Denali National Park Tours & Vacations

Trips from 1 January 2023 onwards

From 1 January 2023, Intrepid will no longer require travellers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (excluding all Polar trips and select adventure cruises).

However, we continue to strongly recommend that all Intrepid travellers and leaders get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.

Specific proof of testing or vaccination may still be required by your destination or airline. Please ensure you check travel and entry requirements carefully.

Denali National Park and Preserve is in the central area of the Alaska Range in Alaska, USA.

You can get to Denali National Park either by car, bus or train. The closest cities are Fairbanks and Anchorage. It takes about four hours to drive from Fairbanks and five hours from Anchorage.

Coaches and trains operate daily from Fairbanks and Anchorage in the summer months. Public transport services are limited during the winter.

There is only one road in Denali National Park and most of it is only open to buses. If you take your car, you can drive the first 15 miles up to Savage River. To see the rest of the park you either have to jump on a transit bus (non-narrated) or a tour bus. There is also a free shuttle bus that travels to different hiking trails, campgrounds and facilities along the part of the road open to the public.

The best time to visit depends on what you want to see and do. Denali National Park is huge and has two distinct climates. The southern regions of the park have a transitional maritime climate influenced by the Gulf of Alaska, with less extreme weather variation and milder temperatures. The north side of the Alaska Range has an interior climate with warm summers and freezing winters.

Winter is the best time to see the landscape covered in snow, and the dark nights offer a chance the magical northern lights. Late spring and summer are great for hiking among wildflowers and making the most of extended daylight hours. Peak season is from June to August but it still feels relatively quiet compared to other US national parks.

Packing essentials for Denali include a good pair of hiking boots, a waterproof jacket and pants, warm hat and gloves, warm layers (e.g. a fleece), t-shirts, lightweight pants, daypack, water bottle, sunglasses, bathing suit, warm socks, basic medications, sunscreen, insect repellent and plenty of snacks to keep you going throughout the day. If you go during winter you’ll need a decent winter jacket. It’s worth bringing a small amount of cash as ATMs are scarce.

Denali is one of the best places in the world to see the northern lights as there’s hardly any light pollution. The best time to see the lights is during the fall, winter and spring when there’s enough darkness. The sky is too bright in the summer so if you’re hoping to see the lights you should avoid going any time between the six weeks before and after the summer solstice.

Denali is home to a diverse range of wildlife that includes black bears, grizzly bears, caribou, moose, wolves, Dall’s sheep, marmots, foxes, red squirrels, arctic ground squirrels, bald eagles, golden eagles, ravens and gray jays. There are also 160 species of birds and 1,500 plant species.

You can use your cell phone within the first three miles of the park entrance but the signal may be patchy in some areas. It’s important to note that once you go further into the park you will not have mobile phone service. There is free public Wi-Fi in the Denali Visitor Centre, the Riley Creek Mercantile and the Denali Bus Depot.

We are committed to making travel widely accessible, regardless of ability or disability. We do our best to help you see the world, regardless of physical or mental limitations. 

We are always happy to talk to travellers with disabilities and see if we can help guide them toward the most suitable itinerary for their needs and, where possible, make reasonable adjustments to our itineraries.