3 Best Alaska Rail Vacations for 2026

Last updated: December 19, 2025

In 2026, see landscapes beyond your wildest imaginings by rail.

Slow travel is giving us all the antidote to the fast pace of life we find ourselves in in 2026. So, it’s no surprise that rail vacations — a step back into the golden age of travel — are growing ever more popular.

A journey by rail is your much-needed invitation to slow down, log out, and tune back into nature. As landscapes roll by and cell service flickers out, you are truly free to enjoy the remarkable sights. And few places have better sights than Alaska.

This officially begins our new tradition: a yearly curated list of rail vacations for the year to come, selected by our in-house travel experts. These are our top three trips for 2026, each designed with you, the traveler, in mind.

Looking to visit Canada? See our partner brand Canada Rail Vacations’ list of top train tours in Canada for 2026.

Summary

If you’re short on time, here are our 3 recommendations for your 2026 Alaska rail vacation:

Exploring Denali National Park by rail and remote lodge
A winter train trip and Northern Lights viewing
The ultimate train trip through Alaska

Now, let's get into the details and discover where 2026 may take you.

Credit: Alaska Railroad, Pursuit Alaska Collection

Denali Backcountry Lodge Explorer

Is there a better way to experience Denali National Park than on a train ride, looking out at it from domed-glass windows?

How about on a guided day-hike with an expert local naturalist, a flightseeing tour beyond the Park Road’s limits, or from a helicopter-access-only lodge deep in the park’s backcountry?

Our Denali Backcountry Lodge Explorer tour combines them all.

You’ll arrive in Denali National Park onboard Alaska Railroad’s Denali Star train before taking an outstandingly scenic helicopter flight for three days at a remote lodge. Spend your time there exploring the backcountry on guided hikes, or simply relaxing amid the wilds.

At the end of your stay, you’ll return to the Denali Star train to complete your journey north to Fairbanks.

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Denali Backcountry Lodge Explorer

A luxuriously remote lodge in Denali National Park.

Credit: Alaska Railroad, 1st Alaska Tours

Alaska Aurora Rail Adventure | Bettles Lodge

As 2026 is the tentative final year of the extraordinary Aurora Borealis displays we have been experiencing, there is no better time to soak in the last of the solar storm far above the Arctic Circle.

Northern Lights viewing is immensely popular and has proven to be one of our best-selling vacations in Alaska. And, while Bettles Lodge (our stay of choice for Northern Lights viewing) sees Northern Lights all through the year, 2026 promises more frequent, vibrant displays.

We can never guarantee that the Aurora Borealis will show during your visit, but we can put you in the best place for it to happen. And that, to us, is Bettles Lodge. Connected to your point of entry by the Aurora Train, you’ll have scenery and lights to boot.

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Alaska Aurora Rail Adventure | Bettles Lodge

Take the train to the Arctic Aurora Borealis.

Credit: Alaska Railroad

Ultimate Alaska Train Vacation

This is our grandest Alaskan tour by rail, covering Kenai Fjords National Park, Prince William Sound, and Denali National Park in one magnificent trip.

You’ll tour the state onboard Alaska Railroad’s network of train lines, enjoying the vast wilderness it cuts through as you relax on the train. Hours of mountain views and miles of braided rivers accompany you as you travel. But on a train tour in Alaska, that’s a given.

For this trip, we’ve spoiled you.

As your adventure unfolds, you’ll be treated to fly-in bear viewing by float plane, a flightseeing tour over Denali National Park (with a glacier-top landing), two glacier day-cruises, and the highest class of travel available every time you step onboard the rails. This is all included by default.

And, at any point along your trip, you can choose to upgrade to our most exclusive excursions. We can fly you by helicopter to a remote glacier, where a team of sled dogs waits to mush across the ice. Or, we’ll take you to a glacial lake to kayak between icebergs, your choice.

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