Alaska Land tour after cruise

[mycruise2000]

Hello Cruisers,

 

We are planning on taking North bound cruise from Vancouver to Seaward in July'16. After the cruise we want to do a land tour. Here is the possible itinerary for land only portion. Help me to fine tune to add or remove locations.

 

Day 1: Arrive in Seaward morning via Cruise. Do Kenai Fjords tour and take train to Anchorage. Is Exit Glacier a must to do? This will add extra day

Night-1 in Anchorage

Day 2: Get rental car and do city attractions of Anchorage. Night-2 in Anchorage

Day 3: Drive morning to Whittier for PWS cruise. Leave Whittier and drive to Matanuska Glacier (MICA guides tour). I need help here. Whittier or Matanusak is long drive not sure if I want to do 4hr drive after PWS. One option is stay in Palmer or Wasilla. What you suggest? Do I have to add a extra day here? (Night 3 in Matanusaka or Palmer)

Day 5,6,7: Drive to Matanuska and then to Denali 3 nights. Not staying at Talkeetana. Do I miss anything here not staying.

Day 8- Drive to Anchorage for the return flight

 

Can I cut Denali to 2 nights and add extra night in Palmer?

 

Thanks

[mycruise2000]

Another option is to eliminate Matanuska and do Hatcher Pass. Any suggestions?

[Alaskanb]

Think you need to plot this on a map with timing.

Maybe consider something like this:

Day 1: Kenai cruise plus train to Anchorage. Overnight in Anchorage

Day 2 Pick up car, maybe an activity (museum ?) drive to Palmer for an overnight.

Day 3. Matanuska Glacier am. Another activity pm. Overnight Palmer.

Day 4 Drive to Denali -- at least two nights there.

Day 5 Denali shuttle

Day 6 ???

Day 7 Drive back to Anchorage. Overnight at Girdwood.

Day 8 PWS cruise . Wildlife Center.

[mycruise2000]

Thanks Alaskanb. You plan looks a very good. I just changed little bit so I have time to catch evening flight back home. Do you recommend Palmer or Wasilla?

 

 

Day 1:Seaward - Anchorage -> Kenai Fjords -> Anchorage overnight

Day 2:Anchorage - Matanuska Glacier - Hatcher Pass - Palmer-> Glacier Hike, Hatcher Pass -> Palmer overnight

Day 3:Palmer- Talkeetna - Denali -> city tour/lunch-> Denali overnight

Day 4:Denali - Park Shuttle -> Denali overnight

Day 5:Denali - Girdwood ->Gondola ride -> Girdwood overnight

Day 6:Girdwood - Whittier - Anchorage -> PWS Cruise, Wildlife Center -> Anchorage overnight

Day 7:Anchorage - Back home -> Anchorage City tour

 

Please let me know how this looks and if do able.

[mapleleaves]

since you don't have an early flight, i'd stay in Girdwood for 2 nites .... one less day of packing and moving. You're only 40 minutes from Anchorage.

[Alaskanb]

since you don't have an early flight, i'd stay in Girdwood for 2 nites .... one less day of packing and moving. You're only 40 minutes from Anchorage.

Agree --it's an easy beautiful drive into Anchorage. We stayed at the Alyeska Hotel and treated ourselves to a meal at their Seven Glaciers restaurant.

We did not stay in Palmer but stayed above the glacier at the rustic Sheep Mountain Lodge --it's just changed owners. Another glorious drive on a sunny day. I have second cousins in Palmer so stopped to visit them and went to the Musk Ox farm before heading up to Sheep Mountain.

[mycruise2000]

Thats a great idea. I did not book by flights as not sure of the return date. I see there is a flight back at 8:45pm. Now things falling in place I go with your recommendation.

 

Stay 2 nights in Girdwood. The last day do Anchorage city tour, return the car and catch the flight.

 

Really appreciate your help.

[Budget Queen]

Thats a great idea. I did not book by flights as not sure of the return date. I see there is a flight back at 8:45pm. Now things falling in place I go with your recommendation.

 

Stay 2 nights in Girdwood. The last day do Anchorage city tour, return the car and catch the flight.

 

Really appreciate your help.

 

I'd also consider an overnight in Seward. It can be very worthwhile to take another boat tour, as well as other activities. http://www.seward.com

 

I wouldn't waste your "leave" day. If there is a later, overnight flight, then doing the PWS boat tour- works in perfectly, can easily use an add on shuttle service that will drop you at the airport.

 

Keep reworking your ideas, they are coming together nicely- if you have extra days- ADD them. More is "better" in Alaska. :)

[Alaskanb]

On our "leave day" we took our time packing and slowly drove back to Anchorage along Turnagain Arm stopping at any place we had not done before or wanted to repeat --you could even go to the Wildlife Center.... In Anchorage we wandered around the Tony Knowles Trail and had a lovely meal before heading to the airport where we dropped off the car. We like an unrushed day at the end of a vacation.

Edited January 16, 2016 by Alaskanb

[Mindershire]

The only thing you miss by skipping Talkeetna is the ability to do a flightseeing tour of Denali. I *highly* recommend passing through the town in order to do that. The views were outstanding and we got to land on a glacier. The town itself is small - no need to stay overnight but great to grab a meal after your flight. Here is a link to my travelogue of our day in Talkeetna if it helps you

 

http://72hourstogo.blogspot.com/2015/08/day-6-talkeetna-alaska.html

 

For your time in Anchorage and the Matanuska Glacier, I put together a "&2 Hours in Anchorage" itinerary that you might find helpful

 

http://72hourstogo.blogspot.com/search/label/72%20Hours%20in%20Anchorage