Denali is simply one of the most magical places in the world. If you’re looking for untouched natural beauty, it’s hard to find a more intriguing place than this part of Alaska.
However, there’s simply too much to see in one trip if traveling by land. If you want to get some of the best views of the park, we highly recommend going on a flight tour.
We’ve done our research to bring you the top flight tours of Denali National Park available that will be worth your time and money!
Be sure to see our reviews of Denali Park ATV Tours.
Best Flight Tours of Denali Park
| Denali 1-Hour Flight Experience From Talkeetna | Grand Denali Flight with Optional Glacier Landing From Talkeetna | Denali Southside Explorer Scenic Air Tour From Talkeetna | |
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| Departure Point: | Corner of E 2nd Street and South Terminal Way | 14212 E 2nd St, Talkeetna | Log building at the Talkeetna State Airport |
| Departure Time: | Variety Available | Variety Available | Variety Available |
| Duration: | 1 hour | 1.5 to 2 hours | 1 to 1.5 hours |
| Includes: | Window seat, headsets to hear the pilot guide, welcome coffee, tea, or cocoa, overboots provided for glacier landing | Courtesy pickup/drop-off within a 2-mile radius of the Talkeetna Air Taxi office/downtown Talkeetna, window seat, personal headset to listen, pilot's expert narration, 30-minute glacier landing | Each passenger get a window seat & headset to listen to your pilot's expert narration, courtesy pickup/drop-off within a 2 mile radius of Talkeetna |
Quick Answer: The 5 Best Rated Flight Tours of Denali Park for 2024
- Denali 1-Hour Flight Experience From Talkeetna
- Grand Denali Flight with Optional Glacier Landing From Talkeetna
- Denali Southside Explorer Scenic Air Tour From Talkeetna
- Denali 75-Minute Flight Experience From Talkeetna
- Grand Denali Flight Tour with Optional Glacier Landing From Talkeetna
Denali National Park Flightseeing Tour Reviews
1. Denali 1-Hour Flight Experience From Talkeetna
- Duration: 1 hour
- Departure: Corner of E 2nd Street and South Terminal Way
- Departure Time: Variety Available
- Includes: Window seat, headsets to hear the pilot guide, welcome coffee, tea, or cocoa, overboots provided for glacier landing (if option selected)
First up, we bring you the Talkeetna: Denali Sightseeing Flight Experience. Lasting 1 to 1.5 hours (depending on traffic, weather, and other circumstances), it’s super easy to fit into just about any schedule. Limited to just 10 participants, you can count on a personalized experience with the ability to learn from an experienced guide/pilot.
Meet at the tour start location, and meet with your guide/pilot who will get you acquainted with the aircraft and fill you in on any safety information. Before you fly, they’ll welcome you with a delicious, warm beverage like coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.
Sip on it by the lodge-style office fireplace. It feels like you’re hanging out at a friend’s house and is the perfect way to start off the tour. You’ll watch a brief-yet-comprehensive flight video in the office theater which will give you a good idea of what to expect and answer any questions you may have.
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After you watch, follow your pilot to the aircraft and sit down in a window seat. Before taking off, your pilot will conduct a safety check, check your microphones, and make sure you can hear them well on your headset.
Then, you’re off toward the Alaska Range! You’ll first fly over the stunning Susitna Valley, where you’ll keep your eyes peeled for moose, bears, and other giants.
Once you get over the range, your pilot will show you some of the most impressive lookout points while providing interesting stories, historical accounts, and personal anecdotes before heading close to the Denali summit. As it’s not always possible to see Denali (the mountain) from land, this is something really special!
You’ll then see the Tokositna Glacier Valley and the various notorious peaks close by. Before landing, you’ll get to see The Great Gorge, which ranks as the world’s deepest! By any view it’s impressive, but from way up high in the sky, it looks unreal!
Tour Information & Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
2. Grand Denali Flight with Optional Glacier Landing From Talkeetna
- Duration: 1.5 to 2 hours
- Departure: 14212 E 2nd St, Talkeetna
- Departure Time: Variety Available
- Includes: Courtesy pickup/drop-off within a 2-mile radius of the Talkeetna Air Taxi office/downtown Talkeetna, window seat, personal headset to listen, pilot’s expert narration, 30-minute glacier landing (if option chosen)
The Talkeetna: Grand Denali Flight with Optional Glacier Landing tour is designed to impress, and take you on an adventure unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.
This one is just a bit longer than our previous tour, clocking in at around 1.5 to 2 hours long. There are many similarities to our first tour, but as you read on will come to see their unique differences.
You’ll start off by arriving at the tour meetup spot and check in to their unique, log cabin office. They offer a courtesy pickup/drop-off within 2 miles of the office. It feels like you’re coming to visit family or friends, with their cozy office designed to make you feel welcome.
Your pilot will greet you and the rest of your group, providing a weather and safety briefing before you get started. Once everyone is on the same page, you’ll board your high-wing, single-engine aircraft.
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There’s no need to be worried, as these pilots are highly-trained and very experienced in the Denali area. You’ll travel towards the center of the Alaska Range for never-before-seen views of Mother Nature in all its glory.
The pilot will take you through 1-2 passes on each side of Denali so you can see the summit (which isn’t often possible through other methods of transportation).
You’re sure to be impressed once you see the legendary Wickersham Wall, which towers a whopping 13,658 feet! If you’d like, you can opt for a Denali glacier landing to play in the snow and take incredible photos from the ground.
Tour Information & Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
3. Denali Southside Explorer Scenic Air Tour From Talkeetna
- Duration: 1 to 1.5 hours
- Departure: Log building at the Talkeetna State Airport
- Departure Time: Variety Available
- Includes: Each passenger gets their own window seat and personal headset to listen to your pilot’s expert narration, courtesy pickup/drop-off within a 2 mile radius of the Talkeetna Air Taxi office/downtown Talkeetna
Are you looking for an exhilarating Denali sightseeing flight that’s perfect for the whole family? Perhaps you’re traveling in a group of people that are all looking for an adrenaline rush with amazing views? If that sounds like you, take a good look at the Talkeetna: Denali Southside Explorer Scenic Air Tour.
Lasting from 1 hour to 1.5 hours, it’s super easy to fit into even the busiest of schedules. If you’re close to the office or downtown Talkeetna, the tour company does offer a courtesy pickup/drop-off within a 2-mile radius which makes things a lot more convenient.
Limited to groups of 10 people, maximum, you can expect a personalized experience you’re sure to want to repeat again and again! Once you arrive to the cozy cabin office, you’ll check in and be offered a safety and weather briefing.
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These briefings will let you know what to expect when you’re in the air. The guides are incredibly knowledgeable and are such a pleasure to chat with and ask any questions you may have. If you choose the glacier landing option, they’ll also provide you with glacier boots and other required gear.
Hang out for a moment on the deck as you wait for your flight to be ready for you. Then, board the aircraft, make sure all microphones and headsets are properly working, and you’re off! Everyone gets a window seat, so you have a full aerial view of the wonders below.
As you pass by the Alaska Range and notable landmarks such as The Great Gorge, Don Sheldon Amphitheater, and Ruth Glacier, your guide will provide an interesting narration on their history.
Tour Information & Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
4. Denali 75-Minute Flight Experience From Talkeetna
- Duration: 75 to 105 minutes
- Departure: Corner of E 2nd Street and South Terminal Way
- Departure Time: Variety Available
- Includes: Hotel pickup and drop-off, flight tour with pilot/guide, window seat for every guest, two-way headsets, coffee, tea, and cocoa
Our next tour is a little bit different from the others we’ve covered so far, and lasts anywhere from 75 to 105 minutes. The Talkeetna: Denali 75-Minute Flight Experience will show you not only Denali, but Little Switzerland, Kahiltna Glacier, and much more! If you want to see the Alaskan wilderness in a short amount of time, this is an excellent way to do so.
Once you arrive on site of your tour’s office, you’ll check in at their cute office while enjoying either a coffee, tea, or hot chocolate by their crackling fireplace. Here, they’ll turn on a short flight video that will offer insight into how your flight will go and answer most questions.
Then, the guide/pilot will give you a safety briefing and tell you about the weather conditions for that day. Follow your pilot out to the deck, where you’ll be assigned a window seat and test your mics. Take off toward the towering Alaska Range, first flying over the deep Susitna Valley.
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This valley is home to many big wildlife, like moose and bears. The pilots love sharing their own personal anecdotes of the critters they’ve seen in this area and are great at spotting them for all to see.
You’ll fly within just 6 miles of the Denali summit – a towering, ominous experience! Head up to the Tokisitna Glacier before you turn to the 44-mile-long Kahiltna. This is the longest in the national park and one of the longest in the world. You may even get to see some mountain climbers up there!
You’ll then head east by Mount Huntington and see the south face of enormous Denali. If you choose, at this time you’ll also land on a glacier within the national park. The one you land on depends on the weather and the pilot’s discretion.
Tour Information & Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
5. Grand Denali Flight Tour with Optional Glacier Landing From Talkeetna
- Duration: 1.5 to 2 hours
- Departure: Corner of E 2nd Street and South Terminal Way
- Departure Time: Variety Available
- Includes: Pilot, narrated flight, window seat, two-way headset
We couldn’t leave off the Talkeetna: Grand Denali Flight Tour with Optional Glacier Landing! If you’re an adrenaline junkie or simply want to experience Denali in a completely unique way, this is it! Lasting up to 2 hours long, you are in the hands of an experienced pilot who knows this park incredibly well.
Once in Talkeetna, the crew will pick you up and take you to their log cabin-style office. Once you’re here, you can get comfortable next to their fireplace while sipping on a hot coffee, tea, or hot chocolate while watching a brief flight video.
This video will show you what to expect on your aircraft and then your pilot will give you a safety briefing. Then, you’ll all be ready to board and take your window seat! These are some of the best views around!
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Your first sight will be the Susitna Valley, where your pilot will help you spot some moose and/or bears! It’s not guaranteed, but there is a very high chance that you’ll see one or the other.
Then, head to the Alaska Range and onto the Tokisitna Glacier and Kahiltna Glacier, which is the longest in the park. Your guide will then take you behind Mount Hunter and Mount Foraker.
Check out the popular “hard mountain” called ‘Moose’s Tooth’. One of the most iconic formations in all of North America, it stands over 10,000 feet tall just by the Ruth Gorge entrance.
Next, enjoy the “open air” environment of the Don Sheldon amphitheater which is often considered to be one of the unofficial wonders of the world! This tour also includes an optional glacier landing to make it more “real” and offer amazing photo ops!
Tour Information & Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
Denali National Park Tour Guide
Getting There –
There are 3 major methods of transportation to Denali National Park: car, train, or bus. There are no local airports, but Fairbanks is 120 miles a way and Anchorage is 240 miles.
You could fly to one of them and then rent a car, or take the train or bus to get to Denali. However, you’re likely going to be staying in Healy, which is just about 15 to 20 minutes away from Denali.
We recommend the train, just because it’s so cozy, smooth, and comfortable. Plus, it’s a great way to see Alaska from large windows!
Getting Around –
Getting around Denali Park is surprisingly easy, considering the varying and sometimes extreme terrain. However, there are very well-paved paths throughout a large portion of the park and during the summertime, private vehicles can drive through the first 15 miles of the road out to Savage River. This is a great way to potentially see wild animals hanging around in their natural habitats, along with the obvious natural beauty that the park has to offer.
Aside from private vehicles, there’s also the option of taking the affordable transit buses that stop intermittently to view wildlife, for rests, and more. Alternatively, you have free buses and narrated tour buses.
In order to get past the first 15 miles, you’ll have to be on a bus, bike, or on foot. Biking is a lot of fun in the summertime, with soft, paved hills. Walking is nice too, but can genuinely get tiresome after the first few miles.
Where to Stay –
Despite being pretty remote, there are quite a few lodging options if you’re going to be exploring Denali Park. You can find something to fit just about any budget, from hostel cabins and more affordable roadhouses to luxury hotels on the side of the mountains.
If you’re going with a significant other, the Denali Crow’s Nest Cabins are romantic, luxurious, and have fantastic views. If you have your RV with you, the Denali Rainbow Village RV Park & Motel is the way to go. If you’re going with the entire family, check out the Healy Heights Family Cabins. They’re family-friendly and have a lot of extra space and beds.
Restaurants and Eating Out –
We said it before, and we’ll say it again: Denali has some incredible food. Let’s take a look at some of the best-rated restaurants that we also approve of!
229 Parks Restaurant and Tavern – Located inside a charming little log cabin on the side of the road, it shows off a wide array of different Alaskan cuisines, from rich seafood to seasonal produce. It may not look like a big deal from the outside, but it is high in demand so make sure to book ahead.
Rose’s Café – Made to refuel during long trips, it’s family-owned and operated and is perfect for starting your day off early. They’re always ready to serve you delicious coffee, soup, eggs benedict, and more at the crack of dawn with a smile on their faces!
Moose-AKA’s – This restaurant manages to transport you to Europe, with Serbian/Eastern European influences! Fried crepes and schnitzel are a couple of the most popular dishes here, but you’re sure to try something you’ve never had before.
The Black Bear – Featured on Food Network as the “Best Coffee House in Alaska”, it’s been going strong for over 2 decades now. Always busy in the mornings, it’s known for its avocado toast, freshly-baked pastries, and rich coffee.
Nightlife and Entertainment –
Denali and the surrounding area isn’t going to be your typical city where you find clubs and bars everywhere. However, there are still some solid entertainment options available. You’ll find that the Denali Park Salmon Bake is the place to go for live music and dancing in the evening, and honestly it’s worth it!
Fannie Q’s Saloon offers more of that old-school saloon feel with a modern twist! Delicious breakfast, lunch, and dinner is available and in the evening they always book talented live entertainment.
Karstens Public House is perfect if you’re a craft beer aficionado (or just enjoy a good brew). With 12 local brews on tap and fresh cocktails available, sip on something new while enjoying the view outside or chatting with the friendly locals.
For tourists, the Cabin Nite Dinner Theater is a must-see, with a top-notch musical revue about the gold rush era. Not only do they provide a show, but dinner as well. Oh, and they don’t skimp on the food! If you’re looking for a good time for the whole family, this is it.
Princess Cruises has a big influence in the area, and they have their own evening show called ‘The Music of Denali’. Each show lasts about an hour, and the dinner 2 hours. It’s a fun time and a great excuse to get dressed up.
Weather –
While Denali is undoubtedly beautiful no matter the time of year, we highly recommend going in the summer months. Summers can get to over 75 degrees Fahrenheit, but can be a bit chilly and overcast at times as well. However, during the colder months it’s outright frigid, icy, and snowy and can drop down to around -11 degrees!
Tips –
- You can’t travel the entire Denali Park road by private vehicle. However, there are times where the weather is really nice and they open up the first 30 miles!
- Expect any type of weather, at any time. This means we highly recommend packing a warm coat or jacket, warm gloves, head coverings, along with boots that will keep your feet dry. Even in the middle of summer, it can snow.
- Visit the sled dogs! Did you know that Denali is the only national park that has a team of working sled dogs? If you visit during the summer you can go and see their kennels! They’re so adorable and friendly, and it’s a can’t-miss.
- Plan for more than 1 day. Denali is just so massive and has so much to offer, you’re sure to want to go back and check out even more. Although you’ll undoubtedly see a lot through your ATV tours, you’ll likely want to go hiking or even take a bus deeper into the park.
- ATV Tours. To see Denali from the ground there is no better way to see the park is with an ATV tour. You be able to see the wildlife and explore the park up close and personal.
Sites Seen
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Value
The Denali 1-Hour Flight Experience From Talkeetna is our Editors Choice for the best flightseeing tour of Denali National park
