Capturing great photos is more than just a souvenir. It’s how we make memories last a lifetime. With towering mountains, glacial fjords, stunning auroras and abundant wildlife, Alaska offers some of the most Instagrammable spots in North America. Whether you’re a seasoned photographer or looking to make the most of your trip to the 49th state, this list is your guide to the ultimate Alaska photography trip.
Photograph the Great One
Seeing North America’s tallest peak is at the top of every Alaska traveler’s list. Due to its massive size, the mountain is visible from many areas of the state, even Anchorage. But to get pictures that truly stand out, heading north is the best bet.
1. Denali National Park and Preserve, home to North America’s tallest peak
Photo Credit: ©State of Alaska/Matt Hage
There’s no better place to spot Mt. Denali than right in its neighborhood: Denali National Park and Preserve. This six-million-acre wilderness offers jaw-dropping views of the Alaska Range, particularly along the Park Road.
While Denali National Park and Preserve is one of the best places to see the mountain, it’s also an incredible location for wildlife sightings. Bears, moose and caribou are common!
When you stay at Holland America Denali Lodge, you are right in the action.
2. Explore Denali from above with a flightseeing tour
While Denali is stunning from the ground, the view from above is utterly surreal. Flightseeing tours from Talkeetna offer bird’s-eye views of the Alaska Range, including the Wickersham Wall — one of the biggest mountain faces in the world.
Many flights include a glacier landing, where you can step out onto ancient ice with nothing but wind and mountains in every direction. The contrast between white snowfields and black rock ridges makes for some of the most dramatic aerial shots for photography in Alaska. Tip: Use a wide-angle lens to capture the vast scale of the Alaska Range
Go Aurora Chasing near Fairbanks
What’s a winter trip to Alaska without chasing the northern lights? Thanks to its location under the auroral oval, Fairbanks is one of the most reliable places in the world to see and photograph the aurora borealis. Winter is the best time to come, with dark skies and cold, clear nights offering excellent visibility. Fall and spring can also provide good opportunities.
Here’s a surprising truth: cameras often see the aurora better than the naked eye! With long exposures and high ISO settings, your camera can reveal swirling ribbons of purple, green and even red that appear faint or colorless in person.
3. Chena Hot Springs Spa and Resort
Chena Hot Springs is worth the trip. Just about an hour outside of Fairbanks, this remote campus is a great place to view the aurora. The hot springs on the resort campus are an excellent place to kill time before nightfall, but don’t plan on photographing from the hot springs itself — your camera will fog up long before you get the shot.
4. Murphy Dome
A former Cold War radar station, Murphy Dome offers both panoramic aurora views and a little history. The area once supported a key part of Alaska’s early warning defense system. One of the radar domes is still in operation today as part of the Alaska Radar System!
Today, locals and visitors take advantage of the high elevation close to Fairbanks, which makes Murphy Dome a popular location for hiking and aurora watching.
5. Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge
Photo Credit: Odyssey Studios
This peaceful wildlife refuge just outside downtown Fairbanks is a fantastic year-round photo location. In spring and summer, hundreds of migratory birds pass through, including sandhill cranes, swans and geese. In winter, it becomes a quiet, snowy open space with great visibility for aurora hunting.
Creamer’s Field is just two miles from downtown Fairbanks, making it a great stop for aurora enthusiasts passing through town.
See Wildlife
6. Explore Denali National Park and Preserve by Bus
Photo Credit: ©State of Alaska/Michael DeYoung
The only way deep into Denali is by bus along the Park Road. These tours are narrated by local experts and offer excellent opportunities to see wildlife. Prefer a quiet ride? You can also opt for non-narrated travel. Your best chance to spot the Big Five is early in the morning or late in the evening, when animals are most active. Be ready to photograph quickly — wildlife sightings can be fleeting.
Holland America Denali Lodge connects visitors by bus to the park, where they can board a bus deep into the heart of Denali.
7. Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
Located near Girdwood, this nonprofit sanctuary rehabilitates injured and orphaned animals, providing a safe home for species like bears, moose, lynx and bison. The enclosures are spacious and scenic, designed with animal welfare in mind. Visiting the conservation center means guaranteed wildlife sightings for some of the most iconic Alaska animals. Photographers can capture tight wildlife portraits without needing to trek into the backcountry. Plus, your visit helps support animal welfare!
8. Eagle River Nature Center
Photo Credit: ©State of Alaska/Matt Hage
Tucked at the edge of Chugach State Park, but just a 30-minute drive away from downtown Anchorage, this beloved local gem offers wooded trails, viewing platforms and ample wildlife spotting opportunities. Eagle River Nature Center is a quieter alternative to city spots, and it’s perfect for those looking to combine landscape and wildlife photography. Wildlife explorer Walter Mendenhall even called it “a miniature Yosemite!”
Bear sightings are common at Eagle River Nature Center. Be sure to keep a safe distance from all wildlife when grabbing your perfect picture, and brush up on your bear safety tips here!
Experience Glaciers
Glaciers are among Alaska’s most iconic visuals. Whether you’re shooting from a trail, a boat or a plane, these icy giants provide stunning contrasts and scale. They’re also a great way to cool off during a summer visit, with many locations offering year-round Alaska photography opportunities!
9. Mendenhall Glacier
Photo Credit: ©State of Alaska/Mark Kelley
Located just outside Juneau, this local glacier is a favorite for locals and visitors alike. The Nugget Falls trail is an easy, mostly flat walk through the woods to a gushing waterfall emerging from a mountain. Mendenhall Glacier is visible just around the corner. This one-two punch of natural beauty is a must-see in Juneau. Locals love to say that the glacier used to be bigger, so much so that it’s become a big inside joke!
If you want to beat the crowds on Nugget Falls, get another view of Mendenhall Glacier from the top of Thunder Mountain. This 5.7-mile trek is a challenging one, but the view from the top is worth it.
10. Take a glacier cruise in Kenai Fjords National Park
Departing from Seward, these boat tours wind through Resurrection Bay and Aialik Bay, passing towering tidewater glaciers like Aialik and Holgate. These massive walls of ice routinely calve into the sea, sending up misty spray. Along the way, you’ll often spot sea otters, puffins, bald eagles and even humpback whales! Bring a circular polarizer to reduce glare on lakes and enhance the deep blues of the sky.
11. Worthington Glacier
Photo Credit: ©State of Alaska/Michael DeYoung
This roadside glacier near Valdez is one of the most accessible in the state. From the parking lot, take a short, scenic hike to the base of the ice, where you can photograph striated blue layers, icy meltwater pools and the dramatic terminus from just a few feet away. Adventurous travelers can also book glacier hikes with local guides.
Just making a quick stop? Off the Richardson Highway near Thompson Pass, pull off the road for another spectacular view.
Capture the City Life
Urban Alaska offers color, history, and movement — often with nature perched just beyond the skyline. City scenes bring human texture to your Alaska photography tour, whether you’re framing murals or riverside reflections.
12. Fairbanks
Photo Credit: Travel Alaska/Matt Hage
Set on the Chena River, downtown Fairbanks is walkable and welcoming. Photograph the riverboats that cruise through in summer (or take off on one yourself!), explore the Golden Heart Plaza or capture community murals on downtown buildings. The Chena River makes for a distinctive visual of the Golden Heart City.
13. Downtown Anchorage
Photo Credit: Travel Alaska
Anchorage surprises many with its creative energy. The downtown core features dozens of vibrant murals, many celebrating Indigenous culture and local wildlife. Capture the best of urban Alaska with your perfect selfie in front of a downtown mural! Tip: Morning light creates a soft glow on downtown murals, perfect for portraits.
Experience the Klondike
In 1898, thousands of stampeders poured into Skagway seeking gold in the Yukon. Much of that era survives in the town’s architecture, narrow-gauge railway, and atmosphere. It’s one of the best-preserved Gold Rush towns in the country — and one of the most visually engaging.
14. White Pass Scenic Railway
Photo Credit: ©State of Alaska/Matt Hage
This narrow-gauge railway climbs dramatically from sea level to alpine passes once traveled by hopeful prospectors. The scenery is jaw-dropping: glacial valleys, waterfalls, wooden trestles and sweeping vistas. Don’t forget to shoot from the rear platform of the train for a cinematic view of the tracks disappearing into the mountains.
Stay at Holland America Skagway Inn, right in the heart of downtown.
15. Red Onion Saloon
Photo Credit: Red Onion Saloon
A former brothel turned historic saloon, the Red Onion is a Skagway landmark. Inside, the creaky floors, tin ceilings, and costumed staff preserve the flavor of 1898. Outside, flower baskets hang from wooden balconies, and the whole facade looks made for a postcard.
Ask for a tour of the upstairs museum for even more visual intrigue — and ghost stories.
When you stay at Holland America Skagway Inn, you’re just around the corner from this must-see destination.
Alaska is vast, but with smart planning and a camera in hand, it becomes a photographer’s playground. With these stunning views, you will easily capture pictures that set your feed apart and make your friends ask: wait, where did you get that shot?
Holland America Hotels place you near the most photogenic corners of the state, giving you the access, rest and readiness to chase the next unforgettable shot.
Book your Alaska photography trip today and experience the view behind the lens at hollandamericahotels.com.
