How to get the most out of pricey Alaska on a budget

25.03.2024 - 03:27 / lonelyplanet.com

Let’s be honest: Alaska isn’t exactly a budget destination.

But with some creative planning and an ability to trade luxury for a grittier experience, a trip (way) up north doesn’t have to destroy your bank balance. The good news is that an entry ticket to Alaska’s astonishing wilderness is refreshingly gratis: hiking and backcountry camping are invariably free of charge, and you don’t need to charter a floatplane to view majestic wild animals. If you’re lucky, you can even glimpse bears and moose through a bus window on the Seward Hwy, or even during an afternoon jog in Anchorage.   

Read on for a primer to daily costs in Alaska, plus a few tricks and tips to help you save money in the Last Frontier.

Daily costs

Hostel room: $30–45 (dorm bed)
Basic room for two: $150–200
Self-catering apartment (including Airbnb): from $130
Public transport ticket Anchorage–Seward (127-miles): $69–85 one-way
Coffee: $4–4.50
Sandwich: $8–9
Dinner for two: $60–80
Beer/pint at the bar: $6–7

Alaska’s tourist season runs from early May to late September – but if you avoid the high summer months of June, July and August and book well in advance, you can save a decent amount on accommodations, flights and organized day trips. Indeed, if you’re adept at being self-sufficient and aren’t averse to a little rain (and occasional snow), then April is a passable month in the balmier Alaskan Panhandle. The state’s tough winters are (relatively) inexpensive, but only endurable if you’re a hardened local or an adventure extremist.

Entry to Alaska’s eight national parks is mostly free, and the only park that charges an entry fee is Denali ($15 for a seven-day pass). The caveat? Most of the state’s parks are remote and require expensive boat or airplane transfers. Denali and Kenai Fjords are exceptions: both are easily reachable from Anchorage by car, bus or train, and offer multiple free attractions, including glacier viewing, wildlife watching, hiking and camping.

Alaska’s two main historic parks – Sitka and Skagway – are also fabulous and free. Stuffed with museums and heritage sites and offering complimentary walking tours with park rangers in the summer, they’re perfect places to absorb the state’s surprisingly eclectic history and culture.

Book well in advance for the best flight deals. For drivers motoring up through Canada from the Lower 48, costs will vary depending on type of vehicle, gas prices (which are higher in Canada) and travel distance.

Organize these in advance through your accommodations, or call on arrival at Ted Stevens International Airport using the complimentary phones in the terminal building.

Avoid expensive internal flights by staying near the grid of main roads. The compact, easily navigable Kenai Peninsula, one hour south