2024 Ultimate 10-Day Trip to Alaska
So you finally booked your bucket list trip to Alaska?? It’s in the United States, but why does it feel so far away and intimidating to begin planning? I believe it’s because it’s the trip of a LIFETIME! Your expectations are high, and you have dreamed of this trip for years or maybe your entire life. So where do you start? First, let me begin by saying I’m a born and raised Alaskan. I lived in Alaska until I got married and moved to Texas over 6 years ago. Alaska will always be home and my husband, now toddler, and I go back 2-3 times per year. We try to go once in the winter and spend a couple of weeks there in the summer. If you have been to Alaska in the summer then IYKYK. What will shock you most about this itinerary is that it doesn’t include a trip to Denali. If that is something you have your heart set on then go for it, but because of the various weather near the mountain the chances of a clear enough day so you can see Denali are 30-40%. Many people think the wildlife is worth it, but when we did a long bus tour we saw very little wildlife. So although that is an experience some love it doesn’t fit into this itinerary.
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Typically when flying to Alaska you will see that traveling from most places in the US or abroad the travel will take a day or so. Many flights will have a red-eye flight either arriving or departing so this itinerary is based on that. Feel free to tweak it however is necessary for your trip. Also to be noted this is the “hot and fast soak up every single adventure you can itinerary”. If you are a person who loves to vacation slowly this is not the itinerary for you. I will be providing a laid-back itinerary very soon!
Day 1: Arrive in Anchorage in the evening
Presumably, you have been traveling all day, and you are exhausted. You are excited to be in Alaska, but a good night’s rest will come in handy for all of the adventures you have planned. The Lakefront Hotel is a 4-minute drive from the airport and the perfect place to spend your first night in Anchorage. It’s located on Lake Hood which is “the largest and busiest seaplane base in the world, with some 250 planes landing each day.” Also, a unique quality of this hotel is that it has its own dock that is used for fishing and flight-seeing departures if you decide to begin your trip there. The Deck at Lake Hood is the best place to enjoy a cocktail, while you eat dinner and watch planes take off. I highly recommend the Crab and Artichoke dip!
Day 2: Anchorage to Hatcher Pass to Matanuska Glacier (Optional Trip to Valdez if you are feeling ambitious)
Check out of your hotel and head to Snow City Cafe for breakfast. I recommend the Kodiak Benedict with a vanilla latte, but I’ve never had something I didn’t love. This day will include a lot of driving so I would get an early start. Next put in Hatcher’s Pass into your maps. You may lose service at the end of the drive so screenshot your turns ahead of time. Once you arrive you will see the iconic red cabins that you most likely have seen all over social media as well as the lodge (a great stop for lunch after your hike). Head past the ranger stop to visit the Independence Mine State Historical Park and learn about gold mining in the early history of the state. Head back down past the cabins towards Summit Lake for beautiful views and multiple hikes. There are so many hikes in this area I won’t list them all, but Alaska.org has a list of each one with more information here. If possible I would limit your time at Hatcher Pass to 2-3 hours. There is so much to see, but this is a jam-packed day. Next, put in your maps Matanuska Glacier (Glacier View). It’s on the way to Valdez and a glacier you can walk on and explore. There are guided tours at you get to walk all over the glacier. Although this itinerary has some other options for glaciers this one is my personal favorite that you can access by car.
Once you finish at this spot you have two options take it easy and stay in Palmer for the night. Two of the top-rated places to stay are Alaska Knotty Pine B&B or Colony Suites. The other option if you are feeling very ambitious is to head to Valdez which is a three-hour drive so pick your tour based on how much time you have left. The drive to Valdez is incredible with many amazing waterfalls including Horsetail Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Redleston Falls just off the side of the road. If it’s getting late or rainy on Day 4 you can stop as you head back. I’m not going to do a full itinerary for Valdez, but I will have a separate post on it soon below are some places to stay.
Popular Places to Stay in Valdez:
Totem Hotel and Suites
Best Western Valdez Harbor Inn
Airbnb has some cabins and other options.
Many people tent camp or stay in an RV.
Day 3: Leave Palmer and Head to Girdwood
Turkey Red is located in Downtown Palmer and has so many delicious options. IF you stay at a bed and breakfast the lunch options are fantastic too! Your drive today will be 79 miles. You will go back through Anchorage on your way. If you like to bring a cooler of groceries on your trip, Anchorage will be the most affordable place to stock up plus no sales tax! Between Anchorage and Girdwood make sure to stop along the Seward Highway especially at Beluga Point for a beautiful picture of the inlet. Keep an eye out up the mountains to your left for dall sheep climbing along the rocks. If you see a lot of people stopped and looking up the mountain chances are high that is what they are looking at. In Girdwood, there are a variety of places to stay. Alyeska is by far the most luxurious. It’s where we got married and so beautiful! Plus it has a spa and a wonderful pool. However, if you are traveling with a larger group or need more space an Airbnb or VRBO property will be more affordable. Many have a hot tub with a mountain view.
Activities in Girdwood are listed on Day 4 but could be split between the two. If you’re on a romantic getaway and want to splurge Alyeska Resort’s Spa offers a wonderful couples massage. You could follow it up with a formal dinner at Seven Glaciers located at the top of the mountain. Also with a reservation, you get a free tram ticket and ride to the top. I highly recommend making reservations as they book up quickly. Although we love Seven Glaciers we usually eat at Double Musky (rated one of the best pepper steaks in the US and it’s HUGE) or Jack Sprat.
Day 4: Girdwood to Seward
The Bake Shop is a local gem and a great place for breakfast or coffee to start your day. Then make sure to fit in as much as you can from the following. If you
Activities in Girdwood:
-Alyeska Tram to the top of the mountain ideal on a clear day
-Winner Creek Trail
-Virgin River Falls is a short hike with incredible views. Make sure if you’re traveling with kids you keep them close as there are steep drop-offs into the falls
-Pan for Gold at Crow Creek Mine
-Portage Valley/ Portage Glacier
After leaving Girdwood I recommend stopping at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. It is a guaranteed way to see Alaska’s most popular wildlife plus you’re supporting the conservation efforts of this animal sanctuary. Make sure to ask about military and senior discounts if applicable. Also, children under 4 are free. You can drive to the area, but it’s best to walk if you want to get a closer view of the animals. If you plan accordingly you can see the animal feeding times. There are also food trucks for a quick lunch before you get back on the road.
Drive from the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center to Seward which is 78 miles. You will lose service for a short time driving to Seward so make sure to have your directions saved ahead of time. Make sure to look for moose along the drive.
In Seward, the top places to stay are Harbor 360 Hotel- with incredible waterfront views it’s hard to compete with this option or the Seward Gateway Hotel- a sister property of the Harbor 360 it’s conveniently close for all of your tours and a new property in Seward. You can also tent camp if you’re feeling adventurous or stay in an Airbnb or VRBO. For the ultimate adventure, Shearwater Cove offers oceanfront yurts available only by water taxi. A bucket list item for me that I have yet to check off.
Day 5: Seward
As you will see based on the next two days, Seward is one of my all-time favorite cities in Alaska. I recommend spending longer here because it has so much to offer. Whale watching on Major Marine Tours if you stay at the Harbor 360 Hotel or Seward Gateway Hotel you can get discounts on this tour! A must on this tour is a glacier margarita made from glacier ice the crew pulls out of the ocean. If you are traveling with children I would recommend a shorter tour. We did the 6-hour tour with an almost one year old and it was nearly impossible to get him to nap making the trip long for everybody.
The boat tour will take a large part of the day, but if you have time you can walk through the shops around Seward, visit the parks around Seward, or walk along the rocky beach.
Top activities around Seward:
-Exit Glacier
-Stoney Creek Canopy Adventure
-Gold Panning in Seward
-Mount Marathon hike is beautiful, but quite a butt-kicking. I wouldn’t recommend this for non-hikers.
Day 6: Seward
Seward Dog Sled/ Helicopter Ride or Ocean Kayaking both are extremely fun and scenic, but completely different experiences. If you have the time and money I would do both! Make sure to book ahead of time, because these experiences will book up, especially if your trip falls when a cruise is in Seward. For ocean kayaking, we did the Aialik Glacier Wildlife Cruise and Kayaking trip. It wasn’t very difficult and we saw a black bear swimming right in front of our kayaks. For the Dog Sled/ Helicopter Ride we booked our tour with Seward Helicopter Tours and had a great experience. The helicopter ride to the glacier was gorgeous, and getting to ride a dog sled then play with puppies was so fun. Both of these tours are very pricey, but if you can afford one or both they are bucket list experiences. Either of those adventures will leave you sometime in your day. Especially if you have kids with you, but even if you don’t we enjoy the Alaska Sealife Center a marine research facility, and aquarium all in one.
Our favorite restaurants in Seward:
-Mermaid Grotto Cafe and Boutique (newer to me, but I LOVE the vibe and food)
-Zudy’s Cafe (amazing coffee and breakfast)
-The Cookery
-Woody’s Thai Kitchen
-Ray’s Waterfront (great seafood)
-Red’s Burgers (food truck style with tables located in a school bus)
-Seward Brewing Co.
-Harbor Street Creamery (ice cream and saltwater taffy)
(If you only have a week in Alaska head back to Anchorage and fly out. If you have 10 days continue the itinerary below).
Day 7: Seward to Homer and explore the spit.
Drive from Seward to Homer, which is a 169-mile drive. Stop in Cooper Landing for the most INCREDIBLY blue water you have seen especially on a sunny day there is nothing quite like it. Soldotna would be a great place to stop for lunch, we love St. Elias Brewing for pizza and a lot of great Alaskan beers.
Top Rated Places to Stay in Homer:
-Homer Inn and Spa
-Ocean Shores Hotel
People love Homer because it is fun and quirky. One of the most popular things to do in Homer is to explore the spit (an area to shop) and stop in the shops along the way. If you have time walk down to the marina. It’s common to see both sea otters and seals playing in the water near the boats.
Day 8: Homer Halibut Fishing/ Restaurants
Halibut fishing charters is one of the activities Homer is most well known for.
Popular Charter Companies:
-Homer Halibut Fishing Charters Alaska Pros
-Homer Ocean Charters
-North Country Halibut Charters
Make sure to check ahead of time whether or not lunch is provided. Also if you can become motion sick or seasick call ahead to see what is recommended. On smaller boats often people get much sicker than they expect.
Homer Restaurants:
-Boardwalk fish and chips for the best-fried halibut
-Fat Olive’s
-Two Sisters Bakery
-Wild Honey Bistro (the crepes are delicious!)
-The Chart Room has fantastic food and is more of a dress-up option
-Carmen’s Gelato
Day 9: Travel back from Homer to Anchorage
On one of your final days in Alaska make sure to take in the views. Plan to stop in Kenai for lunch or fishing and give yourself time to enjoy the views! My husband brings a fly fishing pole on our trip and stops whenever he can along the trip. If you make it back to Anchorage quickly and don’t stop along the way there are some nearby hikes for you.
Anchorage hikes:
-Flattop Mountain
-Rabbit Lake (longer, but not very steep)
If you are wanting a final dinner in Alaska a couple of options include:
-Moose’s Tooth (the absolute best pizza you will ever have) 10/10 recommend spicy Thai pizza with Raspberry Wheat beer if you’re a beer lover or their rootbeer is also fantastic
-South Restaurant
-Crush Wine Bisto and Cellar
-Orso
Spend another evening at The Lakefront Hotel before you fly out.
Day 10: Fly out of Anchorage
If you have time take advantage of the tours straight from The Lakefront Hotel or enjoy some of the previously mentioned hikes and restaurants around Anchorage.
Have a shorter trip and are not sure which parts to trim from this itinerary? Valdez is amazing, but a six-hour drive from Anchorage. I would recommend taking that part off if you need to. Also, Seward and Kenai are most known for fishing so if you plan to primarily fish this trip start your planning there!
If you have questions or comments I would love to hear from you! The easiest way to contact me is to email travelandtenacity@gmail.com or shoot me a DM on Instagram! To create this guide I spent hours pouring my heart into it to give you the best experience. It is very detailed to take out the guesswork for you. Seeing people love Alaska makes me so happy. If you visit any of these places please tag me on Instagram @travelandtenacity so I can see and share your adventures!
Happy Planning!
XOXO,
Jillian
