Land Tour Itinerary Help

[sjones1014]

I am in the early stages of planning a trip to Alaska for my family (five of us, late 20s to mid 50s). Ideally I'd like to go next year but in reality it will most likely be in 2014. I found an NCL NB itinerary that includes Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier from Vancouver to Whittier (which looks new based on what I have read on this board). I am hoping they'll have a similar (identical) itinerary for 2014...

 

I'd like to add on a land trip to the end of the cruise, but vacation time will be very limited for my husband and brother. Our main goal is to see the wildlife and scenery of Alaska in a short timeframe. Money is also an issue for us, but I'm willing to splurge somewhat so that we can get the best out of our short time there.

 

Getting to my question... I have come up with an itinerary that I think should work well for us, but I'd love some feedback/input as to whether or not it's feasible and if we're wasting time anywhere that could be better spent elsewhere. We really can only add on 4 days/3 nights. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

 

Day 1: Disembark cruise in Whittier, rent car from Avis (to be returned to Anchorage Airport), 26 Glaciers PWS day cruise, drive to Anchorage, overnight in Anchorage. (I'd love to get down to the Kenai Peninsula for a longer wildlife cruise instead of the 26 Glaciers cruise, but I just don't think we will have time for that this trip and this seems like a good alternative.)

 

Day 2: Scenic drive to Denali (leaving time for stops, wildlife sightings if we're lucky), overnight at B&B near Denali (Healy/Girdwood/Talkeenta??) I'd love to fit in a short shuttle into the park or just drive the first 15 miles ourselves...whatever we have time for that day.

 

Day 3: DNP Shuttle to Eielson or Wonder Lake, overnight near Denali.

 

Day 4: Drive back to Anchorage, return car, fly home. Maybe fit in something else depending on how late the flight is??

 

I know this is long-winded (sorry) and kind of rough, but can anyone tell me if there are flaws in my plan I'm not seeing here or if there's something extra I should/could fit in here? We definitely want to see Denali so I won't cut that out of the trip.

 

I should also mention that we're planning to do a whale watch/flightseeing to Anan Creek/ helicopter landing while on the cruise, so we really can't afford to do those again on the land trip.

 

Thank you so much in advance for the help!

Sarah

[Budget Queen]

Your plan is doable. You may also want to consider just taking the Alaska RR after the PWS boat tour, especially if any 2 for 1 coupons are available via the purchased coupon books. Then a cheaper round trip Anchorage car could be gotten.

 

With your Anan mention, you really, for peak, look at second week of July through second week of August. For that costly of a trip, I never consider fringe peak. Will determine what you want? You may have luck getting a 2 for 1 with a helicopter trip as well out of Juneau? You may want to put that as a priority in your booking. Coupon books come out in the fall for the following year. There are two, each with specific offers. Verify all restrictions.

[frugaltravel]

If you end up with NCL, they would dock in Seward not Whittier. I believe only Carnival and Princess dock in Whittier. That might or might not change much, except you could do a Kenai Fjords tour and still make the evening train to Anchorage.

 

If you have any chance to spend an extra night in Denali, that will at least double your wildlife viewing chances by taking a second shuttle bus.

[mytime53]

Good plan for a limited amount of time. Like BQ, I was going to suggest comparing the train w/rental car, although for 5 people the cost is probably a wash. A car will give you more flexibility with stops along the way and your lodging for the night. Be sure to be looking for car rentals ASAP, as for 5 people w/luggage you will probably need a minivan or SUV. Pack light! You will be happier on the land portion if you do. Another option, depending on rental fees for different size autos, might be for some to take the train with as much of the luggage as possible, and the others to take a smaller car. The car people could get to Anchorage, turn it in, get a larger car, and pick up the rest at the train depot.

[mytime53]

If you end up with NCL, they would dock in Seward not Whittier. I believe only Carnival and Princess dock in Whittier. That might or might not change much, except you could do a Kenai Fjords tour and still make the evening train to Anchorage.

 

If you have any chance to spend an extra night in Denali, that will at least double your wildlife viewing chances by taking a second shuttle bus.

 

NCL shows docking in Whittier next year. I can't find any Carnival cruises that dock in Whittier.

[AKman2495]

On day 2, you could go to the Denali visitors center-there is a lot to see there as well as looking around the park "village".

[frugaltravel]

NCL shows docking in Whittier next year. I can't find any Carnival cruises that dock in Whittier.

 

Thanks for the info. I guess NCL is giving Princess a run for their money, which is a good thing!

[sjones1014]

Thank you everyone for the quick replies!

 

I am definitely looking into booking in mid-July. I thought this would give us the best chances for bears at Anan while still having a good deal of sunlight hours to make the most out of our days.

 

I thought about taking the train from Whittier to Anchorage and picking up the car there, but the major concern is storing our luggage. I thought I had heard that the PWS boat tour companies wouldn't store it for us, so renting a car and sticking it all in there for the day seemed like the only option. Any other ideas? We would love to take that scenic train ride, as I'm not sure we'll be taking the train in Skagway, but I'm not sure it would be feasible. Also, if we can find a place to store the luggage for the day, how difficult would it be for us to get from the train station in Anchorage to the airport car rental? I would think that would involve taking a taxi or something, which would eliminate the cost savings.

 

I do plan on looking into the toursaver coupon options for our cruise tours. We'd like to combine a whale tour in Juneau with the helicopter landing. I thought I would have to call the whale watch company and request a combo tour and they would take care of it with their vendor of choice, but if I end up having a specific discount helicopter coupon, how would I go about co-booking the tours?

 

Also, any suggestions on "budget" activities or fun stops from Anchorage to Denali would be appreciated. I figured we'd stop in Talkeenta and Wasilla for a short while, if only to fill up on snacks, gas and souvenirs... But anything else?

 

Thanks again!

[frugaltravel]

Thank you everyone for the quick replies!

 

I am definitely looking into booking in mid-July. I thought this would give us the best chances for bears at Anan while still having a good deal of sunlight hours to make the most out of our days.

 

I thought about taking the train from Whittier to Anchorage and picking up the car there, but the major concern is storing our luggage. I thought I had heard that the PWS boat tour companies wouldn't store it for us, so renting a car and sticking it all in there for the day seemed like the only option. Any other ideas? We would love to take that scenic train ride, as I'm not sure we'll be taking the train in Skagway, but I'm not sure it would be feasible. Also, if we can find a place to store the luggage for the day, how difficult would it be for us to get from the train station in Anchorage to the airport car rental? I would think that would involve taking a taxi or something, which would eliminate the cost savings.

 

I do plan on looking into the toursaver coupon options for our cruise tours. We'd like to combine a whale tour in Juneau with the helicopter landing. I thought I would have to call the whale watch company and request a combo tour and they would take care of it with their vendor of choice, but if I end up having a specific discount helicopter coupon, how would I go about co-booking the tours?

 

Also, any suggestions on "budget" activities or fun stops from Anchorage to Denali would be appreciated. I figured we'd stop in Talkeenta and Wasilla for a short while, if only to fill up on snacks, gas and souvenirs... But anything else?

 

Thanks again!

 

Not sure where you heard that PWS tour companies won't store your luggage but it is not true. Just did it earlier this month.

 

Best is to look for off-airport car rental (watch pick up dates/times) in Anchorage but taxis are plentiful if you really need an on-airport rental.

 

Though I have read it here frequently, I think the "co-booking" thing is overblown. Just inform one vendor what your plans are and book both on your own. Let them know what you are doing and be sure they can drop you off at the second company. That way you still maintain 100% control of all your own reservations (way more beneficial to me than having one vendor book a second tour for you) and you get to use any coupons.

 

I would look at the Milepost for lots of stops along the way from Anchorage to Denali.

[fleckle]

..........I'd like to add on a land trip to the end of the cruise, but vacation time will be very limited for my husband and brother. Our main goal is to see the wildlife and scenery of Alaska in a short timeframe. Money is also an issue for us, but I'm willing to splurge somewhat so that we can get the best out of our short time there.

 

Getting to my question... I have come up with an itinerary that I think should work well for us, but I'd love some feedback/input as to whether or not it's feasible and if we're wasting time anywhere that could be better spent elsewhere. We really can only add on 4 days/3 nights. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

 

Day 1: Disembark cruise in Whittier, rent car from Avis (to be returned to Anchorage Airport), 26 Glaciers PWS day cruise, drive to Anchorage, overnight in Anchorage. (I'd love to get down to the Kenai Peninsula for a longer wildlife cruise instead of the 26 Glaciers cruise, but I just don't think we will have time for that this trip and this seems like a good alternative.)......

Or after Denali you could drop off the 2 who have the limited time at the Anchorage airport so they can fly home, and then the other 3 can take a nice trip around the Kenai Peninsula.

 

The incremental additional cost to tack on a few extra days is minor when you consider the total cost of the trip.

(You have the major expenses of cruise fare and air fare regardless, so you get a lot more bang for the buck when you can add on extra days.)

 

Compare cost of weekly rate for renting a car or van vs. paying the daily rate.

 

Also, sometimes you can get a much better price by renting the car from an off airport Anchorage location and just taking a taxi over to pick it up.

[CMcG]

Day 2: Scenic drive to Denali (leaving time for stops, wildlife sightings if we're lucky), overnight at B&B near Denali (Healy/Girdwood/Talkeenta??) I'd love to fit in a short shuttle into the park or just drive the first 15 miles ourselves...whatever we have time for that day.

 

Day 3: DNP Shuttle to Eielson or Wonder Lake, overnight near Denali.

 

Day 4: Drive back to Anchorage, return car, fly home. Maybe fit in something else depending on how late the flight is??

 

We did a similar DIY after our cruise (didn't do the PWS cruise) and stayed at McKinley Creekside Cabins about 13 miles south of park entrance. OK place to stay for 2 of us but not sure about a group of 5. Food a little pricey but good. Pizza place on other side of Carlo Creek was also good and 3 of us ate for $40. Talkeetna is maybe 130 miles from the park entrance so you don't want to plan on staying there.

 

Depending on how late your flight home is you might want to check out of your hotel or B&B and load up the car then go to the park & catch the 10am sled dog demo before heading for Anchorage.

 

If I had to do it again I would plan on seeing the Musk Ox farm & Reindeer farm and other things near Anchorage on the way from Anchorage to Denali and maybe wait to stop at Talkeetna on the way from Denali back to Anchorage. I was all in a hurry to get to Denali and didn't really think that on the return trip we would get to Anchorage in late afternoon/early evening and find things closing. We ended up with way too much time to kill at the airport before our 11:55pm flight.

 

We stopped at Talkeetna on the way up and walked around a bit, checked out the historical museum. By the time we got to the cabin it was dinner time and we were tired so we didn't go to the park that evening - but we had 3 nights & 2 whole days there. On the return trip we did get to the Reindeer farm about 5pm (they were open until 6pm) They have a bison, a moose & elk in addition to the reindeer. I guess the closest I'll get to the Musk Ox is to mail order some yarn to make hubby a scarf for Christmas (reward for doing all the driving).

[bob123]

We stayed at the Kantishna Roadhouse in Denali Park, as far into the park as you can go. They pick you up at the Denali visitor center, and take you by bus on the 90 mile ride through some amazing country with equally amazing scenery. We saw Grizzlies, coyotes, caribou, wolves, and lots of eagles. In fact, we almost hit one as it swooped down in front of our bus. Its wings literally spanned the width of the bus. At the Roadhouse, which has exceptional food I might add, we had a separate cabin, hiked the local trails with nature guides, fished for graylings, panned for gold, and attended nature seminars. It is also a short walk to an airstrip where you can take trips around Mt McKinley.

 

http://www.kantishnaroadhouse.com/

 

Check it out.

 

bob123

[frugaltravel]

We stayed at the Kantishna Roadhouse in Denali Park, as far into the park as you can go. They pick you up at the Denali visitor center, and take you by bus on the 90 mile ride through some amazing country with equally amazing scenery. We saw Grizzlies, coyotes, caribou, wolves, and lots of eagles. In fact, we almost hit one as it swooped down in front of our bus. Its wings literally spanned the width of the bus. At the Roadhouse, which has exceptional food I might add, we had a separate cabin, hiked the local trails with nature guides, fished for graylings, panned for gold, and attended nature seminars. It is also a short walk to an airstrip where you can take trips around Mt McKinley.

 

www.kantishnaroadhouse.com/

 

Check it out.

 

bob123

 

How long did you spend at the Roadhouse and did you ever take a bus into the park again during your stay? Or just one trip in and one trip out?

[Budget Queen]

Thank you everyone for the quick replies!

 

I am definitely looking into booking in mid-July. I thought this would give us the best chances for bears at Anan while still having a good deal of sunlight hours to make the most out of our days.

 

I thought about taking the train from Whittier to Anchorage and picking up the car there, but the major concern is storing our luggage. I thought I had heard that the PWS boat tour companies wouldn't store it for us, so renting a car and sticking it all in there for the day seemed like the only option. Any other ideas? We would love to take that scenic train ride, as I'm not sure we'll be taking the train in Skagway, but I'm not sure it would be feasible. Also, if we can find a place to store the luggage for the day, how difficult would it be for us to get from the train station in Anchorage to the airport car rental? I would think that would involve taking a taxi or something, which would eliminate the cost savings.

 

I do plan on looking into the toursaver coupon options for our cruise tours. We'd like to combine a whale tour in Juneau with the helicopter landing. I thought I would have to call the whale watch company and request a combo tour and they would take care of it with their vendor of choice, but if I end up having a specific discount helicopter coupon, how would I go about co-booking the tours?

 

Also, any suggestions on "budget" activities or fun stops from Anchorage to Denali would be appreciated. I figured we'd stop in Talkeenta and Wasilla for a short while, if only to fill up on snacks, gas and souvenirs... But anything else?

 

Thanks again!

 

PWS boat tours, do store your bags. You have the wrong information. It also is not a good plan to just leave cobooking with one company. It is going to be up to YOU to find out about any coupon usage, and with the glacier helicpoter landings, flights are in very short supply. This year's vendor, is not at the airport and doesn't co book.

 

You need to get yourself a copy of THE MILEPOST. Then read the Parks Highway section. All the details for any stops of interest.

 

For further clairfication- the Alaska RR and Seward Highway scenery is the same, between Whittier/Anchorage. Makes no difference which mode of transit. But, it is in no way comparable to the White Pass RR, which is superior scenery, compared to the Klondike Highway, loaded with history, engineering interest, and narrow gage.

[lovesmusic]

I'm late getting an itinerary finalized for our independent touring after our cruise in August. I had reserved a car in Anchorage as soon as we booked the cruise, and I'm looking at options for getting up there after the cruise. I decided to check on the price of a rental car from Whittier, thinking it would be cheaper than paying for the transfers for 5 people, but the drop-off charge was more expensive than the one day rental charge. I guess it would be spread out if you were renting for a week, but the weekly price I got from National at Anchorage airport (it only has an airport location) was much better than I could get at Avis in Whittier. So be sure to look at and consider how much the drop off charge adds to the cost of the rental -- it seems that in Alaska they really get you with it.

[frugaltravel]

I'm late getting an itinerary finalized for our independent touring after our cruise in August. I had reserved a car in Anchorage as soon as we booked the cruise, and I'm looking at options for getting up there after the cruise. I decided to check on the price of a rental car from Whittier, thinking it would be cheaper than paying for the transfers for 5 people, but the drop-off charge was more expensive than the one day rental charge. I guess it would be spread out if you were renting for a week, but the weekly price I got from National at Anchorage airport (it only has an airport location) was much better than I could get at Avis in Whittier. So be sure to look at and consider how much the drop off charge adds to the cost of the rental -- it seems that in Alaska they really get you with it.

 

But if you pay $60/person x 5 for the transfer from Whittier to Anchorage, the one-way car rental with Avis for a day is that or less. So you get a lot more freedom on the drive to Anchorage. Then you drop off the one-way rental at the Anchorage airport and pick up the National rental. Seems pretty easy and the best of both worlds to me!

[Budget Queen]

I'm late getting an itinerary finalized for our independent touring after our cruise in August. I had reserved a car in Anchorage as soon as we booked the cruise, and I'm looking at options for getting up there after the cruise. I decided to check on the price of a rental car from Whittier, thinking it would be cheaper than paying for the transfers for 5 people, but the drop-off charge was more expensive than the one day rental charge. I guess it would be spread out if you were renting for a week, but the weekly price I got from National at Anchorage airport (it only has an airport location) was much better than I could get at Avis in Whittier. So be sure to look at and consider how much the drop off charge adds to the cost of the rental -- it seems that in Alaska they really get you with it.

 

I ALWAYS post, time can be more "valuable" than the money. Some may wish to take advantage of not backtracking, A car rental just about always, makes better use of time. Especially a benefit with only a day.

 

A money saver, would be to use the one way rental, for only as long as it takes you to get to Anchroage. IF continuing on- it would only take an hour to turn in the car and get a cheaper round trip rental. Base the rentals on a 24 hour clock for full advantages.

[frugaltravel]

A money saver, would be to use the one way rental, for only as long as it takes you to get to Anchroage. IF continuing on- it would only take an hour to turn in the car and get a cheaper round trip rental.

 

That is exactly what I suggested above.

 

Base the rentals on a 24 hour clock for full advantages.

 

The main caveat here is to not keep the first car 24 hours just to save money. If you really want to get to Denali NP that first day for example due to scheduling/timetable, don't hang around Anchorage or anywhere else for the first full day just to take advantage of the 24-hour rental day!