For couples · Anchorage · United States
Romantic things to do in Anchorage
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Jeff Medkeff | Talk, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Anchorage romance is about big landscapes: midnight-sun evenings on a ridge, glacier cruises, aurora nights in winter and cosy lodges in Girdwood. Couples tend to stay in Hillside and South Anchorage.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 5
- Couple-friendly sights
- 1
- Area for couples
- Hillside and South Anchorage
- Best months
- June–August
Romantic ideas
1.Midnight-sun hike
Climb Flattop on a clear June evening and watch the sun hang low over Cook Inlet near midnight.
2.Alyeska tram and dinner
Ride the tram above Girdwood for views of hanging glaciers and dine at the mountaintop.
3.Flightseeing
A small-plane flight over glaciers or around Denali from Lake Hood or Talkeetna.
4.Aurora night
In winter, drive to a dark viewpoint or join an aurora tour with hot drinks.
5.Glacier cruise
Spend a day among tidewater glaciers and sea otters in Prince William Sound or Kenai Fjords.
Sights couples love
Experience · Chugach State Park
Northern lights viewing
Check the aurora and cloud forecasts, wait until late evening, and dress for temperatures well below freezing.
- Time needed
- 2–4 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- After dark
- Nature
- Couples
Where couples should stay
$$$ · Best for quiet stays, couples and families
Hillside and South Anchorage
The neighbourhoods climbing towards the Chugach in the city's south-east have bed-and-breakfasts and rental houses with views over Cook Inlet towards Denali on clear days. The Glen Alps trailhead for Flattop and the Alaska Zoo are close, and the Seward Highway is easy to reach.
- Good
- Mountain and inlet views; Quick access to trails and the Seward Highway; Peaceful
- Watch out
- Car essential; About 25 minutes from downtown
- Nearby
- Flattop Mountain, Alaska Zoo, Potter Marsh
Romantic day trips
- Girdwood and Alyeska (About 45 minutes by car) — 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.
- Whittier and Prince William Sound (About 1 hour 15 minutes by car or 2.5 hours by train) — Whittier is reached through a 4 km single-lane tunnel shared by cars and trains.
- Seward and Kenai Fjords National Park (About 2.5 hours by car or 4 hours by train) — 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.
- Talkeetna (About 2.5 hours by car or 3 hours by train) — 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.
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Wild salmon, Halibut and King crab. Dress is casual; fleece and hiking boots are normal in most restaurants.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Anchorage romantic?
Anchorage romance is about big landscapes: midnight-sun evenings on a ridge, glacier cruises, aurora nights in winter and cosy lodges in Girdwood.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in Anchorage?
Midnight-sun hike: Climb Flattop on a clear June evening and watch the sun hang low over Cook Inlet near midnight.
+Where should couples stay in Anchorage?
Hillside and South Anchorage: Wooded residential slopes with B&Bs, city views and trail access.