Next year we are thinking about a family trip to Alaska (with our 10 yo and 7 yo). My husband is pushing the cruise route, but I’m unsure. Any recs for exploring Alaska with kids? Should I suck it up and get on that boat?

Question

Kate · Answer

Alaska by train/car: Lifelong Alaskan here with two kiddos - you will have access to much more experiences if you skip the cruise and fly in. The railroad trip from Anchorage to Seward is a bucket list type experience and you see sights you can ONLY see by train. They make it fun for kids too - my kids thought it was a blast!

Once you’re in Seward take a marine wildlife tour and you get the same wildlife viewing as you would on the cruise but condensed into a day/half day.

If you skip the cruise you can pack your itinerary with local restaurants and unique shopping (we have some really good ones!) and you can drive both north (Denali) and south (Homer spit) all in one trip and  get a more authentic experience.