United States, North America

Alaska in January

Tourist Alaska is closed outside the winter niche. Aurora trips to Fairbanks are the exception, and a spectacular one on clear nights.

Think twiceDeep winter; Anchorage highs near 23F (-5C), Fairbanks often below 0F (-18C)

Snow and ice on Denali, Alaska — AlaskaPhoto: Rickmouser45, CC BY-SA 4.0

The straight answer

January is a month to think twice about visiting Alaska. Tourist Alaska is closed outside the winter niche. Aurora trips to Fairbanks are the exception, and a spectacular one on clear nights.

Weather: Deep winter; Anchorage highs near 23F (-5C), Fairbanks often below 0F (-18C)
Crowds: 1 of 5
Prices: 1 of 5

What January is like in Alaska

January is deep winter. Anchorage highs sit near 23F (-5C), Fairbanks often drops below 0F (-18C), and daylight is short. Tourist Alaska is closed: no cruises, no glacier day boats, no Denali buses, and most seasonal lodges and cruise-town shops are shut. Anchorage and Fairbanks still function fully, and prices and crowds are at rock bottom.

This is a month to avoid for a classic Alaska trip. The one exception is an aurora trip to Fairbanks, which can be spectacular on clear nights. If you want wildlife, glaciers, and Denali, plan for June through August instead. Winter travelers should give the lights at least three nights and dress for serious cold.

Make the most of January

What is especially good about Alaska this month.

Northern lights from Fairbanks

Long, dark, clear nights give some of the best aurora odds on Earth. Get away from town lights and let the forecast set your bedtime.

Dog mushing and hot springs

Fairbanks runs a real winter economy with kennel visits and the soak at the end of the Chena Hot Springs road.

Empty, cheap hotels

Anchorage and Fairbanks rooms cost a fraction of summer rates.

What to pack for January

An expedition-weight parka and insulated pants
Insulated winter boots rated well below zero
Thermal base layers, a warm hat, and mittens
Hand and toe warmers for long aurora nights
A tripod for aurora photos

Our timing tip

Book at least three nights in the Fairbanks area and plan naps in the afternoon so you can stay up for the aurora after midnight.

Book Alaska for January.

Sponsored links to Expedia and Vrbo. We may earn a commission; it never changes a verdict.

Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in Alaska
Opens a hotel search for Alaska in January, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
Hotels for January
Vacation rentals. Vrbo
Vacation rentals in Alaska
Whole homes, condos and villas. Usually the better deal for families and groups, with a kitchen and room to spread out.
Rentals on Vrbo
Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in Alaska
Timed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in Alaska for January. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Tours and tickets

What's on in January

Aurora season

Late August through April, best on clear dark nights around the equinoxes

Fairbanks and the Interior offer some of Earth's most dependable aurora odds, given patience and clear skies.

Things to do in Alaska

Full guide

Denali National Park

Private cars are barred beyond the road's first stretch; park transit and tour buses run roughly late May to mid September, and that is the season. Book buses and nearby lodging early.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Kenai Fjords glacier-and-whale cruise from Seward

Day boats run roughly May through September to calving tidewater glaciers, with whales, otters, and puffins en route. Dress for 20 degrees colder than Anchorage.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Bear viewing at Brooks Falls or Lake Clark

Fly-in day trips put you at close, managed range from wild brown bears. July is the famous salmon-run peak at Brooks Falls; book far ahead.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

The Alaska Railroad

The Anchorage-to-Denali and Anchorage-to-Seward runs are two of the world's great train rides, operating on a summer-heavy schedule with limited winter service.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

An Inside Passage cruise

Glacier Bay, whales, and roadless towns like Juneau and Ketchikan. The season runs roughly late April to October; May and September sailings cost less.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Matanuska Glacier and the Glenn Highway

A day-trip-scale taste of glacier country from Anchorage, with guided glacier walks available in season.

Tickets and tours →

Beat the crowds

Shift to the shoulders: the first half of June or the last week of August into early September delivers most of peak Alaska with noticeably fewer people and better prices.
In cruise towns, the crowd is the ship schedule. Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan swell by thousands at midday, so do town sights before 10am or after 4pm and spend midday on a trail or the water.
Book the bottlenecks first: Denali buses, Brooks Falls lodging and flights, and Kenai Fjords boats sell out for peak July weeks months in advance, while the rest of the trip can be planned around them.
Drive-it-yourself Alaska beats the package-tour flow: the Kenai Peninsula, the Glenn Highway, and Hatcher Pass are spectacular and largely ignored by the motorcoach circuit.

Know before you go

Most of tourist Alaska effectively closes from October to April. Wilderness lodges, glacier day boats, seasonal hotels, and many restaurants in cruise towns shut entirely, and skeleton winter schedules replace summer transport.
Denali's park road runs on a hard season: transit and tour buses operate roughly late May to mid September, and private vehicles are barred beyond the first stretch of road year-round. Note also that a landslide has closed part of the road in recent years, so check the park's current road status when planning.
Cruise season runs roughly late April to October. Outside it, ships are gone and the most ship-dependent towns, Skagway above all, go into hibernation with many businesses shuttered.
Winter is not closed everywhere: Anchorage and Fairbanks function fully year-round, and Fairbanks builds a real winter economy around aurora tourism, dog mushing, and the Chena Hot Springs road.

Alaska in January, quick answers

Is January a good time to visit Alaska?

January is a month to think twice about visiting Alaska. Tourist Alaska is closed outside the winter niche. Aurora trips to Fairbanks are the exception, and a spectacular one on clear nights.

What is the weather like in Alaska in January?

Deep winter; Anchorage highs near 23F (-5C), Fairbanks often below 0F (-18C).

Is Alaska crowded in January?

January is one of the quieter months in Alaska; most sights can be done without long waits.

What is happening in Alaska in January?

Aurora season (late august through april, best on clear dark nights around the equinoxes).