How many days do you need for an Alaska vacation?

The sweet spot for an Alaska vacation is seven to 10 days. If you're traveling on a land tour only, in seven days you can go all the way from Kenai Fjords National Park to Denali National Park with plenty of time for day-long guided excursions along the way. If you're interested in an Alaska cruise, a 10-day vacation could include seven days sailing, plus three days on a pre-cruise or post-cruise land package.

There is one thing to keep in mind: Alaska is big! That means that it takes time to travel between favorite destinations. To go from Anchorage to Denali, for example, it takes about four hours by car, six hours by motorcoach, and about eight by train.

You can use our Trip Finder tool to easily search for itinerary ideas based on the number of days you'd like to travel, plus must-see destinations and preferred transportation. The packages listed are fully customizable.

3 to 5 Days in Alaska

It's possible to see a lot in as few as three days in Alaska, especially if you live within a direct flight to Anchorage. On these shorter trips, it's best to focus on one destination, like traveling to Seward, where you can take a day cruise into Kenai Fjords National Park, visit the SeaLife Center, and go out on a guided hike. If you have five days to play with, trips like our Alaska's First-Time Favorites fit in both Denali National Park and Seward. Check out our five-day itineraries for more ideas.

7 to 10 Days in Alaska

Most visitors spend a week to 10 days traveling in Alaska, either splitting that time between a cruise and a corresponding cruise tour or spending it all on a land itinerary. Our most popular trip package, the Best of Denali & Kenai Fjords, is seven days long. Here are some other ideas for seven and 10-day trips.

Beyond 10 Days in Alaska

With more than 10 days in Alaska you can go even farther, visiting Fairbanks and venturing to the Far North on an Arctic Circle tour. Self-drive itineraries are well suited to these longer vacations. You can go well off the beaten path to places like McCarthy inside Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, or Homer . Take a look at our Ultimate Alaska National Parks travel package for inspiration.