3 days in Anchorage

Day by day

1. Day 1: Anchorage Museum and Tony Knowles Coastal Trail

   Anchorage Museum, Tony Knowles Coastal Trail and Ship Creek salmon run, then Northern lights viewing in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Anchorage Museum

      The state's largest museum covers Alaska's art, history and science.

   2. Late morning

      Tony Knowles Coastal Trail

      Rent a bike and ride to Kincaid Park and back; keep at least 25 metres from any moose you meet.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Wild salmon

      Seafood restaurants downtown and in Girdwood; smoked salmon from local fish shops.

   4. Afternoon

      Ship Creek salmon run

      Ship Creek flows through the industrial edge of downtown below the railroad depot, and in summer king and then silver salmon run upstream.

   5. Evening

      Northern lights viewing

      Check the aurora and cloud forecasts, wait until late evening, and dress for temperatures well below freezing.

2. Day 2: Alaska Native Heritage Center and Seward Highway along Turnagain Arm

   Alaska Native Heritage Center, Seward Highway along Turnagain Arm and Flattop Mountain, then Downtown in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Alaska Native Heritage Center

      Time your visit for a dance or Native games demonstration, and talk with the hosts at each village site.

   2. Late morning

      Seward Highway along Turnagain Arm

      South of the city, the Seward Highway hugs Turnagain Arm between steep mountains and tidal flats, with pullouts at Beluga Point and Windy Point, where Dall sheep graze on the cliffs and beluga whales sometimes chase salmon.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Halibut

      Casual seafood restaurants and food trucks across the city.

   4. Afternoon

      Flattop Mountain

      Go on a clear evening in summer for long light, wear sturdy shoes, and carry bear spray as on any Chugach trail.

   5. Evening

      Downtown

      Hotel bars, brewpubs and a few cocktail lounges within walking distance of the main hotels.

3. Day 3: Earthquake Park and Lake Hood Seaplane Base and Alaska Aviation Museum

   Earthquake Park, Lake Hood Seaplane Base and Alaska Aviation Museum and Alaska Zoo, then Spenard in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Earthquake Park

      A park on the Coastal Trail where the 1964 Good Friday earthquake — magnitude 9.2, the largest recorded in North America — caused a whole residential bluff to slide towards the inlet.

   2. Late morning

      Lake Hood Seaplane Base and Alaska Aviation Museum

      Watch takeoffs from the lakeside road on a summer evening, or book a flightseeing trip to see glaciers from the air.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: King crab

      Seafood restaurants downtown; prices vary with the season and catch.

   4. Afternoon

      Alaska Zoo

      A wooded zoo in south Anchorage focused on Alaskan and Arctic animals, many of them orphaned or injured, including brown and black bears, moose, musk oxen, wolves and lynx.

   5. Evening

      Spenard

      Long-running roadhouse-style bars, live music and local breweries along Spenard Road.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Downtown keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Midtown ($$) suits budget, families and shopping. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 18–27 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 5.5 hours in December to 19.3 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Anchorage
• 2 days in Anchorage
• 5 days in Anchorage

Questions travellers ask