There is no better way to experience the scale and grandeur of Alaska than on a flightseeing tour. Only from the air can one appreciate the massive, sprawling glaciers, meandering rivers and endless mountain ranges.
Forget what you may have seen in old movies or heard about bush pilots as the cowboys of the air. Operators of flightseeing tours and air taxi services are seasoned and serious professionals. Go with an established company that has been offering flightseeing tours in the area for several years. Be sure to make reservations in advance if possible especially if visiting a heavily visited part of Alaska like Denali where flightseeing tours are very popular.
Tour operators will generally have a range of flights available from 30 to 90 minutes. The longer the flightseeing tour the more you will see so a 60 minute flight is recommended.
Anyplace with great scenery, which includes most of Alaska, is a good place to view from the air. But there are several spots of particular interest for flightseeing tour.
Denali of course is one of the most popular flightseeing destinations - everyone wants to get a close-up look at the big one. There are many excellent flightseeing tour and air taxi operators in the Talkeetna area with many years of experience flying in the Denali region. Many of them can also do glacier landings if you would like to have lunch on the ice. Talkeetna is a delightful little town that is a nice place to spend a weekend.
Another area that deserves special mention as an Alaska flightseeing tour destination is Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Travel to McCarthy in the center of the park by car or fly in on an air charter. McCarthy and Kennicott are rich in history and surrounded by stunning scenery. A flightseeing tour while in this area is a must. Wrangell-St. Elias is the most heavily glaciated region outside Antarctica and you have to be in the air to appreciate the vastness of these ice fields. Definitely take the longer, 90 minute flightseeing tour to allow time to get to the massive Bagley ice field.
Any coastal region in is also excellent for flightseeing tours. Valdez offers Prince William Sound which is surrounded by dramatic peaks and is rich in marine wildlife. Glacier Bay and many other parts of Southeast Alaska also offer great aerial scenery while flying over glaciers and coastlines.
The Kenai Peninsula, a great location for so many outdoor activities, is another good area to hop in a plane and see Alaska from above. Flights can be booked right out of Anchorage. It only takes minutes to leave the city behind and find yourself flying over the wilderness of Alaska.
Just don't forget to take a camera along on any flightseeing tour.
