Day Trip from Anchorage

We don't have the time or the $$ to do much before our SB Cruise from Whittier to Vancouver on Princess. I have read so many wonderful reports of the Land Cruise portion, but it just isn't in the cards for us. So no need to tell me that I need to spend more time. Instead, I would love to hear about a day trip you have taken.

We fly in Monday afternoon, have all day Tuesday for this side mini trip, and leave on the cruise on Wednesday.

We probably need a trip with transportation since we plan to use the hotel airport shuttle when we arrive.

The Wildlife Conservatory looks good. The ATV tour I read about on TripAdvisor looks wonderful but too $$ - over $300 per person.

Thanks for any insights!

Would you be open to renting a car for Tuesday?

If you are leaving from Whittier, don’t miss the opportunity to do one of the glacier cruises from there prior to boarding. Not super expensive and so worth it.

Thanks for the replies!

I need to look at car rental from downtown Anchorage - renting from the airport and dropping off downtown for Monday - Wednesday was $400, and that was through big box. So I had ruled that out.

We have transfers from the Egan center to Whittier through Princess which doesn't seem like it would allow us enough time on Wed. to do a glacier tour. Maybe I need to reconsider where we stay and not do the princess transfers?

Renting from Downtown for a day is a good option!! I just thought since it was so $$ from the airport, that it would be the same for downtown - not true - hurray!

SO - I have wheels and a full day - bring on the ideas!

THANKS

Talkeetna isn't that far from Anchorage (IIRC) - it's a cute town to walk around and shop at some of the stores. They also have a few restaurants that get good reviews.

Wasilla is close too and they have the Iditarod HQ where you can take a dog sled ride if you choose.

I wish I could remember the name of the little place outside Anchorage - Eklutna Spirit Houses (?) are there and it was very interesting to walk around there and learn about what they were. Make sure you wear 100% DEET though as the mosquitoes were really bad when we were there.

One other thing you might consider - ditch the Princess transfers and take the train to Whittier - this might cut into some of your time around Anchorage on Tuesday, but then you could spend the night on Tuesday and take a tour of Prince William Sound (I think Major Marine does one) before getting on the cruise ship. You could also look at doing all of that on Wednesday - of course all of that would depend on what time the ship leaves.

It's a lot to pack in in just a couple days, but would be totally worth it. Alaska is spectacular and I so can't wait to get back.

Independence Mine State Historical Park - http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/indmine.htm. The drive to the park over Hatcher Pass is also a really neat drive.

BTW and this is labeled as personal opinion - Talkeetna is a total waste of time. Tacky restaurants. Tacky shops. Tacky everywhere. We went there on one of our AK driving trips and the 2 hours we spend there on our drive to Denali was about 1 h 45 m too long.

DON

Cool! You've got wheels! The area around Anchorage is very easy to navigate. The place I'm going to point you to would be a great side stop if you go north out of town. The Eagle River Nature Center in the Chugach State Park. It's about 11-12 miles off of the Glenn Highway and a very scenic drive. From the Glenn Highway exit off at Eagle River Loop Road. Continue on to the red light at the intersection of Eagle River Road and take a right. (There's a Walmart Supercenter on the corner if you need anything.) It's 11 miles from that turn until you dead-end into the parking lot of the Nature Center. There are some level and easy walking trails that will take you out to several platforms overlooking the Eagle River. The scenery is pretty spectacular and it only cost a few bucks to park at the Nature Center. The Nature Center was closed when we were there so I have no idea what's inside the building... Depending on how much time you spend walking some of the trails this whole side trip should only take a couple hours. Well worth the short drive! Below are a few pics I took last May. You're going to love Alaska! Good luck!

there is no advantage using the Princess shuttle. If of interest, a PWS boat tour is top scenic choice tour. Superior glacier viewing compared to anything you see from your cruise ship.

I'd suggest a run on the Arm, since you have a car. Portage Glacier Visitor Center, ride out to Hope, etc are all low cost options.

Thanks for all the great replies and GORGEOUS pictures SC BEAR.

So Budget Queen - what you are saying is that on our cruise day, instead of taking the Princess transfer bus - take a tour that includes transportation to Whittier, and we can stay and board after? That would be pretty great

Thanks for all the great replies and GORGEOUS pictures SC BEAR.

 

So Budget Queen - what you are saying is that on our cruise day, instead of taking the Princess transfer bus - take a tour that includes transportation to Whittier, and we can stay and board after? That would be pretty great

The PWS tour is excellent and a great use of time. I'm never in any rush to get on Alaska cruise ships. Take advantage of being there. :)

WOW - I am so excited about doing a tour out of Whittier the day of our cruise! I think we will ditch the princess transfers and use the train and head over to either Phillips or Major Marine (any opinions welcome).

Never would have known about that option even though I read a lot here - thanks BQ and others!

Still deciding what to do on our full day (Tuesday) before we head over to Whittier on Wed . Wondering if I should skip the Wildlife Conservation Center since we are heading that direction on Wed. in favor of seeing another area out of Anchorage. More posts always welcome!

Thanks again!!

Hi there :) Our favorite day of our whole land/ cruise vacation was our day at Mantanuska Glacier. It’s about a 2 hour drive from Anchorage and simple to navigate. You can take a guided tour ON the glacier with crampons and poles and it was thrilling!! It is active, but not strenuous. We did this together as a family with our 6 year old son. We used Mantanuska Glacier Adventures for our tour but there are a few companies out there that do the tours.

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Still deciding what to do on our full day (Tuesday) before we head over to Whittier on Wed . Wondering if I should skip the Wildlife Conservation Center since we are heading that direction on Wed. in favor of seeing another area out of Anchorage. More posts always welcome!

 

 

 

Thanks again!!

I would look at going South to Seward for the day. It’s a beautiful drive and there are several options in Seward and along the way. I love the 7.5 hour Kenai Fjords cruise, but that may not be feasible time and budget wise. Other possibilities are Exit Glacier, Portage Glacier, Alyeska Resort and the Alaska Wildlife Center (to give you more time for a tour in Whittier the following day).

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Renting from Downtown for a day is a good option!! I just thought since it was so $$ from the airport, that it would be the same for downtown - not true - hurray!

 

SO - I have wheels and a full day - bring on the ideas!

 

THANKS

What company and location are you using for the car rental?

My husband and I are arriving in Anchorage on May 11 and joining our Celebrity cruisetour on Sunday May 13.

We are considering the 26 Glaciers Phillips Cruise for Sunday, May 12, using their ‘magic bus’ to transport us to and from Whittier for the cruise. It is an all day commitment (9:30 am to 7:30 pm).

Two questions:

1. Is this tour worth spending our whole day on it?

2. The tour also offers a train to and from Whittier instead of the bus ($40 more per person), but it doesn’t return to Anchorage until 9:15 pm. I’m sure it is more scenic, but is it worth the extra two hours?

To the op my choice would Matanuska glacier and Independence Mine on the way back. Not time for Hatcher Pass if you do the glacier in my option. Check you tube for videos. What ever you do get a Milepost from within the last 2-3 years and it will tell you where to look for wildlife, parking spots, bumps in the road and every stop or turnoff that there is. Library may be good source. Maps may also come in handy on your cruise stops. In my option you can never have to much time with blue ice under your feet. Not real cheap. The last time we were there it was $100 pp but so worth it and nothing else like it except helo trips costing much more. One more tip when driving in AK look for wildlife but often you will see other cars with people watching the wildlife long before you get there and just pull in behind them.

What company and location are you using for the car rental?

Found a great rate through AVIS - booked directly for their downtown location. It will be about $100 for a 24 hour period - a van for 4 of us - but much better than the airport rate.

Hi there :) Our favorite day of our whole land/ cruise vacation was our day at Mantanuska Glacier. It’s about a 2 hour drive from Anchorage and simple to navigate. You can take a guided tour ON the glacier with crampons and poles and it was thrilling!! We used Mantanuska Glacier Adventures for our tour

OP here - Thanks ! Both you and SightCRR recommend this. Thanks for adding the name of the tour CO too!

So many fun choices!

My son and I walked on the Matanuska Glacier. It was supposed to be my ex and youngest son too, but they don't have crampons for a casted broken foot! ;p:D It was a great day out on the ice. Be sure to bring a water bottle and fill it with fresh glacier water - soooooooo good.

Look online for the TourSaver book or Northern Lights. They are coupon books. You can peruse the coupons before deciding if you'd like to purchase them. I believe I was able to use a coupon for Mica Guides for our glacier trek.

Cool! You've got wheels! The area around Anchorage is very easy to navigate. The place I'm going to point you to would be a great side stop if you go north out of town. The Eagle River Nature Center in the Chugach State Park. It's about 11-12 miles off of the Glenn Highway and a very scenic drive. From the Glenn Highway exit off at Eagle River Loop Road. Continue on to the red light at the intersection of Eagle River Road and take a right. (There's a Walmart Supercenter on the corner if you need anything.) It's 11 miles from that turn until you dead-end into the parking lot of the Nature Center. There are some level and easy walking trails that will take you out to several platforms overlooking the Eagle River. The scenery is pretty spectacular and it only cost a few bucks to park at the Nature Center. The Nature Center was closed when we were there so I have no idea what's inside the building... Depending on how much time you spend walking some of the trails this whole side trip should only take a couple hours. Well worth the short drive! Below are a few pics I took last May. You're going to love Alaska! Good luck!

 

 

 

 

 

Great pictures and information regarding Anchorage. Thanks for sharing.

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