The best time to visit Anchorage

There's a lot of good reasons to include Alaska on your bucket list. The state's largest city, Anchorage, welcomes an annual influx of cruise ship passengers with golden summers prime for hiking, wildlife-watching, and joining locals in a slew of festivals filling the long daylight hours. In winter, Anchoragites embrace the snow and ice by making the most of short days with skiing, snowshoeing, mushing, and even snow sculpture.

If you're wondering when the best time is to visit Anchorage, the question really comes down to how many layers you're willing to wear, how much you want to pay for a hotel room, and whether you're hoping to catch a glimpse of spawning salmon or the aurora borealis. We've got the scoop on what Anchorage is like month to month, and how you can plan your ideal Alaskan vacation.