Itinerary - Need suggestions - 5 Days Pre Cruise & Cruise Advice

[Boscodog]

My husband and I are avid cruisers and excited to celebrate our 32 wedding anniversary during this trip to Alaska. We are active and youthful 60/61 years old. We will be on Celebrity Millennium on August 24th (our anniversary date). We are arriving 5 days earlier on August 19th and have done some planning but need to fill in a lot of blanks. We like to enjoy our time and not feel rushed. I am not interested in going on any helicopters or planes but enjoy the outdoors and can walk for miles.

 

Sunday , August 19th - We arrive around 1:30PM after 10 hours of flying and waking up at 3AM. We will be renting a car at the airport. We are staying at Home2Suites by Hilton . We plan on touring around Anchorage and getting ready for the next day. Need suggestions for must do sights, restaurants, etc...

 

Monday , August 20th - Leisurely drive to Denali. and staying at Aurora Denali Lodge for 2 nights.

Need suggestions for sights, restaurants along the way. Not sure if we plan to detour to Talkeetna. I have read conflicting remarks about it.

 

Tuesday, August 21 - Tour Denali with Bus tour. Still looking into different options . Suggestions??

 

Wednesday, August 22 - Back to Anchorage, will have car all day. Staying at Quality Suites Historic Downtown. (very close to Alaska Railroad for early the next day)

 

Thursday, August 23 - Alaska Railroad to Seeward. Staying at Hotel Seward. Still researching Seeward. May go to SeaLife Center . Not sure if we want to do Kenai Fjords. Advice - is this a must do?

 

Friday, August 24 - Cruise Day

 

Cruise Ports -

Juneau - Mendenhall Glacier and Hike to Nugget Falls and walk around town

 

Skagway - Chilkoot Charters - Yukon rail and Bus Excursion

 

Icy Strait - Glacier Wind Charters - Whale and Wildlife Excursion

 

Ketchikan - No plans yet. May do a ship excursion since we have onboard credit to spend.

 

Vancouver - 2 days - Staying at L'Hermitage Hotel - still researching.

 

Thanks for any advice to help with researching this awesome trip.

[Budget Queen]

At Denali in August, my choice is always Wonder Lake. Even if you decide not to go that far, you can simply get off the bus at any point, turn back, and get any shuttle bus that goes by with open seats. I never recommend any tour buses for independent visitors, only shuttle buses. Why pay triple costs? http://www.nps.gov/dena

 

There are a whole lot of options all along the way Anchorage to Denali. Have to looked at the MILEPOST? Essential you do, endless places you can stop at and enjoy. I would not be in any rush to get to Anchorage.

 

It is Seward- Kenai Fjords boat tours certainly are highlights and enjoyed by many. I am ALWAYS out there, every trip.

 

You need to figure out what YOU want to do. http://www.seward.com again- multiple options too numerous to list. Narrow your interests and look for more specific information.

[AKStafford]

At Denali, use the shuttle bus, not a "tour". Same road, same views, much cheaper: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g28923-i349-Alaska.html

 

 

On Monday: you'd have time on your way to the Denali area to detour to Talkeetna. Maybe for lunch? Or you could use that time to go up into Hatcher Pass. Or if you really want to fill the time, head to the Matanuska Glacier for a glacier hike: http://matanuskaglacieradventures.us/

 

 

Since you aren't currently doing much in Seward, I would wait until Friday to take the train down to your ship. Use Thursday to drive do to Whittier for a Prince William Sound glacier cruise. Or explore the Portage/Girdwood area. You could take the tram at Alyeska, visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, etc...

[katrina915]

If you are interested in seeing glacier and wildlife, I would recommend Kenai fjords tour.

 

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[cruisingjodi]

We enjoyed the Kenai Fjords tour also. There is lot of wildlife and beautiful scenery. It is well worth it. I would look at the reviews on TripAdvisor and pictures and see if it appeals to you. We did the Glacier Wind whale watch too and this is totally different. No matter what you do, there will be things that you missed along the way. Have a great trip.