The Best Time to Cruise Alaska: Your Guide to Each Season

Alaska changes dramatically with the seasons, offering different highlights depending on when you go. Whether you’re chasing whales, baby wildlife, or fall colors, there’s truly no wrong time to visit Alaska — only the best time for you.

Here’s what you can expect each season.

Spring in Alaska marks the beginning of cruise season and the start of life in the wild. This is the time when bears emerge from hibernation, moose calves follow Mom around on wobbly legs, and bald eagles return to the skies.

Spring is a time of awakening—and for many travelers, Alaska’s best-kept secret. Fewer people means easier access to excursions and wildlife viewing. With school still in session, spring cruises tend to be more peaceful and sometimes more affordable, making them ideal for couples and solo travelers.

• Summer: Peak Season, Best Weather
• Cruising Season: June–August
• Average Temperature: 50°F–75°F
• Approximate Sunset Time: 10:00 pm (Juneau, mid-June)
• What to Pack: Rain gear, hiking boots, sunglasses, sunscreen, bug spray
• Best Excursion(s) for the Season: Glacier viewing, bear watching

Summer is the most popular time to cruise Alaska, and for good reason. The days are long, the wildlife is abundant, and there are more options for shore excursions and itineraries. Spot humpback whales swimming through the Inside Passage, join a guided bear-viewing excursion, or visit Denali National Park & Preserve on an Alaska cruisetour.

Our Alaska cruisetours combine a cruise with an inland adventure to Denali National Park & Preserve or both Denali and the Yukon Territory. These immersive itineraries are perfect for travelers seeking a mix of classic ocean cruising and deeper land exploration.

Keep in mind: With school out, summer is a great time for family travel but also a time to book early, as excursions fill up quickly.

• Fall: Colors, Calm & Northern Lights
• Cruising Season: September–Early October
• Average Temperature: 30°F–55°F
• Approximate Sunset Time: 6:25 pm (Juneau, early October)
• What to Pack: Warm layer, rain pants, puffer jacket, beanie
• Best Excursion(s) for the Season: White Pass Scenic Railroad, hiking, fishing tours

As the season winds down, Alaska trades its vibrant greens for golden tundra and crimson forests. Fall cruises offer a tranquil alternative to summer sailings, with less crowded attractions and breathtaking foliage.

Fall is also one of the best times to see the northern lights from the ship, especially in early October when the skies get darker earlier. While we don’t cruise Alaska in winter, cruises such as our Great Bear Rainforest itineraries sail during fall, giving you a taste of British Columbia’s and Alaska’s changing seasons.

• Winter: Like Nowhere Else
• Cruising Season: No Alaska cruises in winter
• Average Temperature: 5°F–30°F
• Approximate Sunset Time: 3:30 pm (Juneau, early January)
• What to Pack: Warm layers, heavily insulated coat, thick socks, hat, gloves, scarf, handwarmer

While our ships don’t cruise Alaska in winter, the season offers its own kind of magic for land-based explorers. Snow blankets the landscape, the aurora borealis dances across the night sky, and towns such as Valdez — one of our cruise ports — transform into winter wonderlands.

Did you know that, at an average of 300 inches of snow per year, Valdez is one of the snowiest towns in the United States? Or that Fairbanks offers some of the best northern lights viewing in the world?

If you’re looking ahead to your next Alaska cruise season, winter is a great time to get cozy, research, and book.

From emerging wildlife in the springtime to Denali-bound cruisetours in summer and aurora-lit evenings in fall, Alaska offers a different kind of beauty every month. Whenever you choose to cruise, you’ll experience the wonder and wildness of this extraordinary place with Holland America as your guide.