If you’re thinking about heading to Alaska, I need to warn you about something right from the start. It’s such an endlessly vast and breathtaking corner of the world that it will completely captivate you — but at the same time, your wallet is in for a serious shock 😅. Lukáš and I dreamed about Alaska flights and this trip for ages, and the logistics alone always felt overwhelming. After all, this isn’t exactly a destination where you’d book a flight on Friday evening and hop on a plane with a small backpack on Saturday morning.
Turquoise lakes, majestic mountains reaching into the sky, bears catching salmon in wild rivers, and glaciers that will literally leave you gasping in disbelief — it’s all waiting for you here. But to see this beauty with your own eyes, you first need to actually get there. So I’ve broken the whole thing down piece by piece — from flights and ESTA to car hire and what to do when a grizzly pops out of the bushes in front of you. So you don’t forget a thing 😉 You’ll see that when you prepare in advance, it’s actually a lot of fun! ☺️
TL;DR
Here are the absolute essentials you need to know for your trip, so you’ve got the most important basics all in one place.
If you tick off these points, you’re already halfway there — the rest will sort itself out on the ground.
- Entry to the USA: You don’t need a full visa — just apply online for an ESTA electronic travel authorisation for 21 USD.
- Flights: There are no direct flights from London to Anchorage. The quickest option for 2026 is a direct flight from Frankfurt with Condor (just under 10 hours), or connecting via Seattle or other US hubs.
- Car hire: Book your car or motorhome six to nine months in advance. Most major rental companies strictly prohibit driving on gravel roads.
- Money and tips: The currency is the US dollar (USD) and cards are accepted almost everywhere. Alaska has no state sales tax. Tipping in restaurants is 18–22%.
- Internet: Standard UK roaming won’t work well here. Your best bet is to set up an eSIM beforehand (Airalo or Holafly) — but expect zero signal once you’re deep in the wilderness.
- Bear spray: An absolute must-have, but you cannot take it on any flight (not even in checked luggage) — you have to buy it once you arrive.
When to Go and How to Get to Alaska
The logistics intimidated Lukáš and me at first too, so let’s jump straight into what to sort out first — ideally while you’re still in your pyjamas with a cup of tea at home.
1. Bureaucracy and ESTA: forget about a full visa
American bureaucracy can be unforgiving at times, and mistakes aren’t easily pardoned — but for regular tourism, the process is fortunately quite straightforward. If you’re flying to Alaska for less than 90 days, you don’t need to deal with a complicated visa application at the embassy. The electronic ESTA registration is all you need.
The foundation is a biometric passport valid for at least six months beyond your planned return date. Always complete the registration through the official government portal only. It costs exactly 21 USD (around £17) and you pay online by card. I’m deliberately stressing this because there are plenty of scam intermediary websites lurking on the internet that will try to charge you double or triple.
Officially, the authorities say approval can take up to 72 hours, but our experience is that the system usually gives the green light within a few minutes. An approved ESTA is then valid for a full two years (or until your passport expires), so you can use it for multiple trips to the States.
2. Alaska flights: no direct route from London
Geography is geography, and there’s simply no direct flight from London to Anchorage. Your destination will be Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), an absolute giant and incidentally one of the busiest cargo airports in the entire world. The journey typically involves one or two connections, and you’ll spend anywhere from 16 to 22 hours in the air and at terminals.
For the 2026 summer season, one of the quickest options is with Condor, which flies direct from Frankfurt to Anchorage — the flight on a modern Airbus A330-900neo takes just under 10 hours. A return ticket from Frankfurt to Anchorage typically costs between 600 and 800 USD (roughly £480–£640). You can easily reach Frankfurt via a budget airline or Eurostar and onward train. Alternatively, flying from London Heathrow with connections via Seattle or Minneapolis on airlines like British Airways, Delta, or United is very common — expect to pay around £700 to £1,400 return depending on how far in advance you book. The golden rule: the earlier you buy, the cheaper you fly!
3. When is the best time to go
Honestly, I’d steer well clear of any winter experiments unless you’re specifically after the Northern Lights in minus-forty temperatures. The main tourist season in Alaska essentially runs only from late May to early September — that’s your window. We prefer the period from mid-June to the end of August.
During these months, you’ve got the best chance of decent weather, all roads into the national parks are open, and the wildlife is at its most active. On the flip side, this is also when Anchorage fills up with crowds, accommodation prices skyrocket, and the highways are lined with convoys of motorhomes. Even with the crowds, though, it’s absolutely worth it.
Where to Stay in Anchorage and How Much It Costs
Anchorage isn’t actually the state capital (that’s surprisingly Juneau), but in practice it’s the hub where everything revolves. You set off from here, and you come back here. Nearly 300,000 people live here, which makes up almost forty percent of Alaska’s entire population. This is most likely where you’ll launch all your excursions from, so you’ll spend at least the first and last nights of your itinerary here. Fair warning: accommodation cost us more than we expected, and we’d come prepared for high prices.
Let me be completely honest — pricing in Alaska is subject to insane seasonality. A cosy little room that would go for a hundred dollars in February can climb to 350 to 500 USD (£280–£400) for a single night in July. Forget budget travel here. If you’re after luxury, the iconic Hotel Captain Cook offers city-wide views with prices starting around 450 USD. We prefer the happy medium right in the city centre, where you can choose from hotels in the 250 to 350 USD range (roughly £200–£280).
If you’ve got a very early morning departure or you’re arriving exhausted late at night, it makes great sense to stay right near the airport or by the floatplane base at Lake Hood. Prices are slightly friendlier there — expect around 200 to 250 USD per night. Many people also solve the first night by picking up their rented motorhome straight after arrival and sleeping at a campsite just outside the city, which saves the budget significantly.
Car Hire and Getting Around Alaska: What to Watch Out For
Independent travel in Alaska stands or falls with a rental car. Public transport might just about work for getting around Anchorage itself, but you simply can’t reach the wilderness without your own set of wheels. On top of that, rental company fleets are severely limited due to the short season.
4. Book the car before the flight
This might sound like an exaggeration, but trust me — it’s not. Having flights to Alaska is all well and good, but discovering there isn’t a single car left to hire at the entire airport is enough to make you cry. Booking six to nine months ahead is an absolute necessity here. A standard compact SUV like a Toyota RAV4 will cost you roughly 150 to 300 USD per day (£120–£240) during peak season in July and August. Lukáš and I have had consistently great experiences with RentalCars, which we use all over the world.
We booked our car back in January and even then we were grabbing one of the last vehicles in our category. Make sure you get unlimited mileage, because distances rack up in the blink of an eye out here. And a top tip: check whether the rental company offers free cancellation. It gave us huge peace of mind when we later tweaked our plans.
5. The gravel road trap
I always flag this to practically everyone I know. The contracts at those big, well-known international rental chains absolutely and strictly prohibit driving on unpaved gravel roads. If you break this rule and something happens to the car, they’ll instantly void your entire insurance without any discussion, and you’ll be paying for the damage out of your own pocket.
Typically off-limits are legendary routes like the Dalton Highway, Denali Highway, and McCarthy Road. If you’re planning to visit these areas, you’ll need to seek out local specialists who rent specially modified vehicles with two spare tyres. Be prepared to dig deeper into your pocket, though — local operators charge 30 to 50% more than standard rentals. We ultimately stuck to the permitted roads and even then it was occasionally an off-road experience we still smile about today.
6. Motorhome: freedom on four wheels
Renting a motorhome (you’ll also see them called campervans) is hugely popular, and we completely get why. It kills two birds with one stone — you sort out transport and a bed in one go. The undisputed king of the local market is Great Alaskan Holidays, based just a short distance from the airport.
A smaller model costs roughly 250 USD per night during the summer season for a week’s rental. The advantage is that they hand over the vehicle fully kitted out with bedding and cooking gear, so you can head straight to the shops for food and hit the road. Campsites do fill up quickly though, so if you opt for this route, don’t forget to reserve your pitches well in advance — ideally by spring — otherwise you’ll be scrambling to find a spot for the night.
7. What Alaskan highways actually look like
Don’t picture a highway here as anything like the M1. Alaska’s road network is extremely sparse, and the vast majority of this enormous state has no road access at all. Overland logistics essentially rely on just a handful of main routes.
The paved Glenn Highway takes you to the stunning Matanuska Glacier. The backbone Parks Highway connects Anchorage and Fairbanks and is the only access point to the famous Denali National Park. And my personal favourite is probably the Seward Highway, which hugs the coastline. It can get terribly windy along there, but that feeling when you spot white beluga whales from the car window is absolutely priceless. Just watch out for massive potholes left over from winter — Lukáš nearly lost a wheel on one.
8. Winter rules in the shoulder months
If you do decide to venture outside the main season — meaning October through to the end of April — some pretty tough winter rules apply. Cars must be equipped with studded winter tyres and all-wheel drive (AWD/4WD) is an absolute necessity, not a nice-to-have.
The weather here can change from one minute to the next, and getting stranded in a blizzard fifty kilometres from the nearest civilisation is not an experience you want. On top of that, many petrol stations close over winter, so you need to constantly watch the fuel gauge and fill up at every opportunity. We’ve heard more than a few stories about tourists who had to sleep in their car until a snowplough rescued them in the morning.
Money, Internet and Safety in Alaska
Right, flights and car sorted — but that’s only the beginning. The American way of life throws up a few things that nobody warned us about beforehand, so let me put that right.
9. Currency, tipping and the (non)existence of taxes
The currency is, of course, the US dollar, and from my experience Alaska is extremely card-friendly. Visa and Mastercard — including contactless and Apple Pay — are accepted almost everywhere, even at a remote petrol station in the middle of nowhere. That said, I’d still recommend carrying a small amount of cash, around one to two hundred dollars, for smaller purchases or camps where there’s no signal.
What might catch you off guard is the tipping culture. Tips follow the pretty firm American standard, and service staff rely on them as their primary source of income. In restaurants, it’s customary to leave 18 to 22% of the pre-tax bill. Leave housekeeping two to five dollars per night on the bedside table, and glacier tour guides generally expect around ten percent of the excursion price. One nice perk of Alaska, though, is that it’s one of only five US states with no state sales tax! Electronics or quality outdoor jackets can sometimes be bought here more cheaply than in the rest of the States, although some smaller towns do add their own local tax.
10. Mobile data and why your UK provider won’t save you
If you’re counting on your standard UK roaming, think again — the bill would be eye-watering. The infrastructure here is quite specific, and even the American giant T-Mobile operates purely on roaming in Alaska. The absolute best coverage comes from the local operator GCI.
Lukáš and I solve this with an eSIM, which we download to our phones before we even leave home — no stressful scrambling at airport kiosks. We highly recommend Holafly, which offers unlimited data for a week for just under 30 dollars. Airalo is another solid alternative. But bear in mind that the moment you leave the main highways and venture deeper into the national parks, signal simply vanishes. Download offline maps of the entire state to your phone — consider this an absolute survival essential.
11. Bear spray: how to survive an encounter with a bear
Alaska is home to a huge number of brown bears (the famous grizzlies) as well as smaller black bears. Carrying bear spray on your belt during hikes is an absolute non-negotiable standard here — you really shouldn’t set foot in the wilderness without it. It works on the basis of highly concentrated capsaicin, sprays up to about seven to ten metres, and you can buy it in Anchorage at outdoor gear shops for around 50 dollars.
⚠️ Now for the most important rule: bear spray is banned from all commercial flights according to strict aviation security regulations!
You can’t take it in your hand luggage or in your checked bags. There’s a risk of explosion under pressure, so security will simply confiscate it. The only option is to buy it after you land in Anchorage and hand it in to a ranger station or hotel reception before your return flight. Trying to smuggle it through is genuinely not worth the risk.
12. Travel insurance (a broken leg that costs as much as a mortgage)
Heading to America without comprehensive travel insurance is, in my opinion, pure gambling with personal bankruptcy. The American healthcare system is notorious for its astronomical prices — even a straightforward treatment and cast for a broken leg can cost between 15,000 and 30,000 USD.
Alaska adds the problem of extreme distances. An injury somewhere deep in the mountains of a national park will inevitably require a rescue helicopter. An air evacuation like that can easily swallow a hundred thousand dollars (over £80,000). I’d recommend setting your minimum medical cover at no less than £200,000, ideally more. If you’re planning any higher-altitude treks into the mountains, carefully check that your insurer covers mountain hiking above 3,000 metres.
13. Power sockets, time difference and drinking water
Let’s quickly run through a few small details that people often forget before the trip. The time difference from the UK is significant — Alaska is nine hours behind (GMT-9), so for the first few days you’ll probably be seriously jet-lagged, waking up at four in the morning feeling like it’s lunchtime. The mains voltage is the American 120V with two flat-pin sockets. A basic passive travel adapter for a couple of pounds will do the job perfectly.
As for water, tap water in Anchorage is completely safe to drink — it comes from a glacial lake. Once you head into the wilderness, however, all water from rivers and mountain streams must be properly filtered. Even crystal-clear water flowing straight from a melting glacier can contain nasty parasites that’ll land you with days of stomach cramps — and that’s really not how you want to spend your holiday 😁.
Anchorage: 3 Places to Visit During Acclimatisation
The city sprawls across an enormous area and, honestly, the architecture probably won’t blow you away at first glance. In 1964, the second most powerful earthquake ever recorded hit here with a magnitude of 9.2, destroying much of the original neighbourhoods. Even so, there are some brilliant spots that will help you soak up the atmosphere before heading out into the wild.
14. Tony Knowles Coastal Trail and views of Denali
This nearly eighteen-kilometre paved trail is the city’s pride and joy, reserved exclusively for pedestrians and cyclists. It starts right by the train station in the centre, and if you hire a bike you can comfortably ride all the way to the vast Kincaid Park.
Our favourite spot is the Point Woronzof viewpoint, where on a clear day you can see the snow-capped Mount Denali over 200 kilometres away — and with a bit of luck, you’ll spot white beluga whales swimming near the shore. We always pack a little snack and just sit there gazing at the water. After that long flight, it’s the perfect reset for both mind and body.
15. Culture at the Anchorage Museum
If the weather isn’t cooperating, go and get a dose of culture. The Anchorage Museum covers an impressive 10,000 square metres and admission for an adult costs around twenty-five dollars.
Inside you’ll find over six hundred incredible artefacts from Alaska’s indigenous peoples. What impressed us the most were the war helmets of the native tribes — honestly, I didn’t expect to be standing in front of a display case with my jaw on the floor. It’s a wonderful way to understand the complex history of the north before you drive out to smaller indigenous villages in the countryside. Take your time exploring — it’s worth every penny.
16. Hiking Flattop Mountain
Alaskans love the outdoors, and their favourite weekend activity is hiking Flattop Mountain. It’s hands-down the most climbed mountain in all of Alaska. The trailhead is roughly a twenty-minute drive from the city centre. The trail itself is just over two kilometres, but it’s a proper steep climb with 410 metres of elevation gain.
Just below the summit, the hike even involves a bit of easy scrambling over rocks, so sturdy boots are an absolute must. Your reward, though, is an incredible panoramic view of all of Anchorage, the vast ocean, and the surrounding mountain peaks. Breathe in that crisp northern air to the fullest, because moments like these are exactly why we flew to Alaska!
Where to Eat in Anchorage (From Pizza to Reindeer)
Food in Alaska can be fantastic — the portions are proper American-sized (meaning enormous) and the fish is fresher than anywhere else, of course. There’s nothing better after a full day of trekking than ducking into a warm pub and ordering something gloriously unhealthy, right? 😅
An absolute and undisputed institution is a place called Moose’s Tooth Pub & Pizzeria. It’s actually one of the highest-grossing independent pizzerias in the entire USA! They bake incredible giant pizzas and brew their own beer in a small on-site brewery. Fair warning though — they don’t take reservations, and dining here in peak season can mean queuing outside for a good hour and a half. I’d recommend trying their “Large Avalanche” with chicken and bacon — it’s absolute heaven.
For a fantastic brunch so filling you won’t need lunch, head straight to Snow City Cafe in the centre. Their Eggs Benedict with crab meat is legendary. And if you fancy something uniquely Alaskan at a more reasonable price, stop by one of the street stalls on 4th Avenue. They sell the iconic Reindeer Sausage hot dogs piled high with caramelised onions. It’ll set you back around 10 dollars and tastes simply brilliant!
Tips and Tricks: How to Save Money
Let’s wrap up with our tried-and-tested tips that we use on every trip, not just to the States, to avoid throwing money down the drain.
Where to find flights
Search for affordable Alaska flights on Kiwi — it’s our favourite comparison site, and we love using it to piece together even complex multi-stop itineraries.
It pays to set up a price alert up to nine months in advance. We saved a bundle this way — as soon as we got pinged about a great deal via Frankfurt, we didn’t hesitate for a second.
Car hire in the USA
We regularly use the comparison site RentalCars.com. Remember that in Alaska you need to book at least six months ahead.
I covered more on this topic in tip #4 above. We always rely on this site for its clear insurance terms, so there’s no unpleasant haggling at the counter after a long flight. It’s also great having all your vouchers in one app.
Booking accommodation
Booking.com is our go-to hotel search engine. In Anchorage, it’s worth booking hotels with free cancellation and checking back occasionally to see if the price has dropped by a few dozen dollars.
It’s happened to Lukáš and me several times that a better deal for the same property appeared a few weeks before departure. At that point, it’s just a few clicks to cancel the original reservation and rebook the cheaper one — which saved us enough for a lovely dinner out.
Don’t forget travel insurance
As I mentioned above — do not fly to the States without insurance.
For shorter trips we use World Nomads, which sometimes offers excellent promotional rates, and for longer trips True Traveller has great coverage including mountain hiking. Before you travel, carefully read through the exclusions so you know exactly what altitude you’re covered up to. A few minutes spent reading the policy terms will save you a lot of sleepless nights once you’re up in the mountains.
Further Reading
If Alaska has caught your imagination and you want to start planning specific places and routes, be sure to check out our other articles from this region. We’ve written up everything from detailed cost breakdowns to complete itineraries:
- Alaska Itinerary: What to See in 7, 14 or 21 Days
- Alaska Budget: How Much Does a Wilderness Holiday Cost?
- What to See and Do in Anchorage (Detailed City Guide)
- Weather & Season: When Is the Best Time to Visit Alaska?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
When you write to me with questions about our dream trip, the same practical things come up time and again. So I’ve decided to compile the most common ones into this quick Q&A section, saving you from having to hunt through the entire article.
1. Jak se dostat na Aljašku z Česka?
Neexistuje žádný přímý let z Prahy. Vždy musíte letět s minimálně jedním přestupem, typicky ve Frankfurtu nebo v jiném velkém evropském uzlu, odkud pokračujete buď přímo do Anchorage, nebo přes města v USA a Kanadě. Cesta je to docela dlouhá a náročná, proto si nezapomeňte vzít do letadla něco na čtení a pohodlné oblečení. Čím dříve letenku začnete řešit, tím lepší a rychlejší spojení se vám podaří ulovit.
2. Jak dlouho trvá let na Aljašku?
Záleží na zvoleném letu a délce přestupů. Pokud využijete přímý let z německého Frankfurtu do Anchorage, zabere samotný let zhruba 10 hodin. Celkově se ale s přejezdem z Česka dostanete na 16 až 22 hodin cesty. My jsme si cestu vždycky snažili zpříjemnit dobrou knížkou, takže ten čas nakonec docela rychle utekl.
3. Kolik stojí průměrná letenka na Aljašku?
Ceny se hodně liší podle sezóny a doby nákupu. V hlavní letní sezóně počítejte u zpáteční letenky s částkou mezi 1500 až 3000 USD (zhruba 35 000 až 70 000 Kč). Akční letenky z Německa se dají pořídit i pod 20 000 Kč. Vyplatí se proto sledovat nejrůznější letenkové vyhledávače už od podzimu a neváhat, jakmile narazíte na rozumnou cenu.
4. Kdy je nejlepší doba na návštěvu?
Nejlepším obdobím pro návštěvu Aljašky jsou měsíce červen, červenec a srpen. Počasí je v těchto měsících nejstabilnější, všechny silnice a parky jsou otevřené a máte nejlepší podmínky pro pozorování medvědů a dalších zvířat. Pamatujte ale na to, že je to také nejvytíženější část roku. Všude proto narazíte na víc turistů a ceny ubytování jsou na svém absolutním maximu.
5. Potřebuji na cestu klasické americké vízum?
Pro běžné turistické cesty do 90 dnů klasické vízum nepotřebujete. Vystačíte si s elektronickou registrací ESTA, kterou si vyřídíte online na oficiálních vládních stránkách za 21 dolarů. Proces schválení většinou trvá jen pár minut, ale úřady doporučují vyřídit si vše alespoň 72 hodin před odletem. Ušetříte si tak spoustu zbytečných nervů a stresu na letišti.
6. Mohu si pronajmout jakékoli auto a jet s ním všude?
Bohužel ne. Klasické velké nadnárodní půjčovny na Aljašce mají ve smlouvách přísný zákaz jízdy po nezpevněných (štěrkových) cestách. Pokud se chcete vydat do hlubší divočiny po takovýchto silnicích, musíte si auto pronajmout u lokálních specialistů, kde jsou ceny ale pochopitelně vyšší. Určitě to nezkoušejte riskovat s běžným autem, nestojí to za ten průšvih.
7. Je nutné mít u sebe sprej na medvědy?
Ano, bear spray je naprostá nutnost při každém opuštění městské zástavby. Medvědi jsou na Aljašce doma a setkání s nimi nemusí být vůbec vzácné. Pamatujte ale, že z bezpečnostních důvodů si ho nesmíte vzít do letadla. Musíte si ho zakoupit až po příletu do Anchorage v místním obchodě a před cestou zpět se ho zase poctivě zbavit.
Tips and Tricks for Your Vacation
Don’t Overpay for Flights
Search for flights on Kayak. It’s our favorite search engine because it scans the websites of all airlines and always finds the cheapest connection.
Book Your Accommodation Smartly
The best experiences we’ve had when looking for accommodation (from Alaska to Morocco) are with Booking.com, where hotels, apartments, and entire houses are usually the cheapest and most widely available.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Good travel insurance will protect you against illness, accidents, theft, or flight cancellations. We’ve had a few hospital visits abroad, so we know how important it is to have proper insurance arranged.
Where we insure ourselves: SafetyWing (best for everyone) and TrueTraveller (for extra-long trips).
Why don’t we recommend any Czech insurance company? Because they have too many restrictions. They set limits on the number of days abroad, travel insurance via a credit card often requires you to pay medical expenses only with that card, and they frequently limit the number of returns to the Czech Republic.
Find the Best Experiences
Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can book guided walks, trips, skip-the-line tickets, tours, and much more. We always find some extra fun there!
