Land tour only in Alaska

[csk]

We have been to Alaska four times and have always did the land and cruise deal. did the land on our own, very doable in Alaska. We have some friends who have never been to Alaska, and they want to do a land package only, and have ask our opinion about that and really can not answer as we love the cruise part also, I know this a cruise site, but was wondering do you think you can get the true Alaska feeling just doing the land , thanks for all you input, did not want to give them any false feelings

[1025cruise]

What do your friends want to see? No reason why someone can't fly into Anchorage or Fairbanks, rent a car, and drive around to Denali, down to Seward, etc.

[mapleleaves]

perhaps they could borrow Alaska travel books from the library; look at photos, learn about sights & activities available at popular destinations, learn a little about the history, then they can make an informed decision for themselves.

If they choose to skip the cruise, they can visit coastal towns by exploring the Kenai Peninsula, or driving over to Valdez.

[mapleleaves]

perhaps they could borrow Alaska travel books from the library; look at photos, learn about sights & activities available at popular destinations, learn a little about the history, then they can make an informed decision for themselves.

If they choose to skip the cruise, they can visit coastal towns by exploring the Kenai Peninsula, taking a day cruise in Whittier or Seward, or driving to Valdez.

[Budget Queen]

Certainly nobody needs a cruise. Especially if they are limited on time- better to have two weeks mainland, than a rushed one week trip.

 

BEFORE any decision, I too, would suggest they read up so they know what they are looking at and can then pick out easily what they want vs what they don't want to do.

[greatam]

As Budget Queen states, "certainly nobody needs a cruise.".

 

For what-to see overpopulated, touristy cruise ports that are filled with Diamonds International and overpriced shops that cater to cruise tourists.

 

I go to Alaska twice a year-Memorial Day time frame and Labor Day time frame. DH goes at least three times per year to fish. We have taken 2 Alaska cruises. The second one-we never got off the ship.

 

The BEST stuff in Alaska, IMHO, is FAR away from the cruise ports, the crowds, the over priced, touristy excursions and the ticky/tacky shops designed to get money out of your pocket for JUNK.

 

As everyone has posted, have your friends decide what they want to see. Most people want to see Denali-MUCH better on your own than with a cruise tour. The Kenai Peninsula is another absolutely fantastic place to spend a few days-I am particularly partial to Homer.

 

Want to see bears up close and personal in a non touristy setting? Then the Kenai (flight to the Katmai) is the place to do it. A day or two at some place like Hallo Bay is a memory that can't be duplicated any place else in the world.

 

Want to see what all the hubbub is about with ANWR? Then a trip to Prudhoe Bay can be really interesting (you can charter a flight to ANWR-there is NOTHING there except tundra, snow and an overpopulated caribou herd).

 

Just too many opportunities to see so much that cruise tourists NEVER see. I laugh when my friends, who have gone on their first Alaska cruise, tell me about the crab places and the bars in the port towns. I certainly can see a lot of the same stuff without going all the way to Alaska. Alaska is WILDERNESS, animals and something out of the ordinary. NOT shopping, bars and restaurants.

 

Point your friends in the right direction. They will have one heck of a time DIY. Enjoy!!!

[csk]

thanks everyone, that is what I have told them. They are not comfortable renting a car and doing it on the own, so they will have to check out land tour packages, and see what looks good to them

[mapleleaves]

Alaska is very easy with a rental car if they're capable of driving ... most hwys are only 2 lanes and there are very few hwys so it's impossible to get lost.

They could also travel DIY using the Alaska Railroad and/or the Park Connection Bus. Or check out Alaska tour and travel; they have package trips or will customize to meet your needs. http://www.alaskatravel.com/

[FitchburgWIFamily]

(delete duplicate post)

[FitchburgWIFamily]

We worked with a tour company to book our Alaska land only vacation. We flew into Flagstaff, took the Dalton Highway up to the Arctic Ocean, flew back to Flagstaff, took the train to Denali....went into back country Denali, and then back on the train. We stopped on the other side of Denali before heading to Anchorage. In Anchorage, we picked up our car and headed down to Seward. We took two glacier cruises, and a white water rafting tour. My DH and DS went salmon fishing, and we did a float ride around glacier icebergs and up to the face of an glacier. We saw the Alaska State Fair and we panned for gold. We took hikes, picked blueberries in the tundra, saw tons of wildlife.

 

We loved it and did not miss the cruise part a bit.

 

And, when we happened to cross pathes with cruisers, we felt sooo good to be on our own time frame and not racing for here to there.

 

We use Alaska Denali tours and would recommend them to anyone. We told them how many days we had and what our budget was, and they helped fill in all the rest.

[mapleleaves]

We flew into Flagstaff, took the Dalton Highway up to the Arctic Ocean, flew back to Flagstaff, took the train to Denali....went into back country Denali, and then back on the train.

 

Do you mean Fairbanks ? not flagstaff.

[FitchburgWIFamily]

Yes, Fairbanks, not Flagstaff. Darn autofill got me!

[donaldsc]

We worked with a tour company to book our Alaska land only vacation. We flew into Flagstaff, took the Dalton Highway up to the Arctic Ocean, flew back to Flagstaff, took the train to Denali....went into back country Denali, and then back on the train. We stopped on the other side of Denali before heading to Anchorage. In Anchorage, we picked up our car and headed down to Seward. We took two glacier cruises, and a white water rafting tour. My DH and DS went salmon fishing, and we did a float ride around glacier icebergs and up to the face of an glacier. We saw the Alaska State Fair and we panned for gold. We took hikes, picked blueberries in the tundra, saw tons of wildlife.

 

.

 

Ignoring the "Flagstaff" error (BTW - Flagstaff is also a great place to visit), you do not need to take a tour to do the Dalton Highway. There are 2 car rental companies in Fairbanks that rent cars that you can drive anywhere. We did the Dalton with one of their cars and the drive was easy and a lot of fun. We stayed overnight in Wiseman which is a neat little town just north of Coldfoot. The place actually has 2 B&Bs.

 

DON

[Northern Aurora]

We flew into Flagstaff, took the Dalton Highway up to the Arctic Ocean, flew back to Flagstaff, took the train to Denali....

 

As someone who lives in Fairbanks, Alaska, but who also has been to Flagstaff, Arizona several times, I had to smile since I suspect that folks who live in Flagstaff actually have a very similar lifestyle to those who live in Fairbanks, Alaska. We just get a little colder in the winter, but not much warmer in the summer than Flagstaff.