My Summer as a Tour Director in Alaska

Summer 2025 is one I won’t forget. After years of building toward a tour directing career — school at IGA, conference networking, and contracts with Sun Tours — I finally landed a full summer of work with Premier Alaska Tours. Mike and I spent the season in Anchorage, and I worked. A lot. In the best way.

This post is specifically about the job and what I learned. If you want to read about our general Alaska summer adventures — the hiking, the wildlife, the life — that’s over on ItchyFeetRV.com.

What is Premier Alaska Tours?

Premier Alaska Tours is not a small operation. We’re talking 180 motorcoaches, 175 bus drivers, 125 tour directors, plus guest service representatives, office staff, and a whole support ecosystem. They are a third-party provider for nearly all of the major cruise lines — everyone except Holland America and Princess. That means on any given day you might be representing Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Viking, or someone else entirely. Each cruise line has its own culture and brand standards, and part of the job is stepping into that identity seamlessly depending on which guests are on your coach.

Fleet of Premier Alaska Tours motorcoaches lined up at staging area — Just a few of the 180 Premier motorcoaches —
this is what a standard Alaska morning looks like at the train station

It’s a well-oiled machine. And honestly? That was one of my favorite things about it. Specific processes, clear expectations, defined roles. Right up my alley.

Training: 15 Days of Intensive

Training started May 1st and ran for 15 days. The centerpiece was a five-day Familiarization Tour — a “Fam tour” in industry speak — which essentially walked us through the same experience our guests would have, so we could know it inside and out before leading it ourselves.

Full Premier Alaska Tours training class at Benny Benson Memorial — Our training class at the Benny Benson Memorial in Seward during the Fam tour

There were 40 new tour directors in our training class. Big group, big learning curve, and a lot of on-bus time from day one. But we were a team, and that made it genuinely fun. Within days we were swapping techniques, sharing notes, and helping each other nail the details.

Premier Alaska Tours group photo — The full staff of Premier Alaska Tours Directors

A visit from Daniel

One unexpected reunion during training: Daniel (one of the owners of IGA, the tour director school I attended) and his girlfriend Amit — who had been auditing our class when I went through — stopped in Anchorage after their cruise. So I got to play unofficial tour guide for a day and take them on the Anchorage trolley tour. Full circle moment!

Phyllis, with Daniel, Amit, and Beth at Lake Hood floatplane base in Anchorage — With Daniel (IGA owner), Amit, and my friend Beth at Lake Hood floatplane base

Anchorage trolley tour at earthquake park with Daniel, Amit and Beth — With Daniel (IGA owner), Amit, and my friend Beth at Lake Hood floatplane base

I’ll still recommend getting certified through IGA or a similar program before pursuing this kind of work. The Premier training was thorough, but having that foundation first made everything click so much faster.

And back to the training

The Fam tour itself covered a lot of ground — Seward, the Kenai Peninsula, Wasilla, Fairbanks, and of course Denali. We hit all the stops guests would experience, plus some extras that helped us understand the full picture of Alaska’s history and culture.

Laurie and Rochelle posing at Iditarod Trail Race headquarters sign in Wasilla — Laurie and Rochelle at Iditarod Trail Race HQ in Wasilla

We also had an incredible cultural education component. The Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage was a highlight — and a resource I drew on all summer for commentary.

Detail of ornate beaded Alaska Native parka with fox fur collar and floral embroidery — Ornate beaded Alaska Native park

Alaska Native elder in traditional dress speaking in front of Indigenous Peoples and Languages of Alaska map at Alaska Native Heritage Center — Ornate beaded Alaska Native park

Phyllis and Liz under whale bone arch at Alaska Native Heritage Center — With Liz under the whale bone arch at the Alaska Native Heritage Center

What the Job Actually Looks Like

Most of my tours were four-day itineraries — three nights on the road — and I had roughly one per week all summer. Almost all were pre-cruise tours, meaning I picked guests up at the airport in either Fairbanks or Anchorage and delivered them to their cruise ship in Whittier or Seward.

Tour directors on motorcoach during training — There is a lot of on-bus time on every tour — this is where you earn your stripes as a tour director

Premier Alaska Tours motorcoach parked at broad pass with snowy Alaska Range behind — There is a lot of on-bus time on every tour — this is where you earn your stripes as a tour director

Phyllis going to work in Anchorage — Heading to work in Anchorage

Every tour had two constants:

The Train:

Premier owns two domed train cars and partners with the Alaska Railroad to provide a gourmet meal onboard. Every tour includes at least one leg on the train, and it’s genuinely one of the highlights for guests.

Alaska Railroad train winding through spectacular mountain canyon — The Alaska Railroad winding through a mountain canyon

Alaska Railroad gold and blue locomotive pulling into station — The Alaska Railroad winding through a mountain canyon

and Denali :

Every tour stops at Denali National Park and includes a bus tour into the park. Here’s the thing about Denali — locals refer to it as “the Mountain,” and Mt. McKinley (the highest peak in North America) is only visible about 30% of the days due to cloud cover. If you’re lucky enough to see it, you join what Alaskans call the 30% Club. We had great weather most of the summer, and I’m happy to say it was well under 30% that we didn’t see the mountain. My guests were thrilled.

Mt. McKinley rising above Alaska treeline at golden hour — Mt. McKinley at golden hour — this is why people come to Alaska

Susitna River with Denali range snow-capped peaks in distance — The Denali range from the Susitna River — the scale of it never quite translates to photos

Mt. McKinley rising crystal clear above the Susitna River on a blue sky day — A bluebird day with the Mountain out in full — guests on this tour were very lucky

Mt. McKinley rising majestically over fall-colored tundra on a clear day — The Mountain over fall tundra — by late August the colors are starting to turn

Phyl selfie with vast Denali National Park tundra valley stretching behind her — Inside Denali National Park on the bus tour — that tundra goes on forever

The Perks: Optional Excursions

One of the genuinely great parts of working for a company like Premier is the encouragement to participate in optional excursions on a space-available basis. The idea is that you can’t sell what you haven’t experienced, so they want you out there doing the things. I took full advantage.

K-2 Aviation

Flying onto a glacier on the side of Mt. McKinley. True story: my headphone wasn’t plugged in, so I missed the commentary entirely — but the view made up for every lost word.

Phyllis standing in on the top of North America! Having been delivered by a red glacier plane on Mt. McKinley glacier — Standing on a glacier on the side of Mt. McKinley. No headphones, no problem — the view spoke for itself.

View of snowy Alaska peaks from red plane window — Views from the plane, Denali peak up close and glacial pools (where Windex comes from).

Aerial view of a glacier with rocky terrain and patches of blue ice, showcasing the stunning Alaskan landscape. — Views from the plane, Denali peak up close and glacial pools (where Windex comes from).

Denali ATV

The ATV tour — space available meant riding along with a guide rather than driving myself. After watching how fast she flew over that terrain, I was completely fine with being a passenger.

Line of muddy ATVs staged on Denali ATV tour — The ATV fleet lined up at a stop — this excursion is a hit with guests

ATVs kicking up dust on rocky riverbed with Alaska Range peaks behind — Kicking up dust on the riverbed with the Alaska Range behind — this is the excursion I’m glad I didn’t drive

Mahays Jetboats and Talkeetna River Guides

Rafting and jet boats on the river out of Talkeetna. Mike was able to join me on the rafting trip, which was a highlight.

Jet boat docked on Talkeetna River with historic railroad bridge at sunset

Rafting on the Talkeetna River during optional excursion

Mike smiling on the Talkeetna River raft

Quirky Dinner Theater Shows

The Cabin Nite Dinner Theater in Denali — I saw it a couple of times and it never got old.

Cabin Nite Dinner Theater performance at Denali (Scott got called up!) — Cabin Nite Dinner Theater at Denali — Scott got called up on stage! Classic.

Major Marine Wildlife Tours

The Kenai Fjords boat tour out of Seward — glaciers, wildlife, and scenery that makes you feel very small in the best way.

Mountain goat and baby kid on rocky cliffside in Alaska — Mama mountain goat and her kid on the cliffs

Tour director Scott in yellow Alaska jacket in front of tidewater glacier — Mama mountain goat and her kid on the cliffs

Dog sledding outfitters

Sled dog puppies. I have no regrets about how excited I was about this.

Khris cuddling a sled dog puppy at Denali kennels — Newborn sled dog puppies at the kennel — this excursion sells itself, and saved me with one cranky guest!

Tour director colleague holding newborn sled dog puppy at Dog-Gone-it kennels — Newborn sled dog puppies at the kennel — this excursion sells itself, and saved me with one cranky guest!

Dog sled cart pulled by huskies with guests aboard at Alaska kennel — A dog sled cart ride at the Iditarod Headquarters — the dogs are as enthusiastic as the guests

And MANY More

Over the course of the summer I also attended the Salmon Bake and Golden Heart Revue in Pioneer Park in Fairbanks, spotted beluga whales and watched surfers ride the bore tide in Turnagain Arm, went gold panning, and rode the Fairbanks riverboat six times. Six.

Phyl selfie in front of Alaska Native totem pole at Pioneer Park Fairbanks — At the Alaska Native Heritage Center — every visit taught me something new to bring back to my guests

Full whale skeleton on display at Alaska Native Heritage Center — A full whale skeleton on display — the scale of it is hard to process

The one thing I never did get? A flight up to Gates of the Arctic National Park in the Arctic Circle. Space available and I were simply never compatible on that one. Maybe someday.

The People Make It

One of the things that surprised me most about the summer was how much I enjoyed the other tour directors. Because the hotels were maxed out all over Alaska, we roomed with a different colleague every night on the road — someone you might know, or might not. Instant friends, there was plenty of opportunity to learn from each other, share what worked, and steal each other’s best stories.

I taught Scott how to knit on the motorcoach between stops. You find ways to fill the downtime.

Beth at Lake Hood floatplane base with Chugach Mountains behind — Beth at Lake Hood — the world’s busiest floatplane base, right in the middle of Anchorage

And then there were the guests. Most were cruise passengers about to embark on the trip of a lifetime, and their excitement was contagious. Some were unforgettable

The 7-Summit Club

Denali McKinley 7 Summits Club Summiter shirt at Denali area bar — The Summiter shirt says it all — these guys earned their drinks

In Talkeetna I met a group of guys who had just summited Denali as part of the 7-Summits Club, the charter which is to summit the highest peaks on each of the 7 continents. Two Russians, one Polish guy and a Ukrainian. One guy had written a book about climbing. The girl was Russian and there for support.

Phyl with group of McKinley Summiters celebrating their climb at Talkeetna Bar — With a group of 7-Summits Club climbers celebrating their Denali summit — these are moments you remember

They came straight from base camp to the bar. Buying everyone drinks. Toasting their climb. That was a good night.

The Wildlife You Can’t Plan For …

Alaska never stops surprising you. All summer long, between tours and excursions, the wildlife just showed up.

Grizzly behind fence at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center — A grizzly at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center — this is as close as I needed to get

Willow ptarmigan, Alaska state bird, standing in summer brush — A grizzly at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center — this is as close as I needed to get

Moose! Not many to be seen this summer. — Moose! Not many to be seen this summer — so this one was a treat

What I Took Away from the Summer

No complaints overall. It was a genuinely fun summer, and I got exactly what I was looking for:

I honed my tour directing skills in a way that no amount of classroom time can replicate. Doing it weekly, all summer, with real guests, real logistics, and real curveballs — that’s the education.
I padded my resume significantly. Working for a company the size of Premier, representing major cruise lines, is a credential that opens doors.
I made money — including tips, which is something I’d never really worked for before. That was a new and appreciated dynamic.

View from Alyeska ski resort looking down over Turnagain Arm — The view from Alyeska looking over Turnagain Arm — moments like this made the whole summer worth it

So Why Am I Not Going Back?

I get asked this, and the honest answer is two things.

First: Mike. A full Alaska summer means five months away, and I’m not interested in that. I have friends up there and I’m sure I could find a shared apartment easily enough — if money were my only motivation, I’d go back and tell them to fill up my schedule. But it’s not.

Second: the repetition. I became a tour director because I love variety. And going to Denali National Park once a week, every single week, for an entire summer — as spectacular as Denali is — is not variety. By August I could have delivered that commentary in my sleep. That’s not what I’m after.

Phyl with giant dahlias at Denali-area lodge cabin sign — The giant dahlias at the Denali lodge — Alaska’s long summer days produce flowers that will stop you in your tracks

Premier Alaska Tours is a fantastic company and a great launchpad. If you’re early in your tour directing career and want to build skills fast, rack up experience, and get paid to spend a summer in one of the most beautiful places on earth — I’d recommend it without hesitation. It just wasn’t the right fit for where I want to take this career long-term.

What’s Next?

I’m continuing to develop my tour directing work, and already have new opportunities in the pipeline. Follow along here on Phyl’s Journey — and if you’re curious about the Alaska summer from the RV and adventure side, head over to ItchyFeetRV.com for that story.

Have questions about working as a tour director in Alaska, or about Premier Alaska Tours specifically? Drop them in the comments — I’m happy to share what I know.

Phyl's Journey

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My Summer Working as a Tour Director in Alaska — Premier Alaska Tours