When someone tells me they want to go to Alaska, my first question isn't usually, "When do you want to go?"

It's "What do you want to experience?"

Because an Alaska vacation can look very different from one traveler to the next. You might picture watching a glacier calve from the deck of a ship, spotting a bear in the wild, riding the Alaska Railroad through the mountains, exploring Denali, or simply sitting somewhere surrounded by scenery you can't find anywhere else.

And that's where Alaska gets interesting. There isn't just one way to experience it.

The best place to start is by figuring out what you want your Alaska vacation to feel like. From there, the rest of the decisions become a lot easier.

What Do You Want to See?

Before you choose a cruise, a land tour, or even a specific itinerary, think about what's actually on your Alaska wish list.

Are you dreaming of glaciers and dramatic coastal scenery? Maybe wildlife is at the top of your list, and seeing whales, bears, or bald eagles would make the trip unforgettable. Perhaps you've always wanted to see Denali, explore Alaska's interior, or visit some of the smaller communities that give the state its character.

You may want a little bit of everything.

The important thing is that your wish list can help determine how you should experience Alaska. A trip focused primarily on coastal scenery and glaciers may look very different from one built around Denali and interior Alaska.

Instead of starting with a cruise brochure or a list of popular itineraries, start by asking yourself what you would be disappointed to miss.

Those answers are going to tell us a lot.

How Active Do You Want Your Vacation to Be?

When you think about Alaska, do you picture yourself hiking through the wilderness, kayaking alongside glaciers, fishing, or taking a wildlife excursion?

Or does your ideal day sound more like riding a scenic train, watching the landscape change outside your window, taking a boat excursion, and ending the day somewhere comfortable with an incredible view?

Alaska can be as active as you want it to be.

There are plenty of opportunities for hiking, kayaking, rafting, fishing, flightseeing, and other adventures, but you don't have to be an avid outdoors person to enjoy Alaska. Scenic cruising, wildlife viewing, rail journeys, cultural experiences, and guided sightseeing can all be memorable ways to experience the state without turning your vacation into an endurance event.

This is one of those questions that's easy to overlook when you're caught up in everything Alaska has to offer. But knowing how you want to spend your days can make a big difference in choosing the right itinerary.

How Much Time Do You Have?

Alaska is enormous, and how much time you have can change the kind of experience you can realistically create.

The good news is that you don't need several weeks to have a memorable Alaska vacation. Most visitors spend somewhere between seven and fourteen days, and there are worthwhile itineraries that work in about a week.

But there's a difference between seeing a portion of Alaska well and trying to cover as much of the state as possible.

If you have a week, you may want to focus your trip rather than trying to squeeze everything in. If you have ten days, two weeks, or more, you have more flexibility to combine different regions and experiences.

And that's where the next question comes in.

Do You Want to See Alaska From the Water?

For many first-time visitors, an Alaska cruise is an appealing way to experience the state.

Most Alaska cruises run about seven to ten days, giving you the opportunity to see coastal communities, glaciers, and spectacular scenery without having to pack and unpack every few nights. Many itineraries travel through the Inside Passage and include ports such as Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway, along with opportunities for scenic glacier viewing.

There's something special about seeing Alaska from the water. You can be sitting comfortably on deck one minute and suddenly find yourself surrounded by mountains, glaciers, or wildlife.

And because your accommodations travel with you, a cruise can be an especially convenient way to experience a lot of coastal Alaska in a relatively short vacation.

But there's an important distinction to understand.

A cruise primarily gives you a coastal Alaska experience. If what you really want is to stand in Denali National Park, spend more time in Alaska's interior, or explore farther inland, you'll want to look at what a land-based experience can add.

Do You Want to Get Into the Heart of Alaska?

If your picture of Alaska involves mountains, wilderness, wildlife, Denali, and smaller communities, spending time on land may be the better way to experience it.

A land itinerary gives you more opportunity to slow down in individual destinations and explore farther into the state. You might travel by train or motorcoach, rent a car, stay in a wilderness lodge, or build your trip around places such as Denali, Anchorage, Fairbanks, or the Kenai Peninsula.

The amount of time you need can vary quite a bit. A land vacation can be built around a week, while adding more days gives you room to explore additional regions without constantly feeling like you're racing to the next stop. Alaska's tourism resources offer both one-week itineraries and longer two-week routes, depending on how much of the state you want to experience.

There's also a different rhythm to a land vacation. Instead of watching Alaska unfold from a ship, you're moving through the landscape yourself. You may spend a couple of nights in one place, then travel by rail or road to the next.

For some travelers, that's exactly what they're looking for.

Could You Combine the Two?

And then there's the option I think is easy to overlook: you don't necessarily have to choose.

A cruise combined with time on land can give you two very different perspectives of Alaska. You can experience the coastal scenery and glaciers by ship, then continue inland to explore places such as Denali and other parts of the state by train, motorcoach, or car.

The tradeoff is time.

A typical seven-day cruise combined with several days on land can easily turn into a ten- to fourteen-day vacation, depending on the itinerary. Land additions of three to seven days are common, and two weeks is a popular length for travelers who want a broader land-and-sea experience.

For the traveler who has the vacation time and wants to experience both sides of Alaska, that extra time can be well worth it.

But if you only have seven days available, that doesn't mean you need to cram everything into one trip. A well-planned week can still give you an incredible Alaska experience. The goal isn't to see everything. It's to choose the experiences you'll be happiest you made time for.

So, How Do You Want to Experience Alaska?

That's really the question I would start with.

Do you want to watch glaciers and wildlife from the water? Get deeper into the wilderness on land? Spend your days exploring and being active, or slow down and simply take in the scenery? Do you have a week, or can you give Alaska two weeks to unfold?

There isn't one "best" way to see Alaska.

There is the way that makes the most sense for what you want to see, how you want to spend your days, and how much vacation time you have.

And that's why I don't think Alaska planning should start with choosing a cruise or a tour. It should start with a conversation about what you want this vacation to be.

If Alaska has been sitting on your travel list but you're not sure where to begin, fill out my Travel Inquiry Form and let's start with what you want to experience. From there, we can figure out whether a cruise, land adventure, or combination gives you the Alaska vacation you've been imagining.