How to travel safely to Alaska during COVID-19

Updated 2022: The State of Alaska does not require COVID-19 testing, vaccinations, or masking for travelers. However, individual businesses and communities may have their own requirements. Please check with businesses, cruise lines, and tour operators for their specific COVID-19 regulations.

Alaska has always been on my bucket list, but I never imagine experiencing its magic during a global pandemic.

I am sure we can all agree that we are living in an interesting time. The last year has been such a rollercoaster for many, especially for those working in the travel industry. Like most, I’ve been conflicted by the idea of promoting any kind of travel from local to International during a global health pandemic. What are people going to say, how do they feel about it, and what are their reactions going to be? Is it irresponsible, selfish, or even careless?

In August 2020 right after the first lockdown ended, Nash and I embarked on our first local trip. While we had mixed feelings about flying, we felt pretty safe driving. His work required him to come back into the office in San Francisco and since we’d been living with family in New Mexico it made the most sense to turn our return into a little road trip.

In all honesty, retreating into nature, especially after being pretty much on house arrest for the last 6 months, felt extremely liberating and so healing. While our road trip focused mainly on visiting national parks and a variety of stops in deserted areas, we did stay in a hotel during our 4-day trip to Sedona. It was a bit strange to stay in a hotel, simply because the experience is definitely not what it used to be, but L’Auberge de Sedona did a great job creating a safe and enjoyable environment despite all the changes and safety regulations in place.

I have been constantly debating if we should take another trip this year and after much back and forth we spontaneously decided to just do it. Since traveling is not only a big part of our lives, it has been my career path for the last two years and I needed clarity on the situation for my own sake. Foremost I was curious and wanted to experience what traveling is really like during COVID-19.

So keep reading if you want to find out more about what it is like to travel during COVID-19 and how to travel safely to Alaska.

Once you arrive at Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage and leave the gate area, passengers will be directed to a screening area. This is where you will need to show proof of your negative molecular-based COVID-19 test result and fill out the Travel Declaration Form and Self-Isolation Plan.

If you have filled out your Travel Declaration Form and Self-Isolation Plan online and uploaded your negative test results prior to your arrival, they will only ask for your phone number and check your uploaded documents before welcoming you to Alaska.

Our trip to Alaska answered many questions for me and settled my internal debate. In short, I have come to the conclusion that traveling is safe and doable when done responsibly and respectfully towards others, the country you are traveling to as well as your local community when returning home.

Although it is a requirement to get tested before traveling to Alaska, I encourage everyone to get tested before any travels regardless if your destination requires you to or not. Always be respectful by wearing a mask around others, avoid crowds, and get tested around 5 days after returning home. It is also important to isolate yourself from your local community until your results come back negative.

I think that there hasn’t been enough emphasis placed on keeping yourself physically and mentally healthy. Getting fresh air, exercise, sunshine, eating good food, laughing and the company of loved ones are what I would say are almost essentials for a healthy mind, body, and soul.

Going to Alaska was a much-needed break for both my physical and mental health as well as for those I interacted with within Alaska. Tourism in Alaska is the second-largest private-sector employer, accounting for one in eight Alaskan jobs, so you can imagine how vital tourism is to the economy and many individuals during these strange and hard times.

While I am aware of the high numbers of deaths caused by the virus, no one seems to talk about the effects it has on mental health, the countless suicides, the countries that depend on the tourism industry, and the stress of ongoing financial devastation that comes with it. Many people are struggling under the emotional weight of isolation, fighting depression, and have anxiety over the unknown future that lies ahead of them.

The beauty of Alaska is that it offers a great abundance of activities often tied to the natural and vast characteristics of its breathtaking landscape all of which can still be enjoyed in the safety of private guided tours. Glacier viewing, flightseeing, wildlife viewing, snowmachine excursions, fishing, and kayaking to mention a few.

Life has its risks. Every time you leave your home to go to the grocery store, to pump gas at the gas station, to exercise in the park, get coffee or pick up your to-go order from your favorite restaurant in town, you’re putting yourself and potentially others at risk and that applies to everyone around you going about their day.

I would even go as far as to say that it is easy to become careless in our daily routines, but when we leave our comfort zone we become more cognizant and aware of our surroundings. Maybe even hyper-aware. So once you leave your bubble and apply the same health protocols and precautions that you do going to your local grocery store with new awareness you might keep yourself even safer.

I don’t believe that locking yourself away is going to help our current situation because the reality is that the virus isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon. The faster we learn to live with it the more we can help everyone around us make a positive impact and get through this in a responsible, caring, and reasonable manner. At the end of the day, every individual has to make their own decision, so please be realistic, conscientious, and respectful travelers.