Pre-cruise recommendations for 7 or 10 days

[tauwillow]

We have a southbound cruise out of Whittier at the end of July 2024, and we want to spend some time in Alaska before we depart.  We have never been there before, and are hiking, culture and wildlife enthusiasts.  I want a variety of experiences, so don't really need to duplicate activities we will have on the cruise (whale watching, kayaking, train) unless the location especially warrants it.  This will be a long trip, so super expensive activities probably aren't in our budget (think helicopter rides), but we are open to bucket list ideas.

 

I see that the road to Denali is blocked, so am comfortable giving that up for something else that is wonderful.  An excellent bear tour is something I would love to do.

 

We haven't bought plane tickets yet, but hope to do that next.  We originally assumed we'd be flying into Anchorage, but this can be flexible if the itinerary dictates.

[Glaciers]

When we lived in Anchorage two of our favorite excursions that we’ve done multiple times is hiking on Matanuska Glacier and the Spencer Glacier Iceberg Float. Matanuska Glacier is two hours north of Anchorage and now requires a guide. You can purchase tours out of Anchorage or just rent a car and drive up. The views along the highway are wonderful. Spencer Glacier is best accessed from the Portage train station. It’s a short 30 minute ride to the whistle stop that departs at 1:25pm returning at 5:25pm.

https://alaskanrafting.com/product/spencer-glacier-placer-river-float/

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[AKStafford]

1 hour ago, tauwillow said:

I see that the road to Denali is blocked

Nope. The Parks Highway to the entrance to Denali National Park is always open and well used highway year round. 

The road that goes into Denali National Park is currently closed at mile 43 due to road construction. You can drive park road to mile 15 (and should). Beyond mile 15 to mile 43 you use a shuttle bus. https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm   Still plenty to see in the Park. There's more to the park than the mountain, which can be viewed from outside the park as well.