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The Ultimate Alaska Land
Tour Planning Guide |
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Most visitors to Alaska: |
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Cruise the Inside Passage/Southeast |
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Tour the Southcentral region by land |
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Do both! |
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If you want to cruise, check out our cruising page. |
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But if you're a landlubber or want to combine your cruise with a land tour, where do you begin? Anchorage—that's the hub and the origination of most itineraries. The well developed road and rail system here in the Southcentral/Railbelt region (where most people live) make it the easiest part of Alaska to explore on your own. |
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We've broken down your non-cruise choices into the most popular places—with highlights, minimum recommended stay, and ways to get there—so you can mix and match, building the trip of a lifetime. |
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Most Popular Alaska Land Destinations From Anchorage |
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1. |
Denali and Seward |
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The two most popular land destinations are Denali and Seward. Put them together, and you have a 5-day itinerary. |
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| Town |
Highlights |
Minimum Stay |
Getting There |
| Denali National Park |
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2 nights, 3 days |
Car, rail, bus |
| Seward |
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1 night, 2 days |
Car, rail, bus |
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If you don't mind driving (Alaska's highways are easy), a car is cheaper and allows more freedom. |
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On a cruise that disembarks in Seward? Train it to Anchorage. It's the most scenic rail section, and you can pick up a car in Anchorage. |
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2. |
Fairbanks |
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Next comes Fairbanks, just two hours north of Denali. Add it to Seward and Denali, and you have a roughly 7-day itinerary. |
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| Highlights |
Minimum Stay |
Getting There |
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1 night, 1 day |
Car, rail, bus, air |
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3. |
Talkeetna |
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Talkeetna is halfway to Denali from Anchorage. People short on time (or who can't get a room in Denali) go here instead of Denali, but most visitors spend 1 night on the way. |
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| Highlights |
Minimum Stay |
Getting There |
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Mt. McKinley views |
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Flightseeing |
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Mighty rivers & fishing |
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Pioneer town feel |
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1 night, 1 day |
Car, rail, bus |
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4. |
Valdez |
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Though not on the railbelt like the previous towns, Valdez is a port town on Prince William Sound that forms a nice circle route by bus or car from Fairbanks. Put these 5 destinations together and you have a 10-day itinerary that is the classic "Alaska Highlights" itinerary sold under different names and targeted at first-time visitors who want a good overview of Alaska. |
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| Highlights |
Minimum Stay |
Getting There |
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Very scenic drive |
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Glacier cruises |
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TransAlaska pipeline terminal |
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Pioneer town feel |
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1 night, 2 days |
Car, bus, air, ferry |
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5. |
Homer |
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Still On The Road System, Yet More Off The Beaten Path
The artist and fishing community of Homer lies 5 hours south of Anchorage and off the cruise circuit. Most people rent a car in Anchorage and drive to Homer (great day trip) rather than fly there (1 hr) and then rent a car. |
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| Highlights |
Minimum Stay |
Getting There |
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2 nights, 3 days |
Car, air, bus |
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6. |
McCarthy/Kennicott |
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To get further off the beaten path, drive 7 hrs from Anchorage to McCarthy/Kennicott (or half that from Valdez or Glenallen). You don't need a car once there, so consider flying from Anchorage or Glenallen. |
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| Highlights |
Minimum Stay |
Getting There |
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3 days if drive, 2 days if fly |
Car, air, bus |
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7. |
Day or Overnight Excursion to a “Bush Town” |
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Four often-visited "bush" towns (off the road system) can be reached in a short jet flight from Anchorage or Fairbanks. |
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| Bush Towns |
Highlights |
Minimum Stay |
Getting There |
| Nome |
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Gold Rush history |
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Iditarod Trail endpoint |
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1 day, optional overnight |
Air (1.5 hr) |
| Kotzebue |
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Native village |
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Gateway to nearby fly-in parks |
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1 day, optional overnight |
Air (1.5 hr) |
| Barrow |
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Farthest north in Alaska |
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Native, whaling culture |
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1 day, optional overnight |
Air (3 hr) |
| Prudhoe Bay |
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Trans Alaska Pipeline pump station |
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Arctic Ocean |
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1 day, optional overnight |
Air, guided bus tour from Fairbanks |
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All are single day or overnight options, except Nome, where some visitors rent a car and spend 2 – 3 days exploring the roads. |
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8. |
Day or Overnight Excursion to Katmai or Kodiak |
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Popular for their scenery and bears are Katmai and Kodiak, both an hour's flight from Anchorage by jet. For most visitors, a visit to either will add 2 days to their trip. |
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9. |
Alaska Wilderness Lodge Excursions |
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A stay at a wilderness lodge usually adds 2 or more (very relaxing) nights to your trip. The most popular are the Kantishna lodges at the end of the Denali Park Road, fly-in lodges from Anchorage, Homer wilderness lodges (across the bay from Homer), and lodges reached by a day-cruise boat. |
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Other Less-Visited Alaska Destinations |
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Most Alaska itineraries are just combinations of the above building blocks. Other possibilities exist for those seeking the unusual or remote. |
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| Bush Towns |
Highlights |
Minimum Stay |
Getting There |
| Dutch Harbor |
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Aleutian Islands |
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World War II history |
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Birding, fishing |
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2 or more days |
3-hr flight from Anchorage |
| Pribiloff Islands |
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Fur seals rookery |
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Birding |
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2 or more days |
3-hr flight from Anchorage to St. Paul |
| Round Island |
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Walrus sanctuary |
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2 or more days |
3-hr flight from Anchorage |
| Cordova |
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Prince William Sound |
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Fishing, rafting, birding, other outdoor activities |
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2 or more days |
50-min flight from Anchorage |
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