Ok so maybe we made it sound like a Game of Thrones trailer but the landscape here is as dramatic as the series. Alaska for most people conjures images of snow covered landscapes and while it is true that much of the state is covered in permafrost and has tundra like landscape, Alaska is also home to over 130 volcanoes! This means you not just see glaciers and ice but diverse flora and fauna thanks to mineral rich volcanic deposits.
This northernmost state of the USA probably sees maximum tourism in the summer month of August. But because Alaska is so remote and sparsely populated we recommend a trip in the summer month of August. This is when the tiny towns and villages gear up for the incoming tourists and the many cruise ships that visit the Alaskan ports. Also the weather is at its most pleasant.
Summer is also the best time to see bears and other wildlife thriving in Alaska. We highly recommend spending some time on Alaska’s mainland rather than just a cruise to Alaska. We offer many pre or post-cruise options that let you explore the Alaskan mainland.
Most tourists visit Anchorage, the capital or the ports of Whittier or Seward depending on where their cruise ship docks. We strongly recommend heading inland and seeing more. In Alaska, the experiences are more important than a specific town or place. But places like Mt. Denali National Park, Kenai Fjords National Park and the town of Fairbanks where you can see the midnight sun phenomena in August are a must. For those with an adventurous streak an deep pockets there are many offbeat experiences like exclusive fly-in fly -out ski retreats to wildlife lodges in the tundra where one can see polar bears in the wild.
Marine life is best seen around the coast either near the aforementioned port towns or further south at Glacier Bay National Park, which is closer to Canadian British Columbia.
August is one of the best months to visit Alaska as the weather has pretty much settled enough for the boat and land tours to be running comfortably and for various wildlife experiences. Temperatures are pleasant with highs around 16-18°C and lows around 10°C in places like Anchorage and Seward. Further inland in places like Fairbanks expects the temperature to fall by another 2°C.
Chances of rain increase in August compared to May but with the shift in weather patterns, they tend to come towards the end of August. August also lets you enjoy some fall foliage in places like Denali and the Alaska state fair also takes place in late August. Most of the summer mosquitoes also disappear by August.
