{"id":33578,"date":"2019-09-09T17:15:10","date_gmt":"2019-09-09T17:15:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.travelocity.com\/inspire\/?p=33578"},"modified":"2021-06-10T01:19:35","modified_gmt":"2021-06-10T01:19:35","slug":"how-to-spend-one-perfect-week-in-alaska","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelocity.com\/inspire\/how-to-spend-one-perfect-week-in-alaska\/","title":{"rendered":"How to spend one perfect week in Alaska"},"content":{"rendered":"

Important coronavirus travel update<\/em><\/strong>: Many of Travelocity’s trusted airline partners are waiving change fees for eligible new bookings. Find an updated list of airlines here<\/a>, and stay informed about your flexible travel options.<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s totally not necessary to take a cruise through Alaska (though cruises are plentiful and are also a great way to see the 49th state). But the benefit of ditching the cruise in favor of exploring Alaska on your own is that you\u2019re not restricted by the ship\u2019s itinerary\u2014and you\u2019re free to truly explore the Last Frontier State, from hiking its glaciers to spotting its wildlife. We tried to fit a little of everything into this itinerary, which begins in Anchorage and ends in Fairbanks.<\/p>\n

RELATED<\/strong>: The best glamping spots in all 50 states<\/a><\/p>\n

Day 1: Anchorage<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Anchorage,

Anchorage<\/p><\/div>\n

Most likely, you\u2019ll arrive in the evening, so grab a rental car and head straight to your hotel. Our favorites in the Anchorage area are Hotel Alyeska<\/a><\/strong> (about 45 minutes east of the city, but walking distance to the Alyeska Ski Resort) and Highland Glen Lodge Bed & Breakfast<\/strong><\/a> (within city limits and close to skiing, the zoo, the airport and a golf course).<\/p>\n

Day 2: Seward<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Exit

Exit Glacier<\/p><\/div>\n

Grab breakfast at Snow City<\/strong> (the best lattes ever) before driving 125 miles south on the Seward Highway to Seward. While it can take only 2 hours sans stops, this is a stunning drive with plenty of pull-off areas for photos (make the stops or you\u2019ll regret it). Be sure to also stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center<\/strong>, where you can visit plenty of animals ranging from bears to bull moose and wood bison. Next, follow the signs on the Seward Highway for Exit Glacier<\/strong> (3 miles before you arrive in Seward). Exit Glacier is part of Kenai Fjords National Park<\/strong>, and it\u2019s free to walk to the actual glacier (bring boots with traction and winter clothing, even if it\u2019s warmer elsewhere). There\u2019s a visitors center here, and they\u2019ll be able to direct you. After the glacier, continue on to Seward. Visit the Alaska SeaLife Center<\/strong> if you\u2019re not completely exhausted. Stay the night at the Hotel Seward.<\/strong><\/a> Don\u2019t expect anything fancy, but it\u2019s walking distance to the SeaLife Center, the Seward Museum<\/strong> and the Chugach Heritage Center<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Day 3: Glacier cruise<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Kenai

Kenai Fjord National Park<\/p><\/div>\n

Take the Kenai Fjords National Park Glacier and Wildlife Cruise<\/strong>, which leaves from Seward and takes passengers to glaciers and various spots through the national park, depending on the weather. You\u2019ll also probably spot sea otters and puffins. Then drive to Anchorage, where you\u2019ll spend the night.<\/p>\n

Day 4: Talkeetna<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Talkeetna

Talkeetna Wilderness Lodge<\/p><\/div>\n

This is an adorable town halfway to Denali National Park. Talkeetna is 115 miles north of Anchorage, and its former mayor was a cat named Stubbs (poor Stubbs died in 2017). There\u2019s plenty to do here, from fishing to hiking to ziplining. Stay at the Talkeetna Wilderness Lodge<\/strong><\/a>, which is adorable.<\/p>\n

Days 5 and 6: Denali National Park<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Denali

Denali National Park and Preserve<\/p><\/div>\n

145 miles north of Talkeetna is this famous national park boasting the tallest mountain in America. There are many ways to explore Denali: Take a tour bus, hike the Triple Lakes Trail<\/strong> or wander around the Savage River<\/strong>, go on a rafting tour or just have a picnic and photograph the scenery. Denali is known for its wildlife and its scenery, and it\u2019s open year-round though most people like to visit in the summer for hiking, cycling and musher demos. Stay in the McKinley Creekside Cabins<\/strong><\/a>, which are newly constructed and will make you feel like you\u2019re glamping. You’ll want at least two days to fully enjoy this beautiful place.<\/p>\n

Day 7: Fairbanks<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"reindeer\"

Reindeer sticking his tongue out<\/p><\/div>\n

It\u2019s a 130-mile drive to Fairbanks, where you\u2019ll catch your flight home. But if you arrive early, you’ll have plenty of options for killing time, from exploring the downtown area, to checking out the museums to going to Running Reindeer Ranch<\/strong>, where you\u2019ll have a hands-on reindeer experience. When in Alaska…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bring mittens and a sense of adventure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":154,"featured_media":33630,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[164],"tags":[169,534,1863],"class_list":["post-33578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adventure","tag-alaska","tag-anchorage","tag-fairbanks"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to spend one perfect week in Alaska - Inspire | Travelocity.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ditch the cruise ships and instead gas up a 4x4 and get ready for this sweeping tour of America's final frontier.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.travelocity.com\/inspire\/how-to-spend-one-perfect-week-in-alaska\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to spend one perfect week in Alaska - 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