Alaska by land for first-timer?

I didn't want a cruise, either, and wasn't interested in driving.
This tour did the trick for me, it was great!
https://www.odysseys-unlimited.com/tours/north-america/alaskas-untamed-wilderness/

I would not do Alaska in May. It is best to go in the Summer. Also, I wouldn't drive there.

We did an Alaska cruise that ended in Seward and then picked up a great tour with Alaska Tours and Travel. We did Denali and loved it. Also, we spent some time in Anchorage. We booked the train from Denali back to Anchorage, but it was canceled due to a rock slide.

What's wrong with late May? I want to avoid the crowds and I've heard June-August is crazy busy. I like slow travel.

As a born and raised Alaskan, I love it when people say they want to rent a car rather than do a cruise. The problem with May is you may not get into Denali NP. The road is dependent on staff and snow, one of which is not there in May and the other which is there in abundance! Plan your trip for June and know that the word "crowd" is subjective in the largest state of the Union.

When booking the park service bus (the only way to get into the park), choose the narrated bus tour. The biologist bus will stop at all animal sightings and have cameras for zooming in on the animals.

Within the Anchorage/Mat-Sue Valley area, there are dozens of very easy hikes. No need to take heavy hiking boots (unless you want them). I was in AK three times last year and used my waterproof Keen shoes for multiple hikes.

Kenai, Seward, and Homer are all great choices south of Anchorage, with plenty of places to stop on the way.

Very easy to rent a car and tour. I also think you need to worry less about crowds and more about weather and accessibility.

We have done it twice. First time in Late June, cruise from Vancouver to Seward, then rent an RV and drive Anchorage to Fairbanks and back. Second time RV in May from Iowa to Kenai and ending in Anchorage. Both were great. we really liked the RV ( Great Alaskan Holidays ). These are the only RV trips we have taken.

Mainland Alaska and SE Alaska by cruise are two different types of trips. Both are worthwhile

May is a very good time to drive Alaska, at least between Anchorage and Fairbanks, and Anchorage and Valdez. Until 3 years ago I'd work 2-3 months a year up there, in those cities. April can have snow, but by May you're getting 16-18 hours of daylight. The temps will be mid-60's for the high, 40's for the low.

But you have to know that the drive to Denali is closed at the 43 mile mark. No vehicles can get past that, and it will be years before they get the rock slide cleared. You can check the park service website to confirm. You don't see much from that point either. Tours or not, the road is closed.

I'd look at driving to Fairbanks, and if the road is open, up to Circle. Also out to Cheena. Or from either to Valdez (which is a long days drive from Anchorage or Fairbanks, but fantastic scenery.) Or do a round trip...

Just beware of moose...

We did a summer road trip, starting mid-July a few years ago. We flew to Anchorage and rented a motor home for 3 weeks. It was fantastic and not hard to organize. It seemed that parking was easy everywhere! You could rent a car and stay in hotels/B &Bs but we enjoyed the motor home. I booked sites at campgrounds and avoided the RV parks as much as possible. We stayed at a campground in Denali NP and took the early bus ride from the campground. We took a cruise another time to see other parts and it was fun but the land tour was much better. I think people give better advice than AI. Check the trip advisor forum.

Highlights of Alaska - Musk Ox Farm in Palmer ( went both trips ),
Iditerod H.Q. Wasilla. We became such big fans that we went the next March to see the race start. And we’ve adopted 4 Siberian huskies oover the years
Fairbanks - Riverboat Discovery tour
Fairbanks - U. of Alaska Museum

Once upon a time after a cruise from Vancouver to Seward, we flew from Anchorage to Fairbanks.where we rented a car for a few days to explore. Then took the train to Denali and stayed several days for hiking, a float trip and flight seeing. Then the train to Anchorage for a few more days without a car.

Without the cruise, we would have added time for a few days in Kenai National Park.

We traveled in mid June.

If you're concerned about crowds, let me mention going to places that most people ignore. We drove all around Alaska on our trip in the Summer and crowds were never really an issue. It's a really massive place and tourists tend to go only one place other than the common port stops. We used a rentawreck type place in Anchorage and got a good deal on a high clearance 4WD that allowed driving on minimum maintenance roads. I would say the highlight of our trip was driving across a deserted Glenn Hwy and spending time in McCarthy. This link describes that route. https://www.alaska.org/guide/anchorage-to-mccarthy-kennicott

We also met our family for a southbound cruise. I had never and will never go on another cruise but it was fun as a one-off for me. So yeah, I understand the cruise thing.

We used to go fishing yearly in late May down on the Kenai Peninsula. Drove down from my in-laws place in Fairbanks. It was our preferred time to visit for fishing (halibut mainly). Roads were always good and you can see Denali from the highway on the drive up if its clear. As mentioned, the park may be less open but I think the road is still not fixed from a slide several years ago anyway. The Kenai was always nice...you can drive to Seward and/or Homer...day cruises to see wildlife etc are available at both. I can't comment on this compared to a cruise because we always were visiting family but the driving was good. Just be sure to watch out for the moose!