Getting to Alaska: Flights, Ferry, and Driving the Alcan
The Three Ways to Get to Alaska
Alaska is not connected to the continental United States by land — there's Canada in the way, and the only land route is through it. That means every trip to Alaska involves a real transportation decision: you're flying, driving through Canada, or taking the ferry. Each approach has different costs, time requirements, and experiences attached to it. Here's a clear breakdown of all three.
Flying
Alaska Airlines is the dominant carrier and has the most routes, the most frequency, and the best network within Alaska for connecting flights. From the West Coast, Anchorage (ANC) is the main hub — Seattle to Anchorage runs $300–$600 round trip depending on season and advance booking, sometimes cheaper if you're flexible. From the Midwest and East Coast, expect $500–$900 round trip; one-stop routings through Seattle or Portland are common.
Fairbanks (FAI) is the Interior gateway and worth flying into directly if your itinerary starts in the Interior or if you're driving the Parks Highway south. Seattle to Fairbanks is typically $30–$80 more than Anchorage. Juneau (JNU) is the Southeast Alaska gateway — it has no road connection, so if your itinerary includes Juneau, Sitka, or Ketchikan, flying in is the standard move. Delta, United, and occasionally Southwest serve Alaska routes, but Alaska Airlines' frequency and partnerships with smaller in-state carriers (Ravn Air, Bering Air, Wright Air) make it the backbone of Alaska air travel.
Tip: book Anchorage flights for your main trip and plan Southeast Alaska as a separate trip or cruise segment — trying to combine Southeast with the road system in a single itinerary is logistically painful.
Driving the Alcan (Alaska Highway)
The Alaska Highway runs 1,387 miles from Dawson Creek, British Columbia to Delta Junction, Alaska — most people continue another 90 miles to Fairbanks or 300 miles to Anchorage. The drive from Seattle or Vancouver to Anchorage covers roughly 2,300–2,500 miles each way and takes 4–6 days of driving to do it right.
This is not a shortcut to Alaska — it takes longer and costs more than flying if you factor in fuel and accommodation. What it is: one of the best road trips in North America, passing through spectacular mountain terrain, multiple border crossings, frontier towns, and the transition from temperate forest to boreal wilderness to alpine tundra. People who've done it once usually want to do it again.
Essential prep: a proper spare tire (not a donut), extra fuel capacity for 100+ mile stretches without services, windshield chip coverage, offline navigation maps downloaded before Fort Nelson, and a satellite communicator for the no-service stretches. Cell service essentially disappears from Fort Nelson, BC to Whitehorse, YT and is patchy until Tok, AK.
The Alaska Marine Highway Ferry
The Alaska Marine Highway System operates a fleet of state-owned ferries connecting Southeast Alaska, Southcentral, and the Alaska Peninsula. It is the highway for coastal Alaska communities that have no road connections.
For visitors, the most relevant routes are:
- Bellingham, WA → Juneau, AK: The Inside Passage route through Southeast Alaska; 38 hours, passes through some of the most scenic coastal scenery anywhere; vehicle-capable; cabins available; run by the MV Kennicott or Matanuska
- Juneau ↔ Sitka, Ketchikan, Skagway: Connecting Southeast communities; useful if you're exploring the Southeast without wanting to backtrack to Anchorage
- Homer ↔ Kodiak ↔ Whittier: Southcentral connections; allows you to drive to Homer, ferry to Kodiak, and return without retracing your route
Fares for the Bellingham–Juneau route run $350–$500 per adult one-way; adding a vehicle is $650–$1,000 more depending on length. Cabins are strongly recommended for the 3-night trip — deck space and recliner chairs are the budget options. Book at dot.alaska.gov/amhs months ahead for summer travel; the system runs near capacity in peak season.
Combining the Options
The classic "drive down, fly back" or "fly in, ferry out" combinations are popular and often make the most logistical sense. Drive the Alcan on the way in (treating the highway as part of the trip), fly home from Anchorage or Fairbanks. Or fly into Juneau and take the ferry north to Haines or Skagway to meet your vehicle at the end of the road system. The Alaska Marine Highway knits together options that pure driving or pure flying can't achieve.
Alaska isn't hard to reach, but it's not like driving to the next state over either. The three main routes are flying, taking the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system, or driving the Alaska Highway (the Alcan) through Canada. Each is a legitimate choice depending on your time, budget, and what you want the trip to feel like.Looking for things to do in Alaska? Browse upcoming Alaska events →