Anchorage Touring Question

[cokecolect]

We are doing a cruise tour with RCCL beginning July 1 and boarding the Radiance on July 6. We arrive in Anchorage on June 30 and will have the afternoon/evening and the next day on our own before meeting up with the group at around 5 PM. We thought of renting a car at the airport and driving Hatcher Pass to Independence Mine and we also wanted to do a glacier trek with Mica Guides at Matanuska Glacier. They have a simple 1 1/2 hour trek or what seems more interesting a 3 hour trek. Can we do both Hatcher pass and the glacier in one day and get back to the hotel by 5:00? or should we drive Hatcher Pass on the afternoon (early evening) we arrive and then do the glacier the next day. We would also like to just see some of Anchorage as well. Any comments or suggestions are welcome.

 

Bruce and Lisa

[Yukon]

You should consider both Hatcher Pass and the Matanuska Glacier to be full-day trips - it's not reasonable to do both. You may have a bit of extra time, which would allow a tour of the musk ox farm at Palmer - very interesting. To see Anchorage the afternoon you arrive, the red trolley tours are excellent and inexpensive, or there's lots to see just walking around downtown.

 

Murray

[cokecolect]

Thanks for the response. I guess since we arrive at 3 PM we will just do the city tour that day. The next day we have the full day - which would you recommend the glacier hiking at Matanuska or the drive to Hatcher pass etc? We will be doing river rafting in Denali, dog sledding in Juneau, fishing/whale watching in Icy Strait and misty fjord floatplane in Ketchican. Not sure what we will do in talkeetna. We are on the Radiance cruisetour in July. Based on this which trip would,you do in Anchorage. Thanks for the help.

Bruce and Lisa

[M.Cruiser]

We walked down town and we realy enjoyed it, there was a lot to see.

[AkSusan]

Here's the link to the Anchorage Visitor's Bureau site - www.anchorage.net

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[Budget Queen]

which would you recommend the glacier hiking at Matanuska or the drive to Hatcher pass etc? Based on this which trip would,you do in Anchorage. Thanks for the help.

Bruce and Lisa

 

 

 

I have done both, my opinion, you need the longer glacier trek, the short one is hardly worth the time to get on the boots and Crampons.

 

Hatcher Pass is pure scenery, and very worthwhile. You may have time for both??

 

Head to your library and take out Fodor's Alaska and Frommer's Alaska. Both have walking tour maps of Anchorage. In the past the visitor guide had one too.