Itinerary Feedback?

[Travel_Maven]

Well, after lots of agony and stress, I think we've finally settled on an itinerary for our June 21 Alaska Trip. Please let me know if this doesn't look good. I haven't finalized some things so it can still be adjusted.

 

Day 1 - Arrive in Anchorage 12:50am

Spend night at Captain Cook

Day 2 - Pick up car at Downtown Avis and head to Talkeetna

Flightseeing with K2 Aviation (Mckinley with glacier landing)

Head to Denali (tour welcome center/get info for tomorrow)

Spend Night at Denali Dome Home

Day 3 - Denali Shuttle Bus to Eielson

Huskey Homestead Tour if time

Spend night at Denali Dome Home

Day 4 - Sleep-In/Eat Breakfast at Dome Home

Hike at Denali entrance or Huskey Homestead

Flightseeing in Talkeetna if 1st tour cancelled

Back to Anchorage & turn in car

Hotel Captain Cook again

Day 5 - Train tour to Seward and Kenai 6-hr Cruise (Goldstar service)

Train back to Anchorage(Captain Cook again)

Day 6 - Train to Whittier

PWS tour (not sure which one - prob only 4 hr w/coupon)

Princess Cruise leaves 8:30pm

Day 7 & 8 - 2 days of sailing and rest (Hubbard Glacier & Glacier Bay)

Day 9 - Skagway - Chilkoot 7 1/2 Train/Bus tour

Day 10 - Juneau - Photo Safari or Orca Whale Watching :confused:

Day 11 - Ketchikan - Bearing Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour

Day 12 - Cruise Inside Passage

Day 13 - Arrive in Vancouver (see City)

Spend night at Pan Pacific

Day 14 - Flight Home

 

 

Whew! I think that is it. Still not 100% sure about Juneau. Hope to decide this week. If anyone has restaurant suggetions for any part of the inland tour, please speak up! I welcome any suggestions/comments on the itinerary. :)

[Travel_Maven]

Well, after lots of agony and stress, I think we've finally settled on an itinerary for our June 21 Alaska Trip. Please let me know if this doesn't look good. I haven't finalized some things so it can still be adjusted.

 

Day 1 - Arrive in Anchorage 12:50am

Spend night at Captain Cook

Day 2 - Pick up car at Downtown Avis and head to Talkeetna

Flightseeing with K2 Aviation (Mckinley with glacier landing)

Head to Denali (tour welcome center/get info for tomorrow)

Spend Night at Denali Dome Home

Day 3 - Denali Shuttle Bus to Eielson

Huskey Homestead Tour if time

Spend night at Denali Dome Home

Day 4 - Sleep-In/Eat Breakfast at Dome Home

Hike at Denali entrance or Huskey Homestead

Flightseeing in Talkeetna if 1st tour cancelled

Back to Anchorage & turn in car

Hotel Captain Cook again

Day 5 - Train tour to Seward and Kenai 6-hr Cruise (Goldstar service)

Train back to Anchorage(Captain Cook again)

Day 6 - Train to Whittier

PWS tour (not sure which one - prob only 4 hr w/coupon)

Princess Cruise leaves 8:30pm

Day 7 & 8 - 2 days of sailing and rest (Hubbard Glacier & Glacier Bay)

Day 9 - Skagway - Chilkoot 7 1/2 Train/Bus tour

Day 10 - Juneau - Photo Safari or Orca Whale Watching :confused:

Day 11 - Ketchikan - Bearing Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour

Day 12 - Cruise Inside Passage

Day 13 - Arrive in Vancouver (see City)

Spend night at Pan Pacific

Day 14 - Flight Home

 

 

Whew! I think that is it. Still not 100% sure about Juneau. Hope to decide this week. If anyone has restaurant suggetions for any part of the inland tour, please speak up! I welcome any suggestions/comments on the itinerary. :)

 

 

Is anybody out there? Maybe I'm just impatient. Would love some opinions! :rolleyes:

[henny]

Sounds like you've got some great things planned! A little flexibility built in in case you need it with Denali. I'm no expert but I'd be happy with that itinerary.

[ellbon]

denali

 

dinner at the rib place up the hill from princess lodge.. plan on eating outside.. white water and husky home tour.. they have both at 6 at night.

 

vancouver- eat at SAILS at the pan -pre book it.. lunch at china town or stanley parkVancouver BC Vacation Sightseeing & City Tours - British Columbia, Canada since you only have one day:( this company might help you.

 

wish you had allowed yuor self more time after cruise.

[Travel_Maven]

denali

 

dinner at the rib place up the hill from princess lodge.. plan on eating outside.. white water and husky home tour.. they have both at 6 at night.

 

vancouver- eat at SAILS at the pan -pre book it.. lunch at china town or stanley parkVancouver BC Vacation Sightseeing & City Tours - British Columbia, Canada since you only have one day:( this company might help you.

 

wish you had allowed yuor self more time after cruise.

 

I wish we had more time in Vancouver too, but got to get back to work! Thanks for the suggestions for meals at Denali.

 

Keep the comments coming folks!!

[klingoncruiser]

Not sure about what you have set up for a tour into Denali. There are basically 3 "tour" options. One is a "short" tour. That one is really a waste of time. It stops just as the going gets good. Then next one is a "long" tour and it is the best. The only other option is all the way to the end of the road in Kantishna. That will take some planning to make that one.

 

The rest is just fine. I don't know if you can take the train down and back to Seward for that 6 hr tour of the Kenai Fjords. I do expect you already have that answer. That tour is a lot of fun.

[Travel_Maven]

Not sure about what you have set up for a tour into Denali. There are basically 3 "tour" options. One is a "short" tour. That one is really a waste of time. It stops just as the going gets good. Then next one is a "long" tour and it is the best. The only other option is all the way to the end of the road in Kantishna. That will take some planning to make that one.

 

The rest is just fine. I don't know if you can take the train down and back to Seward for that 6 hr tour of the Kenai Fjords. I do expect you already have that answer. That tour is a lot of fun.

 

 

Thanks for responding!

 

We are taking the Park Shuttle(school bus) to the Eielson Visitors Center (mile 64 I think) in Denali. I think it is an 8 hr visit roundtrip if you don't get off at any stops. It gets rave reviews here on CC.

 

The Seward train/Kenai cruise is a package deal with Kenai Cruises and/or AKRR. It is a long day, but do-able.(8:30am-10:00pm) We splurged for the Goldstar service to hopefully help with the fatigue! ;)

[ellbon]

Thanks for responding!

 

We are taking the Park Shuttle(school bus) to the Eielson Visitors Center (mile 64 I think) in Denali. I think it is an 8 hr visit roundtrip if you don't get off at any stops. It gets rave reviews here on CC.

 

The Seward train/Kenai cruise is a package deal with Kenai Cruises and/or AKRR. It is a long day, but do-able.(8:30am-10:00pm) We splurged for the Goldstar service to hopefully help with the fatigue! ;)

 

smart move on both...

[Alaskalovr]

Well, after lots of agony and stress, I think we've finally settled on an itinerary for our June 21 Alaska Trip. Please let me know if this doesn't look good. I haven't finalized some things so it can still be adjusted.

 

Day 1 - Arrive in Anchorage 12:50am

Spend night at Captain Cook

Day 2 - Pick up car at Downtown Avis and head to Talkeetna

Flightseeing with K2 Aviation (Mckinley with glacier landing)

Head to Denali (tour welcome center/get info for tomorrow)

Spend Night at Denali Dome Home

Day 3 - Denali Shuttle Bus to Eielson

Huskey Homestead Tour if time

Spend night at Denali Dome Home

Day 4 - Sleep-In/Eat Breakfast at Dome Home

Hike at Denali entrance or Huskey Homestead

Flightseeing in Talkeetna if 1st tour cancelled

Back to Anchorage & turn in car

Hotel Captain Cook again

Day 5 - Train tour to Seward and Kenai 6-hr Cruise (Goldstar service)

Train back to Anchorage(Captain Cook again)

Day 6 - Train to Whittier

PWS tour (not sure which one - prob only 4 hr w/coupon)

Princess Cruise leaves 8:30pm

Day 7 & 8 - 2 days of sailing and rest (Hubbard Glacier & Glacier Bay)

Day 9 - Skagway - Chilkoot 7 1/2 Train/Bus tour

Day 10 - Juneau - Photo Safari or Orca Whale Watching :confused:

Day 11 - Ketchikan - Bearing Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour

Day 12 - Cruise Inside Passage

Day 13 - Arrive in Vancouver (see City)

Spend night at Pan Pacific

Day 14 - Flight Home

 

 

Whew! I think that is it. Still not 100% sure about Juneau. Hope to decide this week. If anyone has restaurant suggetions for any part of the inland tour, please speak up! I welcome any suggestions/comments on the itinerary. :)

 

A couple of questions first: You are arriving at the Anchorage airport at 12:50 am, right? How are you getting to the hotel? What time are you picking up your car? What time is your flight in Talkeetna? I know you have done a lot of work on this itinerary. I researched our first trip to Alaska for 2 years before we finally got there but it all paid off and I was glad to know all that I knew ahead of time. Really helped me make good decisions for us! I would like to give a few suggestions after I get some more info from you!!

[Travel_Maven]

A couple of questions first: You are arriving at the Anchorage airport at 12:50 am, right? How are you getting to the hotel? What time are you picking up your car? What time is your flight in Talkeetna? I know you have done a lot of work on this itinerary. I researched our first trip to Alaska for 2 years before we finally got there but it all paid off and I was glad to know all that I knew ahead of time. Really helped me make good decisions for us! I would like to give a few suggestions after I get some more info from you!!

 

Good questions! Luckily I have some answers. We've rented a car service to pick us up and take us to the hotel. We are scheduled to pick up the rental (very close to the hotel) at 8:00am but I am planning to call and ask what happens if we are late (sleep! might need to move time back). We are doing the 3:00pm flightseeing tour. Hope that gives us enough time to get to Talkeetna. We are flying from the east coast and the last leg of our flight is 6hrs from Phoenix. Hopefully we can sleep some on the flight. I think we can push through the jetlag for a day or two but at some point it will catch up with us which is why I've left things a little flexible on our last day in Denali. Maybe I'm mistaken on this so I would still love feedback! Thanks!:)

[Travel_Maven]

More comments please? :)

[Alaskalovr]

More comments please? :)

 

Good Morning! I have been planning on getting back to you, just still looking at your itinereary options. One thing I would like to share is that if you have a car in Denali and a few extra minutes I would take a ride into Healy down Stampede Road. We stayed at Earthsong Lodge in individual log cabins and saw a number of moose just right on the road. I'll post back with a couple of pics and some more info soon! Haven't forgotten about you!

[Budget Queen]

OK, just my opinion. I never recommend Seward as a day trip from Anchorage. From your "itinerary" are you cruising out of Whittier the next day??

 

An alternative, would be to cut a night at Denali, which your listed activities can be done with a day less, then get an overnight in Seward. Or, take the train one way, then go direct to Whittier. Makes better use of the overall time, despite what some may consider the high transfer cost.

 

With your long day, you aren't going to get a lot out of the return train trip, in my opinion.

[Budget Queen]

 

The Seward train/Kenai cruise is a package deal with Kenai Cruises and/or AKRR. It is a long day, but do-able.(8:30am-10:00pm) We splurged for the Goldstar service to hopefully help with the fatigue! ;)

 

The train leaves at 6:45 and returns after 10:15pm

[Travel_Maven]

The train leaves at 6:45 and returns after 10:15pm

 

 

Thanks BQ. Your are correct, the train leaves at 6:45am and it is a long day!

 

Our thoughts were that we would rather pay for the Goldstar service on the train for the early and late ride to and from Anchorage in order to forgo shlepping luggage to and from Seward, getting another hotel room, rental car and then trying to get to Whittier. We hopefully will do some sleeping on the train too. Then we can take the 10:00 train to Whittier on Saturday and do PWS before bording. I really hate to give up time around Denali as we will have a rental car and don't know what the travel times will have in store for us but will give your suggestions serious consideration.

 

Thanks again! :)

 

If anyone has done the roundtrip train or train/bus & Kenai Cruise, please let me know how it was for you.

 

 

Maybe this is to much?

[javajaws]

Apparently people who think 6am - 10pm is a long day don't have kids in the house anymore!!! :)

 

 

I'm thinking of making that same Seward round trip trek a week earlier than you. The real "benefit" I perceive is being able to ride the train (for the adventure, sights, etc). I'll have a car, so that car will be "waiting" back in Anchorage while we're down in Seward.

 

However, I know I'll be driving from Anchorage-Coopers Landing and from Coopers Landing - Whittier later that week (as well as taking the 6hr PWS cruise). Will I miss much if I skip the train and the Kenai Fjords tour?