Denali Photo Excursion
Recommended by 93% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Denali National Park, USA
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Alaska’s landscapes are ones to be remembered and this photography tour helps you capture its beauty. Meet up with your guide, who is a professional photographer, and learn how to capture panoramic views, reflective ponds, and local wildlife at top locations. No matter what type of camera gear you have—even camera phones are welcome—your guide provides one-on-one attention to help you capture the best photos. Hotel pickup is included for added convenience.
- Capture the beauty of Denali on a photography tour
- A small group means more attention from your guide
- Get tips and tricks to capture the best photos
- Tripods and filters are provided by your guide
What's Included
- Professional tripods and filters are provided. Digital cameras with long zoom lens are available to rent, and guests keep the memory card.
- Air-conditioned vehicle
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Transportation is provided to and from all Denali area hotels. Tours begin upon pick up; there is no shuttling and no caravanning. Tours travel to multiple locations in a luxury truck that is easy to get in and out of.
What To Expect
1
Denali National Park and Preserve
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Participants must be able to get in and out of the truck. Wheelchairs and other mobility devices may be stored in the truck.
- Maximum weight limit is 300 lbs.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 4 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.8
based on 190 reviews
Christina_B, Oct 2025
I learned a lot a my guide gave me the confidence to stay in manual mode.
I am making a coffee table and would like to include your company.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you for your review. Please send an email to info@denaliphoto.com with more details regarding the coffee table. We're glad you joined us, learned some great tips, and gained confidence with your camera.
sheriwrite, Sep 2025
It was advertised that cameras were available for rent and tripods were also available. My camera had not charged sufficiently but no offer was made to use a different camera. In all fairness, I had not asked. The tour guide gave me a quick lesson on taking photos with my cell phone and editing my photos. I went with this tour because I assumed the guide would be able to take us to see wildlife if the mountain was covered in clouds, which it was. We drove around for 3 hours with only two photo stops to take landscape photos. No wildlife was spotted. $400 was a lot of money to spend for a few landscape photos. Since we saw no wildlife on our excursion, I guess the use of a tripod was a moot point. When we got back, another lady staying at our hotel showed me photos she had taken the same morning of Mount McKinley taken inside the park. This tour uses public roads outside of the park. It was disappointing to learn that I could have photographed to mountain had we gone to the park, instead. The guide was friendly and tried to spot wildlife. It was disappointing that nothing appeared. We did a morning excursion hoping for wildlife activity. Perhaps the excursion should depart earlier than 8:00 AM.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
We are glad you found us and thank you for sharing your thoughts. We’re sorry your experience did not match your expectations. We do have cameras available for rent upon request, and we use tripods when appropriate. If you had asked for a rental camera in advance, we could have arranged one for you. Our motto is, “the best camera is the one you have,” and our guides are great at helping guests with tips and tricks to get the most out of their own camera and equipment. Our tours focus on landscape photography. Our guides are excellent spotters and will stop for wildlife photography opportunities when possible. However, due to the unpredictable nature of wildlife activity, we do not guarantee wildlife sightings on tours. There are very few locations for viewing the Mountain, and they are very far apart. Weather conditions change frequently and can vary widely between the National Park, area lodging, and locations we go to photograph. These things are outside of our control, but we work with the conditions that we’re given to the best of our ability. We are glad that you had a nice experience with your guide and hope that what you learned will stay with you during the rest of your trip and beyond.
Michael_C, Sep 2025
Excellent opportunity to explore local environment with a friendly and knowledgeable guide. Off the beaten path
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you for your review.
Jim_S, Sep 2025
We learned a lot about taking great pictures easily and editing them something as easy as an iPhone. Our guide took us some great places and showed us how to take photos that captured the essence of the scene.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience. We're glad you joined us.
Tracey_B, Aug 2025
‘Amazing’ was the word of the day. There were 4 people on the trip with Josh, the guide. We’d take photos based on his advice then share our snaps with each other. Saw a swan take flight from a reflective pool with the mountains in the background… amazing. Backlit Denali… amazing. Alaska scenery… amazing. We shot with our iPhone 13 and 16, the other party had an iPhone and a Canon dslr… Josh was well versed in getting the most out of each. A great experience!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Such a special experience to see the swans! Thank you for your review.
Philip_J, Aug 2025
Went off the beaten path for things to photograph. Really knew photoography. Even had things for an iPhone to work with.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you for your review.
grahamanneyork, Jul 2025
Jack Lee was my guide and he was excellent. He discussed my level of camera experience and proceeded to take me to sights which were a great summary of what Alaska has to offer, including Mt Denali.
Jack discussed framing a photo, exposure etc to maximise the image in many situations. I now have some excellent images.
As well as photography hints, he shared the history of Alaska, mountain formations and the local people.
I recommend Jack and this tour as you are taken to places you would never be able to find if you were self driven.
Yes, I would certainly endorse this tour with Jack.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Being able to see and photograph Denali is so special. We love knowing you had a great experience and were able to capture excellent photo memories.
Rachel_S, Jul 2025
Learned so much! Paul was wonderful and we had a great time. We talked about DSLR and iPhone photography (since that’s what both parties had). The landscapes we were taken to were beautiful! Just keep in mind that the tour does NOT enter the park.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
It's great to hear you enjoyed your excursion and learned great photography tips. Thank you for your review.
Alice_T, Jul 2025
Paul, our guide, was wonderful. He shared his knowledge of photography and the area. He encouraged us to practice our photography skills, with his guidance, regarding composition and camera settings.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for your review. We love knowing you had a great experience.
Barb_M, Jul 2025
We had an amazing experience, Paul was an outstanding guide. There were 4 people on the tour and we got as much personal attention as needed. Great if using a camera or a cell phone camera. We got to go to beautiful sites that we would have not known about. Paul was patient and a great teacher!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Our guides know the best locations and have great tips. Thank you for sharing your experience.
IRENE_F, Jul 2025
Our photo tour leader, Boom, offered us a refund if we chose not to go out in the driving rain. Very pleasant man, so we were sorry to take him up on it. Shortly after, the entire resort lost power for 4 to 5 hours.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience and for your kind words. Boom is a great guide. It was a sudden, intense storm that knocked out power in several areas, including our location. We rarely cancel tours due to weather, choosing to accept the challenge that weather provides and the opportunity for dynamic photography on the edge of the storm.
Jeffrey_L, Jul 2025
The trip was fun, our guide was knowledgeable about the area and subject matter. I learned and saw a lot.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for your review. We are glad you joined us.
Carol_S, Jun 2025
You will get to experience beautiful spots without crowds. Jack was fully knowledgeable in variety of cameras and very helpful will cell phone photo use
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for your review! We're glad you joined us.
Timothy_W, Jun 2025
If I could give 6 stars, I would. This turned out to be exactly what I had hoped when I booked it.
They punctually picked me up at one of the many hotels right outside Denali and helped me load my camera gear into the truck. These photo tours have a maximum of four guests, so there was plenty of space in the truck for all our gear and the truck they used was large enough that we were comfortable.
I had Paul as my guide and let me tell you, he is amazing at his job. He first had us all tell our photography experience and what we wanted to get out of the tour so he could custom cater it for a personalized experience. Paul is a master at his craft and offered to give as much or as little advice as we wanted. 2 of the other guests on this trip were borderline professional photographers, so when it became obvious that they didn't need any pointers, he let them work at their own pace. I'm no photo newb, but I did want a little help with composition tips while I was out and Paul did a fantastic job.
I never felt rushed, I never felt like was patronized, it was everything I wanted from this experience. Paul was incredibly knowledgeable about the region, about camera settings, and photography as an art as well as being passionate about his job and being outdoors. If I had never taken a single picture in my life or if I was contracted with NatGeo for their covers, I would've had a great time.
We went to several gorgeous locations that I never would have known about without booking this trip and I learned a lot about Denali and picked up a few tips and tricks for my photos from Paul.
All in all, no matter what your level of photography is, this excursion is right for you. I cannot recommend this enough; if you decide to book it, you will not leave disappointed.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Our tours are for all skill levels and your review perfectly explained why! We're so happy you joined us. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Robin_R, Jun 2025
Our guide did his best to bring value to our 3-hour excursion (spotted a moose and two calves), but the truth is that the weather was so gray and so dismal the excursion should have been canceled. The guide showed us some places with scenic value but the lighting was so bad we really did not come home with much to show for it.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for your review, we appreciate your feedback. During tours the weather often changes quickly and significantly due to the effect of the mountains in the Alaska range. This can create amazing photo opportunities as it builds and breaks. Just as easily the weather can settle in creating an experience that we are unable to predict or control. We regret that conditions were not in favor of great photography during your tour. We are so glad you were able to experience moose and beautiful scenery during your excursion and hope you had a wonderful Alaska experience.
Debbie_E, May 2025
This was an amazing experience! Paul Martin was fabulous! He took us to locations that allowed us to capture some amazing landscapes and animals.
More importantly, he taught us how to best utilize our cameras that will carry forward through the rest of our trip and beyond!
Response from Host, May 2025
Thank you for joining us and for your review. We love knowing that you had a great experience.
cheryl_s, May 2025
Excellent and personal. Great choice of locations and wildlife for shots. Great knowledge of camera use choices and settings. Beautiful and fun while better learning about our cameras and cell phone camera
Response from Host, May 2025
Thank you! Our small group sizes are great for a more personal experience. We're glad you were able to join us.
Tanya_C, Sep 2024
My husband and I had the best time and learned so much. I was trying out my first digital camera and my husband was learning things to do on his phone camera. Our guide was super chill, patient and knowledgeable. I'm embarrassed to say we didn't get his name and are very regretful of this. The weather was not as we had hoped, but he more than made up for it and even allowed me to try a couple of his lenses on my new camera. I'm super stoked to get back into photography.
Rebecca_W, Sep 2022
My experience never happened. They got my time mixed up and no one was available to take me out. They offered a different time but we had other plans.
Dwight_S, Aug 2022
This small group tour was in a truck with another couple. The driver never asked if the temperature in the vehicle was good, and it was hot. The driver never offered to store our extra gear in the back so our backpacks and extra camera gear bags we in our laps or under our feet also. The driver just drove us around looking for wildlife. It didn't appear that he had a destination in mind. We didn’t see anything. 4 hour ride in a packed warm space.
Response from Host, Aug 2022
Dear Dwight,
Thank you for your feedback. We are very sorry that your photo tour experience did not live up to your expectations.
We limit our tours to a group size of 4 and operate with luxury Toyota Tundra crew max trucks. We find this enables better opportunities for photographing wildlife and landscapes with a deeper connection to the nature of the Denali area. Our trucks are very spacious with extended leg room for all seats. We are sorry that your guide forgot to clearly offer to store your extra gear in the back of the truck, often our guests prefer to keep their gear with them so that it is accessible throughout the tour, but it is of course always an option to place gear in the back of the truck. We are also very sorry that you were uncomfortable with the temperature. Our guides of course want you to the enjoy the experience and feel at ease, and our guests are always welcome to speak up if they need anything at all during the tour. Denali Photo Excursions are designed to be very engaging and interactive between our guides and guests, this allows us to personalize the experience for everyone we take on tours. We always want our guests to feel comfortable to share their interests and needs so that we can do our best to exceed expectations. Please accept our apologies if there was miscommunication about the temperature and options for storing gear.
Without knowing the date of this tour or the conditions, our guess is that the light may have been flat and the weather challenging, in which case, our guides do prioritize scouting for wildlife as we can tend to see more during such times and that does take our focus when landscape opportunities are lacking due to difficult weather. We operate in all weather conditions and part of the challenge of guiding with Denali Photo Guides is finding the best locations no matter the conditions. Some days it works, and some days are really tough. If only we could control the weather, light and wildlife activity, how wonderful that would be for all of us!
We really appreciate your business and the fact that you chose us out of all the activities in Denali. If you would like to talk about this further, please reach out to us at info@denaliphoto.com.
Randall_L, Aug 2022
Todd did an outstanding and professional job reviewing basic manual and advanced photography skills and driving us clients to some wonderful spots near DeNali National Park where we were able to put our new skills to use and practice them. It would have been nearly impossible to find a more knowledgeable instructor than Todd. Tour money very well spent!
Response from Host, Aug 2022
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! Everyone at Denali Photo Guides was thrilled to hear you enjoyed yourself, especially Todd. We always try to make our Photo Tours as fun, engaging and informative as possible, and we are so glad you had a great time and were able to put new skills to use. Did you know we offer a Midnight Sun Photo Excursion? We would love for you to come back in the future and experience that with us! We hope to see you again and in the meantime, wish you all the best on your photography journey.
Patricia_D, Aug 2022
Pilot Bob was every informative with a funny sense of humor. Even though we couldn’t see the top of Denali, we saw all sides of it. The glaciers were amazing and the blue ice was beautiful. Smoothest landing of all my flights!
Sergey_A, Aug 2021
The trip was cancelled 45 minutes before start saying bad weather conditions though weather and visibility were good
Response from Host, Aug 2021
Hi Sergey, when there is poor weather (rain or high percentage of cloud cover) in the areas where we will be going for our excursion, we always call our guests in advance to give them the option to rebook (if their itineraries allow) or receive a full refund. Because weather changes so quickly, we cannot do this days in advance, it is always a decision close to tour time. Our excursions go to the other side of a mountain pass from where the area hotels are, which means it could be clear and blue skies above your hotel and completely flat light and rain where we will actually be going. Our guides have years of experience being in the terrain and reading the radar to understand the light and weather and how it will impact our locations. We never want to exploit our guests and force them to go if we know we will not be able to deliver the quality of images we are proud of and known for. We want every excursion to exceed expectations and to give our guests all of the information and the opportunity to get a refund before going on the tour if they will be disappointed with flat light. Our guides are always happy to go, no matter the conditions and can focus on learning opportunities if the conditions are not good for "epic" shots. You were given these same options and chose a refund. We are sorry for any misunderstanding, our intention was to respect you and your financial investment. Thank you
Linda_J, Jul 2021
Amazing tips and info. I learned a few things about my camera’s function that hadn’t tried to use before. They took us to places to get photos that we would not have otherwise been able to see. Highly recommended l! Thanks to Todd fir a great trip!!
Response from Host, Aug 2021
Hi Linda, our goal is for folks to learn, no matter how experienced they are! We are really glad you got so much out of the experience. Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review!
Subhajoy_D, Jul 2021
The guide was actually fine and knowledgeable but the inordinate amount of time spent teaching basics of operating a DSLR to a noob group was off putting. Also we covered only three locations and only one of them was really worth taking any quality pictures. Would not recommend for slightly advanced photographers or those looking for quick tour of majestic vistas.
Response from Host, Jul 2021
We are sorry to hear your experience did not meet your expectations. We do not screen participants prior to our excursions which means we can have mixed experience levels in the group and our guides work hard to offer individualized feedback to meet each guest at their level. Information that may have seemed basic for you, may have been very helpful for someone else. For future reference, we do offer custom tours and often work with highly skilled and professional photographers who benefit a lot from their time with us. We wish you all the best in your future adventures with photography.
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