Solo travel · Anchorage · United States
Solo travel in Anchorage
How to enjoy Anchorage at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Christy747, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Anchorage is straightforward for solo travellers, especially in summer: tours and day cruises are easy to join, hostels and B&Bs are welcoming, and brewery taprooms are sociable. Many solo travellers base themselves in Downtown.
Key facts
- Base
- Downtown
- Getting around
- Walking
- Emergency number
- 911 (police, fire, ambulance)
- Language
- English
Solo travel tips
- Join group tours and day cruises rather than driving remote roads alone.
- Hike popular trails such as Flattop, tell someone your plans and carry bear spray.
- Downtown is the most practical base without a car.
- Use ride-hailing at night rather than walking long distances.
- Mobile coverage drops quickly outside the city; download offline maps.
Where to stay
$$$ · Best for first-timers, families, food lovers and solo travellers
Downtown
Downtown, roughly from 3rd to 9th Avenue between the inlet and Cordova Street, has most of the large hotels, the Anchorage Museum, the railroad depot and the Coastal Trail's start. 4th Avenue has the visitor log cabin, gift shops and the Iditarod's ceremonial start. It is the easiest base without a car.
- Good
- Walk to museums, trails and the train; Widest choice of restaurants; Tour pickups from hotels
- Watch out
- Hotel prices peak in summer; Some blocks feel empty late at night
- Nearby
- Anchorage Museum, Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, Alaska Railroad depot, Ship Creek
Great on your own
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Museum · Downtown
Anchorage Museum
Start with the Smithsonian gallery on the second floor; it gives the best background for the rest of an Alaska trip.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Museum · Northeast Anchorage
Alaska Native Heritage Center
Time your visit for a dance or Native games demonstration, and talk with the hosts at each village site.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Art
- Kids
Waterfront · Downtown
Tony Knowles Coastal Trail
Rent a bike and ride to Kincaid Park and back; keep at least 25 metres from any moose you meet.
- Time needed
- 2–4 hours by bike
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Active
- Views
- Outdoors
- Kids
Experience · Turnagain Arm
Seward Highway along Turnagain Arm
Check bore tide timing tables and watch from Beluga Point; never walk on the mudflats, where glacial silt can trap people as the tide rises.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Views
- Nature
- Photo spot
Nature · Hillside and South Anchorage
Flattop Mountain
Go on a clear evening in summer for long light, wear sturdy shoes, and carry bear spray as on any Chugach trail.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Active
- Views
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Photo spot
Park · Turnagain
Earthquake Park
Combine it with a Coastal Trail bike ride; on clear days the park has a good view of Denali.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Outdoors
- Views
Meeting people
- Salmon bake — Summer salmon bakes grill wild fish over open fires, often buffet-style with sides; some operate in Anchorage and on the way to Denali.
- Brewery hop in Midtown and Spenard — A cluster of local breweries and taprooms sits within a short ride of each other; several have food trucks.
- Downtown — Hotel bars, brewpubs and a few cocktail lounges within walking distance of the main hotels.
- Spenard — Long-running roadhouse-style bars, live music and local breweries along Spenard Road.
Sensible precautions
Wildlife is the most distinctive risk: moose wander through the city and bears use the trails, so keep your distance, make noise and carry bear spray in Chugach State Park. Never walk onto the Turnagain Arm mudflats, where fast tides and silt are deadly. In winter, ice and cold demand proper boots and layers; use normal city precautions downtown at night.
- Emergency number
- 911 (police, fire, ambulance)
- Staying connected
- Good mobile coverage in the city and along main highways near town; long gaps on the Seward and Glenn highways and in the mountains.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Anchorage good for solo travellers?
Anchorage is straightforward for solo travellers, especially in summer: tours and day cruises are easy to join, hostels and B&Bs are welcoming, and brewery taprooms are sociable.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Anchorage?
Downtown: Grid of hotels, museums and restaurants above Ship Creek and the Coastal Trail.