This Alaska Gondola Ride Leads To The Most Stunning Fall Foliage You've Ever Seen
By Megan McDonald|Published October 12, 2022
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Megan McDonald
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Megan McDonald is a writer, photographer, and owner of humu media, an Alaska-based digital media agency. She spends her free time traveling with her husband and daughter around the US and the world.
If you’re looking for a gondola ride in Alaska guaranteed to give you sweeping autumn views, you need to head to the Alyeska Aerial Tram. Located in Girdwood at the Alyeska Resort, this tram is open all year. So if you’re heading to the top of Alyeska for the food, the views, or just a walk around, this tram will take you and grant you a look at the seasons changing in the mountains around you!
If you're looking for the best views of the fall colors, you need to head straight to Girdwood.
Alyeska Resort offers a chance to get above it all when you ride the Alyeska Aerial Tram. This tram takes you up to the top of Mount Alyeska, riding 3,869 feet all the way to the top.
The tram will hit top speeds of 26 miles per hour as you cruise above the valley below you.
Keep your eyes peeled for the seven hanging glaciers you can spot on a clear day. They make a gorgeous contrast to the brightly colored trees you'll see as you rise above them.
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These trams are large, and each one can hold up to 60 people.
Windows span the entire tram so that no matter which side you stand on you'll have unobstructed views. The tram ride takes about 4 minutes in winter, but it takes closer to 7 minutes in the summer time, so you have a little bit longer to soak in the gorgeous landscape.
Spend some time hiking around the top of Mount Alyeska, grab a cocktail at the four diamond restaurant Seven Glaciers, or a snack at the Bore Tide Deli & Bar. There's also an observation deck that guarantees more stunning views right outside the tram building.
The Aerial Tram is open in the autumn months every day from 11:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m.
The tram ticket office is only open from 10:30 a.m. through 5:00 p.m., however, so make sure to purchase your tickets in advance. They don't sell them at the tram itself, but right inside the resort by the tram.
Ticket prices for the Alyeska Aerial Tram start at $21.00 for seniors, $28.00 for military and youth, and $38.00 per adult over the age of 19.
Children ages 5 and under ride for free! Which makes this a great family activity, especially if you're going to dine at Bore Tide Deli & Bar, a fantastic cafeteria style lunch spot that offers incredible views of the mountains and valley below.
If you have the chance to soak in these sights, don't miss out.
