When to go to Alaska?

Alaska is a once in a life time trip for most people. So if you only get to go the once, Its probably best that you do your research and make sure you get it right the first time. So when is the best time to visit Alaska?


From my research this is actually not as cut and dry as you may think. Alaska is off the scale. It has more coastline than the lower 48 states in America, more lakes than Minnesota and more big sky than Montana. In another words, because of the size of Alaska the weather conditions vary vastly from area to area.

To hedge your bets, you can't really go too wrong visiting Alaska anytime between May and September, with the more wallet friendly options being at the start and end of the season. This is generally when the Cruise lines go anyway. Throughout this whole period the days are long and nature is in full bloom. 21st June or Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, and has an average of 19 hours of sunlight per day, so if it is long sunny days you are after and 'The Land Of The Midnight Sun' then June is your best bet.

July is probably the most popular time visit. The weather is usually very clear, and the days should also be reasonably hot. It's true that summer in Alaska is slightly rainier than the United States but, temperatures still range from 15 degrees to 27 degrees Celsius. If you’re looking for good weather then you should consider visiting in the summer season.

Early August is similar to July and can be hot and at times muggy, but by late August everything changes. If you are extremely lucky on a clear night you can even see the Northern Lights. Although the Northern Lights are present most evenings throughout the year, light pollution and the Midnight Sun blind one to the very delicate, wispy cloud looking aurora.

I hope this has been helpful, although it is only a brief insight, I hope the above will help you decide. The peak months June, July and August will always be a lot more expensive, but some may argue worth the price to increase the chance of better weather. If you have any questions let me know!