Things to do / Travel Guide
By Air
Most flights into the Alaska Panhandle region are made via connections through Seattle, Anchorage, or Fairbanks into Juneau International Airport (JNU). Most internal Alaska flights are made via turboprop or jet aircraft. Regularly scheduled air taxi and air charter services allow for access to smaller communities within the region. For those really remote places, you will need to charter a propeller-driven “bush plane.” Helicopters can also be chartered from Juneau to most destinations in the region, but are pricey, to be sure.
By Car
The Alaska Highway connects the contiguous 48 states to the Alaska Panhandle. This road used to be rough and tricky to maneuver, only for the adventurous, but today, the modern Alaska Highway is well used by thousands of drivers each year. The highway is well-paved, in good condition, and open year-round. There are tourist services available at reasonably frequent intervals, but some close during the winter months. The Alaska Highway is the most common route via which visitors arrive to the region by car from Seattle, Vancouver, and other locations in the lower 48 states and British Columbia. The drive is about 1700 miles from Vancouver and 1850 miles from Seattle.
Cruise Ports
The Alaska Panhandle is a very popular stop for cruise ships for all over the world, especially for those that depart from Seattle and Vancouver, and sail along the West Coast. There are cruise ports/terminals in Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan. Some smaller cruise ships run specialty sailings that focus on a specific aspect of the region, and some are even floating universities. These smaller vessels can go where larger ships only dream of going. The only drawback of taking smaller vessels is the slight bit of lesser comfort and in-water stability. But, hands-down, the smaller ships are better for close-up views of glaciers and wildlife!
Airports in Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, Skagway, and the Alaska Panhandle
Getting-There
Juneau Intl Airport (JNU)
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