7 best day trips from Anchorage

Day trips compared

The day trips

65 km · About 45 minutes by car

1.Girdwood and Alyeska

A mountain valley with Alyeska Resort's aerial tram to a ridge-top viewpoint over hanging glaciers and Turnagain Arm, the Winner Creek Trail's hand tram over a gorge, and skiing in winter.

Getting there

Car on the Seward Highway, or Alaska Railroad in summer

Best for

Couples, Families, Luxury

80 km · About 1 hour by car

2.Portage Valley and Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

The wildlife centre cares for orphaned and injured animals — brown and black bears, moose, wood bison, musk oxen — in large enclosures. Further up the valley, a boat cruise on Portage Lake approaches Portage Glacier.

Getting there

Car on the Seward Highway

Best for

Families, First-timers

95 km · About 1 hour 15 minutes by car or 2.5 hours by train

3.Whittier and Prince William Sound

Whittier is reached through a 4 km single-lane tunnel shared by cars and trains. From its harbour, day cruises visit tidewater glaciers in Prince William Sound, with sea otters, seals and seabirds.

Getting there

Car through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, or Alaska Railroad

Best for

First-timers, Families, Couples

200 km · About 2.5 hours by car or 4 hours by train

4.Seward and Kenai Fjords National Park

A harbour town on Resurrection Bay with the Alaska SeaLife Center, Exit Glacier's walking trails and boat cruises into Kenai Fjords National Park for tidewater glaciers, whales, puffins and sea lions. A long day; an overnight is more relaxed.

Getting there

Car on the Seward Highway, or the Alaska Railroad's Coastal Classic

Best for

First-timers, Families, Couples

160 km · About 2 hours by car

5.Matanuska Glacier

A large valley glacier visible from the Glenn Highway, where guided walks on private access land let visitors step onto the ice. The drive passes through Palmer and the farms of the Matanuska Valley.

Getting there

Car on the Glenn Highway

Best for

Families, First-timers

180 km · About 2.5 hours by car or 3 hours by train

6.Talkeetna

A small historic town at the junction of three rivers, base for Denali climbing expeditions and flightseeing tours that circle or land on glaciers of Denali. On clear days the mountain dominates the view from the riverbank.

Getting there

Car on the Parks Highway, or Alaska Railroad

Best for

Couples, Solo travellers, Quiet stays

100 km · About 1 hour 30 minutes by car

7.Hatcher Pass and Independence Mine

An alpine pass in the Talkeetna Mountains with wildflower meadows, tundra hiking and the preserved buildings of a 1930s–40s gold mine at Independence Mine State Historical Park. The road over the pass itself is gravel and open only in summer.

Getting there

Car via the Glenn Highway and Palmer

Best for

Quiet stays, Families

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• People Mover, the municipal bus system, links downtown with Midtown, Spenard, the university area and Eagle River; services are less frequent at weekends.
• Book summer trains well ahead and sit on the side facing the water on the route south.
• For trips over about 195 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask