While vacations are on hold for the time being, thankfully there are no restrictions on daydreaming about your next escape. If you’re having trouble fathoming the idea of not traveling for the next few weeks, then visit Alaska on a virtual vacation with these interactive resources.
The Last Frontier is full of rugged beauty, stunning landscapes, and fascinating wildlife, and thanks to today’s virtual technology, it’s possible to experience the wonders of Alaska right from the comfort of your home.
Get up close and personal with Alaska’s towering glaciers during an interactive tour to the top of a glacier and down an icy crevasse. Watch sea animals interact with each other in the wild through live webcam feeds, both on land and underwater. Visit Alaska’s famous national parks during a virtual tour and follow trails full of Native American totem poles.
While we wait for our next big trip, embark on a new online adventure with these video tours, interactive guides, and livestreams.
Climb Down An Icy Crevasse In Kenai Fjords National Park
Exit Glacier in Seward, Alaska
Seward is a scenic port town located in southern Alaska. The city’s motto is “Alaska starts here,” and it makes a valid point. Seward serves as the gateway to the Kenai Fjords National Park, home to sky-high glaciers, breathtaking fjords, and a variety of whale and marine animal species.
Experience the spectacular beauty of Kenai Fjords National Park and its wealth of mountains, glaciers, icebergs, and lagoons in this 360-degree virtual tour by Google. Follow a park ranger as she climbs up a glacier and down into an icy crevasse.
Exit Glacier in Seward, Alaska
Head up to the toe of Exit Glacier and see through renderings how much of its ice has receded in the past 20 years. Kayak through a glacial lake covered with icebergs and hear what kind of sounds an iceberg makes underwater. Finally, see a whale breach to the surface of the water, a beautiful scene that shows nature at its finest.
Read: 11 Alaska Mountains to Add to Your Bucket List
Tune Into An Underwater Livestream At The Alaska SeaLife Center
Watch: All-Day Stream: Diving Seabird Habitat
During a stop in Seward, most travelers visit the Alaska SeaLife Center, a stunning aquarium, research center, and rehabilitation facility that offers fun activities for the whole family.
While you wait to be able to go in-person to the SeaLife Center, head to their YouTube channel and watch a live feed of one of their aquariums, where you’ll be able to spot puffins swimming underwater, Steller sea lions, or moon jellies depending on the day.
If you’re looking for a more educational opportunity, watch any of their daily live programs offered twice a day, seven days a week, with topics that cover Alaska’s marine ecosystem and animals in Alaska.
Watch Alaskan Wildlife Live
Katmai National Park, Alaska
One of the highlights of going on an Alaska cruise is being able to witness the state’s exotic wildlife, such as humpback whales splashing in the water, brown bears hunting for salmon in the rivers, and sea lions lounging on the rocks by the sea.
Even from afar, you can see wildlife in action through virtual wildlife feeds. Spot brown bears at Katmai National Park, lounging walruses on Round Island, sea lions near Seward, and a salmon run close to Mendenhall Glacier through live webcams.
Visit Alaska’s Historic Totems
Totem poles in Sitka National Historical Park, Alaska
Sitka, located on Baranof Island off the coast of Alaska’s panhandle, is mostly known for being the home of the verdant Tongass National Forest, which spans over 500 miles. Tongass is the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest and hosts a variety of glaciers, salmon streams, fjords, and bays.
Sitka is also a city full of Native American culture and history. Learn about Alaska’s indigenous past during a virtual tour of Sitka’s National Historical Park, where you’ll head down the Totem Trail and discover all 19 of the park’s Tlingit and Haida totem poles.
Originally a gift from the leaders of those indigenous groups to Alaska’s Governor in 1904, these totem poles were permanently moved to the park in 1906 and remain a symbol of the rich cultural heritage of Alaska’s Native American culture.
Hike Around Denali National Park
Denali National Park, Alaska
One of the best places to visit in Alaska is Denali National Park. Dominating over 160 miles of the Alaska Range, Denali National Park is one of Alaska’s most popular destinations. There, you can find the highest peak in all of North America, Denali (formerly known as Mt. McKinley) as well as spectacular examples of the state’s rugged wilderness.
Thousands of visitors head to Denali National Park every year, and while you wait to join them during your next vacation, take in the majestic view at the top of one of the park’s hills with the help of Google Earth.
Using street view, stand at the top of Polychrome Overlook, Stony Hill Scenic Overlook, Eielson Visitor Center, and more locations throughout the park for a 360-degree landscape covered with snow-capped mountains, frozen tundra, and lush forest. You’ll see why it’s one of the best places to see in the world.
See Aurora Borealis
Watch: Lunar Eclipse and Aurora Borealis Near Fairbanks, Alaska
Alaska is one of those special places in the world where you can watch the stunning aurora borealis, also called the Northern Lights.
The Northern Lights are supercharged particles from the sun that enter the earth’s atmosphere and in turn create a spectacle of colorful dancing lights in the sky. Most displays of aurora borealis are in green hues, but there have been sightings in rarer colors such as blue and pink.
While there’s nothing like seeing the wonder of the Northern Lights in person, you can get an idea of the beauty of this natural phenomenon by watching 360-degree, high definition videos online.
Watch the aurora borealis, Denali sunsets, milky ways, shooting stars, and the midnight sun in this YouTube playlist full of gorgeous time-lapse videos that capture these magnificent gifts of nature.
Go On A Virtual Reality Dog Sledding Adventure
Watch: Alaska Dog Sledding
Have you always wondered what it would be like to participate in a dog sled race? Now you can experience this heart-thrilling adventure by watching a 360 VR dog sledding journey through the wilderness of Alaska.
Tour The Anchorage Museum
Anchorage Museum, Alaska
Alaska isn’t all outdoor adventure and wildlife sightings. Anchorage is known as Alaska’s Big Apple, and it’s easy to see why. With a robust culinary scene, lively nightlife environment, and a wealth of cultural attractions, Anchorage is a jewel of a city nestled in the middle of Alaska’s wild beauty.
Visit one of Alaska’s most in-depth museums, the Anchorage Museum, which explores Alaskan culture, people, and history.
Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Anchorage Museum’s private collections, or go on a 360-degree tour of the museum’s Alaska Gallery, the all-encompassing exhibition that tells the story of Alaska through hundreds of objects and immersive installations.
The museum also offers a look at one of their exhibits which explores Inuit life in Alaska and how climate change has had a profound effect on the community.
Read: Things to Do in Downtown Anchorage
Explore The Icy Grandeur Of Mendenhall Glacier
Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska
If you’ve always wanted to see a glacier up close, Google Earth can help make your wish come true. In their interactive map of Mendenhall Glacier, you can admire street-level views at the toe of the glacier, spot it from a short distance away, or even head inside its icy walls.
Learn About The Gold Rush During A Virtual Museum Tour
After three men found gold in a tributary in the Klondike River in 1896, tens of thousands of hopeful diggers headed to the boomtowns of Skagway and Dyea to try their luck. Learn more about the Gold Rush era during a virtual tour of the visitor center and museum of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Skagway.
The museum was originally a depot used by the White Pass and Yukon Route railroad. Throughout your interactive tour, you’ll see vintage gold extracting tools, historic photos of the era, and a replica of the trail supplies needed to embark on this mostly fruitless journey.
Enjoy The View From The Wilderness Express
Watch: The Alaska Railroad
One of the most exciting parts of an Alaska cruisetour is traveling around the state on the scenic Wilderness Express. In this video, board the glass-domed train and enjoy breathtaking views of the Indian River and the rugged Alaskan rugged wilderness as the train makes its way from Talkeetna to Denali National Park. Engineering fans will also enjoy watching the chat between our guide and the train’s conductor.
Discover The Highlights Of An Alaska Cruise
Watch: Alaska Cruise: Experience The Last Frontier
Experience what it’s like to cruise to the Last Frontier by watching our video travel guide of all of the highlights, must-see landmarks, and best places to visit in Alaska. See panoramic shots of dramatic glaciers, go inside expansive national forests, and discover Alaska’s wildlife, such as brown bears and humpback whales.
Learn all about our thrilling outdoor adventures and multiple port destinations including Sitka, Ketchikan, Endicott Arm, Juneau, Hubbard Glacier, Icy Strait Point, and more, and start thinking of all the exciting things you’ll do once you’re able to cruise.
Now that you’ve taken a virtual vacation to Alaska, it’s time to plan your next trip. Browse our Alaska cruise itineraries, see shore excursions, and start bookmarking all the things you’ll want to do once you visit Alaska. It’s never too early to start dreaming about your next unforgettable Alaska cruise vacation.
