For this things to do in Alaska, I’m just going to take you through my itinerary and what I did when I was in Alaska as I think that’s a good taste for anybody wanting to go there as part of a longer trip through the United States. For other things to do in Alaska you can check our You Should Know This section.

We flew from LA to Anchorage and of the hundreds of flights I’ve taken this has to have been the worst flight in my entire life.  I got sat next to a stereotypical 500 pound American heffer who was so obese she literally couldn’t put the arm rest down and was basically taking up one and three quarter seats for the entire flight. Having no shame at the might of her existence and how much space in the world she was taking up, she demanded she have two dinners.  I’ve never flown United Airlines since and will never fly them again.  You pay for a seat and get 1/4 seat just isn’t right.  Anyway, now that I’ve got that off my chest, let’s get on to things to do in Alaska.

The city of Anchorage itself is rather unappealing with not much to do the in actual city with the exception of spotting a moose roaming around the city.  You can check out the Alaska Native Heritage Center and the Anchorage Museum but they’re not the most exciting or best things to do in Alaska.  Anchorage is really just the gateway to the rest of Alaska and the best thing to do from here is take the Denali Star (train) to Fairbanks.

I think I’ve only ever take 2 long train rides in my life, the Denali Star from Anchorage to Fairbanks and one from Bangkok to Surat Thani and now that I think about it, both of them were actually pretty good ways to travel.  The Denali Star is 12 hours in total and stops at a few places along the way. You can do this is one day, starting around 8a.m, but what I and most people did, is stop in Denali National Park for a night or two, before getting back on to Fairbanks.

You’ll stop in Wasilla, which is most famous for being the hometown of former Alaska governor and one time Vice Presidential hopeful Sarah Palin.  Next up is Talkeetna, where you can do salmon fishing, take a jet boat ride or check out an Alaskan sled dog kennel.  It’s a really small town so there’s not much to do here, but the views of Mt Denali and the Alaskan Mountain range more than make up for that and you don’t really need much to keep you occupies with views like this.  Probably the best views of Mt Denali are just either side south and north of Talkeetna.

There’s different classes on the train, but even the standard seats are pretty good with nice comfortable seats and wide open windows for viewing. If you have a bit of extra cash, then get the Gold Star or Wilderness Express have outdoor viewing platforms (dress up warm for that) and 360 degree views from an upstairs dome viewing platform. You also get a couple of meals and some free drinks with the Gold Star option, but really, the standard Adventure Class is still quite nice and nothing to complain about.

Like Anchorage, there’s not much to do in Fairbanks city itself.  In the summer, the sun never really sets and it’s light for most of the day and night and during the Aurora Season, which is usually August 21 to April 21.  Fairbanks is considered one of the best places to view the Northern lights because it’s right under the Aurora Oval, an oval shaped zone where the Aurora is concentrated.  If you read the Tripadvisor reviews you’ll hear how it makes some twerps cry, so if you’re a bit emotional, bring the tissues or the snot will freeze on your lips.

Send us any questions or comments you have about thins to do in Alaska via email or ask us on twitter.