Getting to Alaska

By air, sea, or land, getting to Alaska is simple when you set your destination as Anchorage. The city has the best Alaska connections to the rest of the U.S., Canada, and other countries, making it the natural place to root your Alaska adventures. Best of all, it’s easier than ever to reach Anchorage.

Flights to Alaska

More than 100 passenger flights arrive daily at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, and it is the 5th fastest growing medium/large airport hub in the U.S. Nonstop flights to Anchorage on a domestic and international airlines connect Anchorage with many major U.S. cities. View a map of nonstop air service to Anchorage.

And Anchorage's airport still has room for more. More nonstop flights have been added recently, including:

Alaska Airlines has announced new nonstop service to Anchorage from Boston, Spokane, and Boise for summer 2026, as well as increased frequency on routes from San Diego, Sacramento, Honolulu, and Las Vegas. Alaska's other nonstop flights to Anchorage include Seattle, Portland, LAX, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Denver, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Chicago, and JFK in New York.
American Airlines will launch seasonal nonstop service between Anchorage (ANC) and Phoenix (PHX) from May 21 to September 8, 2026, using an Airbus A321neo. The schedule features a convenient morning departure from Phoenix and a late-evening return from Anchorage, offering travelers more options to explore Alaska’s wild landscapes or the desert beauty of the Valley of the Sun. This new route strengthens ANC’s role as a key hub for both leisure and business travel.
Southwest Airlines will launch once-daily service to Anchorage starting in May 2026, connecting the city with Denver and Las Vegas. It Southwest's first foray into Anchorage.
WestJet Airlines brings back summer service between Anchorage and Calgary, and operating twice weekly through early September.
United Airlines offers a nonstop flight from Washington, D.C., as well as Houston, Chicago, San Francisco and Newark. They also fly year-round between Anchorage and Denver, and increase to daily service in 2026.
Delta Air Lines service is between Anchorage and Los Angeles, as well as Detroit to Anchorage. They also fly from Atlanta starting in May, and for summer 2026 will use a 767 with lie-flat suites, a rarity on domestic flights.
Condor Airlines plans three flights per week between Anchorage and Frankfurt, Germany. Flights start May 16, 2026 for the season.

No need to wait for summer; there's great service for winter 2025/2026 too. ANC has an 11% increase in available seats into Anchorage.

Cruising to and from Alaska

Cruises connect the Pacific Northwest with Alaska. The majority of one-way cruises depart either north or south between Vancouver, British Columbia, and either Seward or Whittier, the port towns nearest Anchorage. One-way Alaska cruises have a number of advantages:

The ships call on the same communities in Southeast Alaska as roundtrip cruises, but also add visits to communities in Southcentral Alaska.
One-way cruises open up possibilities to extend the trip further, either with a land component offered by the cruise, or time traveling independently.
In addition to cruising Glacier Bay, one-way cruises also include options to visit Denali, Kenai Fjords, and several other national parks in the region near Anchorage.

Driving to Alaska

The Alaska Highway runs more than 1,300 miles between British Columbia, Canada, and Alaska. The trip to Anchorage via Canada varies by departure point, but you’ll want to plan on several days of travel time. Driving allows you to go at your own pace, linger longer, and get to places rarely seen by other types of Alaska travel. Starting or ending the drive in Anchorage has a number of perks:

Many RV rental companies are based in Anchorage, and some offer special packages for one way rentals between Anchorage and other parts of the U.S.
Anchorage is at the center of road travel inside Alaska, making the possibilities for exploration along the way almost limitless.
As home to the state's largest airport, getting in or out and either end of the trip is simplest from Anchorage.