’re bringing a vehicle.
Booking tips
- For June to August trips, book lodging near Denali, Seward, and Talkeetna several months ahead.
- Check cancellation policies. Weather can scramble flights and cruise plans.
- In Fairbanks in winter, choose a place with a car plug-in, or one outside town with dark skies for aurora viewing.
- Summer nights are bright, so pack a sleep mask.