Is my DIY post cruise itenerary do able

[Fl cruiser 2012]

Here is our itinerary, it is still being tweaked. We are traveling with my brother and sister in-law. She is blind, so we wont be doing a lot of stopping just to enjoy the beauty of Alaska. 

 

Arrive in Seward take train to Anchorage. Pick up rental car at spend the night in Anchorage 

Drive to Denali, stopping along the way to see places of interest. Spend the night near in Healy

Do a bus tour of Denali. Spend the night in Haley

Head to Valdez stopping along the way to see places of interest spend the night in Valdez

Explore Valdez, then drive to Anchorage spend the night in Anchorage  

Day trip from Anchorage 

Day trip from Anchorage 

Explore Anchorage, return rental car and fly to Seattle

[wolfie11]

I think you are underestimating your driving distances and times. I would spend two full days in Denali, first of all.  There’s lots to see and do there.  Second, not sure why you’re going to Valdez. It’s a long way from Denali.  You can’t take a rental car on the Denali highway, so you have to drive to Fairbanks or back to Anchorage to get there.  It’s probably around a 10 hour drive.  The only reason to go to Valdez is to do a Columbia Glacier tour or go fishing.  What day trips are you planning from Anchorage?  It’s crowded and expensive in the summer and not much to see in town.

 

I would take a couple of days in Denali, drive to Fairbanks and spend the night, drive to Glenallen via the Richardson highway, take a trip to Kennicott, drive to Valdez, take the ferry to Whittier, then finish up with a day in Anchorage.  It would help to know what activities you are interested in though.

[Fl cruiser 2012]

7 hours ago, wolfie11 said:

I think you are underestimating your driving distances and times. I would spend two full days in Denali, first of all.  There’s lots to see and do there.  Second, not sure why you’re going to Valdez. It’s a long way from Denali.  You can’t take a rental car on the Denali highway, so you have to drive to Fairbanks or back to Anchorage to get there.  It’s probably around a 10 hour drive.  The only reason to go to Valdez is to do a Columbia Glacier tour or go fishing.  What day trips are you planning from Anchorage?  It’s crowded and expensive in the summer and not much to see in town.

 

I would take a couple of days in Denali, drive to Fairbanks and spend the night, drive to Glenallen via the Richardson highway, take a trip to Kennicott, drive to Valdez, take the ferry to Whittier, then finish up with a day in Anchorage.  It would help to know what activities you are interested in though.

My brother and sister in law want to go to Valdez, I'm not sure what they have planned. 

We are interested in the history of Aalska and native Alaska.

[mapleleaves]

I absolutely love Valdez. Glad to see you're including it in your itinerary.  The boat tour to Columbia Glacier is wonderful.  I've attempted to kayak there twice but was weathered out both times.

 

If you're driving there from Denali, i would allow 2 days for the drive.  It's about 500 miles so it CAN be done in a day, but at the expense of missing out on some lovely sights.  If you break it up you could stop at Independence Mine then overnight at Matanuska Glacier.  The last hour before you drop down into Valdez is spectacular.  OR if you go thru Fairbanks, the Richardson Hwy is a lovely drive all way to Valdez.  You might also keep in mind that there is a ferry between Valdez and Whittier if you don't want to drive .... pricey tho.

  

 

Good luck with your plans.

[AKStafford]

Denali to Valdez is going to be a minimum of 11 hours of driving without any stops... And Valdez back to Anchorage is another 6 hour drive.

[Budget Queen]

You are grossly underestimating distances.   This is not a good plan.   Add days-  would be my first suggestion.    You need to forget about the "day trips"   out of Anchorage and put them on your transits.

 

I am also going to suggest you get going toward Denali , maybe to Talkeetna?   instead of Anchorage your first night.     Then how were you routing  to Valdez?   

 

As posted-  you are taking a TOUR of Denali?  Superior for cost and distance are the shuttle buses,   which going independent-   is all I ever recommend.  

 

Rethink Valdez and what the attraction is there?   MCarthy and Kennicott are "must"  stops when I transit there.  taking a whole day.    In Valdez,   I'm out on boat tours,  again all day.    It would not be worth any of my valuable time without these additions.  

[Northern Aurora]

I don't want to "pile on" but I also think that the OP is really underestimating the amount of travel time they have in this tentative itinerary.  For example, I am curious about their plan to drive from Denali to Valdez.  The  Denali Highway is a seasonal road, and (at least in the past) is rough enough that some rental agencies ban travel on it.  To drive north from Denali to Fairbanks and then go down to Valdez would be brutal -- I can't imagine sitting in a car that long.

 

And what it the attraction to Valdez?  I realize that Mapleleaves likes the community, but as an Alaskan it certainly is not my favorite.  The community has this rather "gritty" feel.  And since it was devastated during the 1964 earthquake it was moved to land deemed more stable.  The community hired a planner who was rather new to the field (if my memory is correct, had just completed her education) to plan the new community.  As such it has a rather sterile feel to it -- not like a "Levittown" but somewhat similar.  Instead of Valdez I would consider Homer as a substitute.