8 Alaska Family Vacation Ideas

Alaska holds the key to the ultimate family adventure. Explore top Alaska family vacation ideas and find wildlife tours, national parks and scenic coastal experiences to pair with your cruise. 

Alaska is a must-see by sea, but land-based excursions add depth to the experience and offer once-in-a-lifetime moments for family connections. Imagine riding the rails to the land of Northern Lights, sleeping under the stars in a transparent family igloo, spotting grizzlies in their natural element, rafting below soaring bald eagles or connecting with Native American art at cultural heritage sites. 

Read on for a list of top Alaska family vacation ideas.

Seward Is A Gateway To The Good Stuff

Seward is the gateway port to all Alaska has to offer. Unforgettable day trips, natural wonders, exciting excursions, opportunities to connect with marine wildlife in its beautiful glacial habitat — really, it’s tough to beat an Alaskan cruise vacation. That is, unless you pair it with a land exploration to hit every bucket list item you can imagine. 

With a location in the heart of Kenai Fjords National Park, sitting at the head of iconic Resurrection Bay, the departure port town of Seward is all about location, location, location. I've spent six or seven months sailing the Alaskan ports by cruise ship. Seeing this wild landscape by sea is simply a must if you want to truly understand its charms. However, if time allows, amp up that Alaskan dream vacation by putting boots on the ground.

1. Wander Where the Wild Things Are

The best Alaskan family vacation includes wow-worthy sights and sounds (I hear you, calving glacier!). The classic Alaskan trip needs one more element to be complete — the wildlife. Seward-based tours take you to the heart of a habitat rich with critters by land or by sea:

● Resurrection Bay orca tours.

● Gulf of Alaska humpback and gray whale migration tours.

● Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) grizzly tours with moose spotting by Exit Glacier.

● Spot otters, puffins, whales, porpoises, seals and sea lions by sea.

● Cruise Port: Seward Cruise Ship Terminal.

● Distance from Port: Most are just a 5-minute drive or 20-minute walk, with AWCC being 77 miles or a 1-hour and 30-minute drive.

● Ages: All ages.

2. Kenai Fjords National Park

Kenai Fjords is where you'll find a rugged glacial landscape, offering habitat and refuge to whales, sea otters, mountain goats, puffins and bears. There are myriad ways to explore this park — by hiking trail, boat and even a dinner cruise from Seward. No matter how you visit, be sure to explore its tidewater glaciers, coastal rainforest and icefield charms.

● Cruise Port: Seward Cruise Ship Terminal.

● Distance from Port: 1 mile — a 20-minute walk or 5-minute drive, with Harding Icefield being a 20-minute drive.

● Ages: All ages.

3. Make Tracks for These Scenic Rail Adventures

Getting around a frozen wonderland isn’t as simple as hopping in the car for a road trip. However, no one is complaining when you reach your destination on a romantic scenic railway. Much like cruising, rail travel is a great way for families to see Alaska and the key to overland adventures.

Here are a few options: 

● Alaska Railroad’s Coastal Classic train brings guests on tours through off-the-beaten-path beauties like Kenai Fjords National Park, passing Talkeetna’s bald eagle-packed river and Denali’s grizzly oasis up to Fairbanks to spot the Northern Lights.

● The Arctic Cruise Connector invites guests to ride the rails right from the ship north through Anchorage and Denali to arrive at Borealis Basecamp in Fairbanks, Alaska. This full-service resort sleeps guests in transparent igloos with barrel saunas and an adventure center for snowmachining and reindeer visits.

● Cruise Port: Seward Cruise Ship Terminal.

● Distance from Port: Alaska Railroad has a stop inside the port with daily Coastal Classic Trips to Anchorage.

● Ages: All ages.

4. Orca Island Cabins

These eight waterfront yurts are only accessible via a 1-hour boat ride from Seward through Resurrection Bay. An off-grid luxury living experience lets families disconnect (there are no televisions or Wi-Fi) to reconnect, with access to kayaks, paddle boats, SUPs and snorkel gear. Cabins have over-the-bed skylights for midnight stargazing, a futon lounger, kitchen space and private decks. 

● Cruise Port: Seward Cruise Ship Terminal.

● Distance from Port: 1-hour boat ride.

● Ages: All ages.

5. Breathtaking (and Breathholding!) Seward-Based Adventures

Seeing that Seward has a population of less than 3,000 people might give adrenaline junkie fans the impression this area would be a sleepy spot to set up for pre- or post-cruise adventure. However, being outnumbered by wildlife isn’t that bad for those wanting a wild Alaskan experience. 

Consider these heart-pounding treats:

● Snowmobile tour of Kenai Fjords.

● Snowdog mushing across Godwin Glacier.

● Three Canyon Whitewater Rafting.

● Cruise Port: Seward Cruise Ship Terminal.

● Distance from Port: Tours leave from within 5 miles of the port.

● Ages: All ages, with some adventure tours being most suitable for older teens.

Let’s Go! Set Sail For Wild Alaska Port Adventures

6. Juneau Treats Families to a Capital Good Time

Juneau gives visitors options for shopping at local artists' galleries, accessing mountaintop trails and perusing a smoked fish factory mere steps from the ship.

Tracy’s Crab Shack — a port-side King Crab institution not to be missed — will fuel your King Crab fever dreams for years to come. (Try the mini crab cakes dipped in a cup of chowder — chef’s kiss!) Enjoy the boardwalk or ride a Mount Roberts Tramway gondola to hike Juneau’s mountain forest trails after watching a Native American eco-movie at the summit. Flightseeing tours of the glaciers and bear-watching excursions are splurges to remember.

● Cruise Port: Juneau Cruise Ship Terminal.

● Distance from Port: The city is walkable with activities picking up from the dock.

● Ages: All ages.

7. Skagway is the Way to Go for Train-Loving Tots

Don’t discount the tiny town of Skagway, a remote outpost where hordes of gold-seeking explorers kicked off their trips. Most visitors opt for a scenic trip right from the dock on the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, but adrenaline fans love TEMSCO Helicopter tours that whir adventurers out to a glacier to not only land, but hike the craggy blue-ice landscape and sip 10,000-year-old glacial water. Early in the season, you can even heli-hop to a dogsledding glacier experience. 

Families can wander the wide, often-empty streets to try fried-dough beaver tails dipped in cinnamon sugar, take a trolley to a 10-minute hiking trail up to a gorgeous waterfall or try their hand at axe-throwing. Don’t be surprised if a painted-lady costumed interpreter serenades you from the Red Onion or an upper window on the main drag — a musical performance shares details of the gold rush days in a small theatre. 

● Cruise Port: Skagway Cruise Terminal.

● Distance from Port: The town and activities are minutes from the dock.

● Ages: All ages.

8. Catch Me If You Can in Ketchikan (Or at Least Catch a Salmon!)

This funky little fishing town spoils visitors with dockside food stalls, the infamous Tongass Trading Company for shopping, a Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show so fun it can only be topped by a post-competition all-you-can-eat Dungeness crab feast and 1937-founded Arctic Bar with waterside deck seating.  This is a perfect place to toss a line in for bottom fishing halibut or go trolling for salmon. A short walk to a totem park and salmon ladder lets kids learn about the life cycle, occasionally spotting curious bears admiring the jumping fish. 

Amp up a visit with a Ketchikan Adventure Kart Expedition on a wild ramble through old-growth forest for amazing views in a mud-loving UTV or drive your own mini-speedboat to spot wildlife on an island-filled Gorge’s Inlet, followed by cocoa and campfire-roasted reindeer sausages with Ketchikan AdventureVue. 

● Cruise Port: Ketchikan Cruise Ship Docks.

● Distance from Port: Most activities are a 5-10 min stroll from the dock.

● Ages: All ages.

Pack, Prep And Plan For The Ultimate Alaskan Cruise Vacation

Pack layers to wear under an outer weatherproof shell, a sleep mask for light-sensitive snoozers, good hat and gloves to weather any adventure comfortably and boots with grip for Alaska’s varied terrain.

The weather depends largely on the activity you choose. Elevation adds a snowy show at times, and there are surprisingly mild sunny days in the height of summer. Plan to spend a lot of time on outer decks, where wildlife is sure to impress.

A trip to Alaska isn't complete without seeing its beauty by sea. Cruising is not only a comfortable way to admire the untouched coastal forests and glaciers, but the only way to reach many key spots. For these can’t-miss destinations, Alaska is less “the road not traveled” than the road not existing.

Royal Caribbean offers families Alaskan adventures paired with a comfortable and fun ship packed with kid-friendly activities and experiences, making every day a great one. Top a bucket-list-filled beauty like Alaska with included entertainment, dozens of bars and eateries for every taste, a glass-enclosed North Star panoramic observation capsule and complimentary kids clubs for young cruisers 3-17.

Book Your Bucket List Alaskan Family Cruise Vacation