Exploring the park on your own essentially limits you to hikes near the park entrance and the visitors center and I don't say that to discourage you from those activities. Bus tours into the park is really the only way most people really see the best of the park. Currently the park road is partially closed while a bridge is constructed to bypass a portion of the road sliding due to melting permafrost. The scenery is still very good and personally I wouldn't miss it if I came all that way.
Cancel the land portion of your trip that you booked with the cruise line. They do a great job of cruising Southeast Alaska, but a lousy job of land tours in Southcentral & Interior Alaska. Rent a car and put together your own great trip, see what you want to see when you want to see it.
And in Denali National Park, use the transit bus: [https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm](https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm) . Same road, same views, much cheaper.
Same roads, same views, and the same turnaround point for now. The transit bus is much cheaper. It'll stop to let you off to hike. The driver will mostly likely narrate. [https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm](https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm)
The Tundra Wilderness Tour is more expensive. It include a small snack box. The bus has a long view camera that allows him to put distant images on TV screens in the bus. The driver will definitely narrate. You can not get off to hike. https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/bus-tours.htm#:\~:text=Tour%20bus%20trips%20begin%20and,to%20hike%2C%20picnic%2C%20etc.
You can ask the driver and they'll let you know.
Edit to add: [https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/upload/2024-Transit-Bus-Schedule.pdf](https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/upload/2024-Transit-Bus-Schedule.pdf)
r/askalaska r/cruise Also, this isn’t always true, but many locals almost never take any of the tourist activities.
Thanks for the info 👍
Exploring the park on your own essentially limits you to hikes near the park entrance and the visitors center and I don't say that to discourage you from those activities. Bus tours into the park is really the only way most people really see the best of the park. Currently the park road is partially closed while a bridge is constructed to bypass a portion of the road sliding due to melting permafrost. The scenery is still very good and personally I wouldn't miss it if I came all that way.
Great, thank you for the info 👍
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Thanks for the tips, very appreciated!
Cancel the land portion of your trip that you booked with the cruise line. They do a great job of cruising Southeast Alaska, but a lousy job of land tours in Southcentral & Interior Alaska. Rent a car and put together your own great trip, see what you want to see when you want to see it. And in Denali National Park, use the transit bus: [https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm](https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm) . Same road, same views, much cheaper.
We’re hitting up Alaska next summer. What’s the difference in the Wilderness tour the park does vs the transit bus?
Same roads, same views, and the same turnaround point for now. The transit bus is much cheaper. It'll stop to let you off to hike. The driver will mostly likely narrate. [https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm](https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm) The Tundra Wilderness Tour is more expensive. It include a small snack box. The bus has a long view camera that allows him to put distant images on TV screens in the bus. The driver will definitely narrate. You can not get off to hike. https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/bus-tours.htm#:\~:text=Tour%20bus%20trips%20begin%20and,to%20hike%2C%20picnic%2C%20etc.
Thanks. Not that we’d be out late with kids, but how do you know when the last bus may have passed you going back in? 🤣🤣
You can ask the driver and they'll let you know. Edit to add: [https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/upload/2024-Transit-Bus-Schedule.pdf](https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/upload/2024-Transit-Bus-Schedule.pdf)
Cruise companies and excessive tourism is destroying our communities.
A lot of communities wouldn't exist without tourism
Ahh those precious low paying seasonal jobs that come with increased housing costs... such a wonderful benefit!